Canada could be drawn into USA military operations

By participating in such a program, … there’s a risk of making Canada more likely to become involved in future U.S. military operations.

Ottawa to spend up to $477M on U.S. military satellites, NATIONAL POST Canada, By Lee Berthiaume, Oct 26, 2011 OTTAWA — The federal government is planning to spend as much as $477-million to participate in a U.S.-led military satellite program that has been subject to delays and cost overruns over the past decade, Postmedia News has learned.

The Wideband Global Satellite system has been advertised by the U.S. Defense Department as a communications system for “U.S. warfighters, allies and coalition partners during all levels of conflict, short of nuclear war.”

The idea is to have as many as nine military satellites hovering over different parts of the world, ready to provide high-frequency bandwidth for U.S. and allied forces wherever they may be operating…..

we’re seeking out an agreement with international allies that will provide Canadian forces with access to an international constellation of satellites.”

If Canada does join the Wideband Global Satellite System, or WGS, it will be the latest ally to get onboard the project. Australia agreed in 2007 to contribute more than $800 million US to pay for the sixth satellite in return for a portion of the system’s overall bandwidth. New Zealand, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands also have expressed interest…..

The U.S. military’s intention to secure allied participation in the WGS is no secret.

“Our close ally Australia has bought into the system, and the [U.S.] Air Force is in the final phases of developing similar arrangements with several other allies,” Gregory Schulte, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, told a conference in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4.

“This approach has increased the size and capacity of the constellation. Internationalizing WGS also complicates the calculations of any country contemplating an attack on the system.”

The project, however, has not been without its share of problems. In fact, the WGS has been identified alongside the F-35 joint strike fighter over the years as having serious issues….

According to a U.S. government report from this year, manufacturing and quality control issues plagued the first three satellites. These included problems with an antenna array, incorrectly installed rivet nuts, and poor soldering.

As a result, the first satellite wasn’t launched until October 2007 and didn’t become operational over the Pacific Ocean until April 2008…..

The program is now expected to cost more than $3.5 billion US. The U.S. military has asked Congress for $469 million US for the WGS for the coming fiscal year alone.

NDP defence critic David Christopherson was surprised to discover Canada was negotiating such an agreement with the U.S., and called for more transparency from the government.

“At first blush, the notion of improving military communications is not something the ordinary person would be opposed to,” he said. “But why wasn’t there more transparency? Where is the accountability on this?”

Christopherson noted another U.S.-led project Canada has signed onto, the F-35 stealth jet, has been plagued with controversy and problems, and he worried the results may be the same with the WGS.

Liberal defence critic John McKay said he was worried about handing too much control over Canadian capabilities to the U.S. “The thing that comes to mind immediately is the vulnerabilities that come with sharing your sovereignty with the Americans, which is essentially what you’re doing,” he said.

By participating in such a program, he said, there’s a risk of making Canada more likely to become involved in future U.S. military operations. http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/10/26/ottawa-to-spend-up-to-477m-on-u-s-military-satellites/