PAL Aerospace, St. John’s, NL-based aerospace and defence company, announced yesterday that it is deploying its PAL Aerospace Dash 8 aircraft to the UK Home Office’s Small Boats Operation Command to support the country’s ongoing fight against illegal migration and small boat crossings of the English Channel.
The aircraft will be deployed via the company’s Force Multiplier Program, tasked with providing immediate access to special missions aircraft, sensors and crew.
The Dash 8 aircraft is equipped with airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology capable of tracking illegal activity on water using advanced imaging and radar systems.
The aircraft will also host UK immigration enforcement officers on board to assist in the identification of small boat pilots and investigate the smugglers behind these operations.
“Through our Force Multiplier Program, PAL Aerospace has the unique capability and capacity to rapidly deliver world-class solutions, operating at the intersection of talent, technology, and reliability,” said Jake Trainor, chief executive of PAL Group of Companies. “PAL Aerospace is proud to assist the UK Home Office in upholding border security and stopping illegal migration with an outstanding crew of ISR professionals operating as partners in this vital national security effort.”
The aircraft will be deployed for an initial period of eighteen months.
The UK asylum system is facing a dire situation, with the number of migrants arriving on small boats nearly doubling to 45,700 in 2022 from 28,500 in 2021.
The Force Multiplier Program is currently also deployed for surveillance, search and rescue, and law enforcement activities in Canada, the Dutch Caribbean, and the United Arab Emirates.
PAL Aerospace is a subsidiary of Canadian diversified, acquisition-oriented company Exchange Income Corporation. The group owns a host of other air transportation and technology companies including PAL Airlines, CarteNav, Atlantic Avionics, Air Borealis, and others.