National Defence committee  As you know, the Chicoutimi is awaiting eventual repair when we have the capacity to focus on Chicoutimi. Victoria is undergoing an extended work period on the west coast as part of the normal life cycle of submarines. As I've indicated, the other two were operational on the east

National Defence committee  We've had a very successful past 12 months with submarines, with two operating simultaneously on the east coast over the course of the fall. The submarines participated in a variety of fleet exercises with Canadian and American forces over the past year. In addition, we had train

National Defence committee  I think you're referring to trying to manage within this fiscal year to get the effect that we need. And yes, the ships on both coasts are conducting the training that's required for the balance of the fiscal year.

National Defence committee  With respect to the supply ships, as I think I indicated earlier, in the normal process of decommissioning one ship to commission a new ship, we would naturally tend to decommission something like a year or a year and a half prior and then conduct the training to be able to take

National Defence committee  I'd break that into two parts. The first would be the seagoing ship's officers, as opposed to the seagoing engineers, who are required to drive for any project. In this case, relatively fewer are required than the number of engineers required for a new project. But we still need

National Defence committee  Yes. Actually, I'd start merely by saying not only on time and on budget, but it delivered a world-class product. It is still, 15 years later, operating around the world and will be for decades to come, and certainly today it is a platform that other countries are envious of.

National Defence committee  With respect to the employment of the ships?

National Defence committee  The manner in which they are purchased? I'm not sure I....

National Defence committee  The greatest challenge is always in recapitalizing the fleet. That's an enduring challenge in all navies, because of the two points I mentioned earlier, one being the long time it takes to procure warships. Since it takes a long time, there never seems to be a sense of urgency, b

National Defence committee  No. In fact, I think the joint support ship project is a bit of a template for how we'll move for future acquisitions. As I noted earlier, I guess it would start with the long-term forecasts to industry in general and the specific information associated with any individual ship l

National Defence committee  I'll start, and then I'll ask Commander Greenwood to add slightly more. Absolutely, we need a domestic shipbuilding industry for construction and ongoing maintenance of our vessels, and I think the same applies to the other government fleets. So the degree to which we can provid

National Defence committee  That question is based on perhaps an incorrect understanding of how the money is allocated. I should explain that the purchase of aircraft is capital money funded through one stream, as opposed to the ongoing maintenance of our ships, which is the ongoing O and M moneys that are

National Defence committee  If you were to go back over the last thirty years, and indeed if you were to forecast ahead over perhaps twenty or thirty years, you would see that the percentages allocated year by year fluctuate greatly, but that they tend to be relatively constant over time. I'll give you an

National Defence committee  If I understand the question broadly, it's simply one of allocation of resources. Sailors are always happy to get more resources; previous folks have always noted that sailors never turn money back.

National Defence committee  It is always a question of balance in building an armed force. What the last few of years since 9/11 have shown us is the absolute need to have balanced capability across an armed force, and not in any one area.