Need to Share

This article discusses the importance of sharing information between Canada and the United States to enhance the two countries' combined defense and security. Because the two countries share an 8,891-kilometer border and are each other's largest trading partners, any significant interruption of trade would result in major economic difficulties for both countries. Several reports in both the U.S. and Canada have emphasized the need for better coordination. Recognizing this need, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) bilateral agreement was recently expanded to add maritime warning for North America as a new mission. NORAD's new mission is focused upon information sharing between Canada and the United States regarding potential maritime threats. Placing this responsibility upon NORAD tightens the information-sharing seam between the aerospace and maritime domains and reduces the gap that formerly existed between Canadian and American defense and security organizations. Planning efforts are underway to determine where existing organizations and structures could add synergies to each other's operations while avoiding duplication of effort.