Thank you, General, for your presentation.
I will go ahead with questions regarding the Canadian Rangers. The library's briefing notes state:
The Canadian Rangers have been the military’s “eyes and ears” in Canada’s North since 1947. According to DND, the Canadian Rangers “provide patrols and detachments for national-security and public-safety missions in sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada that cannot conveniently or economically be covered by other parts of the CAF [Canadian Armed Forces].” This includes conducting surveillance and sovereignty operations in the Arctic. Currently, there are approximately 5,000 Canadian Rangers organized in 179 patrols across Canada. How important are the Canadian Rangers to the security of Canada’s Arctic?
I'm looking at in the context that in the Arctic, even though it is not perceived yet, there is a great threat from Russia. Russia reinforced extremely well their northern areas and became more aggressive in the northern areas. We need to admit that we have a border with Russia there. In this context, how will the Canadian Rangers fulfill this role of eyes and ears for us?
Also, what training are they going through? I was in the operation in Gjoa Haven on King William Island once, and I don't remember exactly when, but it was in 2001 or 2002. I saw that they are very good people and very eager to learn, but their equipment is outdated. Probably their Lee-Enfield rifles are from the First World War. What is their training? They will need some kind of training. What line of training are you using for that?