It is not the first time that the two countries have discussed each topic, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney telling Trump firmly in a meeting at the Oval Office on May 6 that his country “is not for sale,” but later he told journalists that he is in talks with the American president to join the upcoming defense system.
President Donald Trump is still aiming for Canada, the home of one of the largest economies in the world and with a land area slightly larger than that of the United States, to become the 51st state, this time by offering the northern neighbor inclusion in an ambitious air defense system. Trump used the “proverbial carrot” in a post on May 27 on his social media platform Truth Social, writing that they could pay billions to join his proposed missile defense system “Iron Dome,” or get it for free if they give up their sovereignty. “I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our wonderful Iron Dome System, that it would cost $61 billion if it remains a separate, but unequal, nation, but it would cost zero dollars if it becomes our beloved 51st state,” Trump said in the post.
OFFER FOR CANADA
It is not the first time that the two countries have discussed each topic, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney telling Trump firmly in a meeting at the Oval Office on May 6 that his country “is not for sale,” but later he told journalists that he is in talks with the American president to join the upcoming defense system. The Republican leader claimed that Canada is considering the offer, a claim quickly denied by a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, who told CBC on May 27 that officials are discussing security matters with the US, including the Iron Dome and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), without giving up their nationality. “The Prime Minister has been clear on every occasion, including in his talks with President Trump, that Canada is an independent and sovereign nation, and will remain so,” the spokesperson told CBC.
WHAT IS THE IRON DOME?
Initially called “Iron Dome for America” by the White House, the proposed American system takes inspiration from Israel’s well-known multi-layer defense system with the same name. Developed in partnership with the US, Israel’s defense system consists of a collection of short-range missile interceptions, shells, and mortars. Together, these form a network or “dome” of air defense around an area of about 8,500 square miles of the Middle Eastern country, roughly the size of New Jersey. Trump issued an executive order one week after taking office ordering the development of the system and on May 20 announced an initial investment of $25 billion in the ground- and space-based “Iron Dome” project. The president said the system “must be fully operational before the end of my term,” in 2029.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Iron Dome plan aims to cover the country with three layers of air defense, according to written testimony in the Senate by the head of Northern Command, Air Force General Gregory Guillot. These are sensors to detect incoming threats, ground-based intercept missiles to target incoming ballistic missiles, and additional systems to deal with low-altitude threats like hypersonic missiles and enemy drones. The Iron Dome also aims to use a network of hundreds of satellites surrounding the globe to shoot down incoming enemy missiles after they are launched from countries like China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. The president has said the program will cost $175 billion, however, independent forecasts from the Congressional Budget Office said in a May 5 report that it could end up costing over $800 billion over two decades.