An RCMP Blackhawk helicopter patrols at Roxham Road on Jan. 19, 2025.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
The RCMP’s bill for chartering Black Hawk helicopters to patrol the U.S.-Canada border is set to top $50-million, although one of the three aircraft has been grounded since June because it lacks a special regulatory certificate.
Figures provided by the RCMP to The Globe and Mail show that from January, 2025, to the end of May, 2026, the Mounties paid $43.79-million to a private company to charter three Black Hawk helicopters.
The twin-engine military helicopters were leased at the start of last year to supplement nine helicopters already used by the RCMP to patrol the border.
From June 1 to Nov. 30 this year, the RCMP has budgeted about $7.5-million to fly each of the three Black Hawk helicopters, the force said in a statement. The chartering contracts, it said, were awarded to Helicopter Transport Services, a private company based outside Ottawa.
But the Mounties were required to ground one of the Black Hawks in June because the federal department of transport said the former military aircraft lacked a required regulatory permit. The RCMP said it is not currently paying to lease the grounded craft.
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Transport Canada, which is responsible for regulating civil aviation operations, said the Black Hawk is a military-designed helicopter and as a result requires specific “airworthiness approvals” before it can fly.
“The helicopter in question does not hold a Special Certificate of Airworthiness-Limited (SCoA-L), which is required for this type of former military aircraft to conduct commercial operations in Canada,” Hicham Ayoun, a department spokesperson, said in a statement. “As a result, it cannot be operated commercially in Canada at this time.”
The U.S. military has used Black Hawk helicopters for decades, including in a search operation earlier this year in Iran for downed U.S. airmen. According to a Reuters report, two Black Hawk helicopters involved in the search were hit by Iranian fire but managed to escape from the country’s airspace.
The reinforcement of Canada’s border in January last year followed a threat by then-president-elect Donald Trump to impose 25-per-cent tariffs on all imports from Canada unless the country did more to stop drugs and illegal immigrants from being smuggled into the United States.
Canada responded by strengthening patrols, including the deployment of 60 additional drones to help catch people crossing illegally. It also bolstered operations targeting illegal drugs, even though less than 1 per cent of fentanyl smuggled into the U.S. came from Canada, according to federal ministers who cited U.S. government figures.
The RCMP said it is currently operating two of the three helicopters to patrol the border.
“The third aircraft was voluntarily grounded following concerns raised by Transport Canada related to potential regulatory considerations, and discussions between the RCMP and Transport Canada are ongoing,” RCMP spokesperson Paul Northcott said in a statement. “There is currently no confirmed timeline for when the third Black Hawk will return to service.”
The Mounties said the decision to ground the aircraft was not due to any health or safety risks to RCMP officers.
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The RCMP is responsible for patrolling the vast border apart from the regular crossing points, which are staffed by Canada Border Services Agency officers. In addition to airborne patrols, the RCMP carries out patrols by vehicle and on foot, including targeting parts of the border known to be used by smugglers, as well as using surveillance equipment to detect movement.
The Black Hawks, which began operating on Jan. 17, 2025, enable the RCMP to respond rapidly to threats and move officers swiftly between provinces.
“The RCMP contracted Black Hawk helicopters based on operational requirements to enhance its ability to monitor and respond to activity along the Canada-U.S. border,” Mr. Northcott said. “They are used to patrol border areas, identify potential threats, and help stop illegal crossings, including the movement of people, drugs, and other contraband.
“The deployment of the Black Hawks helicopters will continue for as long as operational needs require.”