That's an excellent question because, again, when we think about the new nuclear environment that we are in, where the indications are increasingly that we are moving from strictly one of nuclear deterring—that is, to stop a nuclear exchange ever occurring because the mutual assured destruction scares everybody from acting—to one where people are asking how we actually do it.... The way we deter it going into the future is that we have to ensure that the air defence systems that we are getting are, in fact, able to convince the Russians and the Chinese that there simply is no chance of successfully launching a surprise attack on the North American continent. The problem is that since 2005 to 2008, the Russians, followed by the Chinese, have very carefully been developing weapons systems that are designed to basically destroy, outwit and out-think our systems of defence. General VanHerck, the previous commander of NORAD, has stated publicly several times that American systems are having difficulty staying up with what the Chinese and the Russians have.
What we need, of course, is to be part of a system of aerospace defence. This is where we have to get beyond just simply saying, “Hey, we're going to buy a bunch of F-35s, and that's good enough.” We need to have the F-35s that can be refuelled, that can maintain their connection. They need to be able to communicate, and that's part of the satellite promises that are, of course, included in the update. They also have to be fully integrated with the Americans. Without that, you simply do not have the time and the technological capability to respond to what we are seeing are the clear capabilities in the advancements of the delivery systems that the Chinese and the Russians have.
One of the problems that we still have in Canada is that we think in World War II terms. We think, “If we only bought more Spitfires, we would be making an important contribution to World War II.” The reality is that in the coming war, you have to be getting a system of systems, so it means all of the above. It means the satellite connectivity, the over-the-horizon radars that are promised, and the fact that you have the refuelling, the fighting, and a point that Justin made, which is, of course, the ability to take hits. You have to have a capability so that if you get hit at the first onslaught of a conflict, you have the ability to replace it. It's not just simply, “Okay, they took out the over-the-horizon radar,” and then we're blinded at that point, or “They took out the 15 F-35s that we had stationed to the north, and we can't resupply or refuel.”
We really have to shift the mindset in thinking about the air defence, that it is not about an individual piece of kit. It's about the system, and it is about integrating with the Americans 100% of the effort. That is expensive, and it is politically unappealing. However, if we're going to defend, we need it.