RCAF wants more than 1,200 security personnel to protect F-35s and other aircraft

Internal RCAF documents from spring 2025 outline hiring 199 security staff by 2028, expanding to 747 in 2029 and 1,227 by 2030 as F-35 fighters and other advanced aircraft enter service; the documents are a draft and not a final plan.

The Royal Canadian Air Force has drafted plans to add more than a thousand security personnel across bases in Canada as it prepares to bring new aircraft into service. The staffing scenario appears in internal documents dated spring 2025 obtained under Access-to-Information. The draft sets staged targets for new security hires through 2030 but is not presented as a final decision. Officials say the rise in security staffing relates to protecting advanced platforms and the sensitive data they carry. Key facts: - The internal documents outline hiring 199 new security personnel by 2028, 747 in 2029 and 1,227 by 2030. - The materials were prepared as part of the RCAF submission to the Canadian Armed Forces' future structure plan and date from spring 2025. - Defence officials say the RCAF is planning to add about 140 aircraft overall, including F-35 fighters, CC-330 Huskies, P-8A Poseidons and long-range remotely piloted aircraft such as MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones. - RCAF Commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet said new security staff would be deployed initially at fighter bases, primarily in preparation for F-35 deliveries beginning in 2028, and to protect advanced and secure data from other platforms. - The Department of National Defence has said F-35s are planned to enter service in 2029 and 2030, while remotely piloted aircraft are expected between 2027 and 2030. - A 2025 auditor general report found delays in building new squadron facilities designed to protect classified and sensitive information, and parliamentary financial audits have not examined the ongoing cost of hiring hundreds of additional security personnel. Summary: The draft staffing plan signals a notable increase in security resources tied to the arrival of advanced aircraft and systems and could expand security presence at wings and in surrounding communities. The plan is still evolving as the RCAF studies how allies handled similar transitions and considers technologies such as counter-drone systems. Broader procurement and program timelines remain subject to ongoing reviews and official schedules announced by the Department of National Defence.