The federal government has awarded a contract for the design of a new, specialized facility at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Kingston.

The contract to design the new 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment (21 EW Regt) was awarded to Colbourne & Kembel Architects Inc. of Kingston. During construction, the project will sustain approximately 150 jobs in the region.

The $98-million 8,350 square-metre facility will consolidate units across CFB Kingston into one secure compound, providing the necessary space to support operations and increase collaboration between regimental squadrons.

The two-story multipurpose building will include new classrooms and administrative spaces that will allow the regiment to more effectively train personnel and plan for operations.

The new facility is expected to be operational in 2028 and will increase the Regiment’s ability to support electronic warfare personnel and capabilities, provide support to deployed electronic warfare forces and manage and maintain the unit’s material assets.

“This new facility will enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ electronic warfare capability, at home and abroad,” said Defence Minister Bill Blair. “The project not only modernizes our infrastructure and enhances our capabilities, but it also supports 150 local jobs – an investment in both our Armed Forces and Canadian workers.”

The facility will be built to meet the Canadian Green Building Council Zero-Carbon Building Performance Standards. In addition to high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, the facility will also feature on-site solar power generation to offset the building’s electrical demand. These will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Defence buildings to help meet the federal target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The facility will also house the Logistics Vehicle Modernization platforms, light and heavy trucks, and the Electronic Warfare, Mobile Repair Team and Maintenance Recovery Vehicle variants of the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle. It will have maintenance bays equipped to conduct 1st line maintenance on vehicle fleets for decades to come.

The 21 EW Regt, which is comprised of both Reserve and Regular Force members, provides tactical electronic warfare support to CAF operations. This support can take a variety of forms, such as intercepting and analyzing foreign communications, installing and maintaining radio, satellite, and broadband technology, and assisting with reconnaissance and surveillance.