Evidence of meeting #53 for Public Accounts in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was defence.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Thank you. Okay. Great.
When you do expect to have a figure?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
We've issued, as the government announced, a letter of request to the U.S. government through the U.S. Department of Defense, and they are providing information back to us. We would expect that by the fall. We will then proceed to do a full life-cycle costing analysis based on the information we get.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Will you provide these figures to the parliamentary budget officer when you have them?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
We're happy to provide—as we're required in law to provide—costing information we have to the parliamentary budget officer. At the moment, we don't have a full life-cycle cost estimate to share with him.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Should you proceed, when do you expect to take possession of the interim fleet of Super Hornets?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
That's part of what the process is: to determine, when Boeing would be able to provide these aircraft, would they have the capability Canada needs and at a cost that's acceptable to the Government of Canada?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Have you done an indicative estimate for the Treasury Board?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Has your department approached Treasury Board with an indicative estimate?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
Not with an indicative estimate. We've issued the letter of request to the U.S. government to get that information.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
If the U.S. government is providing you the costing information, we're not doing an internal costing inside your department?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
We will do the costing analysis based on the data that we get from the U.S. government and from Boeing, based on the requirements that we have for the aircraft.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
In other words, there's a company out there that's going to give you their numbers—not competitive, meaning sole-sourced. They're going to give you the numbers, the U.S. government is going to provide you with input in terms of what they see the costs are, and then you'll begin your costing based on a sole-source company providing you that number.
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
The numbers we use will come from the U.S. government.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
You've just reversed yourself there, sir. You've said that it will come from Boeing as well.
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
Boeing will feed their work into the U.S. government. The U.S. government will do their analysis and review of it and submit it formally to Canada.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
When would you expect to have a substantial estimate?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
As I said, it will depend when the U.S. government responds to our letter of request. We're expecting that in the fall.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
When would you expect that we would set up the infrastructure to handle this new fleet, meaning all of the technicians, all of the pilots, all of the recruitment necessary, and all the training necessary? Further to that question—you might expand on it for me—will all of those skills be transferable to whatever the next generation of aircraft might be, should they not be Super Hornets?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
We're doing the planning now. The air force is doing the planning around technicians, pilots, and infrastructure for the Super Hornets. Some of those skills will be transferable. Depending on what the winning aircraft is in the competition, there obviously will be different skills needed, depending on what the final purchase is.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Those skills may not transfer over to what the eventuality might be for the long-term needs of the Canadian air force and military, because they may be something different from those for the Super Hornet. I don't want to.... If I might—
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence
That's not quite what I said. I said that some of those skills are likely transferable. There will be some skills required, depending on which aircraft wins the competition; they will be needed. Each aircraft requires different training skills, equipment skills, and mechanics.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
You've just stated that you were ramping up the infrastructure needed for the Super Hornets.