Politics·NewCanada has taken the next step toward acquiring a highly sophisticated, long-range radar system to monitor the Arctic.System expected to be operational by 2029, with stations located in southern OntarioMurray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Jun 21, 2026 9:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 29 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Prime Minister Mark Carney, with Doug Guzman, CEO of the Defence Investment Agency, left, and Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) Stephen Fuhr, right, answers media questions at the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries trade show, CANSEC, in Ottawa on May 27. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)Canada has taken the next step toward acquiring a highly sophisticated, long-range radar system to monitor the Arctic.Prime Minister Mark Carney's government solidified agreements late Sunday with the Australian government and BAE Systems Australia for the purchase of an Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar system (A-OTHR).Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) Stephen Fuhr signed the $2.5-billion agreement with Richard Marles, Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, in Canberra, Australia.In addition, since the system is foreign manufactured, a comprehensive industrial benefits deal calling for investment in the Canadian defence industrial base was also signed.Over-the-horizon radars are seen as a crucial investment in NORAD to monitor airspace for aircraft and lone-flying missile threats over the Far North. The transmitting and receiving stations will be located in southern Ontario, in the Kawartha Lakes region. The system is expected to be operational by 2029.British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, left, listens as Richard Marles, Australia's deputy prime minister and defence minister, speaks at a news conference in London on June 10. (Kin Cheung/The Associated Press)"This project is part of a broader effort to build an integrated Arctic surveillance and communications network that will strengthen Canada's ability to monitor, understand and respond to activity in the Arctic," Fuhr said in a statement."This agreement with Australia reflects the partnership approach at the core of Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy and marks an important milestone for the Defence Investment Agency as it continues to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to the Canadian Armed Forces."Carney announced the partnership with Australia last year shortly after taking office. At the time, he estimated the overall program would be worth $6 billion.The agreement signed late Sunday (Canadian time) is the first of two radar units planned for the Arctic. The second unit — known as the Polar Over-the-Horizon Radar (P-OTHR) — will be situated in the very Far North at a location that has yet to be publicly determined. The exact co-ordinates and community names remain classified.Defence experts warn Canada lags far behind in efforts to secure the ArcticExperts welcome news of Arctic early-warning radar project, want more detail on other North promisesUnlike the A-OTHR system in southern Ontario, the P-OTHR network must be placed deep within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, a group of more than 36,500 islands situated north of Canada's mainland.The statement said that as part of the project, BAE Systems Australia will work with Canadian companies to build expertise on the radar system in Canada and strengthen the country's defence industrial base.Construction of the A-OTHR is expected to create 2,270 jobs annually between 2026 and 2033, the statement added."This initiative is a clear demonstration of that enduring partnership in action," Marles, Australia's defence minister, said in a statement. "This arrangement demonstrates Australia's ability to export advanced, high-technology defence systems while safeguarding our national security, and enabling trusted partners to benefit from Australian innovation."ABOUT THE AUTHORMurray Brewster is senior defence writer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. He has covered the Canadian military and foreign policy from Parliament Hill for over a decade. Among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the Afghan war for The Canadian Press. Prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for CP in Nova Scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa.Follow Murray Brewster on Twitter