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Domestic and Continental Defence

Continental Defence and NORAD Modernization

For information see Northern Operations; For information on Indigenous Relations

  • Canada continues to work closely with the U.S. to detect, deter, and defend against threats to North America – every day and in all domains.
  • That is why we are investing $38.6 billion over twenty years to modernize our contribution to NORAD.
  • In these Main Estimates, National Defence is seeking $46.3 million to support the modernization of crucial NORAD capabilities.
  • The majority of this funding ($33.5M) is to support initiatives in the early project phases.
  • For example, National Defence will work this year to determine high-level mandatory requirements, conduct engineering studies, and site visits to determine viable operational locations.
  • This work will apply to projects such as Arctic and Polar Over the Horizon Radar.
  • In fact, we have created the NORAD-Continental Defence Modernization Office, within the Royal Canadian Air Force, which will manage most of our modernization efforts.
  • This funding will also be used to carry out broader engagements (ex: industry, stakeholder, community, Indigenous).
  • We have already engaged territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners on initial infrastructure development plans and will continue to do so as projects mature.
  • Taken together, these NORAD modernization initiatives mark the most significant upgrade to Canada’s NORAD capabilities in nearly four decades.

If pressed on short-term action to bolster continental defence:

  • Based on lessons learned from the implementation of Strong, Secure, Engaged, National Defence is carrying out Identification and Options Analysis work for identified NORAD modernization projects.
  • This will help us set the conditions for success as we move ahead with implementing NORAD modernization.
  • In addition to implementing NORAD modernization plans, we continue to advance a number of key procurement projects that are relevant to continental defence.
  • This includes the acquisition of 88 F-35 advanced fighter jets and infrastructure upgrades across Canada that will accommodate this new fleet.

Key Facts

Investments

  • On June 20, 2022, National Defence announced $3 billion over six years with $1.9 billion in remaining amortization for NORAD modernization. This is part of the $38.6 billion investment on an accrual basis over 20 years for new capabilities.
  • Broadly, there are 18 initiatives captured under NORAD Modernization (not including the Future Fighter Capability project, announced in Strong, Secure, Engaged).
  • NORAD modernization investments are focused on five key areas:
  • enhancing surveillance and threat detection;
  • improving command, control, and communications;
  • modernizing air weapons systems;
  • upgrading our infrastructure and support capabilities; and
  • investing in research and development.

Spending Details

Funding Request:

  • In these Main Estimates, National Defence is requesting $46.3 million for Canada’s continental defence capabilities, including to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

How this funding will be spent:

  • The majority of this funding ($33.5M) is to support initiatives in the early project phases.
  • This includes resourcing for project offices, engineering studies, site visits, as well as stakeholder engagements.
  • This early resourcing is based on lessons learned from Strong, Secure, Engaged, to ensure that we set the conditions for success, as we move ahead with implementing NORAD modernization.
  • This funding will be applied to the following initiatives:
    • Arctic and Polar Over the Horizon Radar;
    • RCAF Air Weapons Control Overage Expansion (RACE);
    • Defence Enhanced Surveillance from Space Project (DESSP);
    • Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P);
    • Future Combined Aerospace Operations Centre Capability
    • Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile
    • Advanced Short-Range Missile and Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile; and,
    • Operational Training Infrastructure Enterprise Modernization.
  • Funding ($12.8M) is also allocated towards internal services to support NORAD modernization activities, including in the areas of information, materiel and financial management as well as legal services.

Operation objectives:

  • This funding is critical to delivering NORAD modernization projects on time and on target in order to maintain pace with a rapidly evolving security environment.

Key Statistics:

  • Approximately 1,000 Canadian Armed Forces members support NORAD; fulfilling its missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for the defence of North America.
  • Canada also contributes fighter aircraft, command, communications and control nodes, bases and Deployed and Forward Operating Locations across the country.
  • 45 of the 47 Canadian North Warning System (NWS) radar sites are located within three Inuit Settlement Areas across Canada’s North.
    • These are maintained through a contract with Nasittuq, an Inuit majority-owned company.
  • Since summer 2022, NORAD modernization infrastructure planners have travelled to Inuvik, Yellowknife, Iqaluit, and Goose Bay, and had positive meetings with local and territorial stakeholders on infrastructure updates to NORAD operating locations.
  • National Defence has made early progress on NORAD modernization by standing up project offices such as the NORAD-Continental Defence Modernization Office (NCDMO) housed within the RCAF, and the NORAD Modernization Infrastructure Project Management Office (NMI PMO) housed within ADM(IE).
  • National Defence has advanced early project work in the Identification and Options Analysis phases, by deepening collaboration with the US Department of Defense on bilateral implementation and conducting engagements with domestic stakeholders.
    • May 2024: Minister Blair met with the President of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. to discuss opportunities for collaboration and partnership with Inuit, anchored by Our North, Strong and Free.
    • March 2024: Defence officials met with the Government of the Northwest Territories to discuss priority areas related to northern defence and security.
    • December 2023: Defence officials participated in a Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) working group where discussions centred on the co-development of a plan to align DND/CAF infrastructure requirements with the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Priority Infrastructure Needs to maximize joint benefits
    • May 2023: National Defence officials provided a high level briefing to the three territorial Premiers focused on NORAD modernization projects with a northern nexus.

Details

Funding

  • NORAD modernization is a long-term project and the investments announced by the Minister of National Defence in June 2022 protect Canadians against new and emerging aerospace threats to Canada and North America more broadly.
  • Investments are broken down into 5 inter-related areas:
    • Bolstering our ability to detect threats earlier and more precisely by modernizing our surveillance systems ($6.96B from fiscal year 22/23 - 41/42)
    • Improving our ability to understand and communicate threats to decision-makers in a timely manner through upgrades to our command, control, and communications systems ($4.13B from fiscal year 22/23 - 41/42)
    • Strengthening our ability to deter and defeat aerospace threats by modernizing our air weapons systems ($6.38B from fiscal year 22/23 - 41/42)
    • Ensuring our Canadian Armed Forces can launch and sustain a strong military presence across the country, including in Canada’s North, through investments in new infrastructure and support capabilities ($15.68B from fiscal year 22/23 - 41/42)
    • Future-proofing our capabilities to defend North America through investments in science and technology ($4.23B from fiscal year 22/23 - 41/42)

Over the Horizon Radar (OTHR)

  • National Defence is currently assessing possible locations for Arctic OTHR sites in southern Ontario, including on and off Department of National Defence (DND) lands. As part of this work, we are reaching out to private landowners, Indigenous communities, other federal government departments, the Province of Ontario and local municipalities to determine their interest in selling land to DND for this project.
  •  We continue to advance work to determine siting locations for Arctic-OTHR sites. 
  • Canadian OTHR initiatives will be fully integrated with U.S. OTHR initiatives to provide comprehensive surveillance of North American airspace.

Initiatives

  • Work is currently ongoing to advance the following NORAD Modernization initiatives:
Arctic and Polar Over the Horizon Radar The Arctic and Polar Over-the-Horizon Radar systems will provide early warning radar coverage and threat tracking from the Canada-United States border to the Arctic circle and beyond the northernmost approaches to North America, including the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
RCAF Air Weapons Control Coverage Expansion (RACE) RACE will enhance the Ultra-high frequency communication capability within the Canadian airspace to enable the Canadian Air Defence Sector to perform its NORAD mission of Aerospace and Weapons Control within Canada, with the primary purpose of communicating with domestic and foreign military aircrafts.
Defence Enhanced Surveillance from Space Project (DESSP) DESSP will strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces’ space-based surveillance capabilities, including of Canadian territory and maritime approaches, by investing additional funds to complete and augment the new state-of-the-art, space-based surveillance project announced in Canada’s 2017 defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged.
Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P) This initiative will enhance satellite communications in the Arctic through additional funding to complete and augment the polar communications project announced in SSE.
Future Combined Aerospace Operations Centre Capability Modernization of the Canadian Combined Air Operations Centre will deliver an advanced, survivable airpower Command and Control system. This operations centre will consist of personnel, processes, and equipment needed to plan, direct, monitor, control and coordinate continental and global operations 24/7/365.
Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile New, advanced air-to-air missiles to ensure Canada’s fighter aircraft maintain the ability to engage threats from long ranges.
Advanced Short-Range Missile and Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile New, advanced air-to-air missiles to ensure Canada’s fighter aircraft maintain the ability to engage threats from short and medium ranges.
Northern Basing Infrastructure Upgrade Canadian Armed Forces’ infrastructure at four Forward Operating Locations in Canada’s North (Inuvik, Yellowknife, Iqaluit, and Goose Bay). This infrastructure will meet NORAD and broader Canadian Armed Forces military requirements, and will consider multi-purpose opportunities where feasible.

Additional Canadian Contributions to NORAD

  • Canada is responsible for maintaining and operating the Canadian portion of the North Warning System, a chain of radar stations stretching from Alaska to Labrador.
  • Canadian NORAD Region (CANR): Canadian NORAD Region headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba, provides operational command and control of assigned assets while the Canadian Air Defence Sector (CADS) located in North Bay, Ontario provides tactical command and control of assigned assets for the Canadian NORAD Region.

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