Canada and Australia will develop new military radar system in the Arctic
The over-the-horizon radar system will provide early warning across one of the most contested regions in the world.
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
Australia and Canada are planning to jointly develop a new multi-billion dollar military radar system in the Arctic amid a global surge of interest in the region.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said today he spoke overnight with his newly appointed Canadian counterpart Mark Carney about the two nations developing a $6.6 billion over-the-horizon military radar system.
"Canada of course has an excellent relationship with Australia and one of the things that the prime minister confirmed is that he is looking at what we have which is our operational radar network technology," said Albanese.
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"This is a world leading technology .. and we want to export wherever possible and this will be a significant export if this deal is finalised."
Canadian officials said that the over-the-horizon radar system will provide early warning radar coverage from the Canada-US border into the Arctic.
But any kind of new Canadian defence infrastructure in the Arctic would likely have to be compatible with the (North American Aerospace Defence Command) NORAD, a key US-Canadian military agreement.
Only eight countries have territory within the strategically and environmentally sensitive Arctic region – Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US – and competition for clout is intensifying.
Canada, currently in the midst of its worst diplomatic spat with the US in years, collaborates on security with its southern neighbour but has also long disagreed over the extent of Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.
Canada insists that the Northwest Passage through Arctic waters, for instance, lies exclusively within Canadian territory, while the US, asserts that the sea lane is in international waters.
Meanwhile, China and Russia have been coordinating activity in the Arctic. In July, the US Department of Defence warned that "growing cooperation" between Russia and China in the region has the "potential to alter the Arctic's stability and threat picture."
- With CNN
