Military equipment: Further Canadian Forces's needs

After the big ticket list of procurements there is still a considerable amount of stuff the CF require. Assuming of course the first procurements are actually made. Meanwhile, Jack Granatstein likes the list, is keeping his fingers crossed, and points out that CF numbers will have to increase significantly (as the Conservatives promised).

Canada's air force hopes to buy a fleet of sophisticated aerial drones — unmanned "eyes in the sky" — to patrol Canadian territory and waters as well as spy on enemy troops in hot spots like Afghanistan, a top general says.

Lt.-Gen. Steve Lucas, the head of the air force, said he hopes the purchasing process for 18 drones, valued at $500 million, will begin this fall.

As well, the air force hopes to finally move on the long-delayed purchase of 19 new search-and-rescue aircraft [that's a story in itself] for an estimated $2 billion to replace the old Hercules planes now doing the task, he said...

Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, the new head of the army, said he wants to tweak capabilities to cope with evolving conflicts that demand a mix of guerrilla fighting and development work.

"I think what we're doing in places like Afghanistan will be our stock-in-trade for a good many years," Leslie told the Star, describing the mission as "dangerous and complicated."

With that in mind, he and his colleagues are now talking with the government about the next investments to enable troops to fight more effectively. His wish list includes the next generation of night vision goggles, new communications gear, improved protection for the troops and new technology to combat rocket propelled grenades, which have killed and wounded soldiers in Afghanistan...

Leslie's also looking at a few shake-ups with the current army — and that could include reversing a decision to mothball Canada's fleet of Leopard tanks.

It's said that Leslie is no fan of the mobile gun system [my emphasis - MC] — an armoured vehicle equipped with a 105-mm gun that critics say would leave troops vulnerable to attack.

Leslie also envisages a "smarter" battle force, using battlefield sensors and spy planes to detect enemies...

Update: Senator Colin Kenny also thinks it's a good start but he too points out that much more is needed, especially many more people.

...these are blatant needs that simply had to be filled if Canada was to continue to play any kind of serious role in protecting Canadians at home and abroad. The lack of capacity of the Canadian Forces even to help out in domestic emergencies has been dwindling to the danger point...

My greatest fear is that this government will use these purchases to tell the electorate that it has done the "right thing" in terms of reinvigorating the Canadian Forces - that by spending billions of dollars in one flurry after decades of neglect it will pretend that Canadians can now put a check mark beside the category "Canada's military needs" and say "job well done."..

Canada's military is certainly in need of new equipment, but it is in even greater need of qualified personnel to use that equipment. The Senate committee believes both the last and the current government have under- estimated the number of personnel that will be needed to fulfill the missions the overstretched Canadian Forces are going to be called upon to perform. We need 90,000 people in uniform - not 75,000 - or the pattern of burnout and attrition is going to continue...

Predate: William Watson wishes we would just buy the needest stuff cheapest, abroad if that's where it is, instead of all the focus on creating jobs in Canada. The way it should be, but that will always be a dream given Canadian political realities and soft popular support for military spending.