Author Topic: Canada to Increase Defence Spending  (Read 6130 times)

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Offline Rue

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Re: Canada to Increase Defence Spending
« Reply #555 on: May 10, 2019, 02:01:12 pm »
You can't compare post WW2 militaries with today, no one has a military anywhere near the size they did at the end of the war, including the US and Russia. Our navy may have been the third largest in number of ships but it was a small ship navy, primarily destroyers, frigates and corvettes. Our largest ships were a few escort carriers and a couple of cruisers.

Nothing wrong with mandatory service, all the Scandinavian countries have it as well as Switzerland. Sweden and Switzerland may be neutrals but they also know neutrals have to look after themselves because they don't have alliances to rely on.

My legal opinion to you would be the Charter of Rights the way it is written could most likely  be used to prevent mandatory service or even alternative non military mandatory service.

Today we need a navy but yes its a total change in ship technology. We actually could get the biggest bank for the buck with ice breakers,  state of the art patrol vessels like Germany sent to Israel, or modern version frigates. The smaller faster moving ships now can do the job of the former large destroyers. Also if we had Griphon fighter craft  which are short take off and landing and can land on ice and only need a 5 man support crew with a pick up truck  we could buy more fighters and still have money for the navy. We have no need for large ships.Our main mission at sea is to prevent people and drug smuggling, search and rescue, fishing violations and surveillance. Sea war is not a reality unless you are a Euro nation with Russia or dealing with China in the Pacific and Canada is too small to finance a large international naval fleet. What we can do is finance specialized commando units like we use in Ukraine or specialized training forces like we do in Iraq. Nothing wrong with that if its done properly.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2019, 02:09:11 pm by Rue »
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Offline ?Impact

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Re: Canada to Increase Defence Spending
« Reply #556 on: May 10, 2019, 02:44:06 pm »
Nothing wrong with mandatory service, all the Scandinavian countries have it as well as Switzerland. Sweden and Switzerland may be neutrals but they also know neutrals have to look after themselves because they don't have alliances to rely on.

Switzerland has mandatory service only for males. Asides for exemptions due to a disability (bone spurs?), there are alternative services one can be involved in (assist police, fire, natural disaster, health departments, crowd control, assist elderly, reconstructing cultural sites, etc.). There is also the possibility to pay an additional 3% income tax until age 30.

Sweden has a draft, now for both males and females. Those called up are allowed to go into an alternative service if they object to military service.

Offline wilber

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Re: Canada to Increase Defence Spending
« Reply #557 on: August 30, 2019, 12:14:16 pm »
And then there were three.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/airbus-pulls-out-of-canadian-fighter-jet-competition-following-complaints-1.1309296

Looks like Airbus has decided we aren't worth the trouble for 88 aircraft. Wonder if Saab will come to the same conclusion.
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Offline wilber

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Offline ?Impact

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Re: Canada to Increase Defence Spending
« Reply #559 on: September 03, 2019, 04:47:21 pm »
Looks like Saab may bail as well.

I wonder if the RFP was written by Lockheed.

Offline wilber

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Re: Canada to Increase Defence Spending
« Reply #560 on: September 03, 2019, 08:26:34 pm »
I wonder if the RFP was written by Lockheed.
You wonder. Disappointing, I was hoping for a real head to head competition between all five. It could have been very interesting.
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