(Ottawa) Defense Minister Anita Anand promises to introduce a “robust investment package” for North America’s aging defense systems in the coming months.
Posted yesterday at 4:50 p.m.
The pledge follows years of warnings from military officials and experts about the state of the continent’s defensive network, parts of which are now obsolete.
The warnings have a new sense of urgency as tensions between the West and Russia continue to grow over the latter’s invasion of Ukraine.
Canada is also under intense pressure to spend more on its military, with many expecting new defense funding in this week’s federal budget.
Mme Anand says she has had several discussions with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and will pursue the upgrade of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in concert with Washington.
This upgrade should include measures to protect North American airspace and maritime territory, but also to detect and defend against threats from space and cyberspace.