Canada is moving to build new space- and radar-based surveillance and communications systems for the Arctic as a recent report cited by CBC News warns Russia and China are advancing faster than NATO on uncrewed systems designed to operate persistently in harsh northern conditions.
Federal announcements show Ottawa is leaning on a multi-billion-dollar Arctic satellite effort and the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) program to help close what the government has described as communications and awareness shortfalls in the High North, while the Royal Canadian Air Force’s first Arctic-capable long-endurance drones are not expected until 2028.
The CBC report, citing a December 2025 study by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), said Russia and China are pulling ahead of NATO in Arctic-ready drone technology and warned the alliance’s procurement of Arctic-capable drones remains “fragmented, slow and risk-averse.”
According to the CEPA report, Russia’s annual drone production now exceeds 1.5 million units, supported by partners including China and Iran, and the Russian Navy has established a new drone control centre in Kamchatka focused on uncrewed maritime patrols and anti-submarine warfare development in the North.
The same reporting said China has tested the “Jiutian” unmanned aerial vehicle described as a “mothership” drone able to launch up to 100 smaller drones mid-flight, and that Chinese submersibles conducted 43 manned dives in the Beaufort Sea and Gakkel Ridge in 2025.
Key details
- Canada has no drones currently capable of patrolling the Arctic, according to CBC News.
- The Royal Canadian Air Force is acquiring 11 MQ-9B Reaper drones, with initial deliveries not expected until 2028 and full fleet operations projected for 2033, according to CBC News.
- Public Services and Procurement Canada said the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P) will deliver wideband and narrowband connectivity for Arctic operations through a strategic partnership with Telesat and MDA Space.
- National Defence said it has selected initial A-OTHR transmit and receive sites in Kawartha Lakes and Clearview Township, Ontario, with initial operational capability targeted by the end of 2029.
- National Defence has also said Canada is allocating $1.4 billion for specialized maritime sensors intended to detect underwater threats on all three coasts, according to CBC News.
Ottawa has tied its Arctic surveillance build-out to broader continental defence modernization. National Defence has framed the A-OTHR program as part of a $38.6 billion plan over 20 years to modernize NORAD, including the Northern Approaches Surveillance System, according to the department’s July 2025 update.
On the communications side, the federal government said the ESCP-P procurement is being led by the newly formed Defence Investment Agency, which was created to streamline major defence procurements. The same release described ESCP-P as a multi-billion-dollar investment aimed at providing reliable connectivity for Arctic operations.
Canada is also expanding its Arctic operating posture. CBC News has reported the Canadian Armed Forces are shifting from seasonal activity toward near-permanent readiness in the North, including an expanded structure for Operation Nanook training regimes.
Budget-linked policy direction is also shaping how Ottawa intends to buy and build. A December 2025 summary by Norton Rose Fulbright said Budget 2025 signalled a strengthened “Buy Canadian” approach that prioritizes Canadian suppliers, goods and services by default for federal contracting, subject to limited exceptions.
