National Defence Committee on Feb. 16th, 2015

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Good afternoon, colleagues.

This afternoon we'll continue our study of the defence of North America with two witnesses by teleconference from two locations. Major-General Wheeler, commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, is speaking to us from Winnipeg, and Colonel Sylvain Y. Ménard, commander, 3 Wing Bagotville, is speaking to us from Bagotville, Quebec.

If I could, I'll just give a quick explanation. Because we have two remote locations, the two commanders will speak to us in English. They will receive questions in French, but we can only use one of our official languages with regard to the response from the two locations, and the two officers have chosen to speak to us in English to facilitate this session.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

I know that we have to put up with technical issues sometimes, but this way of doing things is unacceptable. I do not even have access to French translation, aside from a written document, if one is provided.

I just want to put that on the record.

I am very sorry, but this way of doing things is unacceptable to francophones.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

I understand, but I have to say this.

We had thought at one time of doing two separate hours, one from one location, and one from the other, but our two witnesses today said they wanted to appear together. That imposes on our technical limitations.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

The next time, would it be possible to have a presentation and to set aside a period of time for questions, and another presentation after that during the same meeting of the committee? The two presentations could be done separately, so that we have access to the French interpretation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

You will still receive full translation, but the problem, with the votes today, is that it's completely impractical to separate.... I understand. I apologize on behalf of the technical facilitators, but I think that given the fact that we have a vote in less than 15 minutes, we should now hear the opening statements from both of our witnesses before we interrupt the proceedings.

General Wheeler, if you will, please give your opening remarks.

[Major-General D.L.R. Wheeler, Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, Royal Canadian Air Force]

Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members of Parliament.

Thanks very much for the honour of appearing here today. It is my pleasure to discuss the North American Aerospace Defence Command, and Canada's contribution to the defence of North America in cooperation with the United States.

Our NORAD mission, in simple terms, is to watch the skies above our continent, and be ready to quickly and effectively respond to imminent security threats. NORAD is a binational Canada-U.S. command that continuously provides detection, validation, and warning of air-breathing threats to our continent, and appropriate aerospace defence measures to respond to hostile actions against North America. As part of our NORAD envelope of responsibilities, your Royal Canadian Air Force maintains the highest readiness levels of any command within the Canadian Armed Forces; therefore, RCAF readiness is fundamental to NORAD readiness.

As we speak, some 430 servicemen and women from the Canadian Armed Forces and the U.S. Air Force monitor the aerospace approaches to Canadian territory, identify all tracks in and around Canadian airspace, and stand ready to intercept and control aircraft that may be of concern to Canadian and North American security. Based at the operational headquarters for the Royal Canadian Air Force in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Canadian NORAD region, or CANR, is one of the three NORAD regions. The other two regional headquarters are located at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, and Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, CANR has been heavily committed to Operation Noble Eagle, NORAD's ongoing internal air defence mission. As part of Operation Noble Eagle, we monitor all domestic air traffic and respond to virtually any airborne threat that may put Canadians in harm's way. As commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, I am responsible for providing CANR with combat-ready air forces to meet Canada's commitment to the defence of North America and maintaining the sovereignty of our continent's airspace.

Our posture is scalable depending on threat levels. In peacetime, most of our people are located in Winnipeg, where the air division headquarters is situated; at 22 Wing North Bay, where the Canadian air defence sector headquarters is located; and our two fighter force wings in Bagotville, Quebec, and Cold Lake, Alberta. Our country's vastness requires our two fighter wings to additionally rely on deployed operating bases and forward operating locations scattered across the country, including the north. These auxiliary locations extend the reach of our fighters by providing forward areas for basing, refuelling, and maintenance. To ensure our forward operating locations are capable and ready, we routinely conduct exercises and operate out of them. One such example was Operation Spring Forward in April 2014, which was the largest deployment to our forward operating locations since the end of the Cold War. This exercise involved Canadian and Alaskan NORAD assets working in coordination to enhance our interoperability.

Over and above our infrastructure requirements, which include our network of radars, our CF-18 Hornets also rely on support from NORAD air-to-air tankers during extended missions. Tankers and their associated crews and squadrons, of course, encompass several additional infrastructure staffing and logistical requirements, which are essential to NORAD operations.

NORAD is far more than a close working relationship between the U.S. and Canada. Rather, it is a full-fledged binational command, and arguably the world's most intimate military arrangement between two allies. It's effectively nurtured by professionals from the Canadian and U.S. militaries working in lockstep at our respective headquarters 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to help keep our two countries safe from potential threats.

As you may know, USAF personnel within Canada serve under my command. If you've been to our headquarters in Winnipeg, you know that beside my office is the office of the USAF general who serves as my deputy commander for operations. By virtue of the NORAD agreement, Brigadier-General Hyde is an integral part of the RCAF force employment planning and execution. In much the same way, our Canadian general serves as a deputy commander of the NORAD headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.

A well-known illustration of how our integration works is that on 9/11, it was none other than the Canadian general in Colorado Springs, working as the duty commander, who orchestrated the scramble of U.S. Air Force jets in response to that crisis. Lieutenant-General Ken Pennie held command over U.S. personnel and assets in the same way the USAF general in Winnipeg commands our personnel when he is on duty.

As part of our interoperability, we regularly exchange NORAD-related intelligence and resources as well. This allows our two countries to share the burden of responding to emerging airborne threats, depending on the availability of resources on both sides of the border.

Examples of our reciprocity include when two Canadian-based CF-18 fighters intercepted and visually identified two Russian Bear long-range bombers flying in international airspace north of Alaska, or when two U.S. F-15s out of Portland, Oregon, responded to an air emergency near Vancouver in 2012.

Most recently, U.S. Air Force personnel and aircraft deployed to 5 Wing Goose Bay in Labrador for Exercise Vigilant Shield, where together we practised a variety of defence scenarios.

Our enduring alliance with the U.S. is something my colleagues and I actively practise on a daily basis. Canadians who believe international cooperation brings peace and stability can regard NORAD with pride. But pride in our alliance demands also a measure of vigilance. The global security landscape continues to evolve rapidly, which is why NORAD's force posture is now routinely reviewed. Our force posture must have the capability to engage a variety of symmetric and asymmetric threats.

Symmetric, or state-sponsored threats, are considered the most dangerous. In terms of conventional aerospace warning and control missions that are relevant to my command, the potential threat would be in the form of foreign, long-range aviation and/or bomber fleets.

Given the current geopolitical climate, the probability of a military aviation attack is actually low. Capabilities exist to cause us harm, but there is currently no known intent. In a situation where hostile intent is a reality, this would constitute a threat where strategic warning is measured in minutes to hours, and our ability to react is limited to what we have at hand. This explains the requirement to maintain very high readiness levels, even in peacetime. It also explains why NORAD continuously tracks and responds to numerous aircraft of interest close to the airspaces of Canada and the United States.

Asymmetric threats, in the context of NORAD, are those posed by such activities as terrorist organizations' use of an aircraft. The September 11 attack is of course the most tragic example of this, and these threats remain a valid concern with serious security consequences. As a result, we must be ready for scenarios involving aircraft being used to bring harm to populated areas.

That's why regular operations, such as Operation Noble Eagle, are ongoing exercises to ensure we remain trained and capable to accomplish our mission. Since the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, when our nations began to place greater emphasis on surveillance and control of Canada and the U.S., NORAD has responded to more than 3,500 possible air threats and intercepted more than 1,400 aircraft in Canada and the United States.

This serves as a fine example of the crucial partnerships we have nurtured with organizations including federal aviation and law enforcement agencies in both of our countries. NORAD's legacy for the past 56 years has been underpinned by unwavering dedication and determination by our professionals. You can expect nothing less from our men and women in the years ahead.

With our collective vigilance, we can ensure the skies above every community across our vast nation remain secure.

Thank you very much.

I look forward to responding to your questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Thank you, General Wheeler.

Colonel Ménard, s'il vous plaît.

[Colonel Sylvain Ménard, Commander, 3 Wing Bagotville, Royal Canadian Air Force]

Mr. Chair and honourable members of Parliament, thank you for the honour of appearing here today.

As the commander of the Canadian Forces Base Bagotville and 3 Wing, I would like to provide you with an overview of the work my team does every day as part of the NORAD mission.

Canadian Forces Base Bagotville is strategically located near the city of Saguenay, Quebec. From our facilities we are able to cover all of northeastern North America and rapidly respond to all threats to our security as described earlier by Major-General Wheeler. To achieve this, 3 Wing depends on a group of experienced, well-trained pilots and technicians who are on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our operations centre is in consistent contact with different North American surveillance locations and Canadian NORAD region command to respond rapidly in case of an alert. We can thus deploy CF-18 fighters where they are needed and even up to the northern borders of our country thanks to the in-flight refuelling capability of the Royal Canadian Air Force and our American allies.

The NORAD mission is 3 Wing's priority. I would even go as far as to say it's our reason for being. As needed, we can dedicate all of our resources to protecting Canadian territory. For example, following the events of September 11, 2001, we placed all of our CF-18 fighters and personnel on alert and deployed them to three strategic locations to increase the country's level of protection as ordered by Canadian NORAD region command.

At all times 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron's role is to train pilots for NORAD missions and to ensure that our fleet of fighters is ready to meet Canada's needs.

And 12 Radar Squadron is also an important part of the North American line of defence. Normally the squadron's radar is one of the many components used for surveillance of the territory. When there is an alert or major event, 12 Radar Squadron can be rapidly deployed. This was the case during the Montebello summit in 2007 and in 2010 during the Vancouver Olympics and the G-8 summit in Toronto. During all of these events we provided security through surveillance of restricted airspace thanks to a high level of preparation and continual training of the members of 12 Radar Squadron. If needed as well, 12 Radar Squadron can also temporarily replace damaged or unusable NORAD radars.

In order to carry out its role safely, 3 Wing also counts on 439 Combat Support Squadron, a helicopter squadron dedicated to search and rescue missions. Its primary role is to support our fighter pilots in case of problems but the squadron members are often called in to help civilian authorities with search and rescue missions right across eastern Canada. Of course, the work of the three squadrons is supported on an ongoing basis by an extremely dedicated team of over 1800 military members and civilians at 3 Wing committed to our primary mission, which is NORAD.

For over 70 years, 3 Wing Bagotville has made it its duty to maintain a high level of operational readiness thanks to a continual preparation of its personnel and equipment. The transformation of a once symmetric threat into an increasingly asymmetric one represents a significant challenge in terms of defence. The emergence of threats inside the very territory protected by NORAD forces us to consistently change how we do things. We are therefore always vigilant, doing everything required to adapt to this new reality.

I think it is appropriate for me to conclude my statement with the Latin motto of 3 Wing, the mantra by which every member of 3 Wing lives every day, which is agmen primum libertatis, at the vanguard of liberty.

Thank you very much for your attention. I'm looking forward to answering any questions you might have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Thank you, Colonel Ménard.

I can see from looking across the way the House is still involved in debate so we will begin with our first round of questioning.

Mr. Chisu, please.

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much Major-General and Colonel for your presentations.

I have a question to Major-General Wheeler. In your position, as commander of the Canadian NORAD region, can you speak to this committee about the surveillance and warning operations currently in place and how they contribute to the defence of North America?

You were speaking about NORAD; you were speaking about the surveillance of the airspace. Colonel Ménard mentioned the radar squadron. Before joining the Canadian Armed Forces I was in the radar defence in the defunct Warsaw Pact, so it is quite of interest to me to know how the surveillance is connected with defence.

[MGen D.L.R. Wheeler]

Certainly, sir.

Obviously under the Canada First defence strategy, NORAD is one of our main missions. It's a no-fail mission for us and we are but one of the sectors. So we join with CONR down in the continental United States NORAD region and ANR, the Alaskan NORAD region, to survey it, put out surveillance, and obviously ensure that no enemies or suspect aircraft fly within Canadian airspace. We provide sovereignty to Canadian airspace.

To do that, we in Canada have what's called CADS, the Canadian air defence sector, which uses certainly the north warning system plus also all of the systems that come from Nav Canada and Transport Canada in concert to give them an integrated air picture. That air picture is then shared with our friends in the other sectors and it comes together to give us a full overall North American picture.

With that, we're pretty well capped. We have a good understanding and situational awareness of the airspace throughout Canada and down in the United States, and we can respond to any abnormal situation with our fighter aircraft.

Does that answer your question, sir?

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Excuse me, Mr. Chisu, the bells have begun ringing at the House. We will suspend as we take the vote 29 minutes from now. I would ask all members of the committee to return to this place as soon as possible after the vote.

General, Colonel, we beg your indulgence while we disappear briefly. Thank you.

I suspend.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Colleagues, we will resume.

Mr. Chisu, you have five minutes remaining.

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, General and Colonel, for your patience.

General Wheeler, speaking from your experiences as chief of staff and deputy commanding officer of the Canadian Forces northern area, can you explain to this committee the role the Royal Canadian Air Force plays in the surveillance and protection of the Canadian Arctic?

[MGen D.L.R. Wheeler]

My experience up there was actually from 2002 to 2004, but I am still very active with all of our air forces up in that area. It's a very vast area, as you know. It constitutes about 40% of Canada and just over about 100,000 people. To go anywhere takes a long time. That said, the RCAF has actually been flying within the Arctic ever since there was an RCAF, so for an awfully long time it has been providing a presence up there.

We also operate from a NORAD perspective at some forward operating locations in Inuvik, Iqaluit, and a couple of other areas. That allows us to become closer to tracks of interest that might be coming, especially over the Pole. We continue to operate there. We also provide great support to the communications station that we have up in Alert, which is Canada's farthest spot of land, with our C-17s, C-130Js, and other aircraft. We're very active. We bring helicopters up as well to support Operation NUNALIVUT and provide resources to the various operations that take place. Overall we're going to continue to operate in the north with the air force. We certainly form a big part of the Canadian joint operation command's Arctic plan, and we'll continue to do so.

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

General, what is your assessment of the level of threat of incursions by other countries into Canadian air space, particularly in Canada's northern air space? You mentioned in your speech basically that, given the current geopolitical climate, the probability of a military aviation attack is low, but we can see the Russians. They changed the tactics from January 1, 2015, and they dramatically reinforced the former Soviet bases in the Arctic.

[MGen D.L.R. Wheeler]

From that perspective, I would say the threat continues to be low. Certainly to come into the Arctic on the ground or the sea would be very difficult. Through the air is a little bit different, but we don't anticipate any major air incursions. That said, and as you remarked, Russia has certainly been a lot more active than it has ever been since the end of the Cold War. This year has been probably the most active time. I think you've seen that from Russia throughout the world. Recently they flew a couple of Bear bombers through the English Channel. They're certainly very active down around Japan and Korea as well, and we see the same in the north.

They do fly up into our northern area. They come into the Canadian air defence identification zone. They don't actually come into Canadian sovereign territory, but they will get as close as 40 to 50 miles off our coast. We're very cognizant of that. We certainly intend to protect our sovereignty and therefore we do scramble fighters, or locate them at some of our forward operating locations, to make sure the Russians know we're there and are willing to protect our sovereignty.

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Thank you very much.

From your perspective, how would you assess the level of collaboration in the Arctic between the air forces of Canada and the United States, in the same context of the Russians enforcing their presence in the Arctic?

[MGen D.L.R. Wheeler]

This is extremely important to us, and of course this is what NORAD is all about, having that binational agreement between the United States and Canada, and therefore we have to have the same tactics, techniques, and procedures. We do train together, we do fly the same way, and of course we're talking to each other on a daily basis. We also share information back and forth, but as we go from one border to another, we have to be able to do that. We can't just go to the edge of Alaska or the edge of continental United States, as we're following a track of interest, and stop. We coordinate with the Americans in that case, and we will continue on, and we may be replaced later on or follow that track all the way to its final destination. The same is true for the Americans. They will come and coordinate with us. It's one big coordinated entity working together.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Thank you. That is your time, Mr. Chisu.

Madame Michaud, s'il vous plaît.

You have the floor.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the two witnesses for their presentations.

My first questions are for Major-General Wheeler.

On February 11, the Ottawa Citizen published an article by Lee Berthiaume discussing Royal Canadian Air Force budgets. Among other things, he mentioned the 2014-2015 internal business plan of the 1 Canadian Air Division, and you are no doubt fully aware of its budget constraints.

I will take the liberty of reading part of the article to you. I will read it in English. It reads as follows:

But 1 Canadian Air Division's 2014-15 business plan says the “extremely limited manning and financial flexibility that exists in the Air Force restricts the effectiveness with which we can fulfill our mandate.“ It adds that underfunding “will eventually impact the RCAF's ability to conduct operations.“

The same article also stated that there had been a decrease in the number of flight hours.

I'd like to hear your opinion about the impact of cuts on the operations of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

[MGen D.L.R. Wheeler]

From my perspective obviously the budget is very important for me to be able to conduct operations but also to be able to conduct force generation, which is training for our troops. It's all about priorities. The budgets change every year. It is based on the budget that the Canadian Armed Forces gets but it is also is based on the budget that the Canadian Armed Forces provides to its various services. So if the air force is a priority in any given year our budget could be greater. Conversely, it could be less if for instance the army or the navy had more of an importance placed on their operations.

When we do this we obviously do a lot of planning. The military does great planning. It's what we do. We need to have contingencies and be prepared for everything. When I get the budget and I convert that into a yearly flying rate, the number of hours I can provide to specific fleets, which cover all the fleets we fly, I will then ensure that we get enough training hours in there to make sure that our crews are safe and effective. That is the primary thing that I need to make sure takes place and that we have a state of readiness available to provide to the Chief of the Defence Staff so he can commit those to operations.

The second thing I do, or the second priority that I place on it—

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Excuse me, Major-General Wheeler, but I have to interrupt you because I have very little time at my disposal.

Based on your observations, what impact have budget cuts had? You are explaining how you are able to maintain certain operations despite the budget cuts, but you are not answering my question. I would like to have a better idea of the direct impact of the budget cuts, based on your observations.

I have very little time and I would also like Colonel Ménard to answer that question. With all due respect, I am asking you to be brief, please.

[MGen D.L.R. Wheeler]

All right. I have observed no real impact on the force generation requirement of our troops or what we provide to the Canada First defence strategy.

If we are in a lower year then it impacts additional expeditionary capabilities that we might have. In this given year when we received the initial budget it was lower than what we actually received through the rest of the year so we were able to provide additional hours to succeed in additional operations.