National Defence committee  We might want to get back to you on that question with some of the details. But I can tell you that the Baltic states, for example.... There are a lot of smaller countries. People don't think about what Belgium does, for example, but Belgium is on the ground, and they continue to be on the ground with their F-16s in Afghanistan.

National Defence committee  We see no linkages between these issues. The issues of AWACS and AGS were taken on their own merits for its own reasons. We've explained that to allies, and we don't link any of these issues at all. Canada's record in terms of contribution to NATO is clear. People just have to look at what we've done in Libya and what we're doing in Afghanistan.

National Defence committee  One of them doesn't exist yet. That's AGS. On AWACS, I think AWACS was deployed to a certain extent. It was, but I would also add that it wasn't used in other missions. It hasn't always been deployed in support of NATO operations in the way some might have liked it to be.

National Defence committee  That's a hypothetical question.

National Defence committee  I actually am not in a position to answer that. You would need an operational commander to give you that level of detail. AWACS is one part.

National Defence committee  I would say that's somebody's extrapolation. It's not based in fact.

National Defence committee  Mr. Chair, I am not sure I am in a position to answer that question. I think the Canada First defence strategy maps out the range of capabilities the government would like the Canadian Forces to have in order to be a fully capable, combat-ready armed force.

National Defence committee  Thank you very much. NATO has had this discussion and continues to have this discussion. NATO is committed to working to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons. Until that world exists we will hedge our bets and maintain nuclear capability at much reduced levels of nuclear weapons.

National Defence committee  I'm not sure I understand the question.

National Defence committee  For NATO, not so much the strategic concept, but in the work that has been done we have core tasks and principles. Colonel Irwin has them right in front of him, so he's going to talk to this in more detail.

National Defence committee  Thank you. Simply a word on your afterword about being out in the world. The other thing I should have said is that the best way you secure yourself is forward defence. So what you want to do is to be able to meet threats as far away from your national shores as possible. So again, that ability to deploy, whether it's CCVs or others, is all part of the same package in a way.

National Defence committee  The short answer is yes, and your starting premise about smart defence meaning different things to different people is a very good point because it reminds me of an earlier question. Smart defence, for us, is about deployable capability, getting that out the door and sustaining it.

National Defence committee  I might go back to first principles a little bit about the alliance, because the question refers to our contribution to the organization. Our starting premise is that the organization is us and it is in our national interest. When we look at our contribution to things like operations in Afghanistan or Libya, we agreed to participate in those operations because it was in Canada's interests to participate in them.

National Defence committee  Yes, it is. I think NATO's approach to Russia since the changes with the fall of the Soviet Union has been, “The doors are open. This alliance is not about you. It's not against you. The partnership volets are totally open on everything we are doing.” It is really for Russia to determine what the nature of that relationship will be.

National Defence committee  Thank you. I think because of the practical contributions that Canada brings to the alliance, we are seen by countries around the world, whether it's the Australians, or the Asians, or the Latin Americans, as a country that has a political voice at an important table, which NATO continues to be.