Australia has signed a record A$2.5 billion (US$1.8 billion) agreement to export its over-the-horizon radar system to Canada, marking the largest defence export in Australian history. The technology, which bounces high-frequency radio waves off the ionosphere to detect distant objects beyond Earth's curvature, will be used by Canada to boost surveillance over the Arctic and strengthen NORAD (the joint Canada-US continental defence command). The deal is expected to sustain around 300 technical jobs in Australia and generate nearly 2,300 jobs annually in Canada over five years, with BAE Systems Australia beginning delivery on 1 July.