Canada's Carney vows to expand presence in mineral-rich Arctic

By Carlos Osorio

IQALUIT, Nunavut (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said Canada would boost its military and security presence in the Arctic, a frozen and mineral-rich expanse that is of increasing interest to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Carney, who was appointed last week and is expected to call an election within days, said Canada would work with Australia to build an early warning radar system that Ottawa first announced in 2022.

Canada will also spend C$420 million to allow the military to have a greater, sustained and year-round presence in the Arctic, and will expand its training and deployment.

"We must invest in Canada's north to defend our sovereignty," Carney told reporters in Iqaluit, capital of the giant Nunavut Arctic territory.

Trump, who is threatening to impose tariffs on Canada, often complains Ottawa does not spend enough on defense. Canada only has a handful of military bases and 2,000 local Inuit rangers to watch over a vast deserted frozen landscape that covers more than 4.4 million square km.

Trump has also often mentioned his interest in acquiring Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral resources.

The early-warning radar system - budgeted to cost C$6.9 billion over 20 years - will cover airspace from the U.S. border to the Arctic and should be operational by 2029.

Sources in the ruling Liberal party say Carney is set to call an election this Sunday. His main opponents will be the Conservatives, who last month said they would build a base in the Arctic and boost regional security.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, noting the Pentagon had warned of potential Russian action in the Arctic, also vowed to double the number of rangers to 4,000 and buy two more polar icebreakers.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Nia Williams)