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The Canadian government said that it is in conversation with the US about joining the proposed “Golden Dome” rocket defense system, aimed at combating “next generation” air threats.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said that there are “active discussions” between Canada and the US about security, including existing and new programs such as the Golden Dome.
US President Donald Trump unveiled the plan for the new rocket defense system earlier on Tuesday and announced a first sum of $ 25 billion (£ 18.7 billion) to build it. He added that Canada has shown interest to participate.
There are doubts by experts about how the US would deliver an extensive system and it is unclear how Canada would participate or how much it would pay.
The openness of Canada to participate in the proposed Golden Dome system comes in the midst of continuous trade and security negotiations between the two countries, after Trump threatened the steep rates on Canada and said it would be better as an American state.
This galvanized a wave of national patriotism in Canada that heralded a historical election profit for the Liberal Government of Carney.
“Canadians gave the prime minister a strong mandate to negotiate an extensive new safety and economic relationship with the United States,” says Audrey Champoux, a spokesperson for Carney.
“To this end, the Prime Minister and his ministers have broad and constructive discussions with their American counterparts,” she said.
“These discussions naturally include strengthening Norad and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome.”
But Mrs. Champoux added that it is too early to say what Canada could pay in the program, or how it would work for the country.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said that Canada has shown interest to be part of the Golden Dome.
“We will talk to them,” said the American president. “They also want protection, so as usual we help Canada.”
Trump said that the new Golden Dome Defense Missile Program would be operational by the end of his time and that it would come up with a price tag of $ 175 billion. He added that he is looking for his administration for Canada to ‘pay for their fair share’.
Canada and the US are already working together on the North -American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as Norad – a system responsible for space travel and maritime surveillance, warning and defense of the region, and that can detect and shoot cruise rockets.
Noard has been in force since 1958 and both countries have been working on discussions in recent years to modernize it.
Trump said that the proposed Golden Dome is intended to focus on ever -advanced air weapons and will include space -based sensors and intercepts.
He said that the system “would even be able to intercept missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”.
It is partly inspired by the Iron dome of Israel, who has been using the country since 2011 to intercept missiles and missiles.
Experts have doubted whether the US would be able to build a comparable extensive defense system, given the larger land mass.
Shasank Joshi, Defense editor at the economist, told the BBC that the Golden Dome was a way to use and follow thousands of satellites to spot and then follow rocket and then interceptors to find the job to shoot on the rockets while they take off and get them out.
He said that the US Army would take the plan seriously, but it was unrealistic to think it would be completed during Trump’s period, and the enormous costs would absorb a large part of the American defense budget.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the final price tag could be $ 542 billion for 20 years, if only on the space-based parts of the system alone.
