August 8, 2024 | Local, Other Defence

Joint Statement on Strengthening the Canada-Australia Defence Relationship

Statement

August 8, 2024 – Vancouver, B.C. – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces

Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence of Canada, and the Honourable Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence of Australia, released a joint statement following their bilateral meeting.

Statement

1. Canada and Australia enjoy a partnership based on shared history, values and friendship. Facing an increasingly complicated strategic environment, we commit to strengthen our defence relationship and reinforce our collective ability to respond to global challenges.

2. We commit to enhancing the interoperability of our armed forces. We will explore ways to reduce barriers to collaboration, including through arrangements to facilitate value-added defence and industrial activities and to support operational cooperation. We will reinforce collaboration in space, cyber, research and development, advanced capabilities, and science and technology. We remain committed to the Five Eyes partnership.

Increased Military Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

3. As Indo-Pacific nations, we support a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous, which includes respect for sovereignty and adherence to international law. We underscored the need for all countries to manage strategic competition responsibly and work to reduce the risks of conflict. We commit to deepen our operational cooperation, including by exploring opportunities to conduct joint sails, cooperative deployments, and multilateral exercises and training.

4. Australia welcomes Canada’s increased defence presence throughout the Indo-Pacific region, as outlined in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. Since the release of this strategy, Canada has increased its annual naval deployments and defence engagement throughout the region, creating additional opportunities for joint training in all domains. Canada welcomes the focus on the Indo-Pacific in Australia’s National Defence Strategy.

5. We continue to enhance our interoperability through participation in multilateral exercises, including in the South China Sea. Australia welcomes the involvement of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Vancouver in Exercise KAKADU next month, and plans for a follow-on ship re-armament activity, which will demonstrate the ability to provide logistics support to regional operations. Australia welcomes Canada’s participation in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE in 2025 and similar future exercises.

Global Security

6. As the strategic environments of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific deteriorate we recognize developments in one region directly impact security in the other. We value Australia’s contribution to NATO as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner, which supports an integrated response to global challenges. We welcome the flagship projects NATO launched with its Indo-Pacific partners during the NATO Summit in July 2024, which address shared challenges such as cyber defence, hybrid threats, and resilience.

7. We reiterate our support for a sovereign and independent Ukraine, and our unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s illegal, unjustified, and full-scale invasion. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine to end the war on its own terms. We remain gravely concerned over the increased military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and call on all those with influence on Russia, particularly China, to exert it now to end the war.

8. Canada and Australia are concerned by China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea that are inconsistent with international law. We also emphasize the importance of all states’ ability to exercise rights and freedoms, including freedom of navigation and overflight, in a manner that is consistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We reiterate our strong opposition to destabilizing or coercive actions in the South China Sea, including dangerous maneuvers and the militarization of disputed features. We express grave concern over China’s dangerous actions against Philippine vessels near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. These actions jeopardize regional peace, stability, and prosperity. We reaffirmed the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award as final and binding on the parties and noted all states have a responsibility to adhere to international law. We are encouraged by the Philippine’s and China’s diplomatic engagement and commitment to de-escalate tensions.

9. We reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and our opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo. We call for the peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue without the threat or use of force or coercion.

10. We recognize the importance of the United Nations Command in securing lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing launches using ballistic missile technology and its pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We are concerned by North Korea’s malicious cyber activity. We support international efforts to monitor North Korea’s sanctions evasion activities.

11. We reaffirm our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation. We reiterate our call on all parties to the conflict to agree to a comprehensive ceasefire deal. We are gravely concerned about the recent escalation of rhetoric and attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border as well as the prospect of further escalation which could destabilize the entire region. We support all diplomatic efforts to calm tensions and continue to urge de-escalation and restraint.

Common Platforms and Capability Development

12. Australia and Canada are making significant investments to bolster our defence capabilities in our national defence strategies. We will explore opportunities for mutual learning and training to increase the interoperability and skillset of military members on shared platforms, such as the F-35 fighter aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and our new warship classes based on the Type 26 frigate design of BAE Systems.

13. We recognize operational effectiveness is underpinned by the strength of our cooperation in science, technology, and capability development. We are prioritizing overcoming challenges to the research, development, procurement, and fielding of advanced military capabilities to maintain our technological edge and support regional stability and security. We look forward to further collaboration in that regard, and recognize Canada’s interest in collaborating on advanced capability projects under AUKUS Pillar II.

14. We will continue addressing challenges collaboratively through the combination of our innovation ecosystems. This will help to maintain our collective technological lead in cyber, autonomous systems, quantum technologies, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, space, defence against hypersonic and advanced cruise missiles, and undersea warfare.

Cyber and Space

15. We recognize malicious cyber threats and activities have increased in sophistication and scale. We reaffirm efforts to bolster our operational collaboration to address emerging cyber threats through the Five Eyes partnership, and we commit to deepening our cyber cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners.

16. As members of the Combined Space Operations Initiative and Operation Olympic Defender, we remain committed to a secure and stable space domain. We will continue to improve the coordination of space operations and interoperability of space capabilities, assure access to space, and promote the responsible, lawful, and sustainable use of the space domain.

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2024/08/joint-statement-on-strengthening-the-canada-australia-defence-relationship.html

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November 30, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Security

Air Spray wins Manitoba aerial firefighting contract
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AEW, next-gen helicopters among defence policy commitments for the RCAF - Skies Mag
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June 14, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land

Trade dispute could leave U.S. firms out of the running to sell military equipment to Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump's tirade against Canada and threats to punish the country could undermine efforts by American firms trying to sell fighter jets and other military equipment to the Canadian Forces, warn defence and industry analysts. One European firm, Airbus, has already been talking with Canadian officials to pitch its plan to build fighter jets in Quebec as it positions itself to win the $16-billion deal to replace CF-18 aircraft. An Italian aerospace firm, Leonardo, is looking at building helicopters in Nova Scotia as it moves towards negotiations for a search-and-rescue aircraft modernization project the Department of National Defence says will be worth between $1 billion and $5 billion. Trump has hit Canadian aluminum and steel with tariffs, claiming their import is a threat to national security. After the weekend G7 meeting and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reaffirming that Canada would reciprocate with tariffs on specific U.S. products, Trump vowed more economic grief that will “cost a lot of money for the people of Canada.” Trump's move comes at a time when European firms are courting the Canadian government, particularly on big-ticket defence items such as aircraft and warships. Billions of dollars in new purchases are potentially at stake and European firms had a strong presence at the recent CANSEC military equipment trade show in Ottawa. “Trump certainly isn't helping U.S. defence companies who want to sell to Canada,” said Martin Shadwick, a defence analyst in Toronto. “It would be very difficult at this point from a political optics point of view for the government to announce awarding contracts to any American firm.” Shadwick said whether that situation will continue for the next several years, when for instance the decision on new fighter jets is supposed to be made, would depend on any further actions by the president. Two U.S. aircraft, the Boeing Super Hornet and the Lockheed Martin F-35, are among the top contenders in that jet competition. The other three aircraft are from European companies. An earlier trade dispute with Canada has already backfired on Boeing and the Trump administration, costing the U.S. billions in fighter jet sales. Last year Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the Trump administration brought in a tariff of almost 300 per cent against Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada decided against buying 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing. That deal would have been worth more than US$5 billion. Christyn Cianfarani, president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, said it is too early to determine the impact of the U.S. tariffs on the domestic defence industry. “Tariffs are never good for trade or business,” she added. “CADSI is monitoring the issue and consulting our members to better understand the potential impact to Canadian firms, both in terms of the direct impact of any tariffs and the more indirect, long term impact on supply chains and market access,” she said. There is growing concern that Canadian aviation firms could be hurt by Trump's aluminum tariffs. The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada did not respond to a request for comment. But its counterpart in the U.S. has voiced concern that American aerospace companies could feel pain. In March, the U.S. Aerospace Industries Association noted it was deeply concerned about Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum as it “will raise costs and disrupt the supply chain, putting U.S. global competitiveness at risk.” “There is also a significant threat for retaliation from other countries towards American made products,” the association noted in a statement. Canada is the largest exporter of aluminum and steel to the U.S. http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/trade-dispute-could-leave-u-s-firms-out-of-the-running-to-sell-military-equipment-to-canada

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Joint Statement on Strengthening the Canada-Australia Defence Relationship

Statement

On the same subject

AEW, next-gen helicopters among defence policy commitments for the RCAF - Skies Mag New airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and funding for tactical helicopters to replace multi-role CH-146 Griffons, are among the key aerospace elements of an updated defence policy.

AEW, next-gen helicopters among defence policy commitments for the RCAF - Skies Mag
New airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and funding for tactical helicopters to replace multi-role CH-146 Griffons, are among the key aerospace elements of an updated defence policy.