The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is a bi-national military organization which has acted as a pillar of Canadian-American defence of the North American continent since its inception in 1958. NORAD serves as the first line of defence against air and aerospace attacks on our homelands, and has now been expanded to include maritime warning.
In renewing the Agreement, Canada and the US have enhanced defence cooperation by increasing NORAD's capacity to assist in addressing emerging security challenges, such as maritime threats.
This Agreement supports the Government's "Canada First" commitment to protect Canadians and defend national security and sovereignty.
Background
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is a bi-national military organization formally established in 1958 by Canada and the United States to monitor and defend North American airspace. NORAD monitors and tracks man-made objects in space and detects, validates and warns of attack against North America by aircraft, missiles or ‘space vehicles’ (e.g. satellites and space debris). NORAD also provides surveillance and control of Canadian and U.S. airspace.
The NORAD Agreement was first signed by the governments of Canada and the United States on May 12, 1958, and has been renewed for varying periods since that time. Although there have been nine NORAD renewals since 1958, the basic text of the Agreement has been revised substantially only four times – in 1975, 1981, 1996 and now, in 2006.
The Commander of NORAD is appointed by, and is responsible to, both the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States. Traditionally, the Commander of NORAD is American, and the Deputy Commander, Canadian. NORAD Headquarters is located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. NORAD’s warning and control missions are exercised through the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, located a short distance away.
Canada-U.S. Defence Relationship
Canada and the U.S. enjoy one of the most extensive and long-standing defence relationships in the world. The tradition of bilateral cooperation in the defence of North America dates back to the 1940 Ogdensburg Agreement and is a natural complement to the extensive political, economic, cultural and social ties that link our two countries.
Canada derives significant benefits from this relationship. Canada-U.S. defence cooperation has provided us with:
- enhanced protection from direct military attack;
- insight into U.S. thinking on security matters, and influence over U.S. decisions where Canadian interests are involved;
- valuable training and operational experience that helps not only in the defence of North America, but also in UN, NATO, and other multinational operations abroad;
- preferential access to U.S. test facilities, which, along with research and development opportunities, have helped develop many technologies used by the Canadian Forces; and
- defence development, production, and sharing agreements that stimulate Canada's research and development community and help support some 50,000 Canadian aerospace and defence jobs nation-wide.
Canada-U.S. Cooperation: Responding to the New Threat Environment
The Government of Canada has the fundamental responsibility to protect Canada and Canadians in an increasingly complex and uncertain environment. The past decade has seen significant and cumulative changes to the international security landscape, such as the emergence of global terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Given the increasingly complex nature of the new threat environment, exploring ways to strengthen defence and security arrangements with the U.S., including an enhanced role for NORAD, is in Canada's security interest.
In response to the events of September 11, 2001, and recognizing the potential cross-border impact of emerging security threats, Canada and the U.S. pursued a range of measures to enhance continental security cooperation, both at home and abroad. As part of its response, the U.S. established U.S. Northern Command, mandated to protect U.S. sovereignty, territory, the domestic population and critical defence infrastructure against external threats and aggression. In Canada, initiatives such as the creation of Canada Command, responsible for Canada and its air and marine approaches as a single operational theatre, have been designed to place a greater emphasis on the defence of Canada and North America. In addition, recent budgets have also announced measures to enhance the security of Canadians.
Data Provided by Canadian Forces
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