Vanguard Magazine

Dec/Jan 2013

Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR

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e Space S the threat has largely evaporated, and U.S. defence budget in general, and military emerging new space-based technologies space budget in particular, when compared to Canada's relatively low cost investment can replace key ground-based radar assets if necessary in the future. Canadian of less than $100 million in Sapphire. However, the U.S. as the pre-eminent military territory became marginal in terms of and space power faces large demands across a Canadian contribution to binational the services in an environment of significant defence. As such, Canada needed to replanned defence cuts. As such, Canada's place its territorial contribution with a contribution via Sapphire is significant to the substantive one – hence Sapphire. U.S. on cost grounds and the value-added The significance of Sapphire is also capability it provides to space security. a function of the Martin government Like the U.S., however, National Defence decision to stand aside from the U.S. also faces significant defence cuts. The danballistic missile defence program in ger is that Sapphire may become a "one-off" 2005; the only major U.S. continencontribution, rather than the first of a series tal defence program of the last decade. of space-based satellites. Space investments Missile defence is inherently linked to are vulnerable given the demands emanatmilitary space particularly through the ing from the traditional services within the Space Tracking and Surveillance SysCanadian Forces. National defence officials tem. In saying no to missile defence, may well believe that the "space box" has not only did Canada say no to access been checked, and Canada's access to U.S. to classified information about missile MDA's Christopher Olsen (right) and Al military space assured. This may be true in defence, but also implicitly said no to Thiessen conduct tests on Sapphire spacecraft. the near-term, but as time moves on, and access to related military space systems. Photo: Sergeant Gaétan Racine the strategic significance of space continues As these, in turn, are assets supporting to grow, Canada will have to continue to NORAD's early warning mission, the make strategic investments to ensure its place as a space player. missile defence "no" might be interpreted much more broadly Continuing on the track lines laid out today by committing to by the U.S. The potential result could be the marginalization additional space-based surveillance satellites, possibly in cooperaof NORAD into an air-breathing defence mission only, and the tion with the Canadian Space Agency and its near-earth observaclosure of all U.S. military space to Canada. As such, NORAD tion surveillance satellite assuming its capability meets SSN recould become a "hollow shell," despite indefinite renewal in quirements, is essential for Canada's strategic interests and the 2006. Moreover, the loss of Canadian access to U.S. military binational defence relationship. space would undermine Canada's strategic interests as laid out in There are, of course, other valuable defence and security space Canadian defence space policy and the likely key elements of the programs, especially the radar satellite constellation mission, that long-awaited Canadian defence space strategy. cannot be ignored. Space-based surveillance, however, is Canada's Overall, the strategic significance of Sapphire cannot be under-esreal entry into military space, that needs to continue to grow. timated. This may be surprising when one considers the size of the Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay, at the launch of the Sapphire Satellite project in Ottawa. Photo: MCpl Julie Bélisle The Sapphire situational awareness satellite being prepared for its send-off ceremony in October. Photo: Sergeant Gaétan Racine www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 23

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