Posted on 09/26/2001 7:31:04 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Wednesday, Sep. 26, 2001
Canadian Forces in very bad shape, report says
By JOHN WARD-- The Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) -- Amid a world girding for a war on terrorism, the Canadian Forces are in sad shape, unable to fight against the best and win, a major defence group concludes in a new report.
The army can field little more than company-sized units of 150 or so in a crisis and the navy and air force are falling short in their responsibility to guard the airways and sea lanes while meeting overseas commitments, the Conference of Defence Associations says.
The conference, an umbrella group representing a variety of defence-oriented organizations, is to release the damning report, entitled Caught in the Middle, on Thursday. It cites a litany of military shortcomings and calls for at least $1 billion in new defence spending over each of the next five years.
"Today, the Canadian Forces could not (as required by the 1994 white paper) 'fight against the best and win' beyond a marginal level," the report says.
The Forces are short of money and trained manpower to the point where the army would not be able to field a brigade-size contingency force within 90 days as required by the white paper, the conference says.
"The army is not sustainable under the current circumstances."
The report says the army can't even maintain its 1,800-member contingent in Bosnia if it wants to modernize and be able to respond to any other crisis.
The navy is so short of sailors that one of its destroyers is tied up for lack of a crew.
"The navy will not be able to deliver its mandated level of maritime defence capability without additional resources."
The air force has a pilot shortage that is bound to get worse before it gets better.
"The air force is 'one deep' in many areas and has lost much of its flexibility and redundancy."
The group says the title of the report "implies that the Canadian Forces currently inhabit the worst of two worlds: conventional military capacities are in decline; new capabilities are unaffordable."
The conference blames government stinginess for the troubles, despite modest increases in defence spending in recent years.
"Canada spends only $265 per capita on defence. The NATO average is $589."
The defence minister's office refused to comment on the report. Defence Minister Art Eggleton, who was in Brussels attending a NATO meeting, wasn't available.
The report gives the Forces a failing grade when it comes to the ultimate test of any military: the ability to fight.
"The low level of collective training, the unsatisfactory state of some weapons and equipment and the lack of logistics support would make engagement in combat operations problematic without resolving those shortfalls."
As Canadians wonder what military help Canada might provide to the U.S. in the war on terrorism, the report states:
"The situation will not improve until Canadians and their government realize that the cost of effective armed forces is the price of doing business in the modern world.
"Nations, particularly those in the G-7 group, who shirk their duties in this respect may anticipate unfavourable treatment in the international economic domain."
We could give them real currency too, unlike that monopoly money they use.
They said Western Canada has virtually no support out there and that they would have to wait 3-4 hrs for military cover! I could not believe how poor it is up there and yet people still said that this was the U.S.'s problem in the crowd and that Canada did not belong in the business of making enemies.
Oh really? Then what do you call giving us Celine Dion? A gift?
Ah, all those new potential Democrats (except in Alberta). It would be a veritable wet dream for the loyal opposition. And we would finally get single payor Hillarycare. Say bye bye to new cutting edge drug inventions. I sure hope they invent a drug for psoriasis which bedevils me before the shop is closed. Just yummy.
I'd bet they'd change their mind with a knife at their throat at 30 thousand feet MSL . Stay Safe....
At the time I thought Mexico City must have an incredibly large police force, now I suspect it is about the size of Mayberry's.
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