A C-17A Globemaster from the Royal Air Force landed at Canadian Forces Station Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited settlement in the world.
According to UK Defence Journal, the landing took place as part of Exercise Polar Puma under Operation Boxtop, a joint mission with Canada to deliver supplies to the High Arctic.
CFS Alert is located about 1,770 km inside the Arctic Circle, at 82.5 degrees north. The settlement plays a role in signals intelligence and climate research and is accessible only by air for most of the year.
RAF crews from 99 Squadron, operating from RAF Brize Norton via Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, carried out multiple deliveries to Alert. During the deployment, eight flights delivered nearly 300,000 liters of fuel to support operations on site.
“Flying to the High Arctic is demanding, especially when the weather can change in an instant, but that is exactly why this activity is so important,” said Flight Lieutenant Mike Chandler, a pilot with 99 Squadron.
“Working with our Canadian colleagues showed how closely our air forces operate together. The C-17 performs exceptionally well in these conditions, and it is a real privilege to contribute to a mission that is so vital to sustaining operations at Alert.”
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