Canadian Defense Minister vowed that he would help America upgrade its North American missile defenses
Anita Anand, Defense Minister of Canada announced Monday that Ottawa will invest at least $3.8B over six years in modernizing the US-Canadian joint early warning system called North American Aerospace Defense Command. (NORAD).
“As autocracies like Russia threaten the rules-based international order that has protected us for decades, as our climate changes and as our competitors develop new technologies like hypersonic weapons and advanced cruise missiles, there is a pressing need to modernize Canada’s NORAD capabilities,”Anand stated as cited in CBC.
Anand stated that the initial investment of $3.8 billion is only part of a larger plan to invest up to $31billion (CAD$40billion) in the future. She did not provide a specific breakdown of where the money will go, but named several areas the initiative will focus on, including an Arctic over-the-horizon radar system, a space-based surveillance project, and a new system called “Crossbow”With early warning sensors installed throughout the country.
Speaking at an airbase in Trenton, Ontario, Anand repeatedly pointed at Russia’s military operation in Ukraine as the reason why the government in Ottawa decided to commit billions towards upgrading the aging missile warning system.
“NORAD has continually adapted and evolved in response to new threats. Today, we turn another page and begin NORAD’s next chapter,”Anand explained, stating that there is no set timeline, and that the systems in operation at this time will continue to function until upgrades can be made.
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