Transport Canada backed its Arctic summer surveillance this year for pollution, protection of whales in danger of extinction and marine safety, CBC News reported.
The decision to limit the over -ups occurs at a time of greater political and national security in the region and five years after the department promised to deploy a drone for greater surveillance.
A series of documents and filtered sources show that the senior officials of the department decided in spring, around the moment of federal elections, that the National Air Surveillance Program (NASP) would adopt a “reactive position” when it comes to the region.
“We will not have a presence in the Arctic this summer unless it is necessary to deploy,” wrote the interim director of department aircraft services in a note obtained by CBC News.
A department spokesman confirmed to CBC News that the airplanes are being sent to the north end “if there were an operational need.” In other words, only in an emergency.
“NASP remains ready to respond to incidents,” said Hicham Ayoun, transport spokesman Canada, in an email statement.
The documents suggest that the decision to adopt a reactive position is related to the restrictions in the overtime of the pilot, a delay in the acquisition of a long -term planned drone program and the breakdown of a Turbopropapulatory plane of Dash 7 older.
Ayoun confirmed extra time restrictions, but denied that they affected the surveillance program.
“The cancellation of the overtime planned by management for the program does not influence NASP’s ability to serve the Arctic,” he said in a written response. “Extra hours are still allowed as necessary, for example, for emergencies.”
CBC News has exclusive access to Canada’s annual military exercises in the Arctic, which have grown in importance and urgency as climate change opens the water and makes the north end more attractive to powers such as Russia and China.
Pressure to cancel the purchase of Israeli manufacturing drone
Transport Canada was scheduled to buy a 900 Manufacturing Starliner of Israeli Manufacturing Manufacturing Starliner for Elbit Systems Ltd. That contract was granted in December 2020, with the expected delivery in 2022.
There has been public pressure, including a capital writing campaign of pro-palestinian groups, to cancel the purchase. The campaign began before October 7, 2023, when Israel’s complete war against Hamas began in Gaza, after attacks led by the militant group in southern Israel.
Transport Canada confirmed Friday that the contract remains active, but did not explain why the program has been delayed.
The Havilland Canada DHC-7, a vintage plane of the 70s known as Dash 7, had performed annual patrols in the last 20 years from June to November. It was parked in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, during those months.
In 2023, the Federal Government built a hangar in the Northern community to support the NASP plane. That hangar was recently completed before flight season 2025.
However, the aircraft “could no longer be operated safely” because the magnetic direction instrument was not functional, according to the documents. There was a debate about the past spring on whether repairing the plane was profitable.
Arctic The approach to geopolitical concern
In addition to the oldest Dash 7, NASP has two Patrol aircraft of Turbopropulsors of Dash 8 Dash 8 in its inventory, but only one of them was equipped with a special gravel kit necessary to land on short clues from the north. Transport Canada plans to acquire a third DASH 8, but I would not say if the additional aircraft will mean a full service resumption at the north end.
The decision to carry out surveillance as necessary, occurs at a time when the Arctic is the focal point of geopolitical concern, with multiple reports and evaluations that warn that China and Russia are increasingly active in the region.
In addition, the channels once drowned with ICE are becoming more navigable in the summer, according to a report published in December 2024 by the Observatory on Politics and Safety in the Arctic.
He found that there were 466 trips taken by ships in the waters of the Canadian Arctic in 2024, a substantial increase in recent years. Separately, the Arctic Council data shows that the number of ships entering the region increased by 37 percent between 2013 and 2023.
The Canadian army and possibly the Coast Guard are closely monitoring a Chinese research ship that has violated the Arctic waters for the second consecutive year. Murray Brewster of CBC says that the Coast Guard was “following a parallel course” of the ship, despite denying any “shadow”.
Chinese research boats have appeared more frequently along the Coast of the United States. Canadian military aircraft and the ships of the Coast Guard have played roles in monitoring those Chinese ships in front of Alaska.
“This is someone of transport of Nickel and Diming, although he is contributing in a very significant way to the national mission of sovereignty and security,” said Michael Byers, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia and an expert in Arctic and Geopolitical Sovereignty.
There is more maritime traffic, he said, and faces growing risks, without decrease.
Byers said that the remoteness of the Arctic is tempting for some ship captains that believe they can download waste fuel because they are out of sight and out of mind.
When pointing out the political meaning that has been put at the north end in recent years, he said he is “surprised” that a decision was made to reduce surveillance flights.
“Obviously, there has been a new emphasis on the surveillance of the Arctic and the safety of the Arctic under the government of Nueva Carney, and these transport flights of Canada have a very low cost cost compared to the type of surveillance and security measures that [the Department of National Defence] plans to provide. This is really low cost. “
