Ottawa Citizen:
Canada’s military is looking at ways to potentially contribute to missile defence but it has yet to figure out how it would be able to afford such a capability, according to documents obtained by the Citizen.
The Pentagon is open to having Canada play some kind of supporting role in its missile defence shield, Canadian military officers say privately. U.S. officials have expressed interest, in particular, in Canada’s potential contribution of a multi-purpose sensor system in the Arctic which would not only track ballistic missiles but ships and aircraft. That capability could be one of Canada’s major future contributions to the joint U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defence Command, or NORAD.
Canadian defence scientists plan to conduct research into what is being termed “continental surveillance radars,” according to an April 2015 outline of research projects compiled by Defence Research and Development Canada in Ottawa. “Desired outcomes (include) enhanced interoperability with NORAD,” the document noted.
During an April 2015 meeting in Ottawa with industry representatives, navy Commander Mike McEntee also pointed out that the service was interested in missile defence, including “ballistic missile detection and engagement.”
The U.S. has outfitted some of its warships with interceptor missiles and uses advanced radars to provide information to its ground-based missile shield. Future Canadian warships could be outfitted with similar capabilities, navy officers have said.
Last month, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper raised the possibility of Canada taking a role in the U.S. missile defence system. During a campaign stop in Hay River, N.W.T., Harper noted that a Conservative government would consider such an initiative if the country’s security was in jeopardy.
Last year, the Senate defence committee recommended that Canada join the U.S. missile defence shield. Two former Liberal defence ministers, David Pratt and Bill Graham, have also endorsed the idea.
In 2005, Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin decided against Canada’s involvement in the controversial U.S. system. The Pentagon has spent about $100 billion since 2002 on the missile shield but critics say the system still can’t destroy incoming warheads.
In April, NORAD commander U.S. Admiral Bill Gortney was asked about the American government’s desire for a new multi-purpose sensor system in Canada’s Arctic that could not only detect incoming ballistic missiles but monitor ships and aircraft…
