Australia, Canada Advance Defense Cooperation as Albanese Attends G7 Summit

Radar Technology Deal Among Key Bilateral Agreements Discussed at Calgary Meeting

Australia and Canada are moving forward with defense cooperation initiatives, including Canada's proposed procurement of Australian over-the-horizon radar technology, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Monday during a bilateral meeting ahead of the G7 summit.

Speaking at a press conference in Calgary, Albanese said the two nations discussed "deepening defence engagement, including Canada's proposed procurement of Australian over-the-horizon radar technology."

"I welcome Canada's interest in procuring Australia's world-leading technology and look forward to our respective teams are prioritising this work," Albanese said.

The announcement came as Albanese participated in his second G7 summit as an outreach partner, representing Australia alongside the world's seven largest economies. The prime minister emphasized the growing strategic partnership between the two Commonwealth nations, which he described as sharing "values" and being "long-term allies and true friends."

The defense technology discussions represent a significant development in Australia-Canada military cooperation, with both countries serving as members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance alongside the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Firefighting Cooperation Highlights Climate Challenges

The bilateral meeting also addressed ongoing cooperation in wildfire response, with 97 Australian personnel currently assisting Canadian firefighting efforts across three provinces. Albanese noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney thanked Australia for the deployment, reciprocating support Canada provided during Australia's devastating 2019-2020 bushfire season.

"Just as Canada has always helped Australia, there were over 200 Canadian firefighters in Australia during that terrible period of 2019, 2020," Albanese said. "And we share resources."

The prime minister highlighted how climate change is creating new challenges for both nations' firefighting capabilities.

"Increasingly, the impact of climate change means that our seasons are overlapping, so that's becoming more and more difficult," he said. "But it is possible as well that we learn of each other and our firefighters respectively get skills to then be able to implement back in our respective home countries."

Economic Ties and Investment Opportunities

Beyond security cooperation, the two leaders discussed expanding economic relationships. Albanese noted that Canada currently ranks as the eighth largest investor in Australia, with Canadian pension funds playing "an important investment role" in Australia while Australian superannuation funds increasingly invest in Canada.

"Two-way trade is something that is growing but there is enormous opportunity going forward," Albanese said. "Canada is the eighth largest investor in Australia at the moment, and there is a potential, I believe, for that to grow."

The prime minister identified aluminum as one area of particular cooperation, noting that Rio Tinto operates as a major player in both countries' aluminum sectors, "including exports to the United States."

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