Canada has begun construction of a new air base designed to support the rapid deployment of Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters.
The Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) facility will be located CFB Bagotville in Quebec, home to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 3 Wing, which currently operates two squadrons of Boeing F/A-18A Hornet fighter jets.
The new $87 billion QRA facility will include aircraft hangar bays, office space, sleeping quarters for personnel and a 17,000 sq m (183,000 sq ft) secure fenced compound. The site will eventually support airspace threat detection and interdiction missions at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) operated jointly by Canada and the USA.
“This represents the most significant upgrade to Canada’s NORAD capabilities in almost four decades,” Ottawa said on 12 August.
Ottawa plans to acquire up to 88 F-35As, which will be operated locally with the designation CF-35A. The aircraft deal is valued at $14.2 billion (C$19 billion), with the RCAF expected to achieve full operational capability on the fleet between 2032 and 2034.
The fighters are a central pillar of Canada’s military modernisation effort, which also includes a new fleet of Boeing P-8A maritime patrol jets, General Atomics MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft, a new rotorcraft fleet and a yet-to-be-named jet trainer to support the F-35 fleet.
Ottawa has also committed nearly $30 billion to improving Arctic defence, including new infrastructure to support NORAD missions. The new QRA facility is a part of those plans.
“This investment in Bagotville will enable our personnel at the base to plan, posture, and deploy our new fleet of CF-35A fighters rapidly and effectively,” said Canadian defence minister Bill Blair on 12 August.
Canada plans subsequent improvements to other facilities around the country that will also host F-35s. The country’s other operational fighter unit – 4 Wing – is based at CFB Cold Lake in Alberta.
Ottawa currently plans to split its F-35 fleet between the two fighter bases, with 36 jets stationed at Bagotville and 52 assigned to Cold Lake.
