Christopher Coates: Canada should double down on NORAD

Walrus article cites inaccurate film representation of Canada in NORAD as "realistic"

The recent Walrus article “Why Canada Needs to Walk Away from NORAD” points to the Netflix thriller “A House of Dynamite” and suggests that among the very “realistic” aspects of the film is the absence of Canadians from the command centres involved in the response to a nuclear attack on the U.S. or North America. Like the film, that suggestion is a fiction. The film the

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author comments on does just enough to be “believable,” but as a former deputy commander of NORAD, I can tell you it does not accurately represent the actions of the Canadians within NORAD in assessing and warning of an inbound missile attack on North America. Nor does it accurately portray the role of the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), NORAD’s sister command in Colorado, in the ballistic missile defence actions (e.g. the launching of the interceptor missiles). Neither of these command activities are represented in the film — they aren’t required to generate the cinematic tension the film relies on — but they are central to the defence of North America. Citing an inaccurate film representation of Canada’s defence role to build a case for NORAD’s irrelevance in the real world is irresponsible and dangerous. Notwithstanding the importance of either Richards-Gebaur Air...

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