Missile defence plan creates a quandary for Canada

America’s allies will have to pay their share of a new missile-detection system, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday.

That probably includes Canada, which might also be forced to reconsider its decision to stay out of a U.S.-led effort to shoot down incoming attacks.

Trump revealed his vision following a U.S. military review of the threat posed by Russian, Chinese, North Korean and Iranian missiles — and the ways to counter such threats.

The final report had been highly anticipated in Ottawa, as Canada and the U.S. prepare to launch discussions about upgrading North America’s aging early-warning system to protect against attacks that use more advanced technology.

The North American Aerospace Defence Command, or NORAD, is currently configured to detect incoming ballistic missiles and foreign aircraft such as bombers, but not threats such as cruise and hypersonic missiles.

Both Trump and the U.S. military report put a heavy emphasis on space-based sensors and defences to detect, track and ultimately stop missile attacks against the U.S. and its allies from anywhere in the world.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s spokesperson, Byrne Furlong, said the government remains committed to working with the U.S. through NORAD, even as officials were scrambling to understand what Trump’s plan means. “NORAD remains the cornerstone of our defence relations with the United States,” Furlong said.