National Defence committee  When it comes to the Arctic patrol vessels, it would probably be $100,000 Canadian dollars apiece for the ocean patrol vessels we are introducing right now. I think the Canadian dollar is worth a little less than the American one. Is that right?

National Defence committee  Yes, I'm sorry, $100 million Canadian apiece for the ocean patrol vessels. We have invested in frigates that will cost around 1.2 billion Danish kroner. In Canadian dollars—

National Defence committee  The ocean patrol vessel was built in a Polish shipyard and equipped in a Danish shipyard. Our frigates and our command platforms were built in the Maersk shipyard in Denmark.

National Defence committee  Thank you. It was an honour, sir.

National Defence committee  No, I think we will not know if anyone goes subsurface through our part of the Arctic waters. Basically, we were in the same situation during the Cold War, when we had submarines, because we used our submarines in the Baltic instead. At that time, we relied on somebody else to he

National Defence committee  We have patrol aircraft and our ships. We also rely on some satellite surveillance, which is more or less commercial-based. We are very engaged in LRIT—the long-range identification and tracking—that is now being introduced all over the world. We also get coverage in Greenlandic

National Defence committee  I'm lucky that I'm head of a navy that has just got a whole bunch of new ships. Our whole naval inventory is new: what was not renewed during the last five years will be renewed during the next five. All the investments on the navy side have been made. Therefore, I don't foresee

National Defence committee  I actually think the dialogue between the five polar nations is on track, as I mentioned. I think everybody adheres to the Ilulissat Declaration. I also think everybody adheres to the UNCLOS terms of reference in respect to when you have to deliver your scientific data in order t

National Defence committee  Yes, I fully understand your question and I share your concern. That is also one of the things I mentioned in my intro, that just a detail like surveying the area so that you will have decent sea charts so that you can actually conduct safe navigation is a big challenge, because

National Defence committee  I think there are two ways of approaching this. There is the cooperation and the dialogue-seeking way, where you can try to convince others this is the only way to go if you want to do this cheaply and smart. Then there is the alternative, which is to start an arms race, with all

National Defence committee  As I mentioned, my politicians are right now discussing the next five-year defence agreement, and there is nothing on the table right now that indicates that Denmark will start to arm itself for a significant greater presence in the Arctic. My country's position on that will be t

National Defence committee  I think I will point to the predominantly state issues, because when it comes to straits, and choke points, and also the strive for resources, if that is going to be a future scenario, it will probably be state driven. So I think I can put the security question into two categorie

National Defence committee  I can only have a personal opinion on your question. The answer to your question is basically that the more interest we all have in getting the UN engaged in this as an issue of interest to mankind, so to speak...because it is a huge area. It is a huge question, and there are a

National Defence committee  If I start with the Arctic, I think I will start on my home turf, in the sense that I think we are very engaged in the Arctic question because of Greenland. Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom. Therefore I suspect the Danish government and foreign ministry have a natural role

National Defence committee  Again, it's a highly political question. I could give you a list of equipment that you need to invest in, as politicians, if you want to have proper surveillance. I don't think you want to see that list.