As Canada’s only strategic maritime surveillance aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora is often used to patrol Canada’s coastlines, safeguarding our waters from foreign threats. Capable of flying more than 9000 km—or 5000 nautical miles—without refuelling, this multi-purpose aircraft goes the distance.
Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the Aurora is able to detect and destroy the latest generation of stealth submarines. However, its 17-hour endurance and 9266 km range make the aircraft ideal for an evolving variety of operations. The Aurora is frequently used to search out illegal fishing, immigration, drug trafficking and polluting along the coastline, as well as violations of Canadian territorial sovereignty above and below the ocean’s surface.
With its air-droppable survival pods, the CP-140 can also perform search and rescue (SAR) duties. During the Red River Flood of 1997, two Auroras flew missions over flood-ravaged southern Manitoba (Operation Assistance). CP-140s were also employed in Operation Apollo in the Persian Gulf from late 2001 to mid-2003. They flew 500 air patrol sorties as part of Canada’s role in the international campaign against terrorism.
