From my perspective, first of all with regards to the Swedish and Finnish involvement, that raises the issue of course of what the future holds for the NATO-based American phased adaptive approach to missile defence and whether you want to add a site for further defence. That be actually a site to defend North America rather than Europe. So I don't think they're going to make one difference either way in terms of North American defence.
In terms of technologies, in terms of opportunities in the missile defence world, that train left the station two decades ago. Canada did not engage. The American research and development program is well advanced across the board in missile defence. The likelihood that there are any opportunities for Canadian firms or Canadian technology is extremely low. There may be some firms that are somewhat engaged on the margins as a function of the integrated nature of the Canada-U.S. defence technology and industrial base.
Cruise missile defence in terms of warning and identification of cruise missiles is a problem, which I think you probably heard from Admiral Gortney. There are numerous potentials in that area in terms of Canada's involvement in terms of the early warning. It's really about surveillance, reconnaissance, tracking, target identification, and cruise missile defence, which is vitally important. The capacity to intercept cruise missiles is already in place with the F-18s and will be in place with any replacement of the F-18.
About missile defence, it's difficult to know. I can tell you right now that, if Canada proposed an interceptor site in return for direct access to command and control of the defence of North America as a whole—a low probability of attack, but it's greater than zero—the United States would be interested in providing that capability in some form of negotiated arrangement.
Possibly as well, as I mentioned, tracking radars will be important if the United States proceeds down that path. They have alternatives, of course, in radar. They could put in offshore radar, as they have in the Pacific right now and off Alaska.
So there are some opportunities, but they're not great ones. I hope that answers your question.