President Donald Trump’s ambitious plan to build a massive North American missile defense system, dubbed the Golden Dome, is facing a major obstacle: he can’t build it without Canada, and Ottawa isn’t rushing to sign on.
The $500 billion initiative, unveiled by Trump earlier this week, aims to create a shield capable of detecting and intercepting long-range threats from adversaries like China and Russia. But experts and officials say a significant portion of the system’s success hinges on Canadian territory, particularly in the Arctic, where radars and airspace would be critical to spotting missiles approaching over the North Pole.
Despite Trump’s confident tone, claiming “we help Canada” and downplaying the country’s role, American defense insiders know the reality is more complex. Canada’s vast northern landscape is essential for early detection technology, and its participation in NORAD, the binational air defense command, has long made it a critical ally in continental security.
Former U.S. Northern Command leader Gen. Glen VanHerck emphasized the importance of terrain in the equation. “If Canada positions over-the-horizon radars further north, that dramatically improves both countries’ ability to monitor threats from Russia and China,” he said. Without it, the U.S. has limited reach in the far north.
While Canada already contributes nearly 40 percent of NORAD’s funding and has committed $38 billion toward modernizing northern defense over the next two decades, participation in the Golden Dome goes much further. It would require new radars, interceptors, and a willingness to host U.S. defense assets on Canadian soil — a politically sensitive topic in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has been cautious. Though talks with Washington are ongoing, Canadian leaders have yet to fully endorse the project. Carney stressed the need for careful negotiation, saying, “It’s something we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level — but not a sure thing.”
The issue of sovereignty looms large. Canada’s participation in missile interception, in particular, has long been debated and remains unresolved within its government. Parliament is also without a finalized defense budget until fall, further delaying any clear commitment.
The Golden Dome is not just about defense — it’s emerging as a test of U.S.-Canada relations. Trump’s past rhetoric accusing Canada of free-riding on U.S. security and imposing tariffs has frayed trust. Now, with the U.S. seeking crucial support from the very partner it once criticized, the balance of leverage is shifting.
“Canada has new power in this relationship,” said Senator Jack Reed, a leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “But thanks to Trump’s rhetoric, that partnership is no longer a given.”
As Congress considers an initial $25 billion investment in the missile shield, skeptics like Senator Dan Sullivan argue that Canada’s role, while useful, is not essential. However, military officials and radar experts continue to insist that without Canada’s cooperation, the system may fall short of its full defensive potential.
For now, Canada is signaling it wants clarity, respect, and proper negotiation, not assumptions of automatic compliance. Whether the Golden Dome ever gets built may depend less on Trump’s vision and more on Ottawa’s terms.
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