Canada asks for Chinook design changes; military expert worry about delay

[GAP]

Deal to buy Chinooks has gone ahead, says senator
$375 million: Canadian pilots are training at U.S. base in Afghanistan
Ethan Baron, The Province Published: Sunday, May 11, 2008
Article Link

A helicopter purchase for Canadian Forces in Afghanistan -- until now kept under wraps -- has gone ahead, said Senate defence committee chair Colin Kenny.

Six massive Chinook transport helicopters are on the ground in Afghanistan, and Canadian pilots are at a U.S. air force base training to fly them, Kenny said.

"Our sources tell us that we've got six American Chinooks that are going to be signed over to us," Kenny said.

Last month, the Defence Department acknowledged it was in discussions with the U.S. to obtain the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for Afghanistan, but provided no further information.

Details of the purchase were revealed by a U.S. government defence agency, including a potential price of $375 million US for the aircraft, equipment, technical support and training.

Kenny, who spent five days in Afghanistan last month, said he believes the six Chinooks there now are the result of that deal.

"The Americans have brought them in," Kenny said. "[They're] going to be signed over to us."
More on link

 

[Colin Parkinson]

This government is stunning, tanks, C17's and now 6 Chinooks, all in less time than it took for the Liberals to decide on which coffeemaker we should buy.  ;D

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

I now await CASR's pithy retort.

I used to enjoy their work, but recently Diane & Stephen's hate-on for the Conservative Party has made their work second-rate at best as you now have to read around their political leanings to try to glean any actual content.


Matthew.  :

 

[slowmode]

Its great to see our current government taking a leading role in defend Canada and its interests abroad. You be protected if you have a tin pot military. THe conservative government is doing an amazing job currently on issueing the Canadian Military what it needs to be fully operational.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I now await CASR's pithy retort.

I used to enjoy their work, but recently Diane & Stephen's hate-on for the Conservative Party has made their work second-rate at best as you now have to read around their political leanings to try to glean any actual content.


Matthew.   :

As an SFU alumni, it pains me to say this, but I've never found anything CASR has to say useful.  Their data is sometimes flawed and their incessant cheerleading on behalf of Skylink and Russian equipment is grating.  They're the worst of the "bright ideas" gang, as their hare-brained proposal to use leased private aircraft to conduct combat operations certainly illustrates.

 

[geo]

While I would love to credit the current gov't with all that equipment coming in, I believe the CDS is probably the one who has empowered us more than anything else.  The buck stops here & he's holding his people accountable.

 

[Edward Campbell]

While I would love to credit the current gov't with all that equipment coming in, I believe the CDS is probably the one who has empowered us more than anything else.  The buck stops here & he's holding his people accountable.

I disagree, Geo. The buck doesn't go anywhere near the CDS, much less stop at is desk. In these cases the government-of-the-day has moved both money and political capital into necessary defence procurements, just as, during the "Decade of Darkness",™ the government-of-that-day decided not to invest either in equally necessary defence procurements.

The money is only part of the problem, making the decisions quickly and then making the system ‘work’ quickly costs political capital - something the Conservatives do not have in endless supply.

In these cases I give our government full marks for good policy and political courage.

 

[geo]

"decade(s) of Darkness".... brought to you by both the Liberal & Conservative parties of canada.....
(musn't forget Brian)

 

[Fraz]

Let us just hope that events don't return to feast or famine patterns that seem to follow a brief renaissance of political investment in the CF.  Pressure has to be maintained to ensure that we continue to receive new kit and enough to actually have a war stock and kit out the units we have.  Interesting that the PAO's haven't mentioned anything reference the quick  (not quite) delivery and movement of events with the 6 birds in country already.

 

[geo]

War stock?... would say that all players in Afghanistan are "come as you are" and really - we're running all our gear into the ground.  If you read about the Brits, it ain't pretty - imagine they're looking at us in envy - what's happened to this world?

 

[emmiee]

Mods please move if this article does not belong here. From CBS News Website: www.cbs3.com Emma

May 13, 2008 7:25 pm US/Eastern  This PageBoeing Shuts Down Production Line At Pa. Plant


| Print Boeing Shuts Down Production Line At Pa. Plant
FBI Monitoring 'Incident' At Ridley Township Plant
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS 3) ― The FBI has confirmed that it is monitoring an incident at the Boeing helicopter plant in Ridley Township, Delaware County.

Sources said the Chinook helicopter production line was shut down at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday and that some employees were sent home.

Boeing officials said they discovered "irregularities" in two of the aircrafts that were being assembled at the plant. The nature of the irregularities was not immediately known.

Boeing officials said they notified its own security personnel as well as federal agencies about the discovery.

Officials from the FBI told CBS 3 that it has been made aware of an incident at the Boeing plant and that they are monitoring the incident.

Stay with CBS 3 and cbs3.com for more on this developing story as it become available.

 

[geo]

Eggads!?!?!  Fifth columnists?

 

[MarkOttawa]

"F" as in fixed-wing fanatics?

Mark
Ottawa

 

[tomahawk6]

Cut cables on 2 C-47's among other things.Glad Boeing caught it and I hope those responsible get fired and if its intentional then they should be prosecuted.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1154/v-print/story/183254.html

Boeing shuts down Chinook production line at Pa. plant
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
WASHINGTON Workers at Boeing's suburban Philadelphia helicopter plant reported to work Wednesday even as Army criminal investigators and others looked into possible irregularities discovered in two military helicopters made at the plant.

The company shut down the CH-47 Chinook helicopter line at the Boeing Rotorcraft Systems plant in Ridley Township, Pa., on Tuesday, but it disclosed few specifics about why. The line had not fully resumed operations as of Wednesday morning, the company said.

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, a Democrat whose district includes the plant, said he was told during a briefing that wires that appeared to be broken or severed were found in one helicopter and a suspicious washer was found in a second.

Sestak said the assessment was preliminary and he expected the findings of a more thorough review would be available on Wednesday. He praised Boeing's handling of the situation, and said it was much too early to speculate on what happened.

All aircraft on the premises were being inspected and no additional irregularities had been found, Jack Satterfield, a company spokesman, said Wednesday.

Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Christopher Grey confirmed the agency was involved in the investigation, but said he could not comment on it.

Satterfield said the shutdown was isolated to one line at the plant and did not affect operational aircraft. He said the company was working with the Defense Contract Management Agency, which oversees military suppliers.

The Chinook is known as the Army's workhorse aircraft. It is used to transport troops and supplies.

Boeing is currently producing new Chinooks for the Army, as well as updating older models.

Messages left Tuesday and Wednesday with the Defense Contract Management Agency were not returned.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I disagree, Geo. The buck doesn't go anywhere near the CDS, much less stop at is desk. In these cases the government-of-the-day has moved both money and political capital into necessary defence procurements, just as, during the "Decade of Darkness",™ the government-of-that-day decided not to invest either in equally necessary defence procurements.

The money is only part of the problem, making the decisions quickly and then making the system ‘work’ quickly costs political capital - something the Conservatives do not have in endless supply.

In these cases I give our government full marks for good policy and political courage.

I agree. It is the Government that controls the buck not the CDS. He has the ideas and a good team....let's not kid ourselves that the man does all this singled handedly. Getting this stuff quickly has been a real challenge to a bloated bureaucratic system that loves to take it's time and thus "make work" for years in order to justify their existence.
I've been posted to NDHQ since Jan and haven't been totally lobotomized yet...my observation is that most of what goes on in Ottawa is somewhat akin to mating elephants...there's a lot of roaring and screaming but not a hell of a lot of production!

 

[dapaterson]

...my observation is that most of what goes on in Ottawa is somewhat akin to mating elephants...there's a lot of roaring and screaming but not a hell of a lot of production!

My preferred description of NDHQ:

NDHQ is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea — massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it.

 

[beenthere]

Ref Chinooks. There isn't much roaring or screaming going on these days. Not even a whisper.  :-X

 

[geo]

We're "supposed" to be receiving 6 used Chinooks in theatre sometime this year - that will cut down on the pressing need.... I guess

 

[Good2Golf]

...or perhaps folks could actually trust for a moment that there are, in fact, people trying to make things work and that capabilities might very well be put in place in a reasonably short time frame once the requisite approvals are granted by Government.

It would be interesting to see if anybody does a little juxtaposition between all the doomsayers out there currently bemoaning the lack of any apparent support and those who may actually be relatively appreciative of the capabilities that may currently be in the works. 

Apparently, the sky is falling right up until the moment when people realize that the sky is not actually falling.  :-\

G2G

 

[geo]

G2G - Aye!