Corporate Complicity ATCO Frontec Corp. algary-based, ATCO Frontec ASWS have operated since 1994, is the Arctec Alaska is reponsible, include describes itself as a provider of: U.S. segment of NORAD’s NWS. Like three short-range stations and 15 long- C “camp support services, fa- the NWS that crosses Canada from the range radar stations. Scattered across cilities operations and maintenance Yukon to Labrador, the ARS provides 590,000 square miles of northern and property management services essential data for “missile-defense” de- Alaska, they provide “more than two for the resource, telecommunications tection and tracking functions. million square miles of radar coverage.” and defence sectors”1 On May 25, 2004, ARCTEC Arctec Alaska also maintains the ARS It is deeply involved in “missile Alaska won its latest contract to oper- “support systems and the Mainte- defense” through at least three major ate, manage and maintain the ARS. It nance Control and Communications sets of contracts. This “camp support” received a “one-year contract with nine, Centre at Elmendorf Air Force Base has netted the corporation hundreds one-year renewal options” for a total in Alaska.”3 of millions of dollars. “estimated value,” over the next ten Although the prospect of a half years, of about US$400 million. The billion in contracts over the next dec- 1. The Alaska Radar System ARS electronic facilities for which ade certainly makes things look pretty ATCO Frontec, with its “expertise in rosy for Arctec Alaska, and its co-own- radar systems operations and mainte- ers ASWS and Canada’s ATCO nance” has also partnered with an Frontec, the U.S. General Accounting Inupiaq (i.e., North Alaskan Inuit) cor- Office (GAO) was not so enthusiastic. poration called Arctic Slope World Serv- In October 2003, the New York Times 300, 909 - 11th Avenue SW ices (ASWS). Together, they formed a ran a story detailing various concerns Calgary, AB T2R 1L8 joint-venture called ARCTEC Alaska Phone: (403) 245-7701 expressed by the GAO, regarding the which landed contracts for O&M of the Fax: (403) 245-7717 Bush administration’s “missile defense” 2 Alaska Radar System (ARS). Email: [email protected] scheme, and particularly the ARS. The ARS, which ATCO and Web: www.atcofrontec.com As the equivalent of Canada’s Nasittuq Corp. he Nasittuq Corporation, a joint Tbusiness venture of two Canadian firms, ATCO Frontec and the Pan Arc- tic Inuit Logistics Corp. (PAIL), sup- ports the “missile defense” weapons program though contracts with the De- partment of National Defence (DND). Nasittuq’s contract covers the “maintenance, logistics, environmental systems management, systems engi- neering and project management” of the entire Canadian portionof NORAD’s Pan Arctic Inuit Logistics Corp. www.pail.ca North Warning System (NWS).1 analyzed at an underground complex cilities in the Yukon, Northwest Terri- On Aug. 5, 2004, the NORAD located at Canadian Forces Base tories, Nunavut, Quebec and New- treaty was changed to “include aero- North Bay, Ontario, then forwarded foundland. Primary among these facili- space warning…in support of the des- to Canadian NORAD Region Head- ties is a “chain” of “state-of-the-art mi- ignated commands responsible for mis- quarters at CFB Winnipeg, and the crowave radar” stations, including “10 sile defence of North America.”2 (See NORAD command and control cen- long-range radars (AN/FPS-117) [and] “Canada Requested ‘Missile Defense’ tre in Colorado.”3 36 short-range radars (AN/FPS-124).”4 Role in NORAD,” p. 10.) Nasittuq is responsible for car- Nasittuq also does O&M work The NWS, comprised of dozens rying out all of the operation and main- for NWS “logistics support sites” in of radar stations strung across north- tenance (O&M) tasks at the NWS fa- Goose Bay (NF), Cambridge Bay (NU), ern Canada and the U.S., forms the back- Hall Beach (NU), Inuvik (NT) and Iqaluit bone of NORAD’s role in “aerospace (NU) and at the NWS Support Centre warning.” As explained by Canada’s and Canadian Region Operations Con- Department of National Defence (DND): trol Centre5 at NORAD’s Air Operations 100-170 Laurier Ave. West “state-of-the-art radars form a 4,800- Centre in North Bay (ON) and their con- Ottawa ON K1P 5V5 km-long and 320-km-wide ‘tripwire’ 6 Phone: (888) 376-6688, ext. 687 tract management office, Ottawa (ON). stretching from Alaska to Newfound- Fax: (613) 234-2671 Back in 1988, ATCO Frontec was land. Data from radars and sensors Email: [email protected] awarded the very first contract for based in Canada are compiled and Web: www.nasittuq.com O&M work on Canada’s NWS.10 It then 22 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 56) June 2005 Office of the Auditor General, the GAO “to accomplish the missions of long- “warns that the hurried attempt range search/surveillance and track- to blend 10 separate high-tech ing.”8 defense systems into one pro- Two of these SSPARS sites use gram is proceeding full speed a powerful Air Force radar tech- ahead, as Mr. Bush ordered, nology called the PAVE Phased- but without adequate pre- Array Warning System (PAWS). liminary demonstrations that The PAVE PAWS radars are lo- the pieces will ever work well cated at Beale Air Force Base in together. Most pressing, a California and the Cape Cod Air crucial Alaska radar system at Force Station in Massachusetts. the heart of the plan has not Although first made operational in yet been shown to be ready for the early 1980s,9 the Ballistic Missile the job it is being adapted to do.”4 Defense Agency began to conduct en- (Emphasis added.) vironmental impact studies in 1999 be- The GAO’s report in April 2003, cause of plans for a major upgrade to also criticised the unrealistic manner in “accommodate new early warning ra- which the Missile Defense Agency dar requirements for the NMD [Na- (MDA) conducts tests of “missile 2. U.S. Air Force Space tional Missile Defense] mission.”10 defense” weapons. The GAO also noted Command’s SSPARS The third major SSPARS site that besides the problem of these faulty ARCTEC Services, is another creation within the U.S. is at the Clear Air Force and rigged tests, the MDA has of ATCO Frontec and ASWS. Since Station, in Alaska. This site is part of “no plans to demonstrate through 1999, Arctec Services, a jointly-owned what is called the Ballistic Missile Early flight testing the upgraded primary creature of these two corporations, has Warning System (BMEWS). According radar in Alaska that will be used to been doing all of the O&M work on a to the U.S. National Telecommunica- 5 detect and track enemy missiles.” key “missile defense” radar network tions and Information Administration: “BMEWS has been the backbone of teamed up with PAIL and received a called the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS). the U.S. missile defense system for $288-million contract for work between over 30 years.”11 1995 and 20018 That was the single larg- The contracting agency for SSPARS is the U.S. Air Force Space James Bollinger a member of U.S. Air est Canadian military contract awarded Defense Radar Veterans Association, 9 Command and the primary function of in FY1994-1995. Then they created explains that: Nasittuq and landed the next five-year, this radar system is to track and assess ballistic missiles. Its secondary mission “The primary mission of BMEWS is $300 million contract in 2001. The Ca- to provide NORAD with Tactical nadian government is expected to ex- is to track satellites and other objects in space. As ATCO Frontec puts it: Warning/Attack Assessment data on tend that with a $306-million contract all ICBMs and SLBMs penetrating to conclude in 2011.7 “SSPARS facilities…provide ballis- tic missile and attack assessment to the site’s coverage. The secondary National Command Authorities. mission is to provide NORAD with References Launch and Impact predictions for 1. Nasittuq website. www.nasittuq.com They also detect and track satellites attack assessment by NORAD.”12 2. Letter from Kergin to Powell, August 5 and orbiting space debris.... [T]his www.fac-aec.gc.ca/department/ program is considered vital to the There are also two BMEWS note_0095-en.asp U.S. Air Force Space Command.”6 sites using SSPARS technology out- 3. NORAD www.forces.gc.ca/site/fo- What is this “vital” radar sys- side of the U.S., one in the UK and the 13 cus/canada-us/bg00.010_e.asp tem required for the “missile defense” other in Greenland, a self-governing 4. ATCO-Frontec website weapons programs that is largely en- dependency of Denmark. The presence www.atcofrontec.com/shared_projects/ of these two radar stations on their soil nasittuq_military.asp trusted to Canada’s ATCO Frontec? SSPARS is part of an “extensive is enough to make these states full- 5. Ibid., www.atcofrontec.com/shared_ fledged members of the “coalition of projects/nasittuq_military.asp early warning network” of “ground- the willing” vis-a-vis “missile defense.” 6. Nasittuq website, op. cit. based radars and space-based sen- 7. Market News, March 25, 2002. sors.” Its most specific goal is Although ATCO Frontec is front and www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/~agraham/ “to detect intercontinental ballistic centre in the management and opera- nost202/cpnews_mar02.htm missile (ICBM) and sea-launched tions of SSPARS radar sites in Green- 8. Ibid. ballistic missile (SLBM) raids against land, the UK and the U.S., as well as 9. Ken Epps, “1994-95 ranking: Domes- the U.S. and Canada.”7 the 50 NORAD radar stations that are tic orders define top Canadian military actually based on Canadian soil, the Ca- contractors,” Ploughshares Monitor, Although the overall man- agement of the system is based in Colo- nadian government has pretended that December 1996. it is not part of “missile defense.” www.ploughshares.ca/CONTENT/ rado Springs, Colorado, there are five Here are some details regarding MONITOR/mond96b.html SSPARS facilities around the globe. 10. Market News, op. cit. Three of these radar sites use SSPARS the services provided by ARCTEC Serv- June 2005 (Issue # 56) Press for Conversion! 23 ices at these five SSPARS sites: and railroad. ARCTEC Services also man- • Beale Air Force Base, California and • Thule Air [Force] Base, Greenland - ages and operates “calibrating test Cape Cod Air Station, Massachusetts limited to operation and maintenance measurement and diagnostic equip- - ARCTEC Services operates large of radar and satellite communications. ment used by third parties” at U.S. Air power production centres and per- • RAF [Royal Air Force] Fylingdales, Force Precision Measurement Equip- forms all facility mainte- ment Laboratory facilities. nance, HVAC [Heating, Besides helping maintain and operate “missile These are located at Clear Ventilating, and Air- Air Force Station, AK and Conditioning and Refrig- defense” radar sites in Alaska, Canada’s ATCO- Thule Air Base, Green- eration], electrical and Frontec also services two in Greenland and one land.15 plumbing systems. in the UK. The governments of Denmark and It will, unfortunately, not • Clear Air [Force] Sta- Britain are at least willing to admit partici- come as a surprise that the tion, Alaska - the scope pating in “missile defense.” Canada is not. contracts obtained by of services at this site is ARCTEC Services for the much broader and in- care and tending of these cludes operation and maintenance of UK - ARCTEC Services is responsi- SSPAR early warning/attack assess- all base facilities, civil engineering, ble for the operation and maintenance ment radar sites, that are so “vital” to power, HVAC, water and wastewater of only the satellite communications the “missile defense” weapons scheme, systems, structures, grounds, hous- systems with the U.S. military han- are extremely lucrative. The U.S. Depart- ing, food services, health services, dling all other operation and mainte- ment of Defence online listing of con- environmental management, vehicles nance services at that site.”14 tracts, to be found at its
ATCO Frontec Corp
