Source: Fortune
Summary
Australia and Canada have signed a $1.75 billion export agreement to develop an Australian-designed long-range radar system in Canada. The deal, signed by Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Canadian Secretary of State Stephen Fuhr, will provide early warning radar coverage from the Canada-US border into the Arctic. The agreement is Australia’s largest ever defense export.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
The deal is a significant step in the strategic partnership between Australia and Canada, with Marles calling it a “very strategic dimension to the relationship.” Fuhr praised the partnership, saying Canada and Australia have “stood shoulder-to-shoulder for generations.” The agreement also marks a win for BAE Systems Australia, which will support both governments in developing the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar. The Australian system has been developed over 40 years and can detect distant objects invisible to conventional radars. The deal is a major export success for Australia, surpassing its previous record defense export of $700 million to Germany.
The radar system will now be built in Canada, a country that has “chosen Australia’s radar system over comparable US technology.”
Author: Evan Null
