Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to both witnesses for coming today.
Mr. Choi, I'd like to zero in on a couple of your comments in your opening statement. One was on the complexities and the challenges around the national shipbuilding strategy and on that, the very real need to support Canadian shipbuilding and to move beyond this file and this season of procurement.
With that in mind, in March 2022, you presented a paper that highlighted the drawbacks of off-the-shelf procurement, where pre-designed equipment is purchased from existing suppliers.
Would you mind explaining some of the costs that are associated with adapting defence systems purchased from other countries for use in Canada? Is buying more defence systems off the shelf a viable option for the Canadian Armed Forces?
This is considering that the Coast Guard has a role here, because we're replacing the Louis S. St-Laurent, which is critical for of Arctic travel, research and support for the capacity to move within very heavy ice conditions.