EXCLUSIVE: A first look at Black Hawk helicopters to patrol Canada’s borders
Head of serious and organized crime and border integrity.
along Canada's border patrols as part of a bid to improve that security and respond to the growing U.S. pressure to stop illegal border crossings and drug trafficking.
The head of the RCMP's serious and organized crime and border integrity division stated that the force has been evaluating their border capabilities since 2023, which gave them a head start in leasing the Black Hawks.
He noted that the RCMP already has nine helicopters, with six of them used for patrolling the border, and the Black Hawks will enhance their speed.
Things happen rapidly on the border," he said. "Given the length of the U.S.-Canada border, which stretches over 5,500 miles, we sometimes need to mobilize our resources quickly. These helicopters enable us to do so.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed to Global News that two Black Hawk helicopters will be operational by Friday, with Staff Sgt. Rob Tan from the RCMP's emergency response team saying they will begin conducting border patrols between Canada and the US on Sunday.
"We will conduct surveillance in conjunction with our ground-based assets, ensure the integrity of our border, and take any necessary actions," Tan said.
We'll be able to observe and deploy into a lot of environments and places that are difficult to reach conventionally.
However, Tan mentioned that the Black Hawks enable personnel on board to fast-rope down without the helicopter needing to touch down, giving them the capability to extract and hoist to remove individuals as well.
The officers have received training in preparation for operating the helicopters, which will enable more people to be on board or additional personnel to be called in if increased enforcement is required.
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The added capacity on the planes is a benefit, says Sgt. Matthew Wells, who coordinates Canada's national police response team.
He stated that the range of the Black Hawks depends on fuel, with the standard amount allowing them to travel approximately 370 miles, although their range can be extended to over 1,200 miles if additional fuel tanks are added.
By expanding our capabilities, we can now transport everyone and all necessary equipment in one helicopter, which would normally require two, three, or four trips with one helicopter or multiple helicopters to accomplish," he said. "As a result, we can complete the same mission with just one helicopter.
The agency has proposed an "around the clock" aerial surveillance unit for ports of entry as part of its plan to address issues on the U.S.-Canada border amid increasing pressure from President Trump.
If there's a surge in illegal crossings at the border with the U.S.
The officer was asked about people crossing the border into the United States and if the RCMP can arrest them. They replied that border protection can't solely be handled on "one side," but that having Canadian law enforcement "present" at the border is beneficial.
"We can prevent crime from spilling over into the United States by maintaining a presence on the border," Bertrand said.
This story has been updated to correct the details about the aircraft.
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