The latest revelation in the F-35 saga came last week when Lee Berthiaume reported that the military would be unable to refuel the new fighter while in flight using existing equipment. More stunning yet was the finding in the KPMG report that the government and the military intend to “rely […]
Yearly archives: 2012
48 posts
Yes, the F-35 procurement has been a debacle, with many to blame. But, this should not blind us to the sub-text here, a Canadian meme aided and abetted by irresponsible politicians of every political stripe, by the media who smell blood in the water, and analysts who should know better. […]
A report by David Pugliese entitled “New Zealand To Upgrade Frigates” advises that the Government of New Zealand is searching for a midlife upgrade for its two ANZAC-class frigates. While one would have expected the New Zealand government to begin its search for an upgrade in Australia, it would appear […]
This week both the American and Canadian governments released the details of a “Tri-Command Framework for Arctic Cooperation” that would more closely coordinate the work of the U.S. Northern Command, Canada’s Joint Operational Command and NORAD in the arctic. While noting that the arctic region is not an area of […]
A very brief and terse news article from CBC News has revealed that President Steve Durrell has left Irving Shipbuilding. This development is prompting great speculation about the internal stresses within the company and Durrell’s role in all of it. The company spokesperson declined to comment on the reason for […]
Dan Leger, writing as a freelance journalist, has an article entitled “Delisle case: We need accountability over expedience,” in the ‘Opinions’ section of the 29 October issue of the Halifax Herald. He asks probing questions about how a such "weak link" like Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle got into the navy’s […]
The Federal Auditor General’s Fall Report for 2012 has an especially important section in Chapter 5, which is entitled “Real Property – National Defence.” The Auditor General (AG) states very clearly the importance of this issue: "Real property infrastructure is essential to the Canadian Forces’ ability to undertake core missions […]
[Moderator’s Note: This article was published previously in the Halifax ChronicleHerald. It is reprinted here with the permission of the author.] Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, retired commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, once described the world’s oceans as anything but peaceful and placid — more like “the wild west.” He spoke […]
Word is reaching me that two Canadian infantry battalions, 3rd Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry Regiment and 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment, have received ‘warning orders’ to prepare for operations and possible deployment to the Middle East. This is apparently related to the steadily worsening situation in Syria. The implication of such […]
After the initial flurry of comments following the appointment of Lieutenant-General Thomas Lawson as Chief of Defence Staff, some more measured observations about the duties and responsibilities of the position and the nature of the man are coming out. Professor Philippe Lagassé, a well-respected and balanced commentator, has written an […]