Yes, thank you, I can.
As this is my first occasion to be here with you all, I'd like to thank you for your welcome and say that I am certainly looking forward to working with Minister MacKay and the department in a time of transformation and adjustment. I'm looking forward to being part of maintaining the excellence that we know and have come to expect from our Canadian armed forces.
With respect to your question specifically, as you know, the government has committed to building and maintaining effective fleets for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard. With this commitment, we are investing billions of dollars to renew the federal fleets for the future. These ships, the arctic/offshore patrol ships—or AOPS, as I've come to learn it—will enhance Canada's ability to exercise our sovereignty and surveillance of our waters, particularly off our northern coastline. This request for funds will be used for the definition phase of the AOPS project, which will see Irving Shipbuilding mature the ship's design. It is anticipated that the first ship for the navy will be delivered by 2018.
I should also note that this funding allows for progress to be made on implementing three infrastructure components of this project for jetty work in Esquimalt, in my home province of British Columbia, and in Halifax, and to build the Nanisivik naval facility.