Angry in the Great White North

One of the elements of the recent emails I received recently on the events in Caledonia involved a mysterious overflight of the area:

Did any of you notice yesterday a large aircraft, approximately the size of a passenger jet, flying straight over town? That was a USA spy plane specially equipped to take pictures of bunkers, ammunition holdings, well you get the picture. This was not a jet that had taken off or was landing at Mt. Hope [ed. Mount Hope is the location of Hamilton’s international airport]. It made several passes over DCE and then shot up into the sky! It would only be here with permission and permission would only be given if our politicians didn't acknowledge this is not just a warm and fuzzy, peaceful protest by moccasin wearing, bead stringing natives! This is war!

I was skeptical, but then this comment was posted:

I witnessed the plane fly over.

It approached from the east (Niagara Falls AFB??) and after going over Caledonia at an estimated 3000 to 4000 feet; it applied full power and climbed quickly. It confused me at first because it had 4 jet engines and they were smaller diameter ones like the old Boeing 707’s. It was obviously not a passenger plane like an Airbus that can have 4 engines, but those have engines that are larger diameter. It was also not a ‘wide-body’ airliner. I believe it was one of these planes.

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=120

“The aircraft is a modified WC-135B. The OC-135B modifications center around four cameras installed in the rear of the aircraft. Since its primary mission is to take pictures, most of the installed equipment and systems provide direct support to the cameras and the camera operator.”

The OC-135B is the American surveillance aircraft certified for use in the Open Skies Treaty, of which is a signatory:

The Treaty on Open Skies entered into force on January 1, 2002, and currently has 34 States Parties. It establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants. The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information about military forces and activities of concern to them. Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international efforts to date promoting openness and transparency of military forces and activities.

The Open Skies regime covers the territory over which the State Party exercises sovereignty, including land, islands, and internal and territorial waters. The treaty specifies that the entire territory of a State Party is open to observation. Observation flights may only be restricted for reasons of flight safety; not for reasons of national security.

Open Skies aircraft may have video, optical panoramic and framing cameras for daylight photography, infra-red line scanners for a day/night capability, and synthetic aperture radar for a day/night all weather capability. Photographic image quality will permit recognition of major military equipment (e.g., permit a State Party to distinguish between a tank and a truck), thus allowing significant transparency of military forces and activities. Sensor categories may be added and capabilities improved by agreement among States Parties. All equipment used in Open Skies must be commercially available to all participants in the regime.

The way it works is that the observation aircraft goes to the country to be subject to a flight. The observed country has to be given at least 72 hours warning of the intention to conduct an observation flight. Each country has one or more airfields designated as Open Skies airfields, as well as entry points identified in its airspace for the treaty. The observing country flies a certified aircraft through the entry point and to a designated airfield. Inspections are performed, and a delegation from the observed country boards the aircraft. The observed country is obligated to clear the aircraft for flight such that it can complete its mission within 96 hours of its arrival at the point of entry.

In Canada, the airfields from which the US can initiate a flight under this treaty are Ottawa, Iqaluit, and Yellowknife.

If there was such a flight on June 27, it could have been sceduled as recently as June 25 or June 26 (assuming 24 hours notice and just a few hours on the ground in Ottawa prior to clearance) or as far back as June 20 (assuming the maximum three days notice and the maximum four days from entering Canadian airspace to completing the overflight).

Of course, if this was a friendly flight, the Canadian and American governments could be working on any timeline they liked, and just submitted the paperwork as desired to meet the obligations of the treaty under which this flight was operating.

Assuming the flight happened, and that it was an Open Skies Treaty flight.

What's interesting is that the data collected is shared by all members. If Canada wanted to use US assets to peak into what was going on, the government could use the Open Skies Treaty as a cover to have the US do them a favour and fly over the reserve and then hand over all the data.

The Open Skies website in the US ("Developing trust -- one frame at a time") does not list any missions over Canada, but then I'd be surprised if it was updated that often.