National Defence Committee on Dec. 1st, 2016

[VAdm Mark Norman]

I will give you as short an answer as I can, because I think the deputy can speak better to the coordination in the town. On the ground it's absolutely essential. The minister alluded to it in some of his previous comments and responses to questions. The success will come from integrated solutions. It's not just planning and execution from here in the capital. It's on the ground where all of the efforts of development, diplomacy, security, and defence are lashed together in an integrated plan. That's what we're trying to achieve on an ongoing basis as we conduct our current missions and plan future missions.

[John Forster]

In the bigger picture, when the government came to office and looked at Iraq, they asked us to come back with more of a whole-of-government package. You saw it in the renewal of Operation Impact. There was a lashing up. We're seeing it even more as we look at options for peace support operations in Africa. You're seeing National Defence. You're seeing foreign affairs on the diplomatic side. You're seeing international development. You're seeing Public Safety on the policing side. It's much more integrative. Defence is part of a whole-of-government approach. It's a growing trend and it's a really good thing.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you both.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

That's close to five minutes. We'll keep going down the list, and we'll move into five-minute rounds again.

Mr. Rioux, you have the floor.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you for being here and for your valuable information. It is always appreciated.

I have three questions and I will ask them at the same time. You can answer them in any order you like.

The Arctic is an important issue and the one that will have the most impact. In the supplementary estimates (B) for 2016-2017, an amount of $2.6 million will be transferred to Natural Resources Canada to support the Canadian Armed Forces training centre in the Arctic. Can you give us more details about that amount?

Up to this point, how much money has been spent to build the Canadian Armed Forces training centre in the Arctic?

Is the centre going to include the three services: the army, the navy and the air force?

[VAdm Mark Norman]

The $2.6 million are for the Canadian Armed Forces Arctic training centre at Resolute Bay. Most of the military activities involve the army. That is its training base. That said, the centre is close to the sea and accessible for the air force. The centre’s role is to support training efforts in the area, including the Canadian Rangers.

The $2.6 million includes an amount of about $1 million to support Natural Resources Canada’s programs. The training centre is actually a joint facility, a project in partnership with Natural Resources Canada, which explains why resources are being transferred.

There are also costs for building maintenance, operations, and so on.

Finally, some funds are allocated for improvements scheduled during the period covered by the budget.

[John Forster]

Natural Resources Canada built the centre. To date, the costs are about $25 million.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Given global warming and the importance that the Arctic is going to have, can we expect that there will be even more operations at that centre?

[VAdm Mark Norman]

Yes. In addition, let’s not forget the naval facility at Nanisivik, which is under construction and renovation and will be available for the Canadian Armed Forces towards the end of 2018. Geographically, considering the distances in the Arctic, those facilities are quite close to each other.

In a word, there will be more and more activities in those two centres, as well as elsewhere in the Arctic.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

So, as I understand it, the training is mostly for the army. For the navy, you have your boats, your ships, and I imagine you have training too.

[VAdm Mark Norman]

Yes. As with all our facilities, no matter where they are, the entire armed forces can have access, whether it is the army, the navy or the air force. Each of our facilities is primarily for one of the services, but the others can always go there for training or anything else. No base is exclusively for one service of the Canadian Armed Forces.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Bezan, you have the floor.

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

There is $22 million going to the interim auxiliary offshore replenishment ship. Can you give us a quick update on where we are on that and whether we're on time to deliver this capability back to the Royal Canadian Navy?

[John Forster]

Maybe I'll ask Pat to do that. We had discussed it a bit earlier. However, yes, generally it appears to be in reasonable shape.

[RAdm Patrick Finn]

Thank you, sir, for the question.

Yes, we're on track. Again, it's a service to be delivered in the fall of 2017. Federal Fleet Services, as the company is now called, with whom we are in contract, for whom the Davie shipyard is a subcontractor, is very open. We're there monthly and have a third party overseeing it.

They are telling us quite openly that a lot of what remains is the disassembled part of the ship, the MV Asterix, starting to pull it together. At the end of the winter of 2017, they will be bringing over what we call a major piece of the structure, the house, which has been built in Scandinavia. It will be coming over and put onto the ship.

They are reflecting that there is risk ahead, as there is in anything this complex, but are very open. Currently, notwithstanding some schedule risks that we see in all our projects, it is on track to be able to provide that service to the navy in the fall of 2017.

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

Okay, good.

There is $9.5 million going to the Middle East strategy. Can you tell me where that falls within the purview of National Defence as to what staff is there from the Canadian Armed Forces, from National Defence?

[John Forster]

I'm sorry, that's $9.5 million for...?

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

In supplementary estimates (B), in the listing of transfer payments, there are contributions and support to the Middle East strategy. What is that program, and who from National Defence is participating in that? How many staff are assigned to it?

[John Forster]

Sorry, Mr. Chair, I'm not sure which item the member is referring to. I don't see that one.

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

Does anybody?

[VAdm Mark Norman]

We're not seeing it in any of our documents.

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

It's in the Library of Parliament documents on page 247.

[Col Claude Rochette]

This is vote 10. It's for the transfer of the $9.5 million we were talking about earlier for Operation Impact to purchase small arms and ammunition.

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

That does apply to some of our allies, I suspect?