National Defence Committee on March 23rd, 2015

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Very good.

I'm curious about the weather conditions. How do they impact this? For example, over a course of twelve months, are there long periods of time when we are unable to get to CFS Alert, or is it more like a week or a shorter period of time when the weather prohibits flights in or out?

[Col David W. Lowthian]

That is a good question. You're talking to someone who's done numerous missions up north, probably some of the most challenging flying a pilot will see. There are circumstances where winds or visibility could be such that you can't get into your destination.

Typically, what we will do, if that does happen—and it does not happen frequently—is that we'll land at an alternative aerodrome and try to wait out the weather if it's a matter of a couple of days. Once in a while, but seldomly, do we bring an aircraft back with cargo because it cannot get in due to extended phase conditions, as we call them. I seldom see that.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

As one of Canada's busiest air bases, I understand that CFB Trenton is currently undergoing a considerable transformation.

Could you please elaborate on what new infrastructure is under construction, and how it will contribute to the effectiveness of the operation carried out by CFA troops stationed at CFB Trenton?

[Col David W. Lowthian]

Having procured the airlift capability of the C-17 back in 2007 and onwards, and then soon followed by the tactical airlift capability that 17 CC-130J aircraft provided, we more or less put aircraft on the ramp and started employing them without the infrastructure in place. That placed some burden on our operations here upfront, in that we were relying heavily on our partners to the south for hangar space, etc. We had to grow into that.

What we see here is number one hangar to the north, which has two bays. It hosts the C-17, which does allow us now to conduct our mid-term and heavier maintenance at home as opposed to taking our aircraft elsewhere. A very similar hangar, number six hangar, is going up on the south side of the airfield as well, to support the same thing. That hangar can accommodate a CC-150 Polaris aircraft at the same time.

On the north side we have a two-bay hangar to support our CC-130J aircraft, on the ramp space to the north. There are plans on paper to put up a four-bay hangar on the south side adjacent to hangar number six, as previously mentioned, to support the same thing.

There's a 15-bay fire hall that is almost complete. It should be finished this summer and operational in the fall, which will allow us to respond at a crash fire response level of 8, a CFR level of 8, which is the minimum requirement for supporting aircraft such as the C-17 and the CC-150: first, the size of the aircraft; second, the number of them that we do have; and third, because they're built of composite material.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Thank you, Colonel.

Mr. Chisholm, I understand you'll be sharing time with Madame Michaud.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Thank you very much, Colonel. It's been an interesting presentation.

I want to talk about your responsibilities in the Arctic, particularly as they relate to search and rescue and sovereignty. Mr. Harris mentioned earlier our concerns with the response time on search and rescue, the equipment you have available, and the time it takes to respond. That's only going to get worse as time goes on, with increasing commercial traffic in that area.

I'm also thinking about the sovereignty responsibilities, with the increasing presence of countries like Russia, for example, with assets in the Arctic.

Do you see us moving to an air base north of 60° as being one way to not only meet our obligations around SAR but also to properly conduct our sovereignty patrols?

[Col David W. Lowthian]

From my perspective as 8 Wing commander, as said, I'm satisfied with our ability to respond appropriately within that region. I don't really have any assessment on what a northern airfield would provide us at this time.

What I do know is that our ability to preposition to the north, if and when required, is uninhibited with the capabilities that we do have.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Thank you, Colonel.

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

Colonel Lowthian, thank you for appearing before us today. I will also talk about search and rescue.

In April 2014, the Canadian Press reported that the defence department was planning to introduce a 30-minute response time at all times for search and rescue squadrons in Canada. In the past, that has been considered too costly and too demanding in terms of staffing.

The article also said that two reports were studying search and rescue incidents as well as the costs associated with having a response service at all times. The idea was submitted to the headquarters in charge of overseeing the operations in Canada and abroad.

Could you briefly comment on the findings of those two reports and elaborate on what the situation is for the Royal Canadian Air Force in terms of making a 30-minute service available at all times?

[Col David W. Lowthian]

Thank you for your question.

With regard to response times here at Trenton—and in fact this would speak to all of the search and rescue capability across the country—over the last two years, we've modified the 30-minute response posture that we do maintain.

Historically, it has been a 30-minute response posture Monday to Friday in daytime hours, 8 to 4 o'clock. Not last summer, but the summer before, in the summer of 2013, we introduced a modified posture during the summer months—by summer months I mean the long weekend in May until Labour Day weekend. The reason behind this was to slew or adjust the response posture timing, so that they would better meet historically higher risk periods to respond in 30 minutes or less.

In the summer of 2013, we met with some very marked success, if you will, by modifying that posture closer to a Thursday to a Monday 30-minute response posture, between midday and later evening hours, and having our two-hour response posture moved to the periods where there was less risk. Statistically, we met with better success.

We have since modified or improved upon that last summer, where we adjusted and expanded the hours where the 30-minute liability was offered. Again, we met with better success.

To move to 30 minutes around the clock would probably be very resource intense. I'd imagine there would have to be considerable study and some manpower assessments that would go behind that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Mr. Bezan, for five minutes.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to split my time with Mr. Chisu.

Colonel, it's good seeing you again. It's always nice to hear from the experts out in the field. It's too bad that we weren't able to visit you, because 8 Wing is just a fantastic base and continues to grow and serve Canada so well. We appreciate your leadership there.

I have two questions for you. First, what role does 8 Wing play in the NORAD context, particularly in defence of Arctic sovereignty?

Second, you mentioned the forward operating locations in the Arctic. Could you elaborate on what role those FOLs play in the defence of our Arctic sovereignty, especially as has been mentioned previously, with the increased posturing that we're seeing from the Russian federation?

[Col David W. Lowthian]

Thanks, Mr. Bezan.

With regard to NORAD, I mentioned our QRA, quick reaction alert, capability that we have at 8 Wing. That is in fact one of our two NORAD mandates. When the fighter jets based out of Bagotville are ordered to respond or pre-position, we are one of the locations at which they will pre-position. We're a very strategic location in time and space. A map would [Inaudible—Editor] that.

We are prepared at all times to receive F-18 jets and to some degree service them and maintain them with our trained expertise up to a point where Bagotville would have to deploy some of their technicians here. We're that first line of resistance.

Similarly, I mentioned that two of our CC-150 Polaris Airbus aircraft are in fact configured to provide air-to-air refuelling for our F-18 jets. They, too, are on a response posture—it is classified—to provide that capability throughout Canada.

Lastly, I don't have a lot of knowledge really as to the structure or the operations of the FOLs, but I will tell you that with our mobile air movements teams, based out of 2 Air Movements Squadron, with our ability to move personnel and equipment, as well as with our tanker capability, we are routinely used in exercises and have been activated in the past to deploy to the north or to assist with our fighter operations to deploy to the north.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Mr. Norlock.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'll be splitting my time with Mr. Chisu.

Colonel, I know you were asked about the infrastructure at CFB Trenton.

I just wonder if you could repeat what you said. How does that infrastructure improvement contribute to our defence of North America? Could I have a short answer, please? I know that Mr. Chisu has a lot of questions for you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Actually, just one moment, Colonel.

Mr. Bezan shared his time with you, Mr. Norlock.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

I said “Mr. Chisu”.

I'll just ask the question.

Sorry, Colonel, we're confusing you because it appears that we're confused.

[Col David W. Lowthian]

That's not a problem, and I will give a short answer, I assure you.

At the end of the day, with the servicing and the second-line and third-line maintenance required for these newer fleets, there is quite a requirement within our hangars that we didn't quite have here in Canada at the time to service both the C-17 and the J model. We now have that.

Up until that point it would affect aircraft availability more than anything else. It would not affect serviceability so much, though it did to some degree, but mainly we would be spending time and hours sending our aircraft to the United States so that we could operate or [Inaudible—Editor] them down there. So we would lose airframe hours, which would not be available for us to use for our requirements here in Canada. Airplanes would be down for an extended period and as well they would just not be available.

It allows us to leverage more availability out of aircraft and to maintain very healthy numbers with regard to their serviceability.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, Colonel. I have a very short question.

You mentioned in your presentation that as a host to NORAD's quick reaction alert, 8 Wing Trenton provides essential ground support so that the CF-18 Hornets can be airborne immediately to protect our airspace from potential air threats.

There are worries about Russia in the Arctic, and so on. Right now the Russians are conducting one of the biggest exercises ever seen. What is our reaction, or what do you think about it, or what is your perspective on that?

[Col David W. Lowthian]

Mr. Chisu, you're asking for my opinion on Russia's exercise or operations in the Arctic?

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

Yes.

[Col David W. Lowthian]

Any nation is entitled to exercise and operate within its own borders, and our ability to understand or monitor what they're doing and to at least be aware of them, should they have other designs, is proficient. Our response posture, I believe, is capable of working within NORAD to respond in such a way.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

Thank you very much.

We have time for one final brief question by Mr. Harris.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you for your update on the 30-minute posture study. That's what it was called.

Can we now assume that this is a permanent feature of the operations of the search and rescue out of Trenton on an ongoing basis, with a 30-minute posture? I've heard that the CF-18s have a five-minute response time when on high alert. Is that the general rule, or is there another posture? Or is that a state secret?