Canada and Australia have agreed on terms to permit Ottawa to purchase components of the Arctic over-the-horizon radar system from BAE Systems Australia.
Stephen Fuhr, Canada’s secretary of state for defence procurement, was in Canberra on Sunday to make the announcement with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Canada has committed to spend greater than $6 billion developing the brand new radar system within the Far North, which is ready to start operation in December 2029.
The radar system will give Canada the flexibility to detect threats within the air and on the ocean, and supply early-warning tracking throughout the North.
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BAE Systems is one among the businesses that built an over-the-horizon radar system in Australia. Fuhr’s office said BAE Systems will work with Canadian corporations to develop the Canadian system.
Work on the brand new capability is ready to start on July 1, Fuhr’s office said, calling the agreement the start of the delivery phase for the radar project.
The Canadian government is committed to spending $2.5 billion on the potential through this cope with Australia.
The radar system will likely be positioned in Southern Ontario, at two transmission sites and two receiving sites.
The Department of National Defence bought land near Barrie and Kawartha Lakes for the initial sites, which sparked controversy and petitions from landowners in the world.
In May, Defence Minister David McGuinty’s office wrote in a response to questions from a member of Parliament that the placement requirements for the project were inflexible and that the sites were chosen after assessing lots of of options.
Over-the-horizon radar is anticipated to be fully operational in 2043.
It is taken into account a key component of the Norad modernization program, announced in 2022, which is anticipated to cost $38.6 billion over 20 years.
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