The United States on Thursday approved a $2.68-billion sale of air-strike munitions to Canada, as Prime Minister Mark Carney accelerates defense spending amid uncertainty in relations with Washington.
The package includes up to 3,414 BLU-111 500-pound bombs designed for targeting troop formations, 3,108 precision-guided GBU-39 bombs for stationary targets, and more than 5,000 JDAM kits that convert unguided bombs into guided weapons.
According to the State Departmentās notification to Congress, the sale will bolster Canadaās ability to deter regional threats, enhance interoperability with US forces, and strengthen its contribution to shared continental defense.
Carney announced in August that Canada would meet NATOās two-percent-of-GDP defense spending target this yearāwell ahead of scheduleāciting rising concerns over US commitments to NATO and potential Russian activity in the Arctic.
