The Canadian Department of National Defense is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the US Defense Department within the next few weeks codifying Canada’s participation in the Air Force’s Wideband Global Satellite Communications network, reports the Vancouver Sun. The Canadian parliament recently authorized Defense Minister Peter MacKay to invest upwards of $464 million ($477 million Canadian) to secure Canada’s place in the program, according to an earlier Vancouver Sun report. Experiences in Afghanistan and Libya have proven the necessity of reliable battlefield communications, according to Canadian defense officials. Already Australia is a partner in the WGS program. Additionally, allies Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and New Zealand have expressed interest in joining. Already, three WGS spacecraft are operating on orbit. The next satellite in the series, WGS-4, has arrived at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., for its scheduled launch on Jan. 19, announced the Air Force Thursday.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
