Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, announced a C$6bn (£3.2bn) deal with Australia to develop a military radar system in the Arctic capable of detecting hypersonic missiles amid increasing security threats from the Donald Trump administration.
Mr Carney warned that Canada’s adversaries were “increasingly emboldened” while its closest ally, the US, was shifting priorities.
His announcement came amid a crisis in Canada’s relations with the US, brought on by Mr Trump’s belligerent rhetoric. The US president’s threat to destabilise Canada’s economy with high tariffs and repeated comments about making it America’s 51st state cast doubt on Ottawa’s longstanding defence alliance with Washington.
The over-the-horizon radar developed by Australia is expected to provide early warning coverage to Canada.
Radar systems are usually designed to detect and track targets at extremely long ranges, typically beyond 1,000km. Unlike conventional radars, which are limited to line-of-sight detection, the OTH radar uses ionospheric reflection or surface wave propagation to extend the range.
The radar system will be deployed under Norad, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a major US-Canadian defence agreement to manage and defend their skies.
“The radar system’s long-range surveillance and threat tracking capabilities will detect and deter threats across the North,” Mr Carney’s office said in a statement.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said in a social media post that he held a call with Mr Carney on Tuesday, and they affirmed their “deep friendship” and “commitment to a world where all countries can cooperate, trade and thrive”.
Ahead of his swearing-in, Mr Carney had said the US could no longer be trusted and he was yet to have a phone call with Mr Trump amid an intensifying trade war.
He characterised the deal to defend the Arctic as an effort to assert Canadian sovereignty over the region.
The new radar system is set to replace the ageing North Warning System, which relied on radar stations from Alaska to northern Quebec but lacked the ability to detect more sophisticated modern missile threats.
Canada will spend C$420m (£225m) to expand its Arctic operations, conducting training exercises and deploying more personnel. The prime minister said Canada will have a “greater sustained year-round presence”.
Canada unveiled a plan to modernise Norad in 2022, and announced on Tuesday that it will collaborate with Australia on a mega defence deal over the next 20 years. Australia and the US had been discussing exporting the radar technology to the US. However, in the wake of Mr Trump’s threats, Ottawa moved fast and struck a deal with Canberra.
The US military reportedly supported Canada’s decision to go with the Australian system, an anonymous Canadian official told Bloomberg.
Australia’s cutting-edge technology came with a smaller physical footprint than the American alternative, the person said, adding that it could be developed more quickly.
Only eight countries – Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US – have territory within the Arctic, one of the most strategically and environmentally challenging regions.
Developing military technology and keeping personnel in the Arctic is a major challenge because of its extreme weather conditions.
Conventional equipment does not work properly in Arctic conditions, and maintaining bases that can be staffed for the entire year is a challenge because access to the area is limited.
