I'll start.
As you understand, the Halifax class modernization was an exhaustive effort that took an entire class of warships, the principal combatants of the Royal Canadian Navy, not completely out of service, but.... The readiness of the fleet dropped as you put so many ships through such a short cycle of third-line maintenance dockyard work. During that period, the readiness of the entire Royal Canadian Navy declined, and it's in that window that the Protecteur fire occurred while it was providing fuel to the United States Navy because of their requirement for this deep ocean support. That fire then led to an assessment that will preserve her at 46 years. Probably it should be retired too.
The loss of the capability occurred during the bottom of the readiness period. It was not caused by the tankers themselves, but by the modernization of the Halifax class, which is a risk we took to get ready for the next 20 years just as the world is heating up in many different security domains.
But here we are. We've come out of the Halifax class modernization on time and on budget, with an incredible capability that our sailors are still finding magic in, in terms of how much innovative technology has been put into this ship.
We've had to not struggle...it wasn't a struggle to find relationships, but we had to develop relationships that add their own positive values. I spoke about how the relationships with Chile and Spain had very positive values. We're coming through that period. PatiƱo just went home from supporting Spartan Warrior. Into next year, the interim AOR, a lease solution to bridge to the joint support ship, which starts constructing around 2018, will deliver. This is a lease solution.
Are we struggling? No. If you didn't expect your military to take challenge and turn it into a virtue, then I think you're probably underestimating the power of the military. All challenges and all enemy activities come at you from left field, and it's the virtue of our skill to figure out solutions. I think the interim AOR is the key piece to your answer.