National Defence Committee on Dec. 1st, 2016

[VAdm Mark Norman]

The actual mechanism is coordinated between joint operations command, who are employing the forces in theatre, and the units from which they are generated back home. They all have the same standard, and they all go through a decompression, but it's different depending on what specific part of the mission they have been on, what rotation cycle they are on, and who their host of origin is. The air components go through a slightly different process than the special operations folks, and—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Do they have time in some place where they can talk to people—

[VAdm Mark Norman]

Yes.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

—they need to talk to, and get—

[VAdm Mark Norman]

Exactly as the minister said, based on our extensive experience from over a decade of doing this. Yes, ma'am.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you.

Once Daesh is driven out of Mosul, what plans are in place on the part of Canada to go after them in Raqqa?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

I didn't hear the last bit.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

What plans are in place to go after Daesh once they are driven out of Mosul to Raqqa?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

For...?

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

What plans are in place for our troops?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Right now we have no plans for this. The situation in Syria is extremely complex. Right now, if you talk about Syria in general, you have Russia's involvement and you have Turkey's as well. It is extremely complex.

Now is not the right time to be sending any troops into Syria and into Raqqa. Our efforts right now are in Iraq.

If the situation in Syria does change, we will always assess the situation based on consultations with our allies, but right now, we do not have, or intend to have, any involvement in Syria.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

For the purposes of expenditures in supplementary estimates (B), was anyone from the Canadian Armed Forces or DND required to sign a non-disclosure agreement?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

For supplementary estimates (B)?

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

For expenditures in supplementary estimates (B).

[John Forster]

No.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

James, go ahead.

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

Thank you.

In vote 1(b), there is a transfer to support joint research grant projects. What would those grant projects entail, and would they be in support of the replacement of our CF-18 fleet?

[John Forster]

Which transfer are you referring to, specifically?

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

Vote 1(b) from National Defence to Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

[John Forster]

I can speak to that.

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

It's $192,000.

[John Forster]

Yes, there's $192,000 this year. None of that, as far as I know, is related to the CF-18s. We will give it to NSERC to transfer to universities or others to do grants in areas of interest and priority to us.

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

In vote 5(b), there's a transfer in National Defence to a number of different government agencies for responding to and providing advice to the Government of Canada's public safety and security policy imperatives.

Was any of that security policy related to the need to increase the number of fighter jets available for the defence of Canada and North America?

[John Forster]

To the best of my knowledge—we manage a program on behalf of the government. Other departments submit applications for research in the areas of national security. As the money is going to the RCMP, Natural Resources, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Nuclear Safety Commission, they wouldn't be doing—

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

Also under 1(b), there's $3 million for the defence procurement strategy. Does that include the Super Hornets?