When NATO comes calling
Or, what role for Canada in Arctic Sentry?
NATO countries are planning for an Arctic security force, to be called “Arctic Sentry.” [1] Its purpose (nor necessarily stated as such) is to demonstrate to the Trump administration that the alliance is serious about defending the Arctic and has the capacity to do so, without the US resorting to a takeover of Greenland, or any other Arctic “piece of ice,” as Trump calls it (think the Faroe Islands, or Iceland (which Trump gets mixed up about), or maybe the Canadian Arctic).
Canada will be called on to play a lead role in Arctic Sentry as the world’s second largest Arctic nation by land-mass, with a critical stake in the security of the region and in the well-being of its inhabitants. It will be joined, among others, by the Nordic members of NATO—Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the Kingdom of Denmark, all of whom have their own big stake in securing what is being called NATO’s northern and western flank.
While Canada is in the midst of a ten-year plan to modernize and re-equip its military, Arctic Sentry needs force commitments now.
What can Canada offer? More than many Canadians, and perhaps even our NATO allies, might appreciate.
First, there are intelligence assets to be shared, including Arctic-focused signals intelligence, long a prime Canadian mission, from the Communications Security Establishment (CSE). The most recent CSE annual report noted that they issued 196 reports on Arctic security in 2024-2025. This stream of reporting will need to be shared with Arctic Sentry partners.
Canada also possesses some unique space platform assets, including the Radarsat “constellation” mission, a trio of small synthetic aperture radar satellites launched in 2019 that can provide coverage of the polar regions. Though operated by the civilian Canadian space agency for wide-ranging earth-observation purposes, the satellites also provide data to the Canadian military for analysis. The Constellation mission could be fine-tuned to meet the needs of Arctic Sentry.
Canada also possesses long-range maritime patrol capabilities, in the Aurora CP-140 plane. The airframe is old, dating back to the early 1980s, but the plane has been updated with modern sensor capabilities and was deployed as part of the anti-ISIS coalition in 2016-2017. [2] The Auroras, numbering 14 in total, are split between detachments at Greenwood, in Nova Scotia and Comox in B.C.
A replacement for the aging Aurora was announced in November 2023. [3] The government selected the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft (between 14 and 16 of the planes). Deliveries are meant to begin this year.
Canada could also, of course deploy CF-18s for air interdiction patrols around Greenland. Three CF-18s were recently reported to have been deployed to the US Pittufik space base in Greenland on an unspecified NORAD exercise, so there will be familiarity with the operating environment. [4]
For operations at sea in or near Greenlandic waters, the RCN could call on one or more of its new class of Arctic and Offshore patrol vessels (AOPS).[5] There are six of these ships in total available to the RCN. The first, HMCS Harry deWolf, was commissioned into service in June 2021 and conducted a circumnavigation of North America, including a transit through the North West Passage.
The AOPS, while lightly armed, are not warships; they are not designed for combat, but as the name suggests, they are operated as patrol vessels to conduct surveillance, and are rated as “Polar Class 5” ships in terms of ice-breaking capacity. Not heavy-duty ice-breakers, but the designation means they can operate year-round in medium 1st year ice, and their reinforced hulls can break ice at depths of 1 metre at 3 knots. Some critics were a little harsh in calling these ships “slush breakers.” Their capacity would allow them to navigate offshore around much of Greenland. Where they can’t go, it is unlikely that surface adversary ships would be present. They could complement the Danish frigates that are regularly deployed to Greenland. The AOPS can also carry surface or sub-surface drones and can deploy a helicopter, including the Cyclone type, from its hangar deck.[6]
Submarines?—that will have to wait until the mid-2030s, and depends on which manufacturer the Government of Canada selects. [7]
As for land forces, while the Arny is currently stretched by its commitment to lead the NATO multinational brigade in Latvia, it could deploy small contingents to Greenland for exercises and training. These deployments could even involve the Rangers reserve forces, in particular, the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, some 2,000 strong, which operates across the Canadian North and Arctic. [8]
Altogether then, Canada has important assets across many force domains that it could contribute to Arctic Sentry.
Let’s see how it is built out.
[1] Reuters, “NATO expected to launch Arctic Sentry mission in coming days,” February 9, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-expected-launch-arctic-sentry-mission-coming-days-sources-say-2026-02-09/
[2] https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Canadian-Navy/AVIATION/CP-140-Aurora.htm; one of the earliest Auroras to come into service in 1980 is now on display at the National Air Force Museum at CFB Trenton, https://airforcemuseum.ca/aircraft/cp-140-aurora/
[3] DND, “Canada Purchasing up to 16 P-8A Poseidon Multi mission aircraft for the RCAF,” November 30, 2023, https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2023/11/canada-purchasing-up-to-16-p-8a-poseidon-multi-mission-aircraft-for-the-royal-canadian-air-force.html
[4] Robert Fife and Steven Chase, The Globe and Mail, “Canada weighs plan to send soldiers to Greenland as show of NATO solidarity,” January 18, 2026, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-soldiers-greenland-nato-training-denmark-tariffs-donald-trump/
[5] Government of Canada, “Arctic and offshore patrol ships,” https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/procurement/arctic-offshore-patrol-ships.html
[6] https://www.canada.ca/en/navy/corporate/fleet-units/surface/harry-dewolf-class/fact-sheet.html
[7] Steven Chase, The Globe and Mail, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-new-submarines-will-require-extra-gear-after-delivery-to-operate-under/
[8] https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/canadian-rangers/1-canadian-ranger-patrol-group.html
I was looking at the Departmental Results Report for the Navy, and the "days at sea" metric is the real bottleneck here. We might have the AOPS hulls, but the personnel shortage is hitting hard—last year’s actual sea days were significantly under target. It’s great to offer these ships to Arctic Sentry, but I wonder if we actually have the sailors to keep them on station for a sustained NATO mission without burning out the current crews.
Re the new Arctic and Offshore patrol vessels.
The new, Russian Arktika Class nuclear-powered icebreakers, four in service, one launched, and two under construction, have a seven year fuel endurance, a 6-month provisions endurance and can plough through 2.8 m (9 ft) ice at about 2.8–3.7 km/h. Top speed is 41 km/h.
We are sooo far behind Russia. They have older nuclear-powered icebreakers, the Taymyr usually, that they use for tourist trips to the North Pole. Still we are ahead of the USA.