NEWS RELEASES
CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES TO RENEW DEFENCE AGREEMENT
March 25, 1996 No. 44
CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
TO RENEW DEFENCE AGREEMENT
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Minister of National Defence David
Collenette today announced that Canada and the United States will renew the North
American Aerospace Defence (NORAD) Agreement for the eighth time since it was
first signed in 1958. This follows extensive national consultation and a debate
in the House of Commons on March 11.
"NORAD is the most important bilateral security and defence agreement Canada has
with the United States," said Mr. Axworthy, "and is yet another example of the
benefits of our unique alliance. The revised 1996 NORAD Agreement better reflects
the post-Cold War strategic environment, and will be even more relevant to
Canada's current and projected security needs."
NORAD was originally established to provide fighter defence against long-range
Soviet bombers, but its mandate has evolved with the mission emphasis shifting
from air defence to warning of attack by aircraft and missiles. This shift was
reflected in the 1975 renewal, which redefined NORAD's missions in several ways,
including assisting each nation in safeguarding sovereign airspace, contributing
to deterrence by warning of attack, and ensuring an appropriate response against
air attack if required. In 1991, the air sovereignty mission was clarified to
include detection and monitoring of aircraft suspected of drug trafficking. With
the ending of the Cold War, costs have been reduced significantly, and are
expected to decline still further in coming years.
"For nearly 40 years, NORAD has proven to be a cost-effective way to protect our
sovereignty and security -- both in terms of responding to potential military
threats and in countering non-military challenges such as drug smuggling," said
Mr. Collenette. "It would be far more expensive for Canada to provide for this
alone."
Although Canada does not face the same threat that it did during the Cold War, the
capability to exercise effective surveillance and control over Canadian airspace
remains a basic defence requirement. NORAD's missions now include aerospace
warning and aerospace control for North America. The aerospace warning mission
includes the monitoring of human-made objects in space and the detection,
validation and warning of aerospace attack against North America. The aerospace
control mission provides surveillance and control, including air defence, over
Canadian and U.S. airspace.
The renewal of NORAD was endorsed in 1994 by both the Special Joint Committee on
Canada's Defence Policy and the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign
Policy, which recommended a shift of emphasis from air defence to global space
surveillance. This view was also reflected in two subsequent government documents,
the 1994 Defence White Paper and the Canadian foreign policy statement "Canada and
the World." In addition to involvement in NORAD, Canada remains firmly committed
to the 1972 ABM Treaty, a bilateral Russia-U.S. agreement to limit the deployment
of ballistic missile defences.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
Director General of Public Affairs
Media Liaison Office
Department of National Defence
(613) 996-2353
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