• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

PM Harper to be in Halifax today to announcement military spending

Hot Lips

Sr. Member
Inactive
Reaction score
0
Points
210
I heard on the radio- C-100- this morning on my way to the gym that PM Harper is to be in Halifax today to make an address regarding military spending and purchases.

HL
 
... and in Trenton later this week to spend some more! All together 15 Billion - Just like Xmas lol

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060626/defence_spending_060626/20060626?hub=TopStories

Tories set to announce $15B in defence spending

Updated Mon. Jun. 26 2006 8:47 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to announce the addition of two new ships to Canada's military today -- the first in $15 billion in planned military spending announcements this week.

Harper will travel to Halifax along with Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor to name the contractor that has been selected to build three new joint-support ships.

The remaining spending announcements set to be unveiled in four Canadian cities this week will include capital purchases of ships, aircrafts, helicopters and trucks to strengthen Canada's fighting forces.

The spending announcements still fall short of a Senate committee's spending recommendations as well as some of the military's own requests, but O'Connor told CTV's Canada AM it's just the first step.

"This is the first slice out of the box," O'Connor said. "The department and the government can only handle so much procurement at one time. We have other projects we want further down, maybe later this year and into the next few years. There's a lot of things to acquire, but they have to be done so the government and the companies can manage it."

He said the announcements will begin to meet the military's essential needs in the areas of "mobility, army mobility on the ground and mobility at sea" and reduce the Canadian Forces' dependency on other countries' equipment.

Most of the spending announcements were either promised by the Tories during the election campaign or were planned by the previous Liberal government.

It marks the largest single defence spending bonanza in the nation's history.

In addition to the $2 billion for the three naval support ships, the government is expected to announce $1.1 billion for new army trucks, $4.2 billion for 15 heavy-lift helicopters, and $7.5 billion for tactical and heavy-lift aircraft.

 
muffin said:
It marks the largest single defence spending bonanza in the nation's history.

Given the press' record of poor corporate memory, I would question this for that reason alone, but a little critical thinking has me wondering:  What did those millions of Bren Guns, Ram tanks, Universal carriers, Corvettes, Mills bombs, PIATs, 25-pounder guns, Battle Dress suits, steel helmets, 1937 Pattern web sets, ammunition boots, armoured cars and aircraft that we built during the Second World War cost? Or is that not considered 'defence spending'? Or am I using "bonanza" incorrectly?
 
Hi Guys

  I understood the plan was originally to buy more than two ships.  Does this mean we'll be buying some other ships of a different type or that the cost has increased to the point that the JSS budget will only cover two now?  Thanks for any insights.
 
So Mr Irving is going to have a good day then.  Just a guess here and we will find out very shortly but I wouldn't announce spending in a location that wasn't going to benefit from a big navy contract.  Irving and Mill Davie were one of the teams bidding so that's my guess.  Oh I see dark times ahead   :'(

:warstory:
 
Navy_Blue said:
So Mr Irving is going to have a good day then.

I don't know much, but from some of the other threads' comments, I gather the ships built by Irving don't measure up?
 
The JSSs announced today are being rather oversold. 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060626.wdefen0626/BNStory/National/home

Their main role is still supply of ships at sea (auxiliary oiler replenishment--AOR) with an additional, limited capability to support things on land. 

Relevant DND sites:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1958
http://www.forces.gc.ca/admmat/dgmepm/pmojss/index_e.asp
http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/mspa_news/news_e.asp?id=182
http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/mspa_news/news_e.asp?id=164

See this from the last URL:

'-A support ship with some intrinsic fighting capability.

-Provides fuel, supplies, food and ammunition for ships in order to keep them at sea.

-Can carry up to 155 people in addition to the ship's crew.

-Can disembark equipment and personnel relatively slowly and methodically using Roll-On Roll-Off (RO-RO) and Lift-On Lift-Off (LO-LO) capabilities.

-Can offload equipment and personnel in a "permissive," or peaceful, environment.'

In other words, it cannot transport a significant number of troops such as a battalion and could not launch an amphibious assault.  One really wonders if we might not be better off buying less complicated AORs and one or two Amphibious Ships (also described at this URL):

'-A fighting ship with some intrinsic support capability.

-Consumes fuel, supplies, food and ammunition in order to project Canadian Forces ashore.

-Can carry a significantly larger military force with equipment and vehicles in 'fighting order,' enabling Canadian Forces to face armed opposition ashore.

-Can rapidly disembark personnel and equipment in 'waves' using 'connector systems' such as landing craft and/or helicopters.

-Can rapidly disembark personnel and equipment in 'waves' using 'connector systems' such as landing craft and/or helicopters.

-Project in early stages. Initial Concept of Operations under development.'

Moreover, there is a lot of doubt how capable Canadian shipyards (Davie in Quebec may be the only one) are of building a ship as complex as the JSS--especially on time and on budget.  It might well make a lot more sense to build less complex AORs here and simply have Amphibious Ship(s) built abroad.  See:

"Military procurement: Here's really hoping"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2006/06/military-procurement-heres-really.html

And also a 2005 Fraser Institute paper:

"The Need for Canadian Strategic Lift"
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/admin/books/files/CanadianStrategicLift.pdf

Mark
Ottawa
 
Annoucement today was for 3 ships was it not??  Delivered by 2012?

I missed the news, did they annouce who won the tender today?
 
3 ships yes.  If you mean who won the contract its up for bids between 4 potential groups.
 
Quagmire said:
3 ships yes.  If you mean who won the contract its up for bids between 4 potential groups.

roger that.  I just caught some clip on them on the flight deck of the St. John's, didn't catch it all.
 
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060626/defence_spending_060626/20060626?hub=TopStories
 
Back
Top