Australia Signs Record Defense Export Deal with Canada

Australia said on Monday that it would sell Canada advanced over-the-horizon radar technology under a A$2.5bn ($1.75bn) agreement, the country’s largest-ever defense export deal.

The agreement marks Australia’s first overseas sale of the radar technology, which is based on the Jindalee Operational Radar Network. The system can detect and track aircraft, ships and missiles up to 3,000 km away.

The deal will support Canada’s surveillance of the Arctic region, which accounts for about 40% of its landmass but is sparsely populated and has little infrastructure. Much of Russia’s Arctic region faces Canada and the US state of Alaska.

Stephen Fuhr, Canada’s secretary of state for defense procurement, said the project was part of a broader effort to build an integrated Arctic surveillance and communications network.

“Today’s agreement marks a significant milestone in Australian defense trade and lays the foundation for deeper and mutually beneficial defense industry collaboration with Canada”, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

The technology-sharing deal will create around 300 jobs in Australia and represents the first stage of broader cooperation between the two countries on the radar.

(Reuters, Max)