NORAD
BY TROY J. BOUFFARD AND ADAM LAJEUNESSE
O
n August 14th, 2021, the
North American defence
chiefs released a joint state-
ment reaffirming shared
commitments to "modern-
ize, improve, and better integrate the capa-
bilities required for NORAD to maintain
persistent awareness and understanding of
potential threats to North America in the
aerospace and maritime domains, to deter
acts of aggression against North America,
to respond to aerospace threats quickly
26 DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022 www.vanguardcanada.com
NORAD
Modernization:
NEXT STEPS
and decisively when required, and to pro-
vide maritime warning consistent with the
NORAD Agreement." With the focus on
emerging aerospace threats and the Arctic
as a traditional avenue of approach, the
bi-national strategic communication lists
several priority areas in need of fiscal sup-
port, including 1) situational awareness,
2) modernized command and control
systems, 3) capabilities to deter and de-
feat aerospace threats to North America,
and 4) research, development, and inno-
vation. Without doubt, such statements
are meant for both foreign and domestic
audiences. However, this specific state-
ment likely targeted the North American
readership far more than our allies and
adversaries. At face value, the joint state-
ment seems straightforward and logi-
cal. However, 'the devil is in the details'
with respect to the maritime dimension
of future challenges, the changing missile
threat, and the political-military realities
of shared responsibility.
Military Dimensions
While a modernized NORAD will acquire
new technological capabilities it will cer-
tainly expand its scope as well – moving
closer to the long sought after "all domain
awareness." This will include giving sub-
stance to its long-standing maritime warn-
ing mission. That role was added in 2006 as
part of the North American war on terror
to reduce stove-piping and identify poten-
tial weapons smugglers, terrorists, or crimi-
Top view of the cf-18 demonstration jet Photo : Derek Heyes
