Thank you, Mr. Rioux.
Surveillance of our coasts is provided in all three oceans. Let's not forget that a lot more activities are currently taking place on the Atlantic the Pacific coasts than in the Arctic. Of course, that should change, as there will be as many activities in the Arctic as on the two shores in the future.
The Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces are involved in the monitoring of that entire territory. There are certainly technological challenges to overcome to ensure the same level of surveillance as what we are currently providing on the two coasts, but some progress is being made. The RADARSAT system is a very useful tool, among others. The Americans are very interested in that technology that largely contributes to the image they have of what is happening in the north.
The Royal Canadian Navy used to have an ice-breaking vessel and divested itself of that capacity when it transferred it to the Canadian Coast Guard. As you know, Arctic/offshore patrol vessels are not meant to be used as ice breakers. They are rather designed to navigate when necessary through ice that is several years old and up to one metre thick where it is more difficult to navigate.
From the perspective of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces, only large vessels—mostly Russian and sometimes nuclear—have the capacity to venture into the northern ice cap. Once they are in the ice, those vessels advance at a very low speed of two to three knots. When necessary, should those large vessels enter our waters without our permission, it would not be difficult for the Canadian Armed Forces to keep things under control. If the situation got more serious, an F-18 with a bomb would be entirely capable of targeting such a vessel.
I feel that it is important to acquire a patrol vessel. I believe that the vessel's capacities would be adequate for the current situation.
As Vice-Admiral Robertson mentioned, once the ice melts, there will be a lot more people up there, including the Royal Canadian Navy with its vessels that, although they are not designed specifically to navigate through ice, will be able to do so. Exercising our sovereignty in waters where ice is retreating will essentially be the same as the exercise of our sovereignty in the current waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Thank you.