Construction begins on new NORAD Quick Reaction Alert facility at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville

News release

August 12, 2024 – Bagotville, Quebec – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, announced the beginning of construction on a new Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) facility at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Bagotville. 

This facility will enable Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members to posture and deploy Canada’s incoming fleet of CF-35A fighter jets in a flight-ready state in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) operations.

The new 7,400 m2 QRA facility at CFB Bagotville will include aircraft hangar bays, office space and sleeping quarters for personnel, and a 17,000 m2 secure fenced compound surrounding the facility. Once completed, it will help CAF personnel support Canada and the NORAD mission and quickly respond to any threats in North American airspace.  

Construction is estimated at approximately $120 million and will sustain more than 600 jobs in the region. The facility is expected to be completed in 2027. The design and construction contract has been awarded to Pomerleau Inc of Lévis, QC. 

This investment is part of Canada’s $38.6 billion NORAD Modernization Plan, announced by the Government of Canada in June 2022. This represents the most significant upgrade to Canada's NORAD capabilities in almost four decades. In particular, the QRA facility is part of the NORAD Modernization Plan’s Defence of Canada Infrastructure Project (DCFI), which commits funding to upgrade fighter infrastructure and NORAD QRA capabilities at bases across Canada to operationalize and employ the CF-35A for continental defence.

This project will provide Canadian Armed Forces personnel with the infrastructure they need to support the NORAD mission, including Operation NOBLE EAGLE, which deters, detects, and defeats potential threats to U.S. and Canadian airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Quotes

“This investment in Bagotville will enable our personnel at the base to plan, posture, and deploy our new fleet of CF-35A fighters rapidly and effectively. Today’s milestone is a clear sign of Canada’s commitment to modernizing our NORAD infrastructure and capabilities in support of the continental defence mission. In close collaboration with our American allies, our government will continue to make the necessary investments to protect North America as our continent faces new security challenges.”

The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

“For decades, NORAD has ensured the defence of North American aerospace. Today, we are reaffirming our commitment to this unique binational command, and investing in new infrastructure so that Canadian Armed Forces members can effectively deploy fifth-generation fighter jets in support of NORAD’s mission. Our government will continue to invest in new military infrastructure that supports the combat power of the Canadian Armed Forces.”

Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence 

Quick facts

• NORAD ensures U.S. and Canadian aerospace control, to include air defense operations, through a network of alert fighters, tankers, airborne early warning aircraft, rotary wing air interceptors, and ground-based air defense assets cued by interagency and defense radars.

• By using this network of sensors, NORAD detects airborne objects approaching North America and conducts its air defense mission by tracking, identifying, and taking appropriate actions. Appropriate actions may include, but are not limited to, monitoring a track, scrambling fighters to intercept and identify an approaching aircraft, and/or escorting an aircraft through an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) or a Temporary Flight Restriction Area.

• In June 2022, the Minister of National Defence announced funding for Canada's continental defence capabilities, including to modernize the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). This represents the most significant upgrade to Canada's NORAD capabilities in almost four decades. NORAD modernization will ensure that the CAF can sustain a strong military presence across the country, including in Canada’s North, through investments in infrastructure and support capabilities.

• The two main operating bases for Canada’s fighter aircraft are 4 Wing Cold Lake and 3 Wing Bagotville. As announced in January 2023, Canada is acquiring a new fleet of 88 F-35 aircraft, which will be known as the CF-35A by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

• 36 of the 88 incoming CF-35As will be stationed at 3 Wing Bagotville, and the remaining (52) will be stationed at 4 Wing Cold Lake.

• CFB Bagotville opened in 1951 as a training base for the squadrons serving with the Canadian Division in Europe to support the air defence operations of the newly formed Canadian and American forces (which became NORAD in 1958).

• Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, NORAD established Operation NOBLE EAGLE. Operation NOBLE EAGLE is the name given to all North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aerospace warning, control, and defense missions in North America. Through Operation NOBLE EAGLE, NORAD deters, detects, and defeats potential threats to U.S. and Canadian airspace 24/7/365. CAF personnel at 3 Wing Bagotville continue to play a critical NORAD role in helping monitor and respond to potential threats. 

• A modified design-build approach is being used for this project. This means that the project’s design and construction have both been awarded to one successful bidder under one single contract, as opposed to the traditional method, which contracts separately for design and construction.

• The facility will be constructed to LEED Silver standards and will use energy efficient options wherever possible. By modernizing and greening our defence infrastructure, we are supporting the needs of a modern military, while reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and saving on energy costs. 

• Through our updated Defence Policy—Our North, Strong and Free—Canada is building on its 2022 NORAD Modernization Plan, with a slate of new equipment and infrastructure that will strengthen our capabilities to defend Canada and North America, such as modernized infrastructure and a new fleet of airborne early warning aircraft.

• Canada’s efforts to bolster domestic and continental defence, including by modernizing NORAD, are also contributions to strengthening NATO’s Western Flank, and will ensure North America remains a safe base from which we can deploy forces in support of Allies and partners.