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Exchange of Notes (September 29 and October 6, 1966) between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America concerning the Establishment of a Cooperative Meteorological Rocket Project at Cold Lake, Alberta [1966] CATSer 10 (6 October 1966)

E103810 - CTS 1966 No. 30

EXCHANGE OF NOTES BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COOPERATIVE METEOROLOGICAL ROCKET PROJECT AT COLD LAKE, ALBERTA

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The Embassy of the United States of America to the Department of External Affairs of Canada

No. 95

The Embassy of the United States of America refers to recent conversations between representatives of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force regarding the possible establishment of a cooperative meteorological rocket project at Cold Lake, Alberta.

The purpose of the project would be to obtain information regarding temperature and atmospheric density variations in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere. This information would be of benefit to both Air Forces and would be unclassified.

The Embassy understands that the Cold Lake facility includes suitable tracking radars, PWN-6A rocket launcher, control, radiosonde storage and data processing equipment for the carrying out of this project and that the station is operated year-round.

If the proposed project is acceptable to the Government of Canada, the United States Air Force would deliver to Cold Lake, at no expense to the Government of Canada, 156 PWN-6A rockets per year, so long as mutually agreed by the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force. The Royal Canadian Air Force would be responsible for all other aspects of the project, which would consist of the launching and tracking of the rockets, the processing of the data obtained, and the transmitting of the data on teletype to the United States Air Force. The exact schedule and procedures would be agreed upon by the two Services.

Except for the supplying of the rockets by the United States Air Force as described above, the United States Government would not be legally responsible or liable, after the initial training period referred to below, for any other matters connected with this program.

Should this project be approved by the Government of Canada, one officer and three enlisted men of the United States Air Force would visit Cold Lake for a brief training period; the officer would remain for two or three days and the enlisted men for approximately one month.

Additionally, the Royal Canadian Air Force project officer would be invited to attend meetings in the United States of the meteorological working group of the Inter Range Instrumentation Group.

If the project described has the approval of the Government of Canada, this note and the reply of the Department of External Affairs to that effect will constitute an agreement between the two Governments to enter into force on the date of the Department's reply.

W. M. Johnson

Embassy of the United States of America,

OTTAWA, September 29, 1966

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The Department of External Affairs of Canada to the Embassy of the United States of America

OTTAWA, October 6, 1966

No. DL-2452

The Department of External Affairs presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honour to refer to the Embassy's Note No. 95 of September 29, 1966 concerning the establishment of a co-operative meteorological rocket project at Cold Lake, Alberta for the purpose of obtaining information on temperature and atmospheric density variations in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere.

The above research project is approved on the basis of the specifications outlined in the Embassy's above Note and on the understanding that the entire rocket flight programme will be carried out within the following geographic co-ordinates designating a restricted area under the jurisdiction of the Cold Lake Control Tower:

As the rockets concerned are to be fully expanded and as no recovery programme is to be undertaken, 156 PWN-6A rockets per year will be allowed duty and tax-exempt entry into Canada so long as mutually agreed as essential by the appropriate military authorities in the United States and Canada.

Accordingly, the Department of External Affairs is pleased to inform the Embassy that the Canadian Government accepts the proposals contained in the Embassy's Note No. 95 which, with this Note in reply, shall constitute an agreement between our two Governments, the agreement to enter into force on the date of this Note.

H. B. Robinson