National Defence Committee on Oct. 10th, 2024

[LGen Stephen Kelsey]

We are well short. You deserve the precise answer. I don't have it with me.

In terms of the recruiting and the folks coming through the door, we're halfway through our intake plan. We're better than 50%, but we have much work to be done.

As I alluded to, we use those shortfalls to access our reserve forces. We need to make smart choices because, with every reservist we take out of the units, they can't fulfill their own training obligations. We have a lot of work to be done.

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

Eighteen-plus months ago, Minister Anand made the announcement that we were buying NASAMS for Ukraine and then announced that it was en route over 14 months ago. It's still not been delivered. When is the NASAMS that we purchased with Canadian taxpayer dollars going to finally get delivered to Ukraine?

[Nancy Tremblay, Assistant Deputy Minister, Materiel, Department of National Defence]

Canada has invested to make sure that Ukraine is provided with NASAMS. We're working with the U.S. government in order to make sure that this is delivered. At this point in time, we're expecting delivery in 2025.

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

When in 2025?

[Nancy Tremblay]

We're expecting early in 2025.

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

They need that system now. They're getting bombed every day.

Also, there is a promise to send some renovated or improved-upon LAVs, the older Coyotes that were getting rearmoured and re-equipped at Armatec. Has that contract been signed for all those LAVs to also be sent to Ukraine?

[Nancy Tremblay]

The contract with Armatec is being worked on by Commercial Canadian Corporation, and that is in discussion at this point in time.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Mr. Bezan.

Mrs. Lalonde, you have the final five minutes.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

We are here to talk about the priority of the Minister of National Defence through maybe a mandate letter.

If I look at what's been happening in the Indo-Pacific region—and we have not really touched on this today—we've seen a regional tension in the South China Sea and more broadly in the Indo-Pacific. I also understand that in the region, we are talking with like-minded partners on some topics, from naval partnership to artificial intelligence. Can you speak on how, specifically, the CAF role in the Indo-Pacific region has changed over the past two years, and what this is intended to signal? I know there has been great initiative, so I would really like us to share this with the committee.

[Stefanie Beck]

I'll start, and then others can add.

We were really pleased to have been part of the Indo-Pacific strategy that was led by our colleagues at Global Affairs Canada and to be able to access some new funding that allows us to really ramp up our operations and exercises across the Indo-Pacific. This has meant, in practical terms, much more interaction and direct collaboration at all levels, both on the civilian side, including the CSE, as well as on the military side. In fact, our senior researchers and developers have just come back from discussions in Australia, where we were working very explicitly on issues that we all face right now, including, for instance, underwater drones and other technologies that are being developed. AI would be another one of those. Working together, we can make a difference.

You will also have seen much mention of our sailing plans in Indo-Pacific; our work in Operation Neon, recognizing what is happening in North Korea and South Korea; and, of course, regular interactions with all of our other major trading partners there. The minister was recently in South Korea and in Japan as well. The Prime Minister is in ASEAN right now, in Vientiane, Laos.

Perhaps some more specifics on the military side....

[LGen Stephen Kelsey]

I recently was with my counterpart in the U.S. and he offered, unsolicited, his sincere thanks for what Canada is doing, which is showing a greater and more visible presence in the maritime and air domains.

Perhaps undervalued, but hugely important, is where Canada is actually leading in some defence research initiatives, which has caught the attention of certainly Australia and New Zealand.

All that to say, as we expand our presence there and re-foster our relationships with Japan, the Republic of Korea and others, it is noticed by our allies and is surely welcome.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much.

We only have a few minutes left. First, I want to say thank you to all of you and also to all our CAF and their families for their enormous contribution to Canada and the world.

Maybe I would just like to leave it open. This committee has been hard at work trying to bring partisan interests into this committee. Today with you here, it would be nice maybe to have a few thoughts, based on the priorities and the mandate letter, about what's next and what we need to focus on.

I know we talked about many initiatives. If there's something you would like to share with us, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Stefanie Beck]

Actually, what we would really welcome is a conversation with you, perhaps over in one of our buildings. We have some big plans we need discuss, including the defence industrial strategy, which we need to draft. We would really appreciate having input from all across the country, but particularly from this committee.

We're looking forward to your reporting on housing coming up.

We think we have lots of good ideas, but there are always more to come. In fact, the interactions directly with those affected are going to make the difference in what the outcome is and how successful we are on our Pathfinder initiative.

I know we didn't really talk about procurement reform today, but we're always happy to discuss it. This is very much on our minds. There are many things we can control internally so that we change our own processes to speed up. It does mean making choices that are difficult. In some cases, if we're doing more of what I would call “directed procurement”, it means somebody doesn't get it. There is always a trade-off, but that does manage to then speed up the actual outcome at the end.

We've seen some instances of that being very successful recently. Actually, I would point to the RFI on submarines, which we're hoping will be a demonstration of how we can actually do procurement differently, with the success at the end being the capabilities we need in a timely manner.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We're going to have to leave it there, Madam Lalonde.

On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you. I also want to thank you for the invitation to have further discussions in another setting. Partisanship aside, we're all going in the same direction here and we are in a threat environment that is ever accelerating and ever challenging.

On that point, colleagues, when we return from the Christmas—er, the Thanksgiving break—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

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

Is that a hint?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

For the ever-alert Mrs. Gallant, that is not a hint. Besides which, that would be way above my pay grade.

For October 22, we have the Ukrainian MPs for the first hour and Mr. Fadden and Mr. Thibault for the second. Then we will do a briefing on the Middle East on the Thursday and continue with our space defence on the 29th. Then, on the 31st, we have the Finnish Speaker for the first hour and space defence for the second hour. Hopefully, we will—

Yes.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Very briefly, I know there was a conversation regarding our delegation of MPs from Ukraine.

Are we hosting them in this particular setting in a very open format or do they prefer a more in camera, personal interaction?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We haven't heard, but I'm assured by the clerk that he'll cook a good breakfast for them.

With that, the meeting is adjourned.