Japan’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft will conduct its 14th surveillance and monitoring mission in waters near the Japanese archipelago. The mission is part of the multinational effort to enforce UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit illicit fuel and goods transfers to North Korean vessels, commonly known as ship-to-ship transfers.
Canada’s participation in Operation NEON is framed within its Indo-Pacific Strategy, which includes the annual deployment of warships and aircraft to strengthen cooperation with regional partners. These missions not only contribute to the enforcement of international sanctions but also enhance interoperability and mutual trust among allied armed forces.
In September 2024, Canada had already deployed a CP-140 Aurora to Japan for similar missions. That operation, also part of Operation NEON, was conducted between September and October with the aim of detecting and documenting suspicious maritime activities related to sanctions evasion, particularly fuel transfers banned by the UN.
During that mission, the defense ministries of Canada and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to regional stability and condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile tests and destabilizing actions.
The new deployment will be conducted from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, under the framework of Operation NEON, Canada’s contribution to the enforcement of sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Japan, through its Maritime Self-Defense Force, coordinates these activities with partners such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, sharing intelligence and reinforcing surveillance in the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan.
Future replacement of CP-140s with new P-8s
The CP-140 Aurora, based on the legendary P-3 Orion platform, has served as a cornerstone of Canada’s long-range maritime surveillance capabilities for more than 40 years. However, its retirement is scheduled for the end of this decade, following the Canadian government’s decision to acquire 16 new Boeing P-8A Poseidon multimission aircraft.
The contract, awarded by the U.S. Navy to Boeing in 2024, is valued at approximately USD 3.4 billion and includes delivery of the first P-8A to Canada in 2026, with a production rate of one aircraft per month until the fleet is completed. These new aircraft will progressively replace the CP-140, providing greater range, speed, next-generation sensors, and full interoperability with NATO allies and Indo-Pacific partners.
As a result, the current mission in Japan could be one of the last the Aurora carries out in this theater of operations, marking the end of an operational cycle that has consolidated Canada’s role in international maritime security missions.
Photos and images used for illustrative purposes only.
