28 JUNE/JULY 2020 www.vanguardcanada.com
Remaining Relevant
AIR
By Michael Dawson
NORAD
The NorTh AmericAN AerospAce DefeNse
commAND (NorAD) hAs beeN AT The heArT
of The cANADA-U.s. DefeNce relATioNship
siNce 1958. NorAD is UNiqUe AmoNg DefeNce
relATioNships AND AlliANces for iTs
bi-NATioNAl sTrUcTUre iN which The
commANDer (TrADiTioNAlly A U.s. officer)
AND DepUTy commANDer (A cANADiAN)
reporT To boTh goverNmeNTs.
C
anadian and American forces
personnel work side-by-side
throughout the command.
Today, the strategic context is
evolving because of changes
in the geopolitical environment, techno-
logical developments and different under-
standings of the utility of nuclear weapons.
NORAD is at a point where the question
of its future relevance will depend upon
choices made in Canada.
Origins: Overview of the
Political and Historical Context
NORAD's deepest roots date back to Au-
gust 1938. Speaking at Queen's Univer-
sity, President Franklin Roosevelt stated
that "the people of the United States will
not stand idly by if domination of Canada
