Three tries for 10 yards....
I am retired BGen Gaston Côté. My remarks may differ from what you've heard so far.
I have a lot of experience with the Canadian Forces procurement process. I'd like to give two examples. I continue to have a lot of procurement interaction weekly, mostly with the Canadian defence industry and particularly with the United States. I was fortunate to have a privileged position as commander of the special forces when we had a budget. We also had a direct link to procurement, so all our needs could be met. The real lesson to be learned from this example is that if the supply system is receptive to the needs of the operator, you're going to be tremendously successful.
Other things have been a little less glorious. Several years ago, I was asked to look into the possibility of working for a Canadian mechanized brigade in a northern environment. As you know, the majority of our current vehicles are wheeled. I had to consult all the science behind Canada's defence research and Canadian industrial research into winter and Arctic mobility. Interestingly enough, I noted quite a disconnect between the science, the capabilities of Canadian industry—although all civilian industries are actively working to get this kind of vehicle, which can go into Arctic environments—and what we have on the ground. If, for any reason, we were to deploy a brigade to the Canadian Arctic, we'd have some pretty serious supply issues, since we don't really have the fleet of vehicles we need to operate in that kind of environment.
I believe the point has been made about the incredible delays on some equipment-related projects. Right now, what's particularly close to my heart is protecting Canada's North, where we're seeing a staggering militarization of the entire area. What's more, the Northwest Passage is becoming increasingly busy, making it vulnerable in every respect, from potential pollution to illegal use of the seaway. In spite of this, we have to go back to the announcement made in 1988 to see a Canadian military vessel able to operate in the Arctic. An Arctic-ready ship was delivered to us in 2022. That's really an egregiously long time to wait for a device that's truly needed to protect Canadian sovereignty in such a special environment as the Canadian Arctic.
Right now we're witnessing a sea change, and that's a return to conventional warfare, something we've forgotten for several generations because we were mostly involved in peacekeeping. Recently, with the situation in Afghanistan, we've become involved in counterinsurgency.
Extremely important lessons are emerging from all this and from everything happening in Ukraine. However, these lessons are being ignored in some of the defence policy programs.
I'm thinking in particular of rapid targeting capability, which is increasingly important, the use of drones at all levels, and long-range precision shooting. Most of our artillery is, in fact, towed artillery. Currently, the most effective pieces of artillery are mobile and can fire quickly.
Obviously, for Canadian Armed Forces, air defence is really a big issue for any operation within the NATO framework. In fact, there hasn't been much development since the ADATS program was shut down.
Finally, I'm thinking of anti-tank weapons that can be used at any temperature and in any conditions, such as the Javelin system. As a military man, I've always used the Carl Gustav ever since I joined the Canadian Forces. That system is still in place, and it has many qualities but it also has its faults.
It's still important to note that we've experienced a significant loss of capability in this area.