Accelerated acquisition of C-17s, CH-47s?

Asking the US military to give us a break:

National Defence wants to jump the queue to get faster delivery of new helicopters and planes from Boeing Aircraft, and so has asked the Pentagon if it can butt in line ahead of the U.S. military.

"It's being given serious consideration," a Defence Department source said, because the new aircraft would make the Canadian military more self-sufficient in Afghanistan.

Like the Canadian Forces, the Pentagon is also expecting delivery of new C-17 Globemaster transports and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, both manufactured by the Chicago, Ill.-based Boeing Aircraft Corp...

Preparations for operating the new aircraft are underway, even though the Conservative government has yet to sign formal contracts with Boeing Corp...

Defence sources say one or two C-17s could be in Canadian hands by June of next year rather than late 2008, as had been originally planned.

The advanced timeline for new helicopters was less clear, but it would likely be well ahead of the 2012 delivery initially cited...

Hutcheson [spokesman for the Canadian air force] confirmed that two Canadian pilots are currently being trained on the four-engine C-17 cargo plane, which can haul 77,500 kilograms of equipment, including battle tanks, or carry as many as 100 troops.

They're expected to be fully qualified by next month, when two more Canadians will take up the training, he said.

Talks are also underway with the Americans "about giving our pilots some Chinook training," Hutcheson said in an interview...