In efforts to beef up security in Canada’s Arctic, a new $36 million remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) is scheduled to start monitoring the region early this year. A $30 million Arctic surveillance complex was also due to be completed in 2023, but delays have pushed the completion date to March 2025.
In November 2022, Canada’s auditor general reported that aging equipment has left gaps in the region’s security. The report said traffic in Canadian Arctic waters has more than tripled since 1990, with all-time highs in 2019 and 2020 despite temporary bans on entering the region amid the pandemic.
