Posted on 08/11/2007 6:48:11 PM PDT by Clive
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Toting obsolete equipment and an arsenal dating back to the Soviet era, the Afghan National Army says it's waiting for modern weapons promised by Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor.
The Afghan army, which Canada is counting on to take over fighting against the Taliban in coming months, still has yet to receive C-7 assault rifles and ammunition the Canadian government pledged to deliver, said Lt.-Col. Sherinshaw Khobandi.
In Ottawa, a Defence Ministry spokesman confirmed that supplies for the Afghan National Army are planned, but declined to specify a date when they will be delivered.
Khobandi said O'Connor should have replenished the arsenal, at least in part, during his last visit. O'Connor's last public trip to Afghanistan was in March.
"We had a good talk with him," he said through an interpreter during a visit to the Kandahar multinational base on Saturday.
"I suggested that he could help us with some weapons and some ammunition. His recommendation was that within the next few months, he'll supply us with brand new equipment from (the) Canadian Forces."
The C-7 delivery delay has slowed the preparation of Afghan recruits and stalled their takeover of combat operations against the Taliban.
For now, Afghan soldiers must rely on Soviet-era weapons, such as the Kalashnikov AK-47.
At best, the AK-47s are not as precise and have a shorter range than the C-7, which is the Canadian version of the American M-16.
Khobandi is waiting for the weapons with impatience.
"I'm hoping and waiting for that day (to) come," he said.
"So that we can work together with the Canadian Forces, with their new equipment and then we'll be trained with the new Canadian equipment for future operations."
In the meantime, the Afghan military has a lot of work to do before it can match the firepower and challenge insurgents in place of Canadian troops.
In Kandahar province, less than 500 men are sufficiently trained and ready for combat.
Canada's new tactical group commander in the Kandahar province, Lt.-Col. Alain Gauthier, remains optimistic.
Gauthier said Afghan soldiers will have sufficient numbers and will be adequately trained to secure districts around Kandahar City.
"This will permit us (the Canadian military) to enlarge our field of action farther into the province," said Gauthier, who replaced Lt.-Col. Rob Walker.
O'Connor was doing a bloody good job until recently, especially with re-equipping the Canadian Forces and getting better armoured vehicles and new howitzers for the Kandahar job, but it seems that lately he is losing his focus.
Why is this causing a problem? The ak is a good rifle and there’s lots of ammo, easy to maintain...
We want our allies to have good equipment and weapons with compatible calibre. This means matching the US M16 and the Canadian C7.
BTW the C7 is also the weapon of choice for the SAS as well as the Norwegian Hærens Jegerkommand, the Royal Netherlands Army and Marine Corps and the Danish forces.
The C7 assault rifle stemmed from the Canadian decision to go with the NATO 5.56mm round as the standard ammunition round for the Canadian armed forces. The Colt-produced American-made M16 rifle became the base weapon of choice.
The M16A2 variant was later accepted into service over the original M16 and was designated as the C7 rifle. Differences in the Canadian variant over the American one might not be that apparent, but are based on a few modifications.
The C7 utilizes a full automatic fire mode, which the American M16A2 does not use. Instead, the US Army relies on the three-round or single-round fire selection. A spent case deflector is also implemented to make the weapon ambidextrous depending on the user. Flip up sights for short range and long-range firing is also integrated. The firing mechanism is designed to accept either the NATO SS109 round or the US M193, making the C7 adaptable to logistical needs.
The C7A1 is a later variant, which builds upon the base C7 but features no integrated carrying handle. Instead, an adaptor is available for mounting a variety of optic sights. Should the optical sight fail, a static iron sight located in the butt of the weapon can be accessed and fitted to the weapon system.
As stated above, the C7/C7A1 is currently in use by the Canadian armed forces but has also seen enlistment with the Netherlands and Denmark. A shorter "Assault Carbine" version is available (looking very much like the US M4 Carbine also produced by Colt) and is designated as the “C8”.
Basic Information:
Designation: C7
Type: Assault Rifle
Manufacturer: Diemaco - Canada
Country of Origin: Canada
Operation: Semi-Automatic Gas-Operated
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Service Year: 1984
Dimensions:
Overall Length: 40.16 in (1,020 mm)
Weight (Empty): 7.9 lbs (3.30 kg)
Weight (Loaded): Not Available
Performance:
Rate of Fire, Cyclic: 800 rds/min
Magazine: 30-Round Detachable Box
Maximum Range: Not Available
It is a better weapon but it also requires more maintenance. I did re-read the article and nowhere does it say that things are stalling because of this so get them the rifles as soon as possible. Got to remember that Afghanistan has been a total basket case for years, only making terrorists and dope.
C7s ? Nah!
The Canadian Liberal Party, along with the NDP, will seize the guns of ALL Canadians and ship them to Afghanistan, under Gun Control legislation, while limiting free speech in Canada as " Hate Speech."
The Afghanis are understandably ," Not Amused."
NOt to knock the C7 or the M16/M4 - but a lot of grunts carry an Ak while on patrol -just the thing for short distance fighting.
For longer range, I would think an AR10 would be the better choice.
Be interesting to see how long the C7 will last in real use by real inding troops.
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