Trends in global economic development are shifting the relative power of states. Great power competition has returned to the international system. We are moving away from a unipolar world to a multipolar world, the impact of which is a challenge to the Western-designed security system. This creates more space for state and non-state actors to exercise influence.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has maintained its priority for more than 60 years: the defence of Canada and the United States. NORAD defends Canadian and US airspace and warns against missile and maritime threats.

NORAD’s strength is its ability to evolve and meet the challenges posed by the changing defence and security environment. NORAD has served as the first line of continental defence against an air attack for more than 60 years. Through strong cooperation between Canada and the United States, NORAD deters, detects and defeats air threats to Canada and the United States. Today’s security environment, however, is more complex than ever, characterized by trans-regional, multi-domain and multi-functional threats.

Lieutenant-General Christopher Coates, Deputy Commander NORAD, came to CIGI in November 2019 to offer insights on the evolving threatscape in an ongoing effort to enable discussions on North America’s current and evolving threats. Following the presentation, he was joined in discussion by Aaron Shull, CIGI’s managing director and general counsel.