Government Operations committee  For sure. The Auditor General actually looked at this. My colleague may want to comment at some point. We were looking for 15 helicopters. We wanted them to be able not simply to pick up troops and bring them to another spot, but essentially to operate in the Canadian environment, including with different weather challenges and over long distances.

Government Operations committee  Is that question for me, sir?

Government Operations committee  I could take a first crack at it. With a large production plan like this, we're talking about several thousand aircraft, and you tend to build them in blocks, as was indicated by our colleagues earlier. The idea is that for each block, you're learning as you go what the particular mechanical challenges are, particularly on the F-35.

Government Operations committee  Your question really gets to the heart of the joint strike fighter program, and the emphasis is on “joint”. In the partnership of the original eight countries, the idea was that by funding annually the payment of the research and development on this aircraft, the companies in your country would be able to benefit from the global supply chain and bid on them.

Government Operations committee  I'm happy to, and I appreciate the props for my Mad Men-style rhetoric. There are a couple of variables at play, as noted in that paper. One, off-the-shelf can refer to buying directly from someone, an existing production line, or buying an existing design and then adapting it to your needs.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, sir. That is an excellent question. As to whether I have the United States' precise numbers, I do not. Generally, I have a pretty good understanding of how procurement works in, say, a fellow middle power like Australia, and it's not that much better, I'm afraid. It goes to the heart of the nature, often, of the type of procurement we acquire.

Government Operations committee  I don't know the actual schedule of block IV. That's a great question. Finland, of course, will be entering into it. My colleague Mr. Fergusson noted what's to be negotiated. I think one of the key things to negotiate with the company is where in the production cycle we fit. They have a certain production rate of x number of aircraft.

Government Operations committee  Thank you for the invitation to speak to you all today on the most important of topics, Canada's air defence procurement projects. The 2016 report of the Standing Committee on National Defence on Canada’s air readiness noted that “the international security environment is both unpredictable and in constant evolution”.