Quebec company Bombardier Recreational Products is investigating how its Rotax engines ended up in Iranian UAVs.

Bombardier Recreational Products says a string of thefts of the engines is one of several possible explanations for how they might have ended up in Iranian drones.

Last fall, Ukrainian forces seized an Iranian Mohajer-6 drone. A Rotax-912 engine was found in it.

A Quebec-based company says it stopped selling aircraft engines to Iran in 2019 and is “deeply concerned” by reports that some of the motors are being used in Iranian military drones.

Its Austrian subsidiary Rotax was once selling to the Islamic Republic as well.

Besides, a Tehran-based engine maintenance and overhaul company, Mahtabal, still describes itself as Iran’s official representative for Rotax aviation engines.

“We have already started an investigation into this matter to attempt to determine the source of the engines,” BRP said.

Incidents with BRP

It’s the second time in two years the company has been embroiled in a reputational scandal over the use of its engines in warfare.

The company halted sales to Turkey after the news emerged that that country’s Rotax-powered Bayraktar TB-2 drones were targeting Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ottawa also prohibited target-finding cameras made by another Canadian company to be used in the Bayraktar aircraft. Ironically, Ukraine is now flying the Turkish drones, with the federal government donating those same Ontario-made devices it had earlier barred Ankara from buying.

Meanwhile, an engine from one of BRP’s Sea-Doo jet skis was spotted in a unique marine drone apparently used by Ukrainian forces.

To the question on the latest news regarding the Iranian drones, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Lama Khodr replied the government had introduced a number of sanctions related to Russia and Iran, including bans on the export to the two countries of military equipment or goods that could be used in making weapons.