Ottawa weighs joint missile defence system

OTTAWA — Defence Minister Anita Anand says the federal government is weighing whether Canada should join the U.S. in actively defending against intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Anand made the comment this morning as she provided an update on Ottawa's plans to modernize North America's aging defences with the U.S.

Anand told a conference hosted by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute that the government is taking “a full and comprehensive look” at ballistic missile defence as part of a larger review of what is needed to better protect North America from attack.

Canada famously opted out of the U.S. ballistic missile defence program following an extremely heated national debate in 2005. Anand promised more details soon.