Thank you for your question.
On the one hand, programs in Australia and Europe have been in the works for decades. They have a clear head start on our programs in Canada. Given the threat posed right now, we need to move full steam ahead to catch up with our peers.
On the other hand, I believe that it will take time to train students and establish a research base in universities. At a number of Canadian universities, a few people are conducting research in hypersonics, but it's really quite limited.
If we want to develop this technology, we'll need to expand the research base, develop our capabilities and work with Defence Research and Development Canada, or DRDC, and other stakeholders in Canada to promote it. We need to invest in infrastructure that will support this research development.
We also need to understand the capabilities of our adversaries and how they develop these capabilities. We currently have no means of testing and advancing our understanding in these areas.