Commentary
Canada is entering a period of accelerated defence investment. The new federal government has committed to NATO spending benchmarks, and operational commanders must deliver tangible capabilities quickly. Nowhere is the gap more visible than in the Arctic, where maritime awareness remains fragile despite its centrality to sovereignty, security, and alliance credibility.
The threat posed by Russia, China, and the weakening of the rules-based order highlight the urgency of deploying sensing capabilities in the region—capabilities that can offer persistent maritime awareness beyond the line-of-sight, complementing patrols and force presence.
Current radar coverage is fragmented: X-band coastal radars see only 10–30 nautical miles offshore, satellites provide snapshots but not continuous tracking, and although the Canada–Australia Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) initiative will provide northward coverage from Ontario, it is built for continental air and missile detection, not vessels threading Arctic straits. Yet the presence of Chinese and Russian icebreaker fleets make this a key area of concern for sovereign and environmental protection….