A Royal Air Force aircraft has landed at Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, 1100 miles inside the Arctic Circle. The RAF C-17A Globemaster landed on the frozen snow runway on the Northern tip of Canada this week to resupply the most northerly permanently inhabited settlement on Earth alongside their Canadian counterparts on Exercise Polar Puma, part of Operation Boxtop. Sitting on top of the world at 82.5 degrees North, CFS Alert supports NATO as a critical signals intelligence base as well as supporting an important climate change study station. Almost entirely encapsulated by the Arctic ice sheet, which only thaws for 30 days a year and even then is too shallow for resupply vessels, the only way vital supplies can arrive is by landing on a semi-prepared runway made of gravel and compacted snow less than half the length of a normal airport strip.
“This is a powerful demonstration of the RAF’s reach, readiness, and capability. Operating thousands of miles from the UK, in the extreme cold and with limited infrastructure, proves that we can generate operational air mobility wherever it is needed. Our partnership with Canada is strong; we are committed to working alongside one of our closest allies on security and stability in the High North,” said
Air Commodore James, Commander Air Mobility Force.
“Flying into the High Arctic is demanding, especially when the weather can change on a dime, but that’s exactly why this activity is so important. Working with our Canadian colleagues has shown just how closely our air forces operate together. The C-17 performs superbly in these conditions, and it’s a real privilege to contribute to a mission that is so vital to sustaining operations at Alert,” said Flight Lieutenant Mike Chandler, 99 Squadron Pilot.
Operating in extreme conditions, crews from both nations undertook demanding missions, enhancing partnerships and training capabilities.
In order to keep its few hundred inhabitants warm and its technology working, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has to send C-17s twice a year to land on the frozen wastes to deliver nearly a million litres of jet fuel that the station needs to run everything from heaters to radios, and now for the first time, the RAF have joined the mission as the UK works to develop its capabilities in the Arctic. Operating from Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland, the crews from 99 Squadron made 8 trips to Alert, delivering nearly 300,000 litres to the “Frozen Chosen” helping to ensure the security of all of NATO in the North. As well as pioneering the UK’s frozen runway skills, the crews have also been reforging the path to full cooperation with the RCAF by fully integrating Operations, Logistics, and Engineering, and even flying with mixed crews on each other’s aircraft; something rarely seen since the Second World War.
Designed for global strategic lift, the C-17s from 99 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton have been the workhorse of the RAF for the past 25 years, throughout every operation from Afghanistan to Iraq and multiple humanitarian missions, and continue to prove their ability to operate from remote and austere locations. Delivering heavy payloads over vast distances while maintaining tempo in both extremes of temperature, 99 Squadron are now leading the way in developing the UK’s aerial capabilities in the High North. As the world becomes ever more unpredictable, and global interest in the Arctic increases, the UK remains committed to contributing to collective security alongside its NATO Allies. Operating in the far north enhances the RAF’s readiness for operations in extreme environments, while validating its ability to support allies wherever required. Through Exercises and Operations like Boxtop, the RAF continues to strengthen alliances, sharpen its ability to operate in extreme environments, and demonstrate its commitment to collective defence, from the UK to the very edge of the Arctic.
