National Defence committee  Yes. In these cases, the Prime Minister is the engagement authority and I'm the one who briefs him on these incidents. Specifically with the shoot-down in Yukon, I briefed him, gave him the engagement parameters and received his permission to go back to NORAD and give them the

National Defence committee  For clarification, is that independent from NORAD?

National Defence committee  That's a question where we would have to look at the specifics of where it occurred and what the incursion was, so I cannot give a definitive answer.

National Defence committee  Again, independently.... Where would it be occurring? What would the breach be? What would it consist of? Would we need advance warning coming from offshore? There are many factors that would go into this question.

National Defence committee  As we went through the process of determining whether or not something would be shot down, time was moving fast. For that decision, as we look at the after-action review, we'll look at the communications aspect of this as well, to see what could be improved upon.

National Defence committee  What particular object are you talking about?

National Defence committee  With regard to the first object, we need to realize that this was the first time that we had encountered an incident like this. The assessment was very important to get a better understanding, a better characterization, of what it was, what it was gathering and what threat it act

National Defence committee  We've had this challenge for a long time. NORAD modernization is going to plug that gap.

National Defence committee  Yes, that is my understanding of the situation.

National Defence committee  The Far North.

National Defence committee  Yes, that's why we're modernizing NORAD, including equipping it with OTHR radar. Of all the NORAD modernization projects, I think that one is the most important.

National Defence committee  I don't know all the details of the project. Perhaps Mr. Quinn would have something to add.

National Defence committee  Mr. Chair, with respect to the first high-altitude balloon, we monitored it as it traversed Canadian airspace, in order to get an awareness of what infrastructure it went over. When it was first detected, intercepted and characterized by NORAD over Alaska, the assessment from the

National Defence committee  Mr. Chair, there's a lot to that question. In terms of holding up our part of the bargain with NORAD, remember that the role of NORAD is airspace domain awareness and control. That's why NORAD modernization is so important, with the radar, with weapons systems for the fighters,

National Defence committee  No, Mr. Chair, absolutely not. Our F-18s on standby remain on standby, and reconstitution has not affected our ability to continue to have those F-18s on alert.