Again, it's not really my domain, and I don't have great knowledge on this. But what I can say is that the Mercury Global project is intended to create that network, much like the C-17 did, with Canadian solutions and autonomy. This is part of that process of creating more flexibility for Canada when it comes time to act, whether domestically or internationally, where this gives you certainty of access to those space channels where you need to communicate and pass information on. It is critical to future success. So other than where it fits into that constellation of capabilities we need to develop over time, it will play an important role in giving us that autonomy that we've always strived for.
On December 13th, 2011. See this statement in context.