Evidence of meeting #52 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was objects.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bill Matthews Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
Chief, I believe you said “February 3”, the night before...?
Conservative
Gen Wayne D. Eyre
I gave direction that it would be preferable for the Canadian F-18s to do the shoot-down, but that whoever had the first best shot should ensure that we had it.... It was under the command of the Canadian NORAD region, so a Canadian officer made the final decision. Our F-18s were very close—
Conservative
Gen Wayne D. Eyre
Yes, but I will say that they were delayed in departing Cold Lake because of freezing rain. I understand that the airstrip was a bit of skating rink, as happens in northern Alberta. In all operations, there is some friction. That's why they were somewhat delayed.
The shoot-down occurred, as you mentioned, at 15:41 hours, so that's 3:41 p.m. eastern time, Ottawa time.
Gen Wayne D. Eyre
It was mid-afternoon here in Ottawa but morning in Yukon.
Our F-18s were on station shortly afterward, so hopefully this clarifies that process.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Okay. It was shot down around 11:41 a.m. Yukon time, because it's on Pacific time.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Okay, but still it was daylight, and the first ones on the scene.... Had the CP Auroras arrived to do an assessment, as was stated by the Department of Defense?
Conservative
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
As we talk about NORAD modernization and we talk about NORAD also having maritime domain awareness, and as the minister already talked about these buoys that were picked up in the Arctic, can you confirm, as was in the media, that the origin of the buoys that the Canadian Armed Forces picked up in our Arctic waters was the regime in Beijing?
Gen Wayne D. Eyre
Let me just say that we are seeing an increasingly assertive China in the Arctic. They have designs on the Arctic.
If you take a look at their icebreaker program or at their—
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Do you suspect that's how they were delivered?
Gen Wayne D. Eyre
As they are a near-Arctic nation and given the research they're doing and the research vessels that have transited through the Arctic, which we suspect are for dual use, yes, we are concerned about China and its designs and activities in the Arctic.
I'm not going to get into operational details, because doing that could compromise some sensitive operations, but we are very concerned.
Liberal
Charles Sousa Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Generals.
Welcome, General Molstad.
There's been a lot of discussion today, a lot of talk about balloons over the last number of weeks, and we're still struggling to determine what they were and why. It begs the question: Given all the modernization and all the investments that have been made and the improvements and effectiveness of NORAD over the last 60 years in controlling and defending our airspace, why would China throw in a slow-moving balloon?
Of course you've been monitoring it and you've been assessing it. You saw it coming and you made a determined decision to bring it down at a certain point in time, because you wanted to see it. In your opinion, why would China do that this way?
