Reporters who aren't up on their choppers
Mike Blanchfield of The Ottawa Citizen has not done his research (how typical).
...
Gen. Henault [Canadian, chairman of NATO's military committee] admitted yesterday the alliance is still plagued by the same problem that has continually dogged it there: a shortage of equipment to do the job, especially attack helicopters...
Canada does not have attack helicopters, but that is something new defence chief, Gen. Rick Hillier, was able to convince the last Liberal government to fund through its last federal budget. As a NATO commander in Afghanistan in 2004, Gen. Hillier also complained about a shortage of helicopters...
Blanchfield is wrong. Attack helicopters were not in the 2005 budget. It in fact called for acquiring:
...
new medium capacity helicopters...
Gen. Hillier was trying last November to get the Liberal government to commit to heavy-lift (e.g. CH-47) helicopters, not attack helicopters (the Dutch and British will be providing Apaches to NATO ISAF in Afstan). Although he had the support of Minister of National Defence Graham, Gen. Hillier was unable to convince the Liberal cabinet to commit to any helicopters at all.
Cabinet did agree on a $4.6 billion plan to fast-track a CC-130 Hercules replacement, while rejecting the rest of the Canadian Forces' $12.2 billion proposal for new aircraft.
By the way, this was the Conservative response to Graham's efforts to re-equip the Air Force.
The Conservative defence critic, retired general Gordon O'Connor, says he's concerned the government is rushing the process unnecessarily and has made the requirements "so precise only one solution's possible."
Mr Blanchfield compounds his mistake in another article today.
...
The Liberals, in their last federal budget, promised to increase defence spending by $13 billion over five years, buy new equipment, such as attack helicopters...
Oh dear.
...
Gen. Henault [Canadian, chairman of NATO's military committee] admitted yesterday the alliance is still plagued by the same problem that has continually dogged it there: a shortage of equipment to do the job, especially attack helicopters...
Canada does not have attack helicopters, but that is something new defence chief, Gen. Rick Hillier, was able to convince the last Liberal government to fund through its last federal budget. As a NATO commander in Afghanistan in 2004, Gen. Hillier also complained about a shortage of helicopters...
Blanchfield is wrong. Attack helicopters were not in the 2005 budget. It in fact called for acquiring:
...
new medium capacity helicopters...
Gen. Hillier was trying last November to get the Liberal government to commit to heavy-lift (e.g. CH-47) helicopters, not attack helicopters (the Dutch and British will be providing Apaches to NATO ISAF in Afstan). Although he had the support of Minister of National Defence Graham, Gen. Hillier was unable to convince the Liberal cabinet to commit to any helicopters at all.
Cabinet did agree on a $4.6 billion plan to fast-track a CC-130 Hercules replacement, while rejecting the rest of the Canadian Forces' $12.2 billion proposal for new aircraft.
By the way, this was the Conservative response to Graham's efforts to re-equip the Air Force.
The Conservative defence critic, retired general Gordon O'Connor, says he's concerned the government is rushing the process unnecessarily and has made the requirements "so precise only one solution's possible."
Mr Blanchfield compounds his mistake in another article today.
...
The Liberals, in their last federal budget, promised to increase defence spending by $13 billion over five years, buy new equipment, such as attack helicopters...
Oh dear.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 11:01 a.m.
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