Speaking of scoops - welcome the new Leos
One of the stories I've been working on just broke on CBC News: the CF is buying more tanks.
While the speculation has surrounded newer Leos we'll be borrowing from the Germans, no word of the purchase from the Netherlands had hit the airwaves until now.
Here's what I've heard from sources within the defence community, what I was waiting for the official announcement to confirm:
With the delivery of our Globemasters later this year, we'll even be able to transport the beasts anywhere that has a long enough runway.
Read up about the Leo 2's - they're an impressive piece of kit. Especially the 2A6M's, the standard to which we're apparently going to be upgrading a number of our Dutch purchases.
This is a smart purchase, albeit a late one. I haven't been able to track down the numbers yet, but it will be interesting to see how the total cost breaks down between the actual acquisition, the spare parts, the cost of upgrades, and any other incidental expenses.
Let's see how closely the official announcement follows this information that I've obtained.
Update: Here's the official CF backgrounder on the topic.
I must quibble with the CanWest reporter who filed a story on the tank acquisition. She makes it sound as though we're buying a hundred tanks just to fix the cooling problem in an Afghan summer. While the borrowed German tanks are going to alleviate that problem, they're also giving us enhanced optics so we can detect the bad guys more easily, a better direct-fire capability (120mm gun), and much better crew protection from explosives. They're faster, more reliable, an all-around newer and better piece of equipment.
The 100 Dutch tanks we're purchasing have absolutely nothing to do with the cooling issue. They're being purchased because our C2's are going to be completely obsolete - not even spare parts available - by 2012, and we've discovered that abandoning tanks completely in favour of wheeled light armour is a bad idea. The Dutch tanks are being purchased to replace our old Leos, to make sure Canada retains a critical tracked, armoured, direct-fire capability, not to provide air-conditioning to one squadron in Kandahar.
While the speculation has surrounded newer Leos we'll be borrowing from the Germans, no word of the purchase from the Netherlands had hit the airwaves until now.
Here's what I've heard from sources within the defence community, what I was waiting for the official announcement to confirm:
- The 20 Leopard 2A6M's we'll be acquiring from the Germans aren't a lease, they're a loan. That is to say, while we're going to have to give them back in the condition we got them, and while there may be some incremental costs to their transport, operation, et cetera, we're not paying the Germans for the use of their tanks. A big, hearty thank-you needs to go out to Germany for this gesture of friendship and allied solidarity. We're going to try to get them into theatre this summer, for the worst of the heat, but meeting those timings will be tight.
- We're going to be buying a total of 100 used Leos from the Netherlands, for delivery sometime this fall. These tanks have apparently been properly stored and maintained to keep them in top shape. Of those 100 tanks, 40 will be 2A4's for two training squadrons in Canada (one in Gagetown, one in Wainwright), 40 will be two squadrons of 2A6's that after some Canadianization and upgrades (especially to the armour) will be deployable anywhere we need them, and 20 will be specialist tanks (bridge-layers, ARV's, dozers, etc).
- The money to pay for this purchase (including an initial purchase of spare parts) comes from the cancellation of the MGS project - $650 million bucks already allocated. Much as the CF had been bracing for a departure from heavy armour, I'm sure everyone in uniform is breathing a big sigh of relief that we're going to be able to maintain a tracked, armoured, direct-fire capability. There really is no replacement for MBT's at this point, and the value for money you get out of surplus Leo 2's can't be beat.
- I've heard speculation we'll be keeping our current Leopard 1 C2's around as training aids until they break down for good. Waste not, want not.
With the delivery of our Globemasters later this year, we'll even be able to transport the beasts anywhere that has a long enough runway.
Read up about the Leo 2's - they're an impressive piece of kit. Especially the 2A6M's, the standard to which we're apparently going to be upgrading a number of our Dutch purchases.
This is a smart purchase, albeit a late one. I haven't been able to track down the numbers yet, but it will be interesting to see how the total cost breaks down between the actual acquisition, the spare parts, the cost of upgrades, and any other incidental expenses.
Let's see how closely the official announcement follows this information that I've obtained.
Update: Here's the official CF backgrounder on the topic.
I must quibble with the CanWest reporter who filed a story on the tank acquisition. She makes it sound as though we're buying a hundred tanks just to fix the cooling problem in an Afghan summer. While the borrowed German tanks are going to alleviate that problem, they're also giving us enhanced optics so we can detect the bad guys more easily, a better direct-fire capability (120mm gun), and much better crew protection from explosives. They're faster, more reliable, an all-around newer and better piece of equipment.
The 100 Dutch tanks we're purchasing have absolutely nothing to do with the cooling issue. They're being purchased because our C2's are going to be completely obsolete - not even spare parts available - by 2012, and we've discovered that abandoning tanks completely in favour of wheeled light armour is a bad idea. The Dutch tanks are being purchased to replace our old Leos, to make sure Canada retains a critical tracked, armoured, direct-fire capability, not to provide air-conditioning to one squadron in Kandahar.
posted by Babbling Brooks at 11:50 a.m.
7 Comments:
Nice! I was following this about a week ago, and it'll be great to post an update.
excellent news . . .
Maybe we could get the Dutch to throw in a few of our ex-Chinooks . . . I'll bet they have taken very good care of them as well.
So there'll be enough deployable vehicles for A & B squadrons?
And what pray tell is C Squadron supposed to do.
As I recall 300 centurions were replaced by 128 Leopard I which in turn are being replaced by 100 Leo II.
No those Chinooks are in continues use so you won't be getting those back.
70 Leopard 2A4 have been stored away for a while now so it's good to see that they will now be put to good use. The downside is that this sale will nearly cut our tankforce in half.
A question then, when you say there is no replacement MBT, is it that none are under development or that they are to prohibitively expensive?
From the non-military outside looking it in, it appears that a lot of countries went Stryker/Bradley mad about a decade ago, is this even vaguely correct?
Cam, ask yourself if anyone purchasing the lighter vehicles has abandoned their heavy armour capability. The lighter wheeled vehicles have their place, but they don't replace tanks - and that was our mistake proposing. The MGS isn't a bad vehicle, and if we were a much bigger army, I'd like to see us have some. But not at the expense of tanks.
It shouldn't be an either-or.
What I was asking though was if the politicians had set it up as an either or situation.
Also, is there anyone developing a nex gen MBT?
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