With regard to the analysis we looked at, again, I go back to the Canada First defence strategy, which basically lays out the three defence missions: the defence of Canada and North America, and of course our relevant contribution to international peace and security. As you break those down, what do we need practically and tactically? What types of missions will we be called upon to do, if that's the strategic national military mission? As you break those down, this is where we find those tactical risks that we need to identify. How do we address them?
Clearly, when we go abroad into unstable environments where there are multiple actors, either state or non-state, and a proliferation of technologies, which can be very threatening to air operations, (a) you need to be able to determine what those threats are, through intelligence, surveillance, or reconnaissance, and (b) if you're required to take action, you have to be effective in a very complex and dangerous environment.
An analysis of all those potential tasks brings out the high-level requirements and the mandatory requirements. As we looked at all those different tasks we have to do both at home and abroad, only the fifth-generation aircraft was able to meet the whole spectrum of requirements. There are lots of great airplanes. The problem is, as we look at that horizon of the next 30 to 40 years, the fifth-generation piece will play a significant role in ensuring that we remain relevant and able to do what government will want us to do. That's why I think our analysis has been done thoroughly and with our partners, who also don't spend money lightly. They see the fifth-generation aircraft as the long-term solution to being able to adapt to that future risk.