The United States and Canada have adopted a new joint framework for modernizing North American Aerospace Defense Command capabilities to defend against advanced Russian and Chinese air- and sea-launched cruise missile threats, a policy step that lays the groundwork for future collaborative investments in new technologies across three broad areas: sensors, command and control, and interceptors. On Aug. 17, the Pentagon announced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan had agreed to a joint statement on NORAD modernization "to guide cooperation between Canada and the United States to enhance the ability of the North American Aerospace Defense Command to execute the missions outlined in the NORAD Agreement while facing evolving threats." Austin and Sajjan approved the framework during a phone call. The U.S. and Canadian defense organizations "intend to move forward deliberately with coordinated investments that reflect the continuing importance of the role that NORAD plays in North American and allied deterrence, and in maintaining North America as a secure base for active engagement around the world," the joint statement asserts.
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