Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 7th, 2025

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

As part of my mandate, we don't force employ these types of emerging capabilities. I know there's testing done as part of procurement, but when it comes to specific payloads and such, I'm not able to answer today. That's something I could look into and come back with.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

For maritime Arctic operations, what is the status of Canadian uncrewed service vehicles and uncrewed underwater vehicles for ice-edge mapping, seabed sensing and choke point monitoring?

What is the target for taskable days per season by 2026-27?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

This is a very good question.

When it comes to procurement and development processes, I am an employer of these assets, so it is difficult for me to provide the details this morning.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Okay. I'll change the focus a little bit, then.

What are the rules of engagement for neutralizing hostile or unknown drones over Canadian territory and territorial waters, especially around critical infrastructure and North American aerospace defence command sites?

How are attribution and evidence handled for prosecutions and diplomatic action?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

This is an excellent question.

As part of my mandate, I have no rules of engagement assigned. They would be assigned upon need. NORAD is not part of the Joint Task Force North mandate. Although I'm pretty sure they do have rules of engagement, I am not knowledgeable of these. That is not part of my mandate. I'm sorry for that.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

That's okay.

Changing gears, officials note Russia's intensified Arctic build-out and growing reliance on China. What is DFATD's current assessment of Russia-China strategic alignment in the Arctic?

Where do we see the greatest sanctions evasion risks? You mentioned earlier LNG. It could be financial channels. What are the three highest risks? What concrete countermeasures are in place?

[Eric Laporte]

Thank you for the question.

As I mentioned earlier, we are increasingly concerned by the increasing co-operation between China and Russia, particularly in the Arctic, and the fact that Chinese investments are effectively skirting sanctions. They are displacing what would have been western companies originally supplying and working on the extraction of LNG, for example. Now Chinese firms are there.

We're seeing increasing co-operation on the military front, as I mentioned. There are a number of sanctions, obviously, on Russian entities and that continues. Obviously, the greatest concern is for technology transfers that could be of dual use and immediately put into military capabilities.

Maybe I'll stop there, unless others have anything to add.

[Robert Sinclair]

Perhaps I would just add that we work very closely with partners in the G7 and beyond to coordinate on sanctions. Canada has sanctioned over 3,300 Russian entities and individuals. We will continue to identify areas where sanctions can help restrict Russia's war efforts.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

Next we'll go to MP Bill Blair.

You have five minutes.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Welcome to our witnesses this morning.

I have a number of questions. If I may, I'd just like to begin with a bit of clarification. There was some suggestion earlier in a question that the F-35 review has resulted in certain delays on the delivery of the F-35s. My understanding right now is that there have been no delays, that the delivery of the first 16 is well on track with Lockheed Martin and that the review is simply focusing on making sure it's the best possible deal for Canada, our economy, our workers and our country. I just wanted to make sure that is clear.

The witness, Mr. Laporte, is nodding, so thank you. I'm glad to hear that.

For my first question, if I may, I will go back to General Rivière.

General Rivière, you're responsible for the entire north through JTF North, which is based in Yellowknife. You have responsibility as well for the Canadian Rangers. I am particularly interested in some of the investments we are making and need to make in the Canadian Rangers.

My questions really pertain to your experience with the ranger program, particularly in the delivery of Operation Nanook. I am aware, for example, that there is a fairly significant investment being made in Yellowknife. A 9,000-square-metre joint-purpose facility for JTF North and the rangers is being constructed there even as we speak, which will provide classrooms, training offices, drill halls and a place for vehicle maintenance right in Yellowknife. It's a fairly significant investment.

What effort are you able to make in incorporating indigenous knowledge into Operation Nanook?

Also, what advice might you provide to the Government of Canada on how we can continue to grow, expand and make optimal use of the Canadian Ranger program?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

Thank you so much for this great question.

I will start with the multi-purpose building that's being built in Yellowknife. It's a great facility. It will not only host the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, but it will also host other elements of what we call “team north”, a unit based in Yellowknife. It's a great facility under construction. We should be finished construction by 2026, as per the plan, and actual use should begin some time in 2027. It will allow our rangers to access, as you mentioned, training, classrooms and office space, etc. That's a great investment.

Also, on the Canadian Rangers' increased capability, good investments have been made in expanding Operation Nanook. There's an actual line of effort for Operation Nanook that's dedicated to the Canadian Rangers and interoperability with our air force to actually project them and increase their capability to be the eyes and ears; they are really that. There's a lot of investment in the operational area as well through Operation Nanook.

On the incorporation of indigenous knowledge, I'll pick on Operation Nanook again every time. There is nothing we do for which we don't consult or have consent. Every piece of land that we manoeuvre on is owned by rights holders. We totally respect that. For us, it's important. There's a stewardship role for us as well, but every time we plan for Operation Nanook, we engage with the communities and we always incorporate their knowledge in the way we train so that we can survive. As you can imagine, it's pretty cold and harsh up there, and their knowledge is actually an operational enhancer to what we do.

That is a first round, Mr. Chair.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you very much, Brigadier-General.

I'm also aware that, a little over a year and a half ago, you and Lieutenant-General Wright, who at the time was in charge of CFINTCOM, provided a fairly comprehensive briefing to northern territorial premiers and indigenous leadership on the threat environment and the changes to it as a result of climate change, technological advancements and the activities of our adversaries. I've heard very positive feedback from both the territorial leadership and the indigenous leadership about the briefing you provided and the fact that they really felt they were being engaged with in a responsible way and helped to get a better understanding.

Perhaps you could talk a little bit about how you engage with those indigenous and territorial governments in your important work as the commander of JTF North.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Give us a very brief response, please, because we're running out of time.

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

We initiated these regular and frequent threat briefings and operational updates to the territorial premiers a year and a half ago. We have continued these. Typically, there's an intelligence command presence that briefs on the emerging threat situation like CSIS or CSE. I had the opportunity to provide an update on Operation Nanook and other operational activities. These have continued, and the frequency has actually increased. It's important to us to be transparent and to share as much as we can, in a secure setting, of course. This has become practice.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

We'll go next to MP Bonin.

You have two and a half minutes.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Rivière, I would like to come back to one point. You mentioned earlier that you didn't know if there was an Arctic defence strategy.

Is that what you said, or is there one?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

There was talk of a climate strategy related to defence in the Arctic.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

In the United States, they have an Arctic defence strategy. From what I've seen, it dates back to 2024, and it takes into account rapid climate change in particular.

Is there an Arctic defence strategy that takes climate change into account? If not, do you think we should draw inspiration from the United States in this regard?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

Mr. Chair, I know that when it comes to defence, we have a strategic campaign plan that covers a wide range of operational strategic issues. However, when it comes to climate in particular, I have a hard time naming anything concrete on the subject.

What I see in my mandate is efforts to adapt to climate change, but when it comes to a specific climate strategy, I find it hard to give you answers.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Is there a specific strategy for the Arctic?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

Planning efforts are under way to improve Operation Nanook, which is our main operational activity in the Arctic. It's well under way—

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

However, there's no specific strategy for the Arctic that you're aware of.

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

Mr. Chair, we are developing a campaign plan for our operations in the Arctic.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

What's the difference between a campaign plan and a strategy?

[Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière]

The campaign plan is about operations, and we comply with the strategy for everything related to the Arctic.