Nationwide Defence acknowledged the plane was in use by Canadian particular forces as a part of a coaching mission on Feb. 10 however said the flight had nothing to do with the protests.
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Canadian particular forces have been working the thriller plane that flew over Ottawa in the course of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests in late January and February, this newspaper has confirmed.
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The U.S.-registered King Air plane was airborne over Ottawa on Jan. 28, Jan. 29, Feb. 3, Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, in keeping with knowledge collected by Steffan Watkins, an Ottawa researcher who tracks the actions of vessels and planes.
For example, on Feb. 10 the plane was flying round patterns over Ottawa earlier than disappearing from publicly out there plane monitoring methods, Watkins stated.
The flights coincided with the large-scale protests held in downtown Ottawa as a part of the “Freedom Convoy.”
Protesters in Ottawa demanded the federal government take away guidelines designed to stop the unfold of COVID-19. However different demonstrators additionally referred to as for the overthrow of the Canadian authorities.
Nationwide Defence spokesperson Dan Le Bouthillier acknowledged the plane was in use by Canadian particular forces as a part of a coaching mission on Feb. 10. However he said the flight had nothing to do with the protests.
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Data wasn’t out there from Nationwide Defence on who operated the aircraft on the opposite dates, however army sources stated these flights additionally concerned Canadian particular forces.
Canadian particular forces are getting ready to obtain their very own King Air plane outfitted with surveillance gear and have been conducting coaching main as much as the supply of these planes.
These plane, the primary of which is to be delivered this summer season, will give the Canadian army the power to gather knowledge for missions abroad and at dwelling. The modified small passenger planes are outfitted with surveillance gear permitting for the interception of cellphone calls, radio transmissions and different communications. Electro-optical sensors would additionally enable crews onboard the plane to trace the motion of people and automobiles on the bottom, the Canadian army has famous. Canadian particular forces had entry to comparable plane in Afghanistan to trace and goal insurgents.
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Le Bouthillier stated the particular forces coaching was already deliberate earlier than the Ottawa protests and to have cancelled the flight would have been losing cash.
Watkins claimed the plane might have flown wherever within the Ottawa area if the scenario referred to as for normal coaching. However, as an alternative, the aircraft was concerned in particular flight patterns, he famous.
“I consider their exact round tracks over Ottawa counsel a type of digital surveillance, not merely digital electro-optical imagery or video,” Watkins added in a separate report on the flights.
The Globe and Mail newspaper, citing Watkins’ knowledge, first reported the Feb. 10 flight in an article final month. On the time, Nationwide Defence acknowledged the aircraft was conducting army coaching, however didn’t reveal it was being operated by Canadian particular forces.
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The brand new surveillance plane might be based mostly at CFB Trenton, Ont.
Canada paid the U.S. authorities $188 million for the plane. The general undertaking is estimated to price taxpayers $247 million.
The U.S. army operates comparable surveillance plane.
A upkeep contract for the brand new planes was awarded to a staff consisting of Basic Dynamics Mission Programs-Canada of Ottawa and Voyageur Aviation Company of North Bay, Ont.
Canadian particular forces has carried out different coaching to arrange for the arrival of latest surveillance plane. In October, members of the Canadian Particular Operations Forces Command went to the U.S. to work with that nation’s particular forces in growing techniques and procedures to be used with the planes.
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In 2019, U.S. particular forces personnel have been in Ottawa and Petawawa doing comparable coaching. In mid-November of that 12 months, members of 427 Particular Operations Aviation Squadron and the Canadian Particular Operations Regiment, each based mostly in Petawawa, carried out an train supported by one of many American plane. The U.S. aircraft operated from the Ottawa airport, and flights occurred between Petawawa and Mansfield-et-Pontefract, Que., in keeping with Canadian particular forces.
The surveillance gear onboard the brand new Canadian army plane remains to be topic to tight U.S. restrictions. Canadian army employees and aerospace workers gained’t be allowed to work on components of the gear as they comprise delicate American-made methods that may solely be dealt with by U.S. residents. As an alternative, the gear should be despatched to the U.S. for upkeep or U.S. authorities employees should journey to Canada to work on the planes, in keeping with Canadian officers.
