Defense Minister Anita Anand on Monday announced a $ 4.9 billion investment over the next six years to modernize NORAD, the North American defense body, amid mounting tensions between Russia and NATO allies.
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The plan “will provide new security capabilities to protect Canadians for generations to come,” Minister Anand told a news conference on Tormac at a military base in Trenton, Ontario.
It was the largest investment in the NORAD (North American Space Defense Command) organization for forty years, when the United States and Canada were in the middle of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
Lt. Gen. Alain Bellettier, Deputy Director General of NORAD, said: “We are well aware of the growing threat.
Alan Pelletier explained that these missiles could be launched from the surface of the ocean or from the ocean floor, long-haul air travel, or even from ground.
The project, which will be expanded over a period of 20 years, is expected to cost the public treasury $ 40 billion. Ms. Anand argued that many jobs are expected.
“It is important to remember that we have been going upward in our defense spending since 2017,” he said.
Diversified project
The restructuring of the NORAD defense system has been criticized by experts as obsolete for years, as it incorporates a wide range of sophisticated technologies aimed at responding to heavily developed weapons.
The first and perhaps most important component is the creation of a new radar surveillance network and an early warning system to detect threats in the north.
Large sums will also be provided for the modernization of computer networks, which will allow operators to work directly from the computer cloud.
The development of new air bases will strengthen ground and air defense, which is included in the plan to transform the physical infrastructure in the area. These may include some of the F-35 fighter jets that Canada recently ordered from Lockheed Martin.
“Improving our infrastructure is more urgent than ever as climate change and global warming are having a huge impact on our existing infrastructure,” said Minister Anand.
The plan ultimately includes the development of a defense-led scientific and technological research program that will “ensure that we are always a few steps ahead against new threats using Canadian innovation and knowledge.”
In conjunction with the United States, the Minister ruled out the possibility of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile shield.
