Another three years, if the creek don't rise
The latest fratricide incident involving U.S. Close Air Support (CAS) of Canadian troops has brought to light once again the fact that beggars can't be choosers. We keep running into problems with American air support at least in part because our troops need CAS, and the CF can't provide it to them in Afghanistan.
That's changing, but slowly:
I can't find a link, but as I recall, our CF-18's won't be able to operate in theatre in Afghanistan until the second phase is completed - in 2009 at the earliest:
As I mentioned in a comment to an earlier post, I sell commercial insurance for a living these days. You don't buy it when your building's on fire, you buy it when it's safe - because once the fire's started, it's already too late.
The Chretien government got a wake-up call on the state of the CF-18 fleet in 1999 with NATO's Kosovo bombing campaign, but didn't authorize the upgrade contract until 2000. Unfortunately, the worldwide sea-change that occurred in the fall of 2001 showed that upgrade to be too late to help our forces overseas for the past five years, and what's worse, for the next three.
Military equipment planning can be like gazing into a hazy crystal ball - all too often generals and their civilian masters plan to fight the last war. But fighters have been a staple in modern militaries for generations now, so it's almost impossible to see how anyone in a position to decide upon military funding requirements would have thought it prudent to allow ours to deteriorate as they did. That's why I believe letting such a pivotal combat system fall so far below standard through determined neglect is indefensible.
The end result is CF troops shaking their heads and muttering "better American CAS than none at all."
That's changing, but slowly:
The air force has finished the first phase of a costly program to modernize 80 of its CF-18 jets, even as it ponders how to replace them in 10 years or so.
The CF-18s are 20 years old and the double-barrelled, $2.3-billion update program will give them a lease on life to about 2017.
The first phase of the program, just completed, keyed on electronics. The planes were given a new radar system, jam-resistant radios known as "Have-Quick," new computers and navigation systems and an updated transponder which identifies the planes as friendly to allied radar systems.
I can't find a link, but as I recall, our CF-18's won't be able to operate in theatre in Afghanistan until the second phase is completed - in 2009 at the earliest:
The second stage, to run until 2009, will install new data-link communications systems and provide a helmet-mounted display so pilots don't have to look down at their instruments.
The pilots will also get an improved electronic warfare system to deal with modern anti-aircraft missiles.
Other improvements, not formally included in the two-stage upgrade program, include structural strengthening.
The planes were also equipped to fire a new weapon, the advanced, medium-range, air-to-air missile, known as AMRAAM.
Once the whole upgrade project is finished, the air force expects to have state-of-the-art aircraft good until 2017.
As I mentioned in a comment to an earlier post, I sell commercial insurance for a living these days. You don't buy it when your building's on fire, you buy it when it's safe - because once the fire's started, it's already too late.
The Chretien government got a wake-up call on the state of the CF-18 fleet in 1999 with NATO's Kosovo bombing campaign, but didn't authorize the upgrade contract until 2000. Unfortunately, the worldwide sea-change that occurred in the fall of 2001 showed that upgrade to be too late to help our forces overseas for the past five years, and what's worse, for the next three.
Military equipment planning can be like gazing into a hazy crystal ball - all too often generals and their civilian masters plan to fight the last war. But fighters have been a staple in modern militaries for generations now, so it's almost impossible to see how anyone in a position to decide upon military funding requirements would have thought it prudent to allow ours to deteriorate as they did. That's why I believe letting such a pivotal combat system fall so far below standard through determined neglect is indefensible.
The end result is CF troops shaking their heads and muttering "better American CAS than none at all."
posted by Babbling Brooks at 2:25 p.m.
6 Comments:
The bodies of our five boys came home today...it tears me up inside
But I agree with you - "better American CAS than none at all"
I can't imagine how many more bodies would come home WITHOUT the air support.
I have no idea but is the CF 18 suitable for CAS?
And fred, never miss a chance to whack at Quebec for cheap political points eh?
Cameron, U.S. Marine Hornets fly exactly that mission all the time. One of the reasons we bought the -18's in the first place was because they were a 'utility player' type of aircraft.
Thanks bb and dave, my extent of knowledge about the Hornet starts and ends with the video game.
The same way that I'd explain the way the contracts about to be handed out by the Conservatives are going to be moved around the country for political reasons.
Is this thing on?
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