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North America
Canada Radar Purchase Extends Military Footprint in the Arctic
What Happened
Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a CAD $6 billion dollar deal to purchase an over-the-horizon radar system from Australia, for eventual deployment in the Canadian Arctic. The system is known as the Jindalee Over-the-Horizon Radar Network (JORN). First developed in the 1990s, JORN has long been used to monitor the vast Australian coastline, and is able to surveil expansive areas at ranges of 1,000-3,000 km. Under the proposed plan, Canada’s rollout will start in 2027 and the system will be fully operational by 2031.
Why It Matters
- Use It or Lose It: Similar to Japan’s Type-12, the purchase is win-win in that it develops strategic autonomy while also building diplomatic goodwill in Washington, especially in light of Canada’s decades of under-spending on defense. The overriding concern in Canadian defense circles is that if Ottawa doesn’t assert sovereignty in the High North, some other state will fill the vacuum. The strategic weight of the Arctic region is growing, evident in the opening up of shipping corridors like the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route, and Canada has been criticized for failing to meet its obligations under NORAD.
