Canadian Navy to modernize ships without US equipment
Canada: “Canadian Navy to modernize ships without US equipment”
Times-Colonist, 24 January 2010
Citing problems over bilateral trade with the US, the Canadian Navy intends to modernize its frigates using as little American equipment as possible. American weapon and defence technology exports fall under the rules of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which the US strictly enforces. ITAR provisions frequently delay the delivery of military equipment to Canada and closely governs what Canada can and cannot do with the equipment. Additionally, agreements with the US have occasionally been problematic due to broader national security concerns in Washington; in 2006, US government officials tried unsuccessfully to bar Canadians who were born in certain countries or who possess dual citizenship from working on US technology. The request, which violated Canadian law, was denied. Consequently, Ottawa intends to use technology that is not regulated by the ITAR: key radars, sensors, and software to be installed on the Halifax-class frigates will either be indigenously-constructed or imported from countries such as Sweden, Israel, Germany, and the Netherlands. The command-and-control system, for example, is being developed jointly by Lockheed Martin Canada and Saab Electronics System of Sweden. Canada will also be able to market this technology to other navies without having to first gain US permission. The mid-life overhauls of these 12 Canadian frigates is estimated to cost CAD $3.1 billion and will be finished by 2017.
(Courtesy “Daily Intelligence Brief”. World Naval Edition, January 27 2010. Office of the Asia-Pacific Advisor, Maritime Forces Pacific, Canadian Navy)