• Awareness of objects approaching and entering Canadian airspace is critical for NORAD and the Canadian Armed Forces.
• This is why National Defence is working to rapidly establish an Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar system.
• As a key component of Canada’s NORAD modernization plan, Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar will provide advanced early warning and long-range surveillance.
• The system must be based in Southern Ontario to optimize radar coverage and meet the complex and inflexible site requirements.
• The preliminary radar capability is expected to be operational by 2029.
  If pressed on land acquisition:
• The land acquired in the Municipality of Clearview Township will host a preliminary receive site as part of Stage 1 of the program.
• The land acquired by National Defence at Kawartha Lakes will host a full transmit site.
• The siting analysis for the remaining radar sites is still ongoing and no decision has yet been made.
• We are committed to ensuring that public input plays a meaningful role in shaping the outcomes of this initiative.

Arctic Over-the-Horizon-Radar (A-OTHR)
* On March 18, 2025, Prime Minister Carney announced Canada’s intention to partner with the Government of Australia on advanced OTHR technology. Subsequently, in June 2025, Canada and Australia signed a technology partnership to advance collaboration to rapidly develop Canada’s A-OTHR capability.
* This system, based on Australia’s Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) technology and adapted to the challenges of Northern surveillance, will provide advanced early warning and long-range surveillance, enabling faster Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) detection and tracking of a wide range of threats in our Northern air and maritime approaches, while strengthening North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) domain awareness in the defence of Canada and North America.
* Stage 1 will be completed by the end of 2029, which will provide an initial capability. The full A-OTHR capability with two full-scale radar systems is anticipated by 2043. Work is underway to shorten the date of full operational capability.
* In March 2026, the Prime Ministers of Canada and Australia issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to collaborate on the development of OTHR technology, combining Australia’s world-leading JORN technology with Canada’s expertise in high-frequency radar operations in the Arctic.
Industry Benefits
* Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy will apply to the A-OTHR project. Australian industry partners will work with Canadian companies to build expertise and capacity in Canada, grow our domestic defence industry, support high-paying Canadian jobs, and help Canada scale up its own radar system.
* Canada intends to work with the Government of Australia to further develop OTHR technology to our mutual advantage and will work closely with the United States to ensure the interoperability of domain awareness solutions for the defence of North America.
Siting and Public Reaction
* A-OTHR will be based in Southern Ontario. On July 17, 2025, as part of Stage 1, the selection of the first transmit site, in Kawartha Lakes, and receive site, in Clearview Township, was announced. Initial work is anticipated to begin at both sites in winter 2026-27.
* Since fall 2025, several news articles have reported concerns from farmers and other residents of Clearview Township regarding National Defence’s plan for the new radar site. In media reports from the Ottawa Citizen, CBC, and CTV News, locals have questioned why the capability cannot be located at nearby CAF properties instead, such as the Meaford training centre or CFB Borden.
* As of May 22, 2026, 11 petitions have been presented to Parliament which call on the Government to respond to concerns raised by the communities regarding the use of agricultural land for A-OTHR and the associated impacts on the environment. The petitions are identical or nearly identical in content and call upon National Defence to stop building the Stage 1 receive site at Clearview and to support the preservation of this land for agricultural purposes.
* On May 7, 2026, Rachel Brooks, Farmer and Co-Chair, Clearview Resident Owners Against Radar (ROAR) appeared as a witness before the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
* Drawing on personal experience as a multi-generation farmer and community leader, her testimony positioned the proposed A-OTHR siting in Clearview as a systemic national policy issue at the intersection of agriculture, food security, environmental stewardship, rural resilience, and federal land use governance.
* Siting analysis for A-OTHR is driven by a set of complex and inflexible requirements. These include parcel size, latitude, orientation, distance separation between parcels, environmental conditions and constraints, and adjacent land use.
* Potential sites must be located in remote, flat, and dry areas; have limited environmental constraints; be sufficiently distant from sources of radio interference; and have access to reliable electrical power.

Quick facts

Timeline
* Initial work is anticipated to begin at the Kawartha Lakes and Clearview Township sites as early as winter 2026-27, with the initial Stage 1 capability to be installed by the end of 2029.
* Each radar is comprised of a Transmit site, and a Receive site with a common Operational Control centre serving both systems.
* The full Arctic Over-the-Horizon-Radar (A-OTHR) capability is anticipated by 2043.
Budget/Funding
* Stage 1 of the A-OTHR program is funded through the $38.6 billion (accrual over 20 years) North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization plan investment, with additional funding through Budget 2025.
Responsible Principals: Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) (Infrastructure and Environment), NORAD HQ, Royal Canadian Air Force
Drafted by: Director General Policy Coordination: Parliamentary Affairs
Date Approved: May 25, 2026