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This article focuses on upcoming negotiations between American and Canadian officials about how to defend North America from future terrorist attacks. For the first time since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Canadian and American officials will sit down across the table from one another this month and begin delicate negotiations over the future of their joint military institutions. For almost half a century, the U.S. and Canada have jointly defended their skies in what has been perhaps the most intimate binational military collaboration in the world. Burrowed deep inside Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, operating from some 7,100 feet above sea level, the North American Aerospace Defence Command -- known as NORAD -- is a unique blended operation in which an American admiral and a Canadian deputy command forces from both countries. But the agreement that makes this arrangement possible expires in May. Prime Minister Paul Martin and President George W. Bush have said they want to use this renewal process to expand the Cold War partnership into a strengthened defence against threats from terrorism, rogue states, and natural disasters. Up-to-date contingency plans can save time in an emergency because they allow the two militaries to co-operate without having to seek the political permission to do so, as long as the situation meets the criteria agreed to ahead of time by political leaders. New plans needed to be drawn up, but more than that, both militaries needed a new culture and a new structure to promote co-operation. In the fall of 2002, the U.S. established U.S. Northern Command, or USNORTHCOM -- a centre that combines all American forces, sea, air and land, for the defence of North America. Canada is now mirroring the effort by creating Canada Command, based in Ottawa, which is scheduled to begin operations next spring. How the two will work together, and how they will interact with NORAD, remains to be seen.