February 14, 2018, Brussels, Belgium — National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Government is committed to both the security and safety of Canadians and the protection of their rights and freedoms. Canada is playing a strong and constructive role in the world by making concrete contributions to international peace and security – including at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

NATO is a cornerstone of Canada’s international security policy and today the Government announced its intention to rejoin to the Alliance’s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) program.

Programs such as AWACS, and the joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance it provides, are increasingly relevant in today’s security environment. In response to the challenges posed by that environment, NATO has significantly increased the use of its AWACS operations, including in areas like Central and Eastern Europe where Canada is leading a multinational NATO battlegroup based in Latvia.

Canada decided to withdraw from the AWACS program in 2011 following the Department of National Defence’s 2010 Strategic Review.