Canada Secures Advanced Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar System from Australia in Landmark $1.72 Billion Deal

Canada has finalized a significant $1.72 billion agreement with Australia for the procurement of an advanced Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) system. This landmark contract not only represents Australia’s largest defense export in its history but also marks the inaugural international sale of its highly sophisticated OTHR technology.

The comprehensive deal, which includes the sale of Australia’s High-Frequency Surveillance System, designates BAE Systems Australia as the primary industrial partner. The company is poised to leverage its extensive experience in system installation, operation, modernization, and sustainment to facilitate the rapid operationalization of this critical capability for Canada. The initial phase of the agreement involves establishing a dedicated radar site within Canada, with planned delivery activities set to commence by July 1, 2026.

Over-the-Horizon Radar systems operate on the principle of reflecting high-frequency electromagnetic waves off the ionosphere. This unique propagation method allows for the detection and tracking of air and maritime targets located thousands of kilometers beyond the range of conventional line-of-sight radars, effectively overcoming limitations imposed by the Earth’s curvature. Australia’s established Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) exemplifies this capability, providing surveillance within an approximate range of 1,000 to 3,000 kilometers.

The A-OTHR system destined for Canada is founded upon Australia’s four decades of technological advancement and the deep operational insights garnered from the JORN program. JORN plays a pivotal role in the Australian Defence Force’s long-range northern surveillance architecture, bolstering border security, disaster response, and search-and-rescue operations.

Canada’s strategic objectives for the A-OTHR system include significantly enhancing its air and maritime domain awareness across the vast Arctic region. This capability will enable earlier detection and tracking of distant threats, thereby strengthening the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)’s early warning capacity and underpinning Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles underscored the historical significance of the agreement as the nation’s largest defense export, emphasizing the system’s ability to meet Canada’s extensive Arctic surveillance requirements. He further highlighted the strategic depth this collaboration brings to the Australia-Canada bilateral relationship.

Echoing these sentiments, Stephen Fuhr, Canada’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, affirmed that the system would substantially improve Canada’s situational awareness in the Arctic, enabling threat detection at extended ranges and reinforcing NORAD’s early warning capabilities.

The A-OTHR collaboration between Australia and Canada aims to bolster early warning and long-range surveillance capabilities across both the Indo-Pacific and North Atlantic theaters. This initiative is set to enhance situational awareness within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and fortify collective defense capacities in an increasingly complex global security landscape.

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