Vanguard Magazine

military presence as well as prevent and respond to safety and security incidents in the Arctic and the North," and augment "whole-of-society emergency manage- ment capabilities in Arctic and Northern communities." This clustering is opaque by failing to parse threats that Canada fac- es through, to, and in the Arctic, and thus specifying what falls within the Canadian government's definition of Arctic security. Fortunately, the worries of some com- mentators that 2020 would bring a Unit- ed States challenge to Canada's Arctic sovereignty did not come to pass. Instead, the two countries have remained strong partners in North American defence, in- cluding in the Arctic. Growing American attention to the Arctic over the past two years, however, also means that the United States is rapidly outpacing its Arctic neigh- bour to the east in devising practical steps to advance American strategic interests and security in the region. Recent ap- peals from the binational North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) to "harden the shield" to project a cred- ible deterrent against conventional and below-the-threshold attacks on North America anticipate new approaches that will incorporate Arctic sensors and systems in a layered "ecosystem" of sensors, fusion functions, and defeat mechanisms. While NORAD "Reinforce Canada's commitment to our bilateral and multilateral defence partner- ships in order to defend Canadian sovereignty, protect North America and enhance international security … [and] work with the United States to ensure that the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is modernized to meet existing and future challenges, as outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged." — Prime Minister's Mandate Letter to the Minister of National Defence, December 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com APRIL/MAY 2021 19 the U.S. seems poised to forge ahead with its plans, Canada still offers no clear plan for how it intends to prioritize its general commitments to contribute to NORAD and North American defence moderniza- tion – often described as the 'unwritten and unfunded chapter' of Canada's de- fence policy. Canada Canada's Arctic defence strategy commits to enhance and expand the Canadian mili- tary's persistent presence in the Canadian Arctic. Being "strong at home" requires domain and situational awareness through increased surveillance and monitoring, A CF-18 Hornet aircra from 3 Wing Bagotville arrives at Thule Air Base, Greenland to take part in Exercise AMALGAM DART, North American Aerospace Defense Command's Arctic air defense exercise, March 20, 2021. Photo: DND

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