Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In point 3.47, which pertains to naval policy, you mention the importance of monitoring productivity and competitiveness. I did my homework and looked at the prices paid by foreign governments, and it was mind-boggling. Paying $700 million for a ship, as the French and the Italians do, is already a lot. Yet we pay $1.8 billion for the same kind of ship. That is a major cost discrepancy. We pay astronomical prices for our ships, and the only way to control those prices is to reduce the vessels' quality or quantity. Foreign governments have been working on standardizing interoperability policies and consolidating subcontracting purchases.
In our naval policy, have you noted whether a specific service ensures interoperability, standardization and order consolidation for ships from different services of our government?
I want to use the example of anti-aircraft guns. Our transport ships will be equipped with Mauser 27-mm cannons; our surface combatants will have Phalanx 20-mm weapon systems on board; and our arctic vessels will carry the Litton 25 mm. Couldn't someone consolidate everything? In this policy, have you noted a service that is in charge of reducing the price of vessels instead of simply reducing their quantity and quality?