A Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft from 429 (Transport) Squadron at CFB Trenton departed for the bi-annual Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert resupply mission commonly referred to as Operation BOXTOP, on Thursday, April 9th, 2026.
Op BOXTOP is traditionally carried out twice a year in the spring and fall. The fall mission primarily transports dry goods to the station whereas the spring mission focuses on replenishing the CFS Alert’s fuel stores.
This edition of Op BOXTOP is unique, as it will have No. 99 Squadron from the Royal Air Force supporting the Royal Canadian Air Force’s replenishment objectives as part of their own exercise, Ex POLAR PUMA, from April 10th to April 18th. As part of this exercise, the RAF will deploy a RAF C17 running resupply missions to CFS Alert, with RAF personnel also observing missions from the ground at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, and CFS Alert, supporting training and development of RAF capabilities in the Arctic.
As a continuation of both countries’ commitment to defence and interoperability, mixed crews of, RAF and RCAF personnel will conduct missions together, contributing to the operational viability, sovereignty, and security of these remote regions. Working together as an integrated crew allows for collaboration and further refines the skills sets of personnel, creating a more capable air mobility asset.
Last year, members from the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) 36 Squadron participated in Op BOXTOP, gaining experience in cold weather take-off and landing performance, cold weather maintenance activities, and forward operating base considerations in an Arctic environment, which helped the RAAF develop capabilities for providing contingencies in Antarctic operations. Operations such as Op BOXTOP provides the opportunity for the RCAF to work alongside allies and share their expertise in polar operations.
The CC177 made its inaugural landing at CFS Alert on April 14th, 2010 and has been routinely flying into the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world ever since.
Op BOXTOP dates back to the 1950s. Using United States Space Force’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland as a staging point, Canada’s Air Force runs day and night flying fuel and supplies to the station during the operation. Over the last 20 years, the mission has averaged an annual delivery of approximately 650,000 pounds of dry goods and 1.5 million liters of fuel into CFS Alert. Op BOXTOP is expected to be completed on April 25th, 2026
