Conservative and Liberal MPs trade blame for failed Military Procurement

By: David Pugliese, The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — The Conservatives and Liberals traded barbs in the Commons Wednesday, arguing about who was to blame for failed military equipment purchases after an Ottawa Citizen article revealed some of the Canadian Forces key acquisitions will see their funding delayed.

The Liberal government’s budget, released in late March, calls for $3.7 billion in spending on equipment to be delayed until 2021 or later.

But the Citizen revealed that some of the military’s top equipment programs — including projects to buy new Cyclone maritime helicopters and Arctic patrol vessels — will be among the projects to see their funding delayed.

Citing the Citizen article, a trio of Conservative MPs launched attacks on the government, accusing the Liberals of cutting the defence budget.

“Unfortunately, here in Ottawa our military is entering another era of darkness,” said Tory defence critic James Bezan.

But John McKay, parliamentary secretary to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, said it was the Conservative government that left military procurement and funding in a mess.

McKay said no money is being cut from the defence budget. Instead of fixing procurement and financial problems, he said the Conservatives were “climbing in and out of fake airplanes,” a reference to former defence minister Peter MacKay’s $40,000 press conference during which he posed in a model F-35 jet.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld/File - Then-defence minister Peter MacKay checks out the cockpit of a mock F-35 Joint Strike Fighter following an announcement in July 2010 that the federal government would be purchasing a number of the jets. The purchase never went through.

“Had the former government actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly we possibly would have had some procurements met,” McKay said.

Besides delays in funding for the Arctic patrol ships and Cyclone helicopters, the budget plan would affect the CF-18 replacement, the modernization of the Halifax-class frigates and a program to provide new communications equipment to soldiers. Another $2.6 billion in equipment funding – not yet earmarked for specific gear — will also be withheld until 2021 or beyond.

It is unclear how some of the programs, such as the Cyclone helicopters, which are now being delivered, might be affected by the decision.

Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant said the plan to delay funding for the Cyclones is similar to then Liberal prime minister Jean Chéetien’s decision in the 1990s to cancel the EH-101 maritime helicopters.

Some analysts have voiced concern the $3.7 billion won’t be returned to the DND.

But Ashley Lemire, a DND spokeswoman, noted in an email, “some major projects experienced delays in their original timelines, which resulted in funds needing to be moved forward to future years.”

Harper Claims F-35s Needed to Defeat ISIS

Over the weekend the F-35 debate was brought into the 2015 Canadian election. Justin Trudeau said that the Liberal Party would scrap the plan to purchase the JSF F-35; whose budget continues to go overboard, and continues to prove not to be the aircraft it claims. The NDP have said they would reopen the bidding process, and if the F-35 wins that process, than it is fair game.

Prime Minister Stephen Haper shot back at the Liberals by saying Canada needs the F-35 to defeat ISIS, and replace the aging CF-18 Hornets that are currently being used against ISIS. (Lets rewind about a year) What happened to the Government shelving the replacement of the CF-18s until a later date, and committing to spend the hundreds of millions to upgrade them to fly until at least 2025? Obviously Harper is back peddling yet again...and his statement that the F-35s are needed to defeat ISIS is ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous? There are NO F-35s currently deployed by any coalition member against ISIS. The F-22's have only just deployed on their first combat support roles in both Eastern Europe and Iraq/Syria. So how can one claim the F-35s are needed to defeat ISIS? Also, if the life extension of the CF-18s will allow them to fly until well past 2025, will we still be fighting ISIS in 10 years? If so, maybe that is the bigger problem.

If the Americans (or any other ally who has already agreed to purchase the JSF) were using the F-35s against ISIS with a higher success rate than our CF-18s then I could potentially agree - but there are none deployed.

For a list of coalition aircraft currently involved against ISIS, please see my previous post "Continue to Support Air Task Force Iraq"

Refugee Crisis: CAF Can Help - Deploy Them

In the wake of the recent tragic death of 3 year old Alan Kurdi, his brother and mother - there have been calls for Canada and the World do to more to help Syrian and Iraqi refugees fleeing the Middle East. Minister of Defence Jason Kenney comes out and said that Canada has no responsibility to help the migrant issue. We had no 'onus' to help.

What about the human responsibility? While I have always been a proponent of the Peacekeeping Myth - that Canada became a Peacekeeping country as a war by other means during the Cold War. Canada has always cared about those in need.

According to the UN an estimated 350,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean fleeing the Middle East in the last year - and approximately 2,500 have died trying. Earlier this year Italy made a global outcry for help on the migrant problem, as their Navy is baring the brunt of the rescue.



Other European nations have send support. In May Great Britain deployed HMS Bulwark to help. It rescued 500 migrants off of Libya earlier this year. The Irish Naval service also deployed a ship, and it has rescued some 2,000 migrants. As of August 22, 2015, the Italian Navy has rescued more than 3,000 migrants.

Canada has had a Naval vessel deployed to the Mediterranean since 2014, and could have went to the aid of migrants. But, according to the Royal Canadian Navy, they were never given the order to intervene by the Conservative Government.

My question is why not? Why does Canada not have any military responsibility to help European nations struggling with the thousands of migrants?

It would not cost any extra money to have the RCN vessel that is already deployed to help support Eastern Europe. Not sending help when it is the vicinity, is like not stopping at the scene of a horrific car accident on a back road, when you know paramedics will not make it in time.

Why not help at the refugee centers? Hungary has thousands of migrants blockaded in their train station. While this situation needs political help to help move the trains to locations willing to accept the migrants - the camps in Turkey and Jordan are huge, and quickly outgrow their boundaries. Canada could easily deploy the DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) to one of the regions to help. This team specializes in setting up and helping in humanitarian crisises. They are usually deployed for a month long period, but with added support - the team could be deployed for a longer period of time.

In the current election campaign, the Liberals and NDP have both said they will do more to help the humanitarian issue caused by ISIS and the Syrian Civil War - neither are willing to continue to stand up and confront ISIS. Yet, now it seems the Conservatives are unwilling to help through  humanitarianism. What we need is a government that will step up on both fronts - the CAF can help in the refugee crisis all we need is a leader who will deploy them to do so.

RCAF to start to receive CH-148 Cyclone

The government of Canada will announce Friday, June 19, 2015 at CFB Shearwater that the RCAF will begin to accept delivery of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopters built by Sikorsky.

Not all 28 helicopters will be delivered at once, and the delivery schedule has not been completely released. It is also important to note that those that are delivered will not be 100% functional - that will happen with upgrades to systems as other aircraft are delivered.

The CH-148 is set to replace the CH-124 Seaking Helicopter's that are retiring.

The entire project has been plagued by politics; started in 2004 by the Liberal government the project fell apart - and the Conservatives renegotiated with Sikosky, who paid penalties, has also agreed to a $115 Million for future upgrades. The Liberals remain attimant that the program fell apart under the watch of the Conservatives when they took power in 2006. The RCAF was supposed to take full delivery of the 28 CH-148 Cyclones by 2011. It is now 2015, and the first deliveries are taking place.

Canada to begin Bombing Campaign in Syria

Yesterday, after several hours of debate in the House of Commons in Ottawa, the Conservative majority voted in favour (142-129) to extend Canada's mission against ISIS for one year (until the end of March 2016) and to expand our aerial campaign into neighbouring Syria.

Much of the debate centred around the international legal issues with conducting bombing in a sovereign country. Canada says it is following the same legal authority the United States is using to bomb ISIS positions in Syria. The opposition NDP, who are against the mission, believe that the campaign will indirectly aid the Syrian dictator in continuing his civil war. The 3rd party Liberals, believe that Canada should be doing more humanitarian aid, and accept another 25,000 refugees. One former Liberal, who was expelled from Caucus late last year, broke ranks with his former party and voted with the Conservatives.

The United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs praised Canada's actions in the Middle East, and Canada's expansion against ISIS in Syria. He said however, the UK would not be expanding into Syria, as they are conducting the most aerial attacks in Iraq behind the US.

Canada's War against ISIS to expand to Syria

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has asked the Canadian Parliament to support a motion that will be put forward to debate on Thursday March 26, 2015 to extend and expand Canada's current support for Op IMPACT. PM Harper has asked for a 1 year extension through March of 2016, and an expansion of the RCAF Air campaign into neighbouring Syria.

The current mission is set to end on April 7, 2015. Both opposition parties have responded with their disapproval of the motion, and have clearly said they will not support the mission. The NDP says they will pull the plug on the military mission if they get elected. This is despite the fact a majority of Canadians support the mission. With the Conservative majority - the vote is expected to be the same as it was last fall when the Conservatives all voted in favour of the mission. The debate on Thursday will be symbolic if little else.

PM Harper clearly outlined that they will not ask for Syrian permission to invade its airspace, but follow the lead of the US who are currently the only coalition member bombing ISIS targets in Syria. The RCAF will be able to target ISIS's heavy equipment which has been moved out of Iraq to hide from coalition strikes. Canada will become the first Coalition member to bomb targets alongside the US in Syria.

Last Friday in was announced the CF-18s had bombed two more ISIS positions in Iraq, a weapons facility and a fighting position.

Defence Minister Jason Kenney said late last night that the RCAF is looking to increase the number of air strikes possible, which will be possible in Syria, as several other nations are also bombing ISIS targets in Iraq, leaving few for Canadian fighters.

No details we given whether an increase in air-strikes means an increase in the number of CF-18s in the region will increase, or what the increase in flight time means for the governments current life extension of the CF-18s through 2025.

The expansion of the RCAF air campaign into Syria will not include Canada's 69 Special forces members who are currently training Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq.

Two RCAF CF-18's taxi in Kuwait before their next mission, January 2015.
Photo: Op IMPACT CF Combat Camera