Back to news

August 9, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Canadian, U.S. military leaders agree on framework to retool Norad

By Murray Brewster

Military leaders from the U.S. and Canada have come to an agreement on the nuts and bolts retooling of Norad, CBC News has learned.

It is a milestone that could end up pitting the next government in Ottawa against both the Trump administration and perhaps even northern Indigenous communities at home.

Now over six decades old, the bi-national air and maritime defence command — and its associated airfields, radar stations and satellite network — has been in need of a major overhaul in the face of emerging threats, such as North Korean ballistic missiles and rapidly advancing cruise missile technology.

Word of the understanding comes as two Canadian CF-18s and two American F-22 Raptors intercepted two Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers, which pressed close to North American airspace, on Thursday.

The agreement of "what's in and what's out" of the new North American Aerospace Defence Command was struck a few months ago, said a defence source in Ottawa, who was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Separately, the Canadian general who is the deputy commander of Norad confirmed the two countries are on the same page when it comes to the new framework needed to defend the continent, but cautioned there is still a lot of work and negotiation ahead over capabilities and what is affordable.

"We have established the operational requirements," Lt.-Gen. Christopher Coates in an interview with CBC News.

A bi-national panel is examining the specifications and make recommendations to both the Pentagon and the Department of National Defence in Ottawa.

Eventually, Coates said, each government will have to "determine whether or not those capabilities will be provided — or some other option" will be pursued.

And that is where things could potentially get messy, according to defence experts.

James Fergusson, of the University of Manitoba, one of the pre-eminent researchers on Norad, said the price tag will be substantial.

Replacing the North Warning System chain of radar stations, alone, could cost as much as $11 billion, he said.

The Liberal government has made much of saying its defence plans are fully costed, but it deliberately did not include the calculation for Norad modernization in its policy.

There will have to be some negotiation with Washington, even though the cost sharing formula (60-40 split between the U.S. and Canada) has long been established.

Steve Saideman, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, said he can't see any Canadian government being anxious to open negotiations with the Trump administration, regardless of how long standing the arrangements might be.

U.S. President Donald Trump has long complained American allies do not pay their fair share of costs for the NATO alliance, and Saideman said it is not beyond the realm of possibility that government-to-government technical negotiations over Norad could devolve.

Fergusson disagreed.

If they argue over money, he said, it will likely involve environmental cleanup costs related to the existing, remote north warning radar stations.

When Norad abandoned its first chain of early warning sites — known as the DEW line — in 1993, the cleanup took 21 years and Canada was stuck with the $575 million bill.

More problematic, as far as Fergusson is concerned, is whether Norad's proposed new capabilities will affect northern indigenous communities, which — unlike the past — will rightfully expect to be consulted and have a say over what the military does with the land.

"When they [the Canadian and U.S. military] go up there in Northern Canada, now, they can't simply ignore the Indigenous people," said Fergusson, "And that's a political issue."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/norad-canada-us-military-1.5240855

On the same subject

  • Military to spend $170,000 so leaders can see what it's like to be stoned on marijuana

    February 12, 2018 | Local, Security

    Military to spend $170,000 so leaders can see what it's like to be stoned on marijuana

    The Canadian Forces is buying kits that will let its leaders experience what it's like to be stoned on marijuana. The “marijuana simulation kits” will include “marijuana impairment goggles,” among other items. The Canadian Forces wants to acquire 26 of the kits by April 30 or sooner if possible. “The purpose of the Marijuana Simulation Kits is to raise awareness of marijuana impairment, reduce risk of marijuana impairment, and promote healthy lifestyles within the Canadian Armed Forces,” companies who want to bid on the contract were told. “The marijuana impairment goggles, which is one of the several items included in the Marijuana Simulation Kit, allows users to experience first-hand, the deficits marijuana creates on the body.” Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said Friday that the kits will be used in the Military Personnel Command's supervisor training course. “This will help ensure that CAF members in leadership positions will be able to identify signs of, assist in detecting and provide guidance regarding, prohibited drug use,” he said. The value of the contract will only be known once bids are received, evaluated and a contract is awarded, but it is estimated at up to $170,000 over five years. The Liberal government intends to make the use of recreational marijuana legal by the summer. CBC reported this week that a Statistics Canada survey found Canadians pay an average of less than $7 a gram for pot. The kits may also be used at National Defence health fairs, community events, kiosks or other events to educate other military members, families and the public about the impact of marijuana on cognitive functioning, Le Bouthillier said. A number of firms make such devices. In 2015, Innocorp Ltd. in the U.S. unveiled green-tinted goggles that simulate “the distorted processing of visual information, loss of motor co-ordination, and slowed decision-making and reaction time resulting from recreational marijuana use.” Some police departments in the U.S. already use marijuana impairment kits for training. Participants wearing the goggles will experience the simulated effects resulting from recreational marijuana use, such as distorted processing of visual information, slower decision-making and loss of motor coordination, Le Bouthillier said. The training could include exercises such as ball tossing, simulated driving and other means of demonstrating the effect on reaction time. Le Bouthiller said the military currently uses alcohol impairment goggles in similar courses for military leaders. http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/military-to-spend-170000-so-leaders-can-see-what-its-like-to-be-stoned-on-marijuana

  • Questions abound over ‘ugly’ defence procurement system following Mark Norman case

    May 14, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Questions abound over ‘ugly’ defence procurement system following Mark Norman case

    By NEIL MOSS Canada would be 'better served' if defence projects are overseen by a non-partisan body, says a retired Armed Forces colonel, who oversaw procurement and equipment management policy. https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/05/13/questions-abound-over-ugly-defence-procurement-system-following-mark-norman-case/199729

  • 2023 Canadian International Air Show welcomes rare jet team doubleheader - Skies Mag

    August 1, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

    2023 Canadian International Air Show welcomes rare jet team doubleheader - Skies Mag

    This year's airshow will feature the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, who will be back in Toronto for the first time since 2009.

All news