Sir, I would say that the most unique and profound agreement is NORAD, and now we've surpassed 50 years of our relationship with NORAD.
Again, this is a relationship where, at the highest level of government, through the military structure, we have a seamless relationship in terms of operations and intelligence in order to protect this continent, whether it be the deputy commander of NORAD in Colorado Springs all the way through to any exchange of U.S. and Canadian men and women on both sides of the border.
It is one such that a few years ago, when the U.S. had a fleet of their fighter aircraft break down and they grounded their whole fleet of F-15 fighters, within 18 hours we had scrambled a squadron from Bagotville and we basically protected Alaska during that period of time. That half-squadron arrived and within hours was going up to intercept very large aircraft that were approaching the Alaskan territory without having filed a flight plan. They were very big aircraft.
All of this is to say that the U.S. in that instance, as is the case each and every minute of every day, had a relationship of great trust and confidence in us, as we do in them, and we take that relationship around the world. It's interesting when you go aboard a U.S. ship and they take you into their sonar room and say that the individual working the sonar is the most talented individual on the ship and that individual is a Canadian. It's the same thing in terms of intelligence. Again, the level of integration in military intelligence is so strong and is reinforced by this current experience in Afghanistan. The fact is the value goes both ways.
In answer to your question, NORAD makes it all different, because the reality is that we are joined at the hip with the U.S. No other country has the kind of security relationship that we do. Others wish they had that relationship.
Beyond that, obviously, we get into a NATO context, but for the most part, we're talking about dealing with our European friends.
Thank you.