NORAD modernization is the largest defence infrastructure commitment in Canada’s North in generations. Of the $38.6 billion announced in 2022, $15.68 billion is for infrastructure and support, more than any other component. Four years in, the radar program has sites and a partner, and the northern bases are moving through procurement. No design-build contract has yet been awarded for the four northern basing sites, and construction is now planned to run until about 2040.
The program at a glance
In June 2022, the government announced $38.6 billion over 20 years (accrual basis) to modernize Canada’s contribution to NORAD. The plan covers surveillance, command and control, air weapons, science and technology, and infrastructure to sustain a military presence in the North. In March 2026, officials put the program at about $87 billion on a cash basis.
The March 12, 2026 northern plan sharpened the infrastructure picture: $32 billion for forward operating locations and Goose Bay, $6.5 billion for the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar, $2.67 billion for northern operational support hubs and nodes, and $1 billion for an Arctic Infrastructure Fund.
View the data
| Component | $ billions (accrual) |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure and support | 15.68 |
| Surveillance | 6.96 |
| Air weapons | 6.38 |
| Science and technology | 4.23 |
| Command, control and communications | 4.13 |
| Internal services | 1.18 |
| Total | 38.6 |
Site-by-site status
Northern basing (Inuvik, Yellowknife, Iqaluit, Goose Bay). Each site will be delivered through a separate modified design-build contract managed by Defence Construction Canada (DCC). According to the procurement notices, each contract may exceed $5 billion, bidders need a secret facility security clearance, and each winner must deliver an Indigenous Benefits Plan.
- Inuvik and Yellowknife. A combined advance procurement notice was published in January 2026, and its closing date has been extended to November 30, 2026. The Inuvik RFP is projected for fall 2026 and Yellowknife’s for summer 2027. Preliminary scope per site includes about 33,000 m² of hangar space and 122,000 m² of apron. In April 2026, a DND officer told Yellowknife council: “We’re not going to be able to build all of this infrastructure quickly.”
- Goose Bay. The advance notice closed in August 2026, with procurement projected for fall 2026. DND has signalled up to $8 billion of long-term investment at 5 Wing Goose Bay.
- Iqaluit. The advance notice closes in January 2027. Local reporting puts construction from 2029 to 2040, with Iqaluit built last.
Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar. DND bought a 163-hectare transmit site in Kawartha Lakes and a 288-hectare receive site in Clearview Township, announced in July 2025. In June 2026, Canada formalized a $2.5 billion agreement with Australia for the radar system. A May 2026 DND briefing note says initial work at both sites is expected in winter 2026–27, Stage 1 will be completed by the end of 2029, and full capability with two radars is expected by 2043. Local opposition is active, with 11 petitions tabled by May 2026.
Northern operational support hubs. The network was expanded in March 2026 to five hubs (Inuvik, Iqaluit, Resolute Bay, Whitehorse and Yellowknife) and two nodes (Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet), within the same $2.67 billion. Each will take two to ten years to establish.
Inuvik runway extension. The runway is being extended from 6,000 to 9,000 feet, with Indigenous-owned joint venture contractors. DND’s contribution rose from up to $150 million to $230 million, which DND attributed to COVID delays, supply chain problems and higher material costs. Paving is waiting for the new embankment and permafrost to stabilize.
The delivery risks
- Short seasons, long consequences. At DND’s Nanisivik facility, ice usually keeps the fuel barge away until early August and the operating season lasts four to six weeks. Missing a sealift or construction window in the North can cost a year, not a week.
- Cost growth. The Inuvik runway’s funding rose about 53%. Northern cost premiums, remote workforces and logistics need to be built into estimates and contingency from the start.
- Four mega-contracts in one market. Four design-build contracts that may each exceed $5 billion, all requiring secret clearances and Indigenous benefits plans, will compete for the same contractors, cleared workers and northern logistics capacity.
- Procurement already slipping. In February 2026, DND expected to award Inuvik in summer 2026. The notice has since been extended three times, and the RFP is now projected for fall 2026.
- Community and permitting risk. The radar sites show how land, local opposition and environmental approvals can shape the critical path.
What would help
- Schedule the North by season, not by month. Build integrated schedules around sealift windows, winter roads and construction seasons, with logistics on the critical path.
- Sequence the four basing contracts deliberately. Stagger awards and peaks so contractors, cleared labour and sealift capacity aren’t all needed at once.
- Integrate infrastructure with the F-35 and radar timelines. Forward operating locations exist to support aircraft; their readiness dates should be tied to aircraft and capability milestones in one schedule.
- Carry northern-specific contingency. Use actual northern cost and schedule history, like the Inuvik runway, to set risk allowances.
- Make Indigenous partnership a schedule asset. Early engagement and local capacity-building reduce risk on remote sites. Plan them as program activities, not compliance items.
The bottom line
NORAD modernization’s northern infrastructure is a 15- to 20-year build in one of the hardest construction environments in the world. The funding and the plan are in place; the contracts are not yet awarded. How DND sequences, schedules and resources the next three years of procurement will decide whether these sites are ready when the aircraft and radars need them.
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Sources: National Defence, Funding for NORAD modernization; National Defence, NORAD modernization project timelines; Prime Minister of Canada, northern defence plan (March 12, 2026); Radio Canada International, northern defence infrastructure (March 2026); CanadaBuys, Inuvik and Yellowknife notice; CanadaBuys, Iqaluit notice; CanadaBuys, Goose Bay notice; Cabin Radio (February 2026); Yellowknifer (April 2026); Nunavut News (September 2026); ReNew Canada, Goose Bay investment; National Defence, Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar; DND Question Period note (May 2026); Radio Canada International, radar agreement with Australia (June 2026); Nunatsiaq News, northern hubs (March 2026); DND, briefing on infrastructure in the North (April 2023); Government of the Northwest Territories, Inuvik runway. This article is based on public sources and is general information only.