Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Canada Cancels HF Radar System

Source: and the Canadian National Post.

One complaint torpedoes radar needed to fight high-seas crime

A plan to build a high-tech radar capable of tracking terrorists and drug runners on the high seas has been torpedoed because the government received a single complaint that the system interfered with someone's radio signal. But navy officials say they aren't giving up on finding some kind of technology to do the job and are now conducting research into what that might be. Canada has spent $39-million developing and building a high-frequency surface wave radar system to monitor ships out to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off its coasts. Two experimental radar sites are already operating in Newfoundland and the system has been successfully used by the Canadian Forces on at least one occasion to detect a suspicious vessel. But that project will now be shelved after a complaint was recently received that the frequency on which the radar operates interfered with another communications transmission. Military officials aren't giving details about the nature of the complaint but note that under international communications agreements, the Canadian government has little choice but to deal with the matter. The cancellation of the radar program was announced last week as part of the Harper government's plan to save money.