A United States Northern Command official (USNORTHCOM) says he is optimistic Canada will decide to participate in the American ballistic missile defense system for North America.
“We’re hopeful because I think there would be efficiencies gained if we could team up for defense of North America as a whole,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Ronald Buckley, deputy director of operations for USNORTHCOM headquarters in Colorado, who spoke Feb. 7 at an air and missile defense forum in Arlington, Va.
Photo: Missile Defense Agency.
USNORTHCOM is responsible for homeland defense, including ballistic missile defense, and the head of USNORTHCOM also oversees the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a U.S.-Canadian organization charged with detecting and warning about missile attacks and other threats to North America. Missile defense “is the one big thing that keeps our commands separate,” Buckley said.
In 2005, Canada opted not to participate in the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which the U.S. was building to defend against long-range ballistic missiles. But now, as part of its ongoing overall defense policy review (Defense Daily, Sept. 14), Canada is revisiting the missile defense issue, citing the growing threat from ballistic missiles.
“Would a shift in policy in this area enhance Canadian national security and offer an avenue for greater continental cooperation?” the Canadian government asked in a 2016 public consultation document. “Or are there more effective areas in which to invest to better protect the North American continent?”
The policy review is scheduled to conclude early this year.