By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Don’t be alarmed by the sight of a Black Hawk helicopter say the RCMP as they announced the start of aerial border patrols in BC using the new helicopter which is commonly used in military settings.
This week, the new RCMP Black Hawk began patrolling the BC border with the US states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana to “detect, deter and disrupt illegal border activities”.
The RCMP said in a statement it will specifically target anyone involved in human smuggling, trafficking drugs or other contraband, and those crossing illegally into, and out of, Canada.
The acquisition of Black Hawk helicopters is part of the federal government’s aerial surveillance portion of its $1.3 billion upgrade to border security and monitoring in response to head off blanket tariffs announced and then rescinded for one month by incoming US President Donald Trump.
Trump has accused Canada of being a conduit for illegal entry into the US as well as for fentanyl, despite evidence that suggests otherwise.
The top speed of the Black Hawk is about 309 km/h with a cruising speed of 274 km/h.
RCMP photo
The RCMP noted that BC already has the largest air service fleet in the RCMP, with both rotary (helicopter) and fixed-wing (airplane) aircraft strategically positioned across the province supporting operations, including border security, adding that the service welcomes “the added strength of the RCMP Black Hawk helicopter.”
Currently, the BC RCMP has fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters based in seven different locations across BC: Vancouver/Boundary Bay, Comox, Kelowna, Langley, Prince George and Prince Rupert. The RCMP did not state where the new Black Hawk will be based.
“We are excited to add this aerial capability to our current repertoire of border surveillance equipment,” said Superintendent Bert Ferreira, Officer in Charge of Border Integrity for Federal Policing Pacific Region.
“The Canada-US border is well secured on both sides in large part to the great working relationship between the RCMP, US Customs and Border Protection, and other partners, all of whom work tirelessly day in and day out.”
Ferreira said police personnel will be on board and, with the speed and range of the Black Hawk, can quickly respond to virtually anywhere along the border as needed. The top speed of the Black Hawk is about 309 km/h with a cruising speed of 274 km/h.
The added resource will be tied in with Federal Policing Pacific Region Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, providing both intelligence and response capabilities to any suspicious activities or emerging events, the RCMP said.
“Leveraging new technologies and resources, as well as longstanding relationships is critical to the shared security of our mutual border,” said Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, Commanding Officer of Federal Policing Pacific Region.
“While the Black Hawk is one element of our comprehensive operational efforts, it is a welcomed asset bolstering our capacity,” he added.
