In what ways does Canada support nuclear war-fighting?
The Government of Canada provides:
- political, military and financial support for NATO and NORAD
- airspace and facilities for nuclear bomber training/li>
- approval for port visits by nuclear-armed submarines/li>
- maintenance for communications sites for nuclear forces/li>
- permission for deployment of bombers and support forces to Canadian airfields during nuclear crises/li>
- support for production and export of components for nuclear weapon delivery vehicles, such as bombers and submarines
Although NATO has reduced its reliance on nuclear weapons, those states persist in relying on nuclear weapons as a “credible and effective element of the Alliance’s strategy of preventing war.” Such statements serve to encourage other states to acquire nuclear weapons. NATO has taken no steps to comply with the legal obligation to eliminate nuclear weapons. To find their current view, review the Final Communiqués out of the most recent Meetings of the Defence Planning Committee and the Nuclear Planning Group at:
http://www.nato.int/docu/comm.htm
See also “Canada and nuclear weapons: Canadian policies related to, and connections to, nuclear weapons“
Ploughshares working paper 02-5 by Bill Robinson