Source : Perth Now news
WHAT IS CANADA BUYING?
* An over-the-horizon (OTH) radar system that can detect planes, boats and missiles up to 3000km away, designed and manufactured in Australia
* Enemy military assets can hide from normal radar behind the Earth’s curve, but OTH radar can see much further by ricocheting off the ionosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere
* The specific system is called Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN), built by BAE Systems Australia. It has been up and running in northern Australia for 40 years
HOW MUCH ARE THEY SPENDING?
* $2.5 billion for the first stage of the agreement
* Canada can now order the system, which BAE Systems Australia will design, manufacture and commission for operation in the Canadian Arctic
* It is the largest defence export in Australia’s history
WHY IS CANADA BUYING IT?
* Australia and Canada vowed to strengthen defence ties when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited in March
* The two countries are developing a status of forces agreement, which allows their militaries to operate in each others’ countries
* Mr Carney has repeatedly voiced a vision for middle powers like Australia and Canada to play a larger role in world affairs as the US retreats from global leadership
* Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would only share technology like JORN with its most trusted partners. Canada and Australia already share intelligence under the Five Eyes agreement along with the US, UK and New Zealand
WHAT ELSE IS AUSTRALIA SELLING?
* Australia is in talks with Germany over selling them the Ghost Bat drone
* Secretary Fuhr inspected the Ghost Bat, and its ocean-going cousin the Ghost Shark – also Australian-made – during his visit, hinting at Canadian interest in those technologies
