Defence Minister David McGuinty says the question of irritants in Canada-U.S. defence talks is “maybe a bit of a misnomer” and the two countries are working together on shared initiatives like integrated air missile defence systems.
“We have an integrated defence system,” McGuinty said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday morning. “We are active members of NORAD. It’s the only binational command in the world.”
McGuinty was asked by host Rosemary Barton about Canada’s ongoing review of its F-35 contract with U.S.-based Lockheed Martin — something the U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra has called an irritant — and whether it’s been raised by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The minister said he recently met with Hegseth and “we spent a lot of time talking about a number of elements of areas where we are co-operating and making progress, not the least of which is under integrated air missile defence systems.”
“So the question of irritants, I think it’s maybe a bit of a misnomer,” McGuinty added.
WATCH | A look inside the Texas plant where F-35s are built:Rising U.S. trade tensions have some questioning if American-made fighter jets are still the right decision for Canada. For The National, CBC’s David Common looks at what goes into building the F-35 and finds a surprising Canadian contribution.Over the summer, Hoekstra said Canada “should just decide what they want” regarding the F-35 fighter jets but he argued the Canadian government cannot afford two different fighter jet programs.
The review was announced back in March by then-defence minister Bill Blair amid rising trade tensions with the United States. Since then, Canadian officials have said Prime Minister Mark Carney will make a decision on the review when he’s ready.
McGuinty was also asked by Barton whether the F-35 jets factor into conversations between Canadian and American officials over U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome.
The term Golden Dome is a catchphrase for a system that links surveillance — in space, in the air, on the ground and at sea through advanced radar systems — with anti-missile and counter-drone batteries, such as the U.S.-made Patriot system.
The intention is to detect, track and defeat any air or missile threat launched from anywhere in the world.
WATCH | More about the Golden Dome:Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with the former deputy commander of NORAD, retired lieutenant-general Christopher Coates, about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for a 'Golden Dome' missile defence system. The American Roundtable weighs in, and also discusses Trump's latest threats against the EU and Harvard.McGuinty initially stopped short of saying “Golden Dome.” Instead, he said “the question of a continental shield is one that we’re talking about. It is something that builds on our existing NORAD interoperable system.”
In a follow-up answer, McGuinty said “the first thing for Canadians to remember is we’re not sure what the Golden Dome means. I know what continental security means for us.… And we have to look at this strategically and coherently.”
While the F-35 review continues, Canada is working to deepen its defence and security partnership with the European Union. In July, Carney signed a strategic agreement with the EU, which was seen as a step to make Canada less reliant on the United States.
The agreement opens the door for Canadian companies to participate in the $1.25-trillion ReArm Europe program. Eventually, it will also help the Canadian government partner with other allied nations to buy military equipment under what's known as the SAFE program.
Geneviève Tuts, the EU ambassador to Canada, told Barton the partnership is “a significant step and now we are negotiating … the way to transform this into concrete results.”
Tuts was asked if the EU partnership would have been possible if Canada did not pledge to accelerate its plan to meet the NATO 2 per cent spending target by March 2026.
WATCH | Canada joins European military pact:Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a joint strategic defence and security partnership with the EU on Monday in Brussels.“This is maybe not for me to judge what Canada has decided or should have done, but this probably makes things easier,” Tuts replied.
McGuinty said the government believes it can make the investments fast enough to meet the spending target by the deadline, and those investments include “major pay and remuneration package updates” for members of the Canadian Armed Forces.