News In Brief
| Edmonton, Alberta
US testing cruise missile over north Canadian wilds
The US cruise missile is being tested over Canada for the first time today - but it will stay attached to a B-52 bomber throughout the Arctic trial of its guidance system.
The cruise, being tested over Canada's frozen north because the terrain resembles the flight path the missile might encounter over the Soviet Union, will have its guidance system switched on for the whole of the 1,560-mile flight.
Despite widespread antinuclear demonstrations, Canada agreed to allow testing of the cruise under an umbrella defense pact signed with the United States last year. Under the agreement, up to five cruise missiles are to be tested each year.
