The need to know: Canada learns from maritime surveillance experiment

摘要

Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, Canada has been working with the US to improve its territorial defences, testing out new technology and procedures. With the longest coastline of any country in the world, Canada has a pressing need for cost-effective maritime surveillance systems. The requirement is daunting. Canada is bordered by the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, has a 243,792 km coastline, and claims a total of 11 million km~2 of water. Captain Peter Ellis, Director of Maritime Requirements (Sea), acknowledged that there is "a gap in our ability to conduct surveillance and have an awareness of what is going on in the maritime domain in the approaches to Canada".