This position is responsible for leading efforts to combat serious and organized crime and maintain the integrity of the border between the US and Mexico.
Along the border with Canada, Canada is increasing its patrols as part of an effort to boost security and comply with U.S. demands to curb illegal border crossings and drug trafficking.
The RCMP’s chief superintendent and director general of serious and organized crime and border integrity, Mathieu Bertrand, stated that the force started evaluating the capabilities of its border units in 2023, which enabled a swift decision on leasing the Black Hawk helicopters.
The RCMP currently operates nine helicopters, six of which are used for border patrol duties, but the addition of Black Hawks is expected to enhance their operational speed.
We have to act fast on the border,” he explained. “Given the fact that our border spans a massive 5,500 miles, we often find ourselves in situations where we need to redeploy our resources rapidly. These helicopters allow us to do just that.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) informed Global News this week that two Black Hawk helicopters will begin operation by Friday. RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob Tan, a member of the emergency response team, told Global News that the aircraft will be used for border patrols between the United States and Canada, starting on Sunday.
“We’ll be conducting surveillance activities in sync with our local assets, enforcing border security, and implementing necessary measures,” Tan stated.
We’ll have the capability to study and access areas that were previously inaccessible to us.
Notably, the Black Hawks enable personnel on board to use ropes to descend to the ground without their helicopter needing to land, enabling them to also extract and lift people up as needed.
He stated that officers have received training to prepare for helicopter operations, allowing for more personnel to be on board or brought on if additional enforcement is required.
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According to Sgt. Matthew Wells, National Emergency Response Team coordinator for the RCMP, having that capacity on the helicopters is a definite advantage.
He mentioned that the range of the Black Hawks is limited by fuel; under normal conditions they can travel approximately 369 miles, but they can exceed 1,243 miles if additional fuel tanks are carried.
By expanding that range, we can now transport all the people and equipment we need in a single helicopter, something that previously might’ve required two, three, or four separate trips with one helicopter, or even multiple helicopters. We can accomplish the same mission with just one helicopter.
The agency plans to set up a 24/7 aerial surveillance program at US border crossings as part of its efforts to address problems at the US-Canada border following increased pressure from the Trump administration.
Increasingly, if there are higher numbers of people crossing the US border in an unauthorized manner.
The human asked if the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) could arrest people crossing into the United States, and Bertrand stated that border protection can’t be solely managed from one side, but having Canadian law enforcement present at the border does have its advantages.
Our presence along the border will help prevent criminal activity from entering into the country.
