Global Security Newswire

Canada has urged France to reconsider conducting ballistic missile tests over the northern Atlantic Ocean due to concerns that the exercises could threaten regional air traffic, the Globe and Mail reported today (see GSN, June 21, 2007)

The Canadian Foreign Affairs and International Trade Department has filed two grievances with the French government over strategic missile tests in the past 16 months, according to briefing documents obtained by the newspaper.

In August 2006, the agency "sent an interim response to the French Embassy in Ottawa outlining Canada's strong concerns over the French plans and asking France to reconsider its intention to proceed with the test," which was scheduled for the following November, according to one document.

When France tested its M-51 missile on Nov. 9, Canadian aviation officials ordered aircraft to fly 300 miles around test areas as a safeguard against "falling rocket debris" (see GSN, Nov. 10, 2006).

In 2007, Canada expressed disapproval of another North Atlantic missile test France had scheduled for June of that year.

"The government of Canada expressed strong concerns over France's proposed missile test, on the grounds of public safety, potentially high costs to airlines and the general additional uncertainty this imposes on air traffic," according to a Canadian document.

Canada barred flights from moving within 180 nautical miles of areas affected by the June 21 test.  The test missile landed in U.S. waters, just short of entering Canadian airspace, according to officials (Steven Chase, Globe and Mail, March 28).