Canada supports Golden Dome, considers joining US in defence project

“From a defense perspective and on the military side, I collaborate very, very closely with my US counterparts,” General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Friday. She was responding to a question on whether Washington remains a reliable partner. 

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The US-Canada alliance, long a pillar of North American security, has come under strain. Trump in March announced a 25% tariff on an array of Canadian goods, prompting its neighbor to impose retaliatory levies on some US products. The US president even suggested Canada should become America’s 51st state. 

“We’re absolutely focused on defending our country and the Arctic region together with our neighbors,” Carignan said on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “We can’t change our geography.”

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Trump last week detailed his ambitious effort to build a shield to protect the US from threats including ballistic missiles, hypersonics and advanced cruise missiles, saying that it would be fully operational by the end of his term. The technology for Trump’s plan is unproven, particularly using space-based interceptors to knock down incoming ballistic missiles. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last week confirmed that Canada was considering joining the US on the project, adding that their discussions were at an early stage. 

Carignan played down concerns that Canadian participation in the “Golden Dome” could escalate tensions with Beijing or Moscow. China has repeatedly criticized the system, saying it risks creating a space arms race.

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“This is mostly a defense posture,” she said. “A lot of work is ongoing at the moment to increase our presence in the Arctic as well as domain awareness. We need to be able to see what’s coming.” 

Carignan also noted a shift in US focus toward the Indo-Pacific. “Having many partners in the area contributing to the stability and the security in the region is extremely enabling,” she said.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who’s also in Singapore, is rallying countries to counter what Washington describes as China’s growing assertiveness in the region. In contrast, Beijing has called for Asian nations to stand united against external interference.