52 APRIL/MAY 2025 www.vanguardcanada.com
T H E LA S T W O R D
nadian Air Defence Identification Zone
(CADIZ). The main reason is that it does
not have the infrastructure in our Arctic to
support such long-range operations. The
CF-18 fighter aircraft are based in Cold
Lake, Alberta, and Bagotville, Québec, re-
spectively some 3,500 km and over 4,000
km from the north end of the CADIZ. If
forward deployed in anticipation of opera-
tions, they could operate from the Forward
Operations Locations in Inuvik, NWT
(being repaired) and/or Iqaluit, Nunavut,
respectively some 2,300 km and 2,200 km
from the north end of the CADIZ. Given
the CF-18 combat range, the distances
involved and the paucity of alternate air-
ports, the fighters would require in-flight
refuelling from aircraft based in Canadian
Forces Base Trenton. They would also
benefit from the support of an Airborne
Warning and Control System (AWAC) to
monitor the airspace and coordinate com-
bat operations. There is the possibility of
using the American Pituffik Space Base in
Thule, Greenland, where F-35 have been
deployed in 2023. Pituffik Space Base is
still some 700 km from Canadian Forces
Station Alert, located at the very tip of
No radar coverage north of North Warning
System (CF Graphic)
Sin título-2 1 Sin título-2 1 31/03/2025 12:34:01 31/03/2025 12:34:01
