From alliance to dependence: Canadian-American defence cooperation through space, 1945--199

Canadian-American defence cooperation since the end of the Second World War has received much attention from both historians and political scientists alike, but few have dared to venture into the subject of bilateral defence and outer space; Considering the paramount importance placed on the deterrence of a Soviet attack on North America and the grandiosity of the American space program between 1945 and 1999, one cannot overlook the importance of the cooperative militarization of space in any analysis.;This thesis examines the evolution and devolution of Canadian-American defence cooperation through space from 1945 to the end of the century. It argues, that after an initial brief interest in militarizing space as a fully ally of the United States, Canada quickly allowed its military space capability to wane to the point that in today it is all but dependent on the Americans for space-related defence support. This thesis does not seek to argue that Canada failed to achieve an adequate space-related defence capability. Rather, through reasoned logic Canada was neither able or required to maintain its own military space capability at a level equal with that of the United States, who sought to provide for both the deterrence of attack against North America and the military control of space itself. However, the modern foreign and defence policy of Canada has demonstrated that it can no longer satisfy itself with simply "easy riding" on the back of the United States. Increased joint operations with other space capable allies and multiple Canadian force deployments across the globe have created an imperative for Canada to both reevaluate and modernize its own military space capability. Such needed improvements will depend heavily on continued cooperation with the United States well into the next century.