Australia has agreed its biggest-ever defence export deal with Canada, worth about $2.5 billion, for an over-the-horizon radar system. Multiple outlets report that Canada is purchasing the radar to support monitoring of the Arctic. One source says Canada models the system on Australia’s JORN (Jindalee Operational Radar Network) capability, which is an over-the-horizon radar designed to detect and track targets at long ranges.
Reporting across the articles frames the deal as the largest defence export achieved by the federal government, with Canada buying the equipment from Australia. The coverage also presents the arrangement as part of deeper defence cooperation with a close ally. While the articles emphasise the scale of the transaction and the Arctic focus, they do not provide further details about timing, contracts’ technical specifications beyond the radar type, or additional components beyond the radar system.
The deal is therefore characterised consistently as a major radar sale: Canada acquires Australia’s over-the-horizon radar capability, linked in reporting to the JORN model, for Arctic surveillance purposes.
