A “National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System” is a short- to medium-range ground-based air-defence system that protects against drone, missile and aircraft attacks.
The Liberal government is spending more than $400 million to buy air-defence systems for Ukraine even though the Canadian Forces has been without such equipment for more than a decade.
But her office added in a statement, “We continue to work towards the procurement of Ground-Based Air Defence Equipment for the Canadian Armed Forces — and Minister Anand is committed to getting this done, as outlined in our defence policy.”
The Canadian Army has been without an air-defence capability since 2012 and has tried over the past decade to convince governments to purchase such equipment.
The Canadian Army was outfitted in 1989 with a then state-of-the art air-defence anti-tank system known as ADATS. It was purchased to protect bases in Germany against attack by the Russians, but, shortly after ADATS was delivered, the Cold War ended and the systems were shipped back to Canada. ADATS was occasionally used for domestic security, including protection from potential air threats during the G8 summit in Alberta in 2002.
That move left the Canadian Forces without a primary air-defence system. Army officers acknowledged then that the decision was risky, but the service had determined it was acceptable in the short term. The army had plans to introduce a new air-defence system around 2017, but that project never went forward.
The Liberal government outlined its proposed purchase of an air-defence system in its 2018 defence capability plan, but that acquisition is still being examined.
Army commander Lt. Gen. Joe Paul told The Canadian Press in December that the army was moving forward on purchasing air-defence equipment, but he did not provide timelines.
During a briefing in Ottawa on April 5, 2022, Canadian Army officers told defence industry representatives the cost would between $500 million and $1 billion, according to records obtained by this newspaper. A contract was expected to be awarded in 2026 and the first systems would be in place a year later, industry officials were told.
Army officers said then that the new system would be used to deal with drones, rockets, artillery and mortar munitions, air-to-surface missiles and bombs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the donation in a tweet on Tuesday. “Dear @JustinTrudeau, your true leadership in standing for democracy and human rights has been vividly proven again,” Zelenskyy stated. “Thank you for helping us to protect our sky. NASAMS procured for us by Canada will be a strong shield for our cities and citizens.”
