National Defence Committee on Sept. 22nd, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

We have quorum. We're missing some members, but it is a quarter to nine, so we had better get rocking and rolling.

We are at meeting number three of the Standing Committee on National Defence. This morning we're going to have a briefing on the situation in Afghanistan. Joining us from the Department of National Defence we have Brigadier-General Craig King; Jill Sinclair, assistant deputy minister, policy; and, no stranger to the committee, Captain Geneviève Bernatchez, deputy judge advocate general for operations.

I welcome all of you.

General, I'll open it up to you for opening comments.

[Brigadier-General Craig King, Director General, Operations, Strategic Joint Staff, Department of National Defence]

Thank you very much, sir.

Mr. Chair and members of the committee, thank you for this opportunity to provide you with an update on our operations.

As the chair mentioned, I am Brigadier-General Craig King, director general of operations with the strategic joint staff at National Defence headquarters. You'll remember Ms. Jill Sinclair, our assistant deputy minister, policy, and Captain (Navy) Bernatchez, from the Office of the Judge Advocate General, from their appearances before you on Tuesday.

As you know, Operation Athena is Canada's participation in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and Operation Attention is the name of the Canadian Forces' contribution to the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan.

Before you are seven slides providing a broad update on our Mission Termination Task Force for Operation Athena and on the Canadian contribution to the training mission in Afghanistan under Operation Attention.

I would like to walk you through this quick operational update, after which I would be pleased to answer your questions.

I refer you to slide 1. In accordance with the parliamentary motion of 2008, the Canadian Forces ceased combat operations in July 2011 and will complete the redeployment of personnel and equipment out of Kandahar by December 2011. Under the command of Brigadier-General Chuck Lamarre, the mission transition task force is comprised of more than 1,300 personnel from all elements of the Canadian Forces, with the main task of conducting mission closure of Operation Athena in order to enable the Canadian Forces to transition to subsequent operations as directed by the Government of Canada.

The task force is executing its mission in three broad phases. Phase one was completed in July, with the thinning out or removal of non-essential equipment, the relief in place of our battle space by U.S. forces, and the consolidation of all Canadian Forces elements back to Kandahar airfield.

The mission transition task force is now executing the final phase of its operation in Afghanistan, focusing on actual mission close-out and redeployment. All activities are designed to ensure that our national objectives are being met as we transition out of Kandahar. The final phase, reconstitution, is being undertaken simultaneously back here in Canada under the leadership of the respective environmental commanders.

With respect to slide 2, we cannot underestimate the challenges faced by Brigadier-General Lamarre and his team; in recent reports, this effort has been described as moving a city halfway around the world. The mission transition task force is undoubtedly one of the largest logistical undertakings in the history of the Canadian Forces. As you can see by the numbers involved, our soldiers are writing a new page in the history of Canadian expeditionary operations.

With respect to the next slide, the general concept of operations is the leveraging of multiple staging areas and transportation nodes in order to efficiently repatriate equipment back to Canada while maintaining positive control over our operational equipment at all times. Our process has been greatly facilitated by our operational support hubs, which were located in Cyprus and, as of today, are starting up in Kuwait.

The basic concept and scheme here is that anything that is non-sensitive, such as generators and general stores, was passing through Pakistan to a sea terminal for shipment back to Canada by sea. A small number of CF assets have been flown back to Canada due to the sensitivity of the nature of that equipment--cryptographic equipment and that sort of thing--and the remainder of our CF assets, primarily vehicles and weapons, are being flown out to these intermediate staging terminals to be loaded on ships and repatriated back to Canada on a schedule that is being closely monitored.

Currently, Brigadier-General Lamarre is reporting that all lines of production and repatriation are progressing at or above the predicted level. I refer you to slide 4, where we show a conceptual graph representing our expected progress over time in the disposal of our infrastructure in Kandahar and the return of our equipment back to Canada. I apologize for the simplified version of this slide, but you can understand that actual numbers in such an open forum could give great insight to current and potential adversaries into the actual Canadian Force projection capabilities.

In view of what I have mentioned, I can report to you that we do not foresee any outstanding issues that will affect the mission transition task force's ability to meet the timelines established by the Government of Canada.

The next slide is about Operation Attention. As you know, on November 16, 2010, the Government of Canada announced a new role for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan that would see our soldiers training, mentoring and building the professional competencies of the Afghan National Security Forces.

Under the current leadership of Major-General Michael Day, the new mission will see up to 950 soldiers deployed to a Kabul-centric training mission until March 2014.

The Canadian Contribution Training Mission–Afghanistan will assist the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in developing credible, effective and sustainable national security forces—both army and police.

I would just highlight that Canada is the second-largest contributor to the NATO training mission in Afghanistan, after the United States.

The focus of our efforts is on institutional capacity-building and the professionalization of the Afghan national security forces. By mentoring and developing Afghan trainers, Canada continues to play a vital role in assisting the Government of Afghanistan to achieve self-security by generating security forces that will be self-reliant in the near future.

With the current emphasis on helping the Afghan national security forces with institutional capacity-building, and with the need to create a professional military ethos to face an evolving threat, the provision of high-quality trainers is essential. Canada is stepping up to this task with a mix of professionalism and cultural understanding to support the Government of Afghanistan in developing the required capabilities to generate truly effective Afghan national security forces that will represent all Afghans in the execution of their duties.

As slide 6 indicates, Operation Attention is already providing training in up to 13 different locations, assisting roughly 24 different institutions. The current deployment schedule will see our operation reaching full capacity in numbers in early November, with troops deployed in three locations: Kabul, where the majority of our forces will be located; Mazar-e-Sharif in the north; and Herat in the west.

I would like to highlight two important elements of our institutional capacity-building at the Kabul military training centre and the consolidated fielding centre, also in Kabul.

The Kabul military training centre, or KMTC, is the primary training location for the Afghan National Army training command and the main force provider for Afghanistan's national defence. Canadian Colonel Mike Minor advises the Afghan commander of KMTC. The purpose of this institution is to provide Afghanistan with a skilled army capable of disarming illegal factions, fighting terrorism, and assuring security in Afghanistan. KMTC is run by officers and non-commissioned officers of the Afghan National Army, with advice and assistance provided by staff of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. The actual training provided starts at the individual soldier level, with courses on weapons, first-aid, the law of armed conflict, and Afghan National Army values and ethos, up to and including courses for newly commissioned officers on leadership and planning. In terms of scale, there are some 13,000 students and staff at KMTC, following up to 40 courses for recruits up to senior NCOs and officers.

On the other hand, the Kabul-based consolidated fielding centre is a collective training facility where battalion-sized formed units of the Afghan National Army, known as kandaks, of roughly 600 soldiers, conduct training and testing designed to confirm their skills before they are assigned and moved to the Afghan National Army corps for service within Afghanistan as part of the operational field force. The centre is run by Afghan forces but is provided with the critical support and guidance of 400 NATO mentors and trainers under the command of Canadian Colonel Rory Radford.

By way of summary, I would point out from the last slide that we are on time and on target with our mission closure efforts. We are also ready to continue our commitment to the people of Afghanistan with our capacity-building efforts under Operation Attention, and I am pleased to highlight the fact that our soldiers are already making a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of the Afghan national security forces. That's been highlighted in theatre through public statements made by such figures as General Petraeus, when we announced our transition to the training mission.

I hope this brief outline has provided you with a sense of what your Canadian soldiers, sailors, and airmen and airwomen are currently accomplishing in Afghanistan. They are performing critical missions in a very difficult environment with professionalism and dedication. Canada has been publically praised by NATO, ISAF and the Afghan National Security Forces for its contribution to this very demanding campaign. All Canadians can be proud of their men and women in uniform.

Thank you for your attention. We are ready to answer any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you very much for your opening comments, General.

With that, we're going to do our seven-minute rounds.

Mr. Harris, you're first.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you, Chair, and thank you, General, for your presentation this morning.

The former committee was given a briefing by General Natynczyk in October 2010, a couple of weeks before the government announced its intention to continue a mission in Afghanistan. But again, we were still assured, and I think you're assuring us now, that the combat troops would return and all combat action would cease. General Natynczyk told us that the combat troops would be leaving Afghanistan commencing at the end of June. Has that happened? Can you confirm that all the combat troops have actually returned and that the people who are there now are personnel engaged solely in the activities related to bringing the equipment back and making sure that whatever needs to be secured is secured? Are they the only personnel there now in Kandahar?

[BGen Craig King]

Yes, sir. Right now, the troops on the ground are dedicated to those two broad thrusts that I outlined: the mission transition task force and the NATO training mission.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Can you tell us how the close-down of Camp Mirage and the use of that facility has affected the activity both in terms of costs and logistics?

[BGen Craig King]

The close-down of Camp Mirage occurred almost a year ago. We responded very quickly as the Canadian Forces to that situation and found an alternate staging site in Germany to compensate for the loss of that facility. This was done very quickly through the outstanding work of a number of people and through work with our allies. Logistically, in terms of the close-out of Mirage and its impact on what we're doing, because of the reaction it made very little impact.

In terms of costs, the costs of closing out Mirage have been accounted for in the financial planning, and you'll appreciate that I'm an operator on this. That has all been accounted for and is being managed within the overall budget for what we need to do to get out of Afghanistan.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

That cost was estimated in various places as being in the range of $300 million to $400 million as a result of the shutdown of Camp Mirage. Is that a figure you can confirm?

[BGen Craig King]

I can't confirm that figure. We'd have to get back to you on that, sir.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Can you arrange to have that done, please?

[BGen Craig King]

Yes.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

One of the things that has come up in the close-down of activities in Kandahar is the use of the Chinook helicopters. The back story, of course, is that the Mulroney government sold the Chinooks that we had to the Netherlands, and then when we were moving into operations in 2006, there was a need to acquire them. We acquired six, I believe, from the Americans. What I hear now is that these helicopters are not being brought back to Canada or are going to be used but they actually have been...I don't know if “scrapped” is the word; there is a boneyard in Arizona somewhere with all kinds of planes. Is that where those helicopters are, and why is that?

[BGen Craig King]

Right now, one of the helicopters we're bringing out of theatre was leased from the U.S., so that's going back to the Americans. For the rest, we are actively engaged in looking for buyers for these Chinooks. They are being brought back in a condition and in a posture that will allow us to do exactly that. There's no intention that I'm aware of that these are going to be, as you described, scrapped. The idea is to find a buyer for these, because they are still viable.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

They're still usable. And by the way, I do recognize that they were extremely useful in Afghanistan, that they saved lives, because they avoided transport on roads subject to IEDs. So we're not criticizing the use of them. But it just seems that those are usable helicopters, and I believe we are in fact engaged in a Chinook program. There's no use for them in Canada--is that the stance DND is taking?

[BGen Craig King]

Well, I can just say that within the program of the Chinook helicopters we've used, the plan we're looking at is to divest ourselves of them. That program is being undertaken through the assistant deputy minister for materiel, and it's progressing.

With regard to other issues concerning the use of Chinooks and equipment and all that stuff, I would refer you to our folks who deal more precisely in that domain.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

In terms of the training mission announced in November and December of last year—and some of my colleagues will have other questions on that—it seems, first of all, that the decision was made late in the day, after we received assurances all last year that the military mission was over and that we were going to have every soldier back in Canada with the exception of a few to ensure the safety of our diplomats. How long was the timeline between that decision being made in November and December and the commencement of activity in Kandahar with respect to training?

We have a very general description of the kinds of things that are being done here. Perhaps Ms. Sinclair can help us out on this. In terms of the planning, I understand that initially there was a task force sent over to make inquiries as to what Canada might be doing. Are we in a situation in Kandahar where our troops are in fact safe, or are they subject to attacks? We've seen quite a lot of activity in the Kabul area recently. The Haqqani network has been stepping up its activities. What's the situation there?

[BGen Craig King]

Do you want to take the question on the decision, and I can speak to security?

[Jill Sinclair, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Department of National Defence]

Thank you.

I actually can't give you those precise timelines, Mr. Harris. I'd have to track back and see. But you asked about how this overall transition happened. I think those who have been following the issue will know that training, capacity-building, and Afghan ownership of the issue have been very high on the agenda from the outset. Certainly as far back as at least 18 months or two years ago, President Karzai made it very clear that he was establishing timetables with international partners, including ISAF, to make sure there was a transition. In order for that transition to happen, to enable the Afghans to take on their security responsibilities, there was a need for trainers.

So it was in that context that Canada and all of the ISAF partners considered what they could do. Certainly, as the general has said, the combat mission very clearly has come to an end. We have finished that. But there was an enduring need to do capacity-building, and that's what was considered for an ongoing Canadian contribution on the military side.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Harris's time has expired, General. Did you want to give a brief response?

[BGen Craig King]

With respect to security, sir, you made mention of the events in Kabul. Clearly that was a high-profile attack. We have never said that Kabul was a low-risk environment. Kabul remains high-risk. There is a determined enemy out there that is capable of mounting the kinds of things you saw.

We have taken every precaution to manage those risks for Canadian troops operating in that realm. Those risks are manageable, and the measures we have in place will make sure that our folks there are as safe as we can make them in an environment that is extremely violent.

With respect to Kandahar, sir, you asked the question about security there. Kandahar is a secure installation, absolutely. I spent nine months of my life there, and I will tell you that's the case. But it's still subject to attacks, indirect fire, and ground attacks, and that threat will continue. However, in terms of the risk to our Canadian troops, there is nothing there that has changed appreciably, and we continue to manage that, notwithstanding the posture we're in with the transition task force.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you.

Mrs. Gallant, you have the floor.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

General, with respect to recruitment for the training mission, can you tell us what the rank of most of these officers is?

[BGen Craig King]

I'd have to get back to you on the specifics, but broad recruiting occurs in both the officer domain and the soldier domain, much as you see in most armies around. In terms of the actual numbers, I'd have to get back to you, ma'am.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Have there been any difficulties in finding enough of the leadership cadre to fill these positions?

[BGen Craig King]

I don't think it's a question of having difficulty finding.... It's interesting, dealing in the Afghan culture. I made reference to my own service in Afghanistan, and I can speak with some detail on this because my last job was in Regional Command South, the NATO headquarters, and my specific responsibility was for the systemic training and professionalization of the police and the army that were located in Kandahar and adjoining provinces.

Leader development is what we're about. What that means is they have to be identified as having the necessary qualities and they have to have the skills. One of the challenges we have is that we're dealing with a largely illiterate society that we're drawing our folks from. So we've learned in a very short period of time that we have to impart to that body of recruits things like literacy training. And you can imagine, at the same time that you're trying to develop an officer corps of soldiers, you're also having to address very basic and fundamental things that we in Canada perhaps would take for granted because of the superlative education system we enjoy. This is part of the challenge.

If you're seeing a trend in terms of the overall structure and numbers, I wouldn't say it's identifying numbers. Part of it is training and developing them in that stream so that at the end we get the output we need and continue to grow.