Government hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I have long said that you could fund the CAF to 4 percent of GDP, but we would still lag behind in NATO and be much the same where we are.

It's never the money, it's politics. It's procedures. It's the pork-barreling in our defence spending that makes us a paper tiger in NATO.

My only hope in all of this for the CAF and the GoC, whatever the political stripe that may be, is that it will rouse them out of the "Peace Dividend" slumber. The world has been unstable since 1945. We have used geography, proximity, and association as a Defence Policy ever since. ICBMs don't care how close to the U.S. or how far from Russia/China we are.

Don't give us a dime more, but let us spend money on defence like it matters. The fact we follow the same rules for purchasing a fighter aircraft as we do for buying office furniture for a Service Canada office is disgraceful. Don't treat defense procurement as a stimulus package for Canadian Industry. There I said it.

We spend so much money, time, and effort trying to get that money to stay in Canada; be it by awarding contracts to companies with no capability to produce items without first "retooling" and"developing the production lines", or by hamstringing perfectly competent and competitive bidders by forcing the project to be made in St. Margaret de Poutain de Champignon, QC because the ruling government either lost the seat in the election, or won it with promises.

We spend so much money and staff hours jumping through TBS regulations that are great for other departments, but are terrible for defence procurement. Some items you have to sole source, because there are technologies and capabilities no one else makes. By doing the bid process, you get companies clamoring for a project they can't deliver on, but because they tick the bright boxes on the score sheet....

I truly and honestly belief we need to split from PSPC and legislate that its not beholden to TBS, only to the PBO/PCO. The guiding principles of this new Defence Procurement department should be "Off the shelf, from somewhere else" if there isn't an industry in Canada.

BOOTFORGEN has demonstrated how well we do when we are able to actually get what we need, instead of lining the pockets of a Canadian company that got lucky.

That, but with tanks, fighters, ships, weapons systems....

 

[daftandbarmy]

All reserve Regiments less then 70% TES in 5 years reduced to coy strength and amalgamated. Done

If only that's where all the savings were located.

A better way to save $ would be for the Reg F to adopt the ARes model

 

[Happy Guy]

Also a lot of ‘admin’ positions built around additional headquarters that command basically nothing.

Or three fully equipped smaller services?

I don’t see why the Army has 4 poorly equipped Reg Force Bde’s and 10 basically non equipped Res Bde’s.

Maybe 3 Army Bde’s - 1 100% Regular, 1 70% Regular and 30% PRes, and 1 30% Regular and 70% PRes?

As well the RCAF should be able to have PRes Aviation, Transport and Fighter squadrons.

Unsure what can be done with the Navy in terms of Reg/Res

Agreed. You can come up with a great deal of possible combinations. The kicker is whatever the CDS comes up with, it must satisfy the tasks assigned to the military, meet the agreed stipulations to existing military treaties and even more difficult, to satisfy a gov't that doesn't understand national security and national defence and what CAF can and cannot do.

 

[dimsum]

Agreed. You can come up with a great deal of possible combinations. The kicker is whatever the CDS comes up with, it must satisfy the tasks assigned to the military, meet the agreed stipulations to existing military treaties and even more difficult, to satisfy the retired folks on Facebook saying “back in my day…”

 

[SupersonicMax]

I know you are kidding, but I think the Herc was too large an airframe based on a quick view of the original RFP.

Ironically, the J-Herc is currently doing the mission the 295 should be doing…

 

[dapaterson]

Ironically, the J-Herc is currently doing the mission the 295 should be doing…

Herc Js are taking long weekends off and leaving coverage to Auroras?

 

[KevinB]

Ironically, the J-Herc is currently doing the mission the 295 should be doing…

Which to me means the Requirement Document was flawed in at least two areas:
1) disqualifying the J-Herc from submission
2) Allowing the 295 in.

 

[dapaterson]

Which to me means the Requirement Document was flawed in at least two areas:
1) disqualifying the J-Herc from submission
2) Allowing the 295 in.

J Herc wasn't disqualified, LockMart chose not to bid it.

 

[KevinB]

J Herc wasn't disqualified, LockMart chose not to bid it.

Based on the parameters of the solicitation the Herc doesn’t appear to be compliant.

It appears to have been written for a dual engine airframe, and the size/weight where above the requirement as well.

So maybe disqualified was a poor word on my part, non compliant would have been better. Generally most companies won’t submit non compliant bids to go through the effort to just get thrown out.


The C-27 Spartan appears to have been the ‘role model’ for the requirement, which is much akin to a baby JHerc.

 

[YZT580]

Based on the parameters of the solicitation the Herc doesn’t appear to be compliant.

It appears to have been written for a dual engine airframe, and the size/weight where above the requirement as well.

So maybe disqualified was a poor word on my part, non compliant would have been better. Generally most companies won’t submit non compliant bids to go through the effort to just get thrown out.


The C-27 Spartan appears to have been the ‘role model’ for the requirement, which is much akin to a baby JHerc.

so how long before we finally give up on the 295 and go shopping again or do we continue to make do with decades old H models? I have noted before that the C390 meets all the requirements and is now a viable a/c so unlike Bombardier and the ASW proposal it would be worthy of consideration. There must be a task somewhere that the 295 can perform or maybe we should just sell them to a country with the geography that is compatible.

 

[Good2Golf]

so how long before we finally give up on the 295 and go shopping again or do we continue to make do with decades old H models? I have noted before that the C390 meets all the requirements and is now a viable a/c so unlike Bombardier and the ASW proposal it would be worthy of consideration. There must be a task somewhere that the 295 can perform or maybe we should just sell them to a country with the geography that is compatible.

Maybe park a line of them behind a CC-150 without chocks?

 

[KevinB]

so how long before we finally give up on the 295 and go shopping again or do we continue to make do with decades old H models? I have noted before that the C390 meets all the requirements and is now a viable a/c so unlike Bombardier and the ASW proposal it would be worthy of consideration. There must be a task somewhere that the 295 can perform or maybe we should just sell them to a country with the geography that is compatible.

Donate them to Ukraine?

The C390 seems a little large for the FWSAR role to me, as it seems to be basically a turbo fan version of a Herc, even stall speeds seem to be similar (5MPH higher for the 390 but the difference of 120 vice 115 isn’t really much when dispatching from an AC, or searching).

Other than the cruising (and max) speed benefits of the C390, why add another fleet when you could get more J-Hercs?

Again I’m not a pilot, but if not JHercs the C27J Spartan seems to be a better fit, as it’s got a lot of common features of the Herc, and that appears to be its main selling point, as the JHerc’s little brother (albeit not made by LocMart.

 

[Zoomie]

Coles notes version: everything

Sovereignty in the Arctic and the struggles of the CC-295 Kingfisher: Richard Shimooka in the Hill Times | Macdonald-Laurier Institute

While some of the deficiencies of the CC-295 Kingfisher are fixable, the problems around weight, power and icing capabilities are very likely not.

macdonaldlaurier.ca

Written by an outsider to the program who is simply repeating what lobbyists from the losing airframe have been saying for years.

None of the "safety" issues that he mentioned are valid. The airplane is flying daily, it has dispatched SARTechs, it has flown in light/moderate icing. It's avionics are the best in the entire RCAF - it has flown to the geographic north pole (something the J Herc was not able to do for decades).

It's superior in every way to the CC-115 and CC-130H that it will replace. The J-SAR option is essentially a pickup truck, it has zero sensor fusion - it is a relatively modern airframe conducting SAR ops from the 1980s.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Written by an outsider to the program who is simply repeating what lobbyists from the losing airframe have been saying for years.

None of the "safety" issues that he mentioned are valid. The airplane is flying daily, it has dispatched SARTechs, it has flown in light/moderate icing. It's avionics are the best in the entire RCAF - it has flown to the geographic north pole (something the J Herc was not able to do for decades).

It's superior in every way to the CC-115 and CC-130H that it will replace. The J-SAR option is essentially a pickup truck, it has zero sensor fusion - it is a relatively modern airframe conducting SAR ops from the 1980s.

Great!

When is IOC, again?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I can't help but think this story was push by the MO to deflect from the reports of the poor state of the RCN and the lack of ammunition for the army?

Military sees ‘significant’ spike in sexual assaults despite reform vows: StatCan - National | Globalnews.ca

Sexual assault rates within the Canadian Armed Forces saw a 'significant increase' in 2022 despite promises of reform within the military, Statistics Canada says.

globalnews.ca

 

[CountDC]

Interesting report but I noted a lot of the increase is based on perception of the people in regard to touching and a good bit is while everyone is drinking. If you are all drinking in a crowd and people are pushing through was that touch sexual or just because you are in a crowd and they have to push through? Not dismissing the report but do think a grain of salt is needed with it. A case that happened years ago - man walking on sidewalk with arms swinging back and forth passes a woman going the opposite way. Contact is made, complaint is made of sexual assault. Accusation was that he touched her butt. Question was did his hand accidently hit her on the back swing? How many of these cases were along the same lines?

 

[dapaterson]

Interesting report but I noted a lot of the increase is based on perception of the people in regard to touching and a good bit is while everyone is drinking. If you are all drinking in a crowd and people are pushing through was that touch sexual or just because you are in a crowd and they have to push through? Not dismissing the report but do think a grain of salt is needed with it. A case that happened years ago - man walking on sidewalk with arms swinging back and forth passes a woman going the opposite way. Contact is made, complaint is made of sexual assault. Accusation was that he touched her butt. Question was did his hand accidently hit her on the back swing? How many of these cases were along the same lines?

Breakdown by level 1 is interesting; the problem space at first glance appears to be profoundly skewed towards the senior service.

 

[KevinB]

I can't help but think this story was push by the MO to deflect from the reports of the poor state of the RCN and the lack of ammunition for the army?

Military sees ‘significant’ spike in sexual assaults despite reform vows: StatCan - National | Globalnews.ca

Sexual assault rates within the Canadian Armed Forces saw a 'significant increase' in 2022 despite promises of reform within the military, Statistics Canada says.

globalnews.ca

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday that she “absolutely” agrees “we need to do more.”

“I do want all Canadian women in uniform to know we recognize the challenge, we recognize the pain and the fear, and we are totally committed to supporting them,” she said.
I guess the males who where the victims are shit out of luck...

 

[daftandbarmy]

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday that she “absolutely” agrees “we need to do more.”

“I do want all Canadian women in uniform to know we recognize the challenge, we recognize the pain and the fear, and we are totally committed to supporting them,” she said.
I guess the males who where the victims are shit out of luck...

Well, the Prime Minister is a self-avowed feminist so there is that

 

[YZT580]

Well, the Prime Minister is a self-avowed feminist so there is that

except when they tell him no and then it becomes a matter of a different perception

 

[Fishbone Jones]

except when they tell him no and then it becomes a matter of a different perception

It's not gender specific. All one needs to do is disagree with him........then go to stores and get your body armour and update your CV. There is no winning with an authoritarian. In minor cases you may get away with chopping off your finger, but mostly it requires seppuku.