Canada chooses in-service support partner for Arctic early-warning radar network
A completed radome in the North Warning System. (Photo: DND)
Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND), on 31 January awarded a contract to Nasittuq Corporation for in-service support of the North Warning System (NWS).
Inuit-owned Nasittuq is expected to begin work on the operation and maintenance contract on 1 April 2022 in a five-month transition period with the incumbent contractor Raytheon Canada.
The contract is worth a baseline C$592 million ($467.30) over a seven-year baseline, with four two-year options bringing the total potential value to C$1.3 billion.
Aside from maintenance services, Nasittuq will be responsible for ensuring that NWS radar data is always available to support the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) missile warning system and Canadian military operations in the High North.
The NWS comprises a chain of remotely operated radar stations in the Arctic that provides aerospace surveillance for the northern approaches to Canada and the US.
‘As the effects of climate change make the Arctic more navigable for everyone, and as a strong partner in NORAD, we must maintain and improve our ability to monitor activities in Canada’s North,’ the DND noted in a statement.
In August 2021, Canada and the US pledged to replace the NWS with more advanced technology (such as next-generation over-the-horizon radar systems) using a system-of-systems approach.
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