Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and U.S. Army General James Dickinson, Commander of the United States Space Command, signed an Enhanced Space Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding. Brigadier-General Mike Adamson, Commander of 3 Canadian Space Division, was also on hand for the signing.
The arrangement will serve as a framework for deepened military cooperation in the space domain between the two nations’ militaries. It aims to increase the exchange of information, improved the coordination of military space requirements, and identify potential collaborative studies, projects, and activities.
“Canada has long been collaborating with the United States in the space domain, from initial participation in space operations through our NORAD commitments, our contributions to the US-led Space Surveillance Network, and our work together with the Combined Space Operations Initiative. This new arrangement signals the expansion of this long-standing partnership as we work together to strengthen deterrence, improve the resilience of our space capabilities, and optimize resources across our two nations,” said LGen Eric Kenny.
Space plays a unique role in ensuring the way of life of North Americans, enabling telecommunications, internet, satellite and cable television, and GPS among many other services. While other agreements and arrangements encompass the day-to-day space operations that are conducted between the military Space Operations Centres in the United States and Canada, this new arrangement outlines other areas for military space cooperation.
“A global network of Allies and partners remains one of our nation’s greatest sources of strength and protection. U.S. Space Command’s partnership with Canada reinforces the mutual assurance to safeguard our shared interests in all domains,” said U.S. Army General Dickinson.
The arrangement also contributes towards Canadian Armed Forces’ objectives as laid out in Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE.) Specifically, SSE identifies the need to defend and protect military space capabilities, work with partners to promote Canada’s national interests on space issues, invest in and employ a range of space capabilities, and conduct cutting-edge research and development on new space technologies in close collaboration with allies, industry, and academia.
This arrangement recognizes the long history of military cooperation between Canada and the United States, as well as a shared interest in the peaceful use of space. It will better position the two nations to work together in response to a rapidly evolving space domain.
“I describe our collaborative approach to space as ‘allied by design’ because we recognize that no single nation can sustain independent operations in the space domain. Partnerships, like the one we share with the United States, extend the value of the whole well beyond the sum of its parts. This agreement marks our continued commitment to growing the great work and collaborative efforts in the space domain with US Space Command now, and into the future,” said BGen Adamson.
