A couple of years ago, I would have said there were a number of critical trades, but right now the trend is very positive. My folks have shown me how that trend will lead us to healthy trades across the board by 2017-18. But the ones that are still causing me concern as we regrow the force are the marine engineers—the ones who maintain the gas turbine engines and diesel generators and all of the ancillary systems that bring a small town together on a warship. I am also concerned about naval electronics technicians. This is a key tactical trade that requires top-drawer skill sets. These are the folks who maintain and groom our radars, our fire-control systems, our guns and missiles—and they are in short supply at the moment.
My biggest concern, though, is not with any of the sailor trades or technical trades, but with the folks in my classification, the maritime surface classification, or officers. I am short in that department, so we are conducting a comprehensive analysis of the factors at play. We want to find out how to attract more young men and women who wish to lead as officers in the Royal Canadian Navy, and aspire to command men and women at sea. How do I retain and motivate them? That's something I'm really focused on.
The positive side of that story is that with the promise of a completely recapitalized, reconstituted fleet, with the modernization of the Halifax class and the Aurora aircraft, together with the introduction of the Cyclone helicopter, the joint support ship, the Arctic offshore patrol ship, and the Canadian surface combatant, we are going to see a whole new, more capable navy 10 years from now. I think this attraction piece will take care of itself.