BY PETER DIEKMEYER

Why NORAD Modernization is a growing priority as NATO shifts to Cold War II

Jim Landon joined ATCO Frontec after an extensive military career that culminated with a posting at British Army Training Unit Suffi eld in Alberta. Canadian Defence Review asked Landon about shifting priorities during his 35-year career, which so far has spanned the end of Cold War I and onset of Cold War II.

CDR: Canadians regard the time between the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as relatively benign. What was your perspective as an officer in the British Armed Forces?

JL: International stability can be illusory and short lived. During my last month at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. My career with the British Army coincided with near continuous operations in areas ranging from Northern Ireland to Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan. Political scientists say that countries have interests and will always defend them. Canada needs to be prepared to defend its interests too. CDR: ATCO Frontec plays a major role in Canadian defence. What are your key focus areas?

JL: Our affiliates, ARCTEC Alaska (ARS) and Nasittuq, provide support for the North short lived. During my last month at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. My career with the British Army coincided with near continuous operations in areas ranging from Northern Ireland to Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan. Political scientists say that countries have interests and will always defend them. Canada needs to be prepared to defend its interests too. CDR: ATCO Frontec plays a major role in Canadian defence. What are your key focus areas?

JL: Our affi liates, ARCTEC Alaska (ARS) and Nasittuq, provide support for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Operations and Maintenance work we do at Department of National Defence bases across Canada releases uniformed personnel to focus on military roles that they were trained to fi ll. We also provide support to the CAF on deployments both at home and abroad. However, we are always looking for ways to do more. CDR: ATCO Frontec has been involved in Northern defence for decades. How have priorities shifted?

JL: A lot has changed since Frontec Logistics Corp (a predecessor to ATCO Frontec) began providing operations and maintenance services related to the North Warning System (NWS) in 1987. Increasing tempos in the Ukraine War, Gaza, and in the Taiwan Strait are but a few examples. The fact that offi cials in Russia, a near-peer adversary, claim that NATO provides missiles and targeting support for Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities, bridges, and naval vessels, needs to be taken seriously. This has signifi cantly heightened the importance of northern defence and our sense of mission. We constantly adapt. In the mid-1990s ATCO Frontec teamed with PAIL to boost Inuit employment opportunities. This led to the formation of the Nasittuq equity partnership in 2000 which went on to win O&M contracts for CFS Alert in 2012 and again in 2022. Nasittuq’s win of the NWS contract in 2022 could generate more than a $1 billion in work if all the extensions and options are factored in. What has not changed is our commitment to partnerships and working with people.

CDR: What lessons have you learned from partnering with indigenous groups?

JL: When I joined ATCO Frontec in 2017, I was lucky to have benefi tted from its long track record of cultural understanding and genuine respect. I quickly realized that building on these successes was a senior leadership responsibility that can’t be simply delegated to an Indigenous Relations team. The process started with reading about Indigenous history, listening, and learning. I learned that personal relationships matter, and that trust must be earned. My many deployments overseas helped because I am used to dealing with different languages, cultures, and peoples. It quickly became clear that Canada’s First Nations aren’t just a talking point. Reconciliation requires meaningful long-term action.

CDR: How do you square these priorities with the proposed cuts to Canada’s defence budget?

JL: We believe that NORAD modernization, and support for the F-35 programs will remain high priorities in the current environment. Canada’s partnership with the United States on these initiatives suggest that they are unlikely to be affected. Like many others in the industry, we view favourably the recent acknowledgement that Canada has to do more to meet NATO commitments. We are reviewing what the Defence Policy Update will mean.

CDR: What defence mandates will ATCO Frontec be pursuing during the coming year?

JL: We will continue to drill down on key competencies. That means supporting NORAD modernization. We understand the North, have strong relationships with indigenous communities and defence industry partnerships. We know how to operate in classifi ed environments and maintain the technologies involved. We will also continue to pursue FO&M [Facilities Operations & Management] opportunities in Canada while also supporting the CAF in DOMOPs [Domestic Operations] and to build on all of those assets.

CDR: What can the defence industry do to better inform stakeholders of growing threats?

JL: We need to get out of our bubbles. To use clear language that the public understands, to explain the issues and why they matter. We also have to admit past errors. For example, post 9/11 decisionmaking was understandably rushed and thus cost a lot of blood and treasure. If we want people to believe what we are saying now, we have to be honest about the recent past. During Cold War I in Europe communications were somewhat simpler because the threat, nuclear annihilation, felt real and very close. The nuclear threat has returned and is obvious to us at ATCO Frontec because of the work we do in the vast northern areas bordering Russia. However cyber, foreign interference in our democracies. The focus on CRINKs [China, Russia, Iran, North Korea] pursuing their national interests and exploiting the weaknesses inherent in our democracies, are also real. But most Canadians don’t feel them in their daily lives.

CDR: How do ATCO Frontec’s export mandates and international affiliations generate synergies here in Canada?

JL: ARCTEC (Alaska Radar partnership) provides us with an excellent window into the U.S. defence procurement apparatus which reverberates around the world, including Canada. ATCO Frontec’s NATO contracts in Europe provide another promising foothold for generating future work. We are also constantly relearning the importance of giving back through initiatives such as our sponsorship of the Invictus Games 2025.

CDR: Your background places you in an excellent position to mentor younger leaders. What do you tell them?

JL: I emphasize the importance of continuous improvement. Nearly 20% of my military career was spent on formal education and training courses. I spent another 3 years as an instructor at the Staff College. These sessions covered everything from international affairs to defence procurement, from tactics to strategy, from history to global strategic trends, from the physics of radar systems to language training. My military background made me a lifelong learner. When I moved to the private sector, I made it a personal mission to fi nd ways to encourage this attitude in others.

CDR: Thank you.