Thank goodness for the United States and their ability to provide cover for us and our military in our joint responsibilty to help spread and maintain freedom and democracy around the world and to fight to defend our nation against Islamist terrorism.
Too bad we can’t really quite do it to the best of our ability due to Canada’s liberal-left ideological decision-making over the past many years. At least they balanced the budget!
U.S. to provide Canadian air cover
Afghanistan ‘too far’ for our fighter jetsCanadian soldiers deploying next month to Afghanistan will be relying on the United States for air cover after a proposal to send Canadian fighter-bombers to the region was scrapped at the last minute, the Post has learned.
Military sources said six CF-18 jets were to have been included in Task Force Aegis, the 2,200-member Canadian battle group that is moving into restive southern Afghanistan in February.
But the air force had to change plans because of the high cost of getting the six upgraded fighters from 4 Wing in CFB Cold Lake, Alta., to Afghanistan and the technical difficulties involved in basing high-tech aircraft halfway around the world.
“It was a bridge too far,” said one air force officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “They just couldn’t get the maintainers [and] all their equipment there and keep them there for six months.”
General Rick Hillier, the Chief of Defence Staff, dropped the CF-18s from the final roster of the task force on Oct. 31, just before the mission went to the federal Cabinet for final approval, the sources said. A military spokesman said yesterday the Forces would not discuss the composition of the Canadian task force.
Military experts say Canadian soldiers need their own aircraft covering them from above and the absence of the CF-18s on the Afghan mission is the result of decades of neglect of the “sharp end” of Canada’s air force.
[…] [Lou] Cuppens [a former air force lieutenant-general], said the Canadian Forces likely decided not to send their own fighters because of a lack of tanker aircraft, for air-to-air refuelling, and a shortage of transport planes to carry the hundreds of mechanics, spare parts, ground support equipment and high-tech maintenance machinery necessary to keep the CF-18s in the air.
[…] Mr. Cuppens said years of funding cuts and little overseas experience mean it may be some time before the air force can carry out that role.
While Canadian pilots were among the best in the coalition air forces that bombed the former Yugoslavia in 1999, he said a shortage of precision-guided bombs and lack of action in the past six years is blunting the air force’s offensive skills.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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