U.S. Army helicopters spotted in Whitehorse and Dawson City in recent weeks are part of a year-long deployment to establish a Combat Aviation Brigade for the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska, according to Maj. Ian M. Roth of the U.S. Army.
In a Sept. 10 email to the News, Maj. Ian M. Roth said Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters seen in Whitehorse and Dawson City are part of efforts to build a brigade in Alaska, with flights expected for nine to 12 months.
U.S. military aircraft flying overhead in the Yukon are travelling through from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and are headed to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, according to MAJ Montrell Russell.
U.S. military aircraft are permitted to fly over, land in and take off from Canadian territory under reciprocal regulations outlined in the Aeronautics Act, provided they comply with directives from Canada’s Minister of National Defence.
Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Samantha Lafleur directed the News to regulations stating that U.S. service aircraft in Canadian airspace must follow the same operational rules as Canadian Forces aircraft and remain under Canadian aviation authority, unless otherwise directed by the Minister of National Defence.
A fuel spill caused a brief disruption at Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport on Sept. 5. According to Roth, 200 gallons leaked from a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter parked overnight on the ramp.
Contact Jake Howarth at [email protected]
-With files from Dana Hatherly
