Through the passage of the Strengthening Canada's Immigration Systems and Borders Act, the Canadian Coast Guard was given additional security responsibilities. The new security provisions allow the Canadian Coast Guard to use its vessels, helicopters, sensors, operational centres, and shore-based assets to collect, receive, share, and analyze information for improved security and sovereignty.
To implement this improved security role, the Government of Canada will be investing $816 million in the Canadian Coast Guard over seven years. This investment will bolster the extensive presence the Canadian Coast Guard already maintains across Canadian waters. The Canadian Coast Guard's new infrastructure, sensors, and surveillance capability will be used for security purposes and will help sharpen the picture of what is occurring within Canada's 200-mile maritime zone.
This investment will deliver enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness across Canada.
Canada's maritime security is a shared responsibility among multiple government departments and agencies. As a key federal presence in remote areas of the country, the Canadian Coast Guard plays a vital role in maritime security and works alongside Indigenous partners as well as Canada Border Services Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, National Defence, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Transport Canada to respond to threats to Canada's security, safety, and environment.
To meet these challenges, the Government of Canada is investing to strengthen the security of our waters and meaningfully contribute to Canada's sovereignty, especially in northern locations, through:
Improving Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)
- Operations at Marine Security Operations Centres across the country will be expanded to 24/7, year-round monitoring. This will allow partners to integrate and analyze data in real time to maintain a comprehensive picture of marine activity across Canada's waters.
- A new MDA Hub will be established in Iqaluit, Nunavut to serve as a central point for collecting and analyzing maritime intelligence to provide a clear picture of Canadian Arctic waters. The hub will also mean a permanent year-round presence in the Arctic, which support both the local economy and Canada's maritime security interests in a region characterized by limited accessibility.
Installing long-range marine radar systems
- The Government of Canada will invest in new marine radar sites at strategic locations across the country, including along the Northwest Passage, the Hudson Strait, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.
- These new sites will address gaps to improve monitoring for enhanced situational awareness for the Canadian Coast Guard, federal collaborators, and local communities.
- This is especially important in the Arctic, as the changing climate and geopolitical interest has brought increased maritime traffic in the North. By monitoring approaches to the Northwest Passage, Canada will be better positioned to understand activity in the vast Arctic maritime environment.
Helicopter reconnaissance upgrades
- New investments will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Coast Guard's helicopters. Surveillance cameras, high-intensity searchlights, and operator stations with integrated mission management systems will enable real-time data and video transmission from the helicopters.
- These upgrades will support Canadian Coast Guard missions and situational awareness, including ice reconnaissance patrols, monitoring activities that support safe shipping, the protection of the environment, and the security and sovereignty of Canada's Arctic waters.
Autonomous systems and long-range aerial surveillance
- Autonomous systems, commonly referred to as drones, include uncrewed aerial and subsurface platforms equipped with sensors and cameras. These short-to-medium-endurance drones extend the reach and capabilities of the Canadian Coast Guard from land or a ship, to deliver programs and services that support the safety and security of mariners and provide greater situational awareness of Arctic waters.
- Autonomous systems extend endurance, lower operating costs, and reduce risks to personnel. The deployment of drones will significantly enhance the Canadian Coast Guard's ability to monitor Canadian waters, particularly in remote and Arctic regions, and will support real-time sharing with federal partners.
- On April 1, 2026, the Canadian Coast Guard welcomed personnel and assets from Transport Canada's aircraft services to the Defence Team. This includes Canada first class III UAV. Beginning this summer, the Canadian Coast Guard will begin testing the drone in the Arctic to determine capabilities and limitations, including range, weather conditions, and clarity of imagery. This Class III drone complements the small or micro-drones currently used for localized tasks like icebreaking observations and search and rescue. This drone will be utilized for both standard Canadian Coast Guard Arctic missions and to support the work of national security partners.
The Future of the Coast Guard
Looking ahead, these enhancements form part of a broader modernization of the Canadian Coast Guard's capabilities and better alignment of Canada's national security priorities with international and domestic security partners.
The Canadian Coast Guard remains a civilian special operating agency, and while legislative changes under the Strengthening Canada's Immigration Systems and Borders Act expands its authority to collect, analyze and share maritime data for security purposes, core services such as search and rescue, environmental response, and icebreaking will continue uninterrupted.
The Canadian Coast Guard's success is grounded in partnership. Its ability to deliver critical services and maintain maritime security depends on ongoing collaboration with Inuit, First Nations and Metis partners. Engagement and consultation with Indigenous partners are paramount, and the Canadian Coast Guard is committed to honouring Indigenous rights, interests, and upholding Crown obligations in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Inuit Nunangat Policy.
These investments, combined with strengthened relationships, will enable the Canadian Coast Guard to remain a reliable, modern, and resilient presence for generations to come.
