Defence Minister Bill Blair Directs $1.2 Billion for Canadian Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar Stations

YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T. — Minister of National Defence Bill Blair announced on Monday the award of $1.2 billion in major defence infrastructure contracts under Canada's NORAD Modernization Plan to construct two state-of-the-art Arctic Over-the-Horizon (OTH) radar transmitter and receiver complexes, extend all-weather forward operating jet runways, and build clean microgrid power stations in the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

The radar installations utilize skywave high-frequency radio signal refraction off the ionosphere, allowing Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and NORAD aerospace controllers to detect long-range hypersonic cruise missiles, stealth aircraft, and naval vessels thousands of kilometers beyond the physical horizon across the Arctic Ocean.

Defending Canadian Arctic Sovereignty and Continental Security Geopolitical competition and melting sea ice have intensified foreign military and naval presence in the Arctic basin, requiring Canada to replace legacy line-of-sight North Warning System radars built during the Cold War.

"The Arctic is the frontline of Canada's national defence and continental security," Minister Bill Blair said in Yellowknife. "By investing $1.2 billion into next-generation Over-the-Horizon radar stations, extended runways for our CF-35 stealth fighters, and green northern infrastructure, we are ensuring our military has total situational awareness over our northern skies and waters, while investing hundreds of millions directly into Indigenous-owned northern businesses and communities."

Northern Infrastructure Packages and Indigenous Equity The contracts, awarded in partnership with northern Indigenous development corporations, include:

• Dual-Site Arctic OTH Radar Complex: Constructing synchronized antenna array fields covering 1,500 acres in the southern Northwest Territories.
• Forward Operating Location Runway Extensions: $350 million to reinforce and extend all-weather concrete runways at Inuvik and Yellowknife to support CF-35A fighter jet and CC-330 strategic transport operations.
• Clean Energy Microgrids: $180 million for dedicated geothermal and battery energy storage plants to power defence installations without diesel reliance.

Territorial premiers, Indigenous development corporation CEOs, and defence analysts commended the major procurement, highlighting that 100 percent of secondary civil infrastructure will remain available for civilian community transport and emergency medical logistics.