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WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM March/April 2015 | WINGS 23

M

acDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) appears

to be on a roll, not to mention an order backlog of

around $3 billion, about $1 billion more than a year

ago.

Based in Richmond, B.C., MDA is active in two

principal markets. The largest is its communications division which

provides space-based solutions for cost-effective global delivery of

direct-to-home television, satellite radio, broadcast internet and

mobile communications. Its surveillance and intelligence division

is a supplier of space-based and airborne surveillance solutions,

satellite ground stations, and geospatial information services.

With more than 4,800 employees operating at 11 locations

in the United States, Canada and internationally, MDA truly is a

global aerospace leader and technological influencer. In Canada, it

has some 1,700 employees, with 700 based in Richmond, 600 in

Montreal (Satellite Subsystems) and 300 in Brampton (Robotics

and Automation).

Its surveillance and intelligence division is based in Richmond

and has offices in Dartmouth, N.S. and Ottawa. It includes end-to-

end space missions, robotics and automation, airborne surveillance

solutions, ground-based systems and geospatial services. MDA

provides geospatial information and monitoring services derived

from radar imagery and other sources to customers in defence,

weather, transportation, energy and mining, and more.

The company’s end-to-end space missions provide operational

surveillance and monitoring solutions for civil, defence and

OPERATING IN

THE RIGHT SPACE

FORTUNES SOAR AT AEROSPACE LEADER MACDONALD DETTWILER AND

ASSOCIATES (MDA)

BY BRIAN DUNN

PHOTO: MDA

MDA is the operator and

worldwide commercial data

distributor for the RADAR-

SAT-1 and RADARSAT-2

satellites.