As reported by David Pugliese in the Ottawa Citizen, Canadian special forces have set in motion a discrete operation to lease state-of-the-art surveillance aircraft. The details of this highly classified project are enveloped in an impenetrable shroud of secrecy, intensifying the intrigue surrounding it. Bids are currently being sought for a high-altitude, long-endurance plane that will play a crucial role in providing indispensable support to the esteemed Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM).
With the deadline for bids looming on June 12, CANSOFCOM has divulged that the aircraft will serve both training and operational purposes, as confirmed in a statement exclusively obtained by this newspaper. The command emphasized that these supply arrangements are standard practice, allowing quick access to the required assets during emergencies or when they cannot be sourced internally within the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces.
However, CANSOFCOM has been resolute in withholding key details about the aircraft’s operation, raising questions about whether private military contractors or the command’s own personnel will assume control. Furthermore, the command has remained tight-lipped regarding the expenditure of taxpayer funds for this ambitious endeavor, leaving the public in suspense about the financial magnitude and duration of the project. It is worth noting that CANSOFCOM has previously relied on the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CP-140 surveillance aircraft, which have undergone recent modernization efforts.