Evidence of meeting #38 for National Defence in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was industry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Vice-President, Government and Industry Affairs, Bombardier inc.
I mentioned talks with the RCAF through the DIA for the Global for multi-role airlift capability and also the NRC aircraft for research purposes.
Vice-President, Defence and Security, Canada and International, CAE Inc.
We have signed a co-development contract with the Government of Canada on the future fighter lead-in training program as part of the strategic partnership.
Chief Executive Officer, MDA Space
Yes, it's a strategic agreement for the enhanced satellite communications polar project. That's about a $5 billion-plus program.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Is it an agreement with a signed contract with dollars flowing? Is this agreement signed with a contract?
Chief Executive Officer, MDA Space
Dollars are flowing within it, yes, in addition to the long lead item component of a new satellite.
Conservative
Chief Executive Officer, Canada Rocket Company
Yes, through the DRDC, with contract signed and dollars flowing.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you.
Very quickly then, we seem to be missing a national security policy as the foundation, the guidance, the threat assessment and the strategic assessment that would underpin or be the foundation for the defence industrial strategy, and then the Defence Investment Agency, to get those contracts going and focus on what the particular needs are. In my opinion what I'm seeing is that it seems to be more willy-nilly all over the place as opposed to focused on what we need collectively as a country, not for your individual organizations.
My quick-answer question in the time that I have remaining is this: Would procurement planning, coordination and co-operation, focused and efficient and national in effect, be better, in your opinion, if we had an underpinning national security policy?
Chief Executive Officer, Reaction Dynamics Lab Inc.
It would definitely help. I would say it all depends on the national security policy as well.
Vice-President, Government and Industry Affairs, Bombardier inc.
I think it's one of the building blocks.
Vice-President, Defence and Security, Canada and International, CAE Inc.
I would say the same.
Chief Executive Officer, MDA Space
I think the most important thing is to have a long-term defence capability procurement road map, which I think, for government, would be helpful if backed up by a security policy in terms of why you need that capability.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
I agree. Thank you very much for your comment.
Do I have any time left, Mr. Chair?
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
This is a first.
My last question here will be really quick now. We don't have a national inventory of capability, production, companies, assets, etc., the national inventory of everything. We don't have that. I brought this up before. Again, I know it might not be within your own silo of what you do, but in terms of effectively coordinating and efficiently using our dollars, do you think that would be of benefit and something for the government to have to help better plan?
Chief Executive Officer, Reaction Dynamics Lab Inc.
It would be extremely helpful because it would help also guide who we can work with on what. That's, I think, very key.
Conservative
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
That's a shared national inventory.
Go ahead.
Chief Executive Officer, NordSpace Corporation
Yes, absolutely understanding the gaps and how to fill them would be critical.
Vice-President, Government and Industry Affairs, Bombardier inc.
I would support this detailed capability mapping. I think it should go hand in hand with the build-partner-buy framework, because we need to understand where the gaps are. In terms of promoting exports as well, I think it's important for the Canadian government to understand where the capabilities at a detailed level reside.
Conservative
