ABSTRACT
Canada and the United States (US) have shared in the responsibility for the strategic air defense of North America through North American Air Defense. This chapter examines one such proposal, the Air Defense Initiative (ADI). It traces the evolution of continental defense cooperation and examines ADI's possible implications for Canada. The formidable Soviet defensive force, combined with an offensive structure that continues to place a premium on quick-strike ballistic missiles, might lead one to query whether there exists a real "power" balance between the two countries. The US group was initially composed of Pentagon officials representing surveillance, international cooperation, defensive forces, and space-plans communities. Areas of focus have included surveillance, engagement, and battlefield management/command, control and communications. In the area of surveillance, potential improvements and their cost effectiveness were investigated for such existing systems as the North Warning System, and Over-the-Horizon Backscatter.
