By Nicola Smith
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a $6.5 billion deal to acquire a world-leading Australian radar system as Canada seeks to divest its defence capabilities from a neighbour it can “no longer trust”, the Nightly reports.
The move is the latest indication of how Five Eyes nations are clubbing together as they adjust to the new realities of the unpredictable Trump era where the reliability of traditional defence and trade ties with Washington can’t be taken for granted.
The planned sale, described by Defence Minister Richard Marles as “potentially the biggest defence industry export” in the country’s history is a big win for Australia, although Canberra has been at pains to avoid inserting itself into the extraordinary US-Canada spat.
Mr Carney made the announcement on Tuesday in Iqaluit, in the Canadian Arctic, shortly after his first phone call with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, framing the decision as part of a broader effort to assert Canada’s sovereignty in the region.
The former Bank of Canada Governor, who succeeded Justin Trudeau as leader last week, has been robust in his rejection of US President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada as the “51st state”.
“The world is changing,” Mr Carney said.
“International institutions and norms that have kept Canada secure are now being called into question. And the United States’ priorities, our ally, once closely aligned with our own, are beginning to shift,” he said.
“We cannot and should not look first to others to defend our nation.”
As the ground moves beneath Canada’s feet, it has turned to ally Australia as the world-leader in long-range “over-the-horizon” radar technology that will enable the Canadians to detect and respond faster to air and maritime threats over the Arctic.
The Australian-developed technology known as the Jindalee Over-the-Horizon Radar (JORN) will support the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) to track threats over a vast area of 37,000 square km, with a range of up to 3000km.
JORN’s highly advanced system works by refracting high-frequency electromagnetic waves off the ionosphere above the earth’s surface to observe distant objects that would be invisible to conventional radars because of the curvature of the earth.
Speaking to reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday, Prime Minister Albanese praised Australian innovation and prospect of a “significant export” if the deal was finalised.
