Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Maxman1]

No, Because the moment we all read that, we all heard Chrétien voice in our heads

But do you have proof? Is it proven?

 

[Good2Golf]

How about AW101s be the all-solving hammer.

Not a bad machine itself, but wrong weight/size class. That’s a much bigger machine than a Caracal. 35K lbs vs 24k lbs. we already have Chinooks, which would be a fleet we’d have to begrudgingly operate as a US sourced (but highly effective) platform.

 

[deepblue202]

Not a bad machine itself, but wrong weight/size class. That’s a much bigger machine than a Caracal. 35K lbs vs 24k lbs. we already have Chinooks, which would be a fleet we’d have to begrudgingly operate as a US sourced (but highly effective) platform.

So would you order a army version and naval version of the Caracal, to replace the Griffon and Cyclone.

 

[Maxman1]

Not a bad machine itself, but wrong weight/size class. That’s a much bigger machine than a Caracal. 35K lbs vs 24k lbs. we already have Chinooks, which would be a fleet we’d have to begrudgingly operate as a US sourced (but highly effective) platform.

We can still at least expand the Cormorant fleet and replace the Cyclones with AW101s.

 

[Good2Golf]

So would you order an army version and naval version of the Caracal, to replace the Griffon and Cyclone.

No, Caracals only for tac avn and SOF.

We can still at least expand the Cormorant fleet and replace the Cyclones with AW101s.

Agree! consolidate MH and SAR base platform. Merlin is a solid, proven top tier ASW helo.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Military falls short of minimum strength by nearly 20,000 members​

An initiative to bolster enlistment by targeting immigrants enrolled only 111 volunteers.
Jen Hodgson - Western Standard - 28 Jan 25

The Department of National Defence (DND) says the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are bereft of thousands of members required for minimum military strength.

A DND briefing note details the critical lack of fully trained soldiers, sailors and air crew, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

The brief further showed a CAF program designed to bolster enlistment by targeting immigrants enrolled just over a hundred volunteers.

“People are at the core of everything the Canadian Armed Forces does to deliver on its mandate,” said the September 26 note on CAF readiness.

“We recognize personnel and staffing issues combined with a changing demographic and expectations of our workforce continue to challenge the Forces’ strength and readiness.”

Minimum strength in the regular force is 71,500. “As of July 31, 2024 the trained effective strength” was 52,539, said the note. Figures included 28,270 in the Canadian Army.

Defence Minister Bill Blair in 2023 remarks in Senate Question Period said low enlistment was a problem.

“There is a real challenge in the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said.

“Over the last three years we’ve actually seen greater attrition, more people leaving the Forces than the Canadian Armed Forces has been able to recruit.”

“I think that may be the greatest challenge I face as the new defence minister, to do everything I can to support the Armed Forces in their efforts to recruit the talent we need and just as importantly to retain the excellent people they already have.”

“I have asked them to look very carefully at some of the impediments to recruitment and how long things have taken.”

“Does your biggest concern lie in recruitment?” asked Sen. Tony Loffreda.

“My concern is not only for recruitment, because we have to get the best talent coming in the door, but I am also concerned about retention,” replied Blair.

“I want to make sure we provide them with the appropriate support.”

The hoops you need to jump through to join the Forces are something else.

I've got a chum trying to rejoin atm. Guy has been out for just over 4 years, working in the private sector. He is an Ex-Secret Squirrel/SMU guy. You would think it would be as simple as dusting off the person file and getting it going again.

Nah, he is treated just like every other new recruit trying to walk through the door.

CFRG: "Send us your high school transcripts"

My Chum: I graduated from RMC and have an MBA from a top ranked business school, why do you need my high school transcripts?

CFRG: "We need to know what courses you took as it may qualify you for additional trades"

My Chum: But I'm already qualified in a trade and want to just go back to that one...


And the CAF wonders why it can't recruit anyone

 

[Good2Golf]

What an embarrassment. Yet CFRG slaps it back with self-laudatory panache that Saint-Jean is filled to capacity…while being very quiet about the pass rate, etc.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

What an embarrassment. Yet CFRG slaps it back with self-laudatory panache that Saint-Jean is filled to capacity…while being very quiet about the pass rate, etc.

It is embarrassing.

Especially at a time when the CAF needs skilled operators.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Myself and others have been saying this for years.

LUVW milcot can be an unarmored pickup with a radio mount and blackout drive. No need for the expense of Senator remanufacturing of a pickup.

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[FSTO]

It is embarrassing.

Especially at a time when the CAF needs skilled operators.

Burn CFRG to the fucking ground because they are a big Fatberg in the CAF. Start fresh and lets get the ball rolling.

Fatberg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Maxman1]

LUVW milcot can be an unarmored pickup with a radio mount and blackout drive. No need for the expense of Senator remanufacturing of a pickup.

We can get new Milcots. Chevy never stopped making them, they've been updating the CUCV every time they change their truck design.

Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ueo]

Burn CFRG to the fucking ground because they are a big Fatberg in the CAF. Start fresh and lets get the ball rolling.

Fatberg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Agree, without being pedantic, why not bring back what we had? Worked well before QL etc.!

 

[suffolkowner]

We can get new Milcots. Chevy never stopped making them, they've been updating the CUCV every time they change their truck design.

Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

i think the plan is to replace the Milverado with 425 COTS under LUVL
and another 1500(?) LUVH from the final bidders of the previous iteration. I kinda forget who was left at the end but something out of
Armatec
Roshel
Oshkosh
AM General

 

[MilEME09]

Burn CFRG to the fucking ground because they are a big Fatberg in the CAF. Start fresh and lets get the ball rolling.

Fatberg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

CFRG is a burden on the CAF preventing our growth. It should of been reworked years ago when recruiting dive bombed.

 

[McG]

… why not bring back what we had?

What was that?

 

[daftandbarmy]

The hoops you need to jump through to join the Forces are something else.

I've got a chum trying to rejoin atm. Guy has been out for just over 4 years, working in the private sector. He is an Ex-Secret Squirrel/SMU guy. You would think it would be as simple as dusting off the person file and getting it going again.

Nah, he is treated just like every other new recruit trying to walk through the door.

CFRG: "Send us your high school transcripts"

My Chum: I graduated from RMC and have an MBA from a top ranked business school, why do you need my high school transcripts?

CFRG: "We need to know what courses you took as it may qualify you for additional trades"

My Chum: But I'm already qualified in a trade and want to just go back to that one...


And the CAF wonders why it can't recruit anyone

A smart guy like that could tell his story to his MP in a way that might get things fixed...

... then again they'd probably just single him out as a trouble maker

 

[dapaterson]

The funny thing is that there are policies in place for re-enrolment/ transfer back from Sup Res that CFRG and the medical system ignore.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Myself and others have been saying this for years.

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In North America we have dozens of auto plants capable of churning out over a thousand vehicles per day. Plus other manufacturing capacity.

It wouldn't take too much to prepare that capacity to support a general war scenario...

 

[Retired AF Guy]

I'd sub in the H175M in place of the H225M. It's closer in size to the Griffon (though still bigger), but also it uses Canadian engines (PT6C-67E).

H175M missions

The highly capable replacement for the medium-weight and super-medium-weight helicopter categories

www.airbus.com

Or the Airbus H160 (Safran engines; 12 pax; 395 nm range; can be fitted with variety of internal/external weapons); H145M (Safran engines; 10 pax; 344 nm; can be fitted w/ internal/external weapons).

And don't for the third competitor, Leonardo which has a variety of helicopters that could be possible candidates: AW169 (Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210A engines; 8-10 pax; 378 nm range); AW139 (Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67C engines; 12-15 pax; 641 nm); and, AW149 (Safran or GE engines; 16-19 pax; 545 nm).

All the helicopters listed above are multi-role capable and can fitted with a variety fo internal weapons (pintle Machine guns)/external weapon systems (laser guided/unguided rockets; 12.7/20 mm gun pods; and, in some cases ATGM-H145M, H160M and AW149).

 

[rmc_wannabe]

The funny thing is that there are policies in place for re-enrolment/ transfer back from Sup Res that CFRG and the medical system ignore are blatantly ignorant of.

FTFY.

The spouse of one if my soldiers just went through this debacle. Moved to Supp Res in 2023, asked to move back into the Reg F and VOT, was told to start re-enrollment from Day One.

Wasn't until I did some digging and found the Sup Res National coordinator's email that things started to change. All that was needed was the CFRC to send him her file number and...bam. Back in uniform and on POET within a week.