Taxpayers are being asked to give at least $300 million to an East Coast shipyard so it can modernize its facilities to build navy vessels despite an earlier stipulation that public funds would not be required for such upgrades.
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rving’s Halifax shipyard was selected in 2011 as the winner of a multi-billion dollar program to construct the country’s new fleets of warships. Among the requirements for winning the bid was that the yard had the capability to build the vessels and taxpayers wouldn’t need to contribute funding to outfit facilities for the task.
But Irving is now retreating on that agreement and the Liberal government has been presented with a request for money. Industry sources say the Liberals are considering providing at least $300 million to the shipyard owned by one of Canada’s richest families.
Irving Shipbuilding president Kevin Mooney recently told The Canadian Press that the shipyard needed several upgrades that were not originally anticipated so it could build the new Canadian Surface Combatant Ships.
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That surface combatant project, the largest single purchase in Canadian government history, has already fallen behind schedule and the cost to taxpayers has skyrocketed: from an original $26 billion to $77 billion, according to Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux. MPs on the House of Commons government operations committee say they expect the cost for the 15 ships to be around $100 billion.
This project has been out of control for a while. Even the PBO is basically saying WTF man.
The story on the Austrailia Navy feeling that the Type 26 frigate that Canada and they selected is unsafe, heavier then first thought and too slow.
The November 2021 Australian Defence department “engineering team assessment” of the country’s frigate procurement highlighted concerns about the untested “immature” ship design. The assessment also focused on safety issues for crew members who could become trapped below deck by floodwaters in “credible damage conditions,” The Australian, one of the country’s major newspapers, reported on Tuesday.
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The assessment also warned that the ship is heavier than originally planned and that will result in “increased fuel consumption and running costs.” The Australian defence engineering team warned it has “low confidence” the new vessels will meet the Royal Australian Navy’s needs.
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Canada’s defence chief says he doesn’t yet know where the money is coming from for $4.9 billion in promised upgrades to NORAD radar and surveillance systems. In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, Gen. Wayne Eyre was asked about growing questions facing the government to detail their spending plan on NORAD upgrades.
Sources have told Global News the military is uncertain about where the funds are coming from, and that there are meetings happening at the department trying to determine how much of the money is new. Those sources say there are significant concerns that the money may not be new, and may need to be re-capitalized from within the existing defence budget.
“I haven’t completely figured out myself the source of funds for this,” Eyre said.
“So I can’t say definitively where it’s coming from. I will say, though, the announcement was welcome.”
Eyre was also asked whether the military is planning any departmental cuts in order to be able to allocate $4.9 billion to the NORAD upgrades.
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Anand called the world “darker” and more “chaotic” than at any point in recent memory earlier this year, and last week said the government will be spending some $40 billion over the next 20 years to modernize North American aerospace defence through the NORAD pact.
As part of that, she announced $4.9 billion in what she initially said was new spending to upgrade northern and continental early radar and surveillance systems.
But she later corrected that, saying the $4.9 billion was not new and was instead funding previously allocated under the $8-billion spending boost promised in the last federal budget.
Mercedes Stephenson's tweets on this including concern from our allies that this doesn't represent new spending but its just a shell game by the government
The story on the Austrailia Navy feeling that the Type 26 frigate that Canada and they selected is unsafe, heavier then first thought and too slow.
And it was already heavy to begin with, especially for a "frigate". Especially the Australian Hunters whose weight rival true destroyers like the Arleigh Burkes.
I wonder if they and the Canadian versions turn out to be so expensive to build and operate that they end up spending most of the time in port, and too valuable to risk other than safe missions or emergencies. For modest navies like Canada, I'd thought 5000 tonne frigates would be better suited for its needs.
And it was already heavy to begin with, especially for a "frigate". Especially the Australian Hunters whose weight rival true destroyers like the Arleigh Burkes.
I wonder if they and the Canadian versions turn out to be so expensive to build and operate that they end up spending most of the time in port, and too valuable to risk other than safe missions or emergencies. For modest navies like Canada, I'd thought 5000 tonne frigates would be better suited for its needs.
If I remember the Halifax was sub 5000, had good speed, and was very maneuverable.
With the rising costs, who knows they might cut the size of the fleet to save money.
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If I remember the Halifax was sub 5000, had good speed, and was very maneuverable.
Yeah it's just under 5000t; I think a new Halifax sized ship with modern radar, missiles/VLS and engines would still be a capable and balanced ship.
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With the rising costs, who knows they might cut the size of the fleet to save money.
It's already such an expensive project that it probably wouldn't take many delays or budget overruns to force the reduction of ships. Even navies like the Royal Navy, French and Americans have seen that happen for recent programs. If Canada can build all 15, that would be a great project management feat and remarkably, would give Canada (by tonnage) one of the largest major surface combatant fleet in the West.
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The Russian War in Ukraine made me worried about just how quickly tanks can become obsolete.
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The Russian War in Ukraine made me worried about just how quickly tanks can become obsolete.
The Tanks that the Russians are using are poorly designed versions of the T-72 and the T90. I'd argue that the training of their crews is pretty poor as well as how they're using them as they're getting smoked from the Air, and blundering into ambuhes, which tells me that the Russians are doing a miserable job on their recon work.
A modern battle tank like the M1A2 is a different type of beast all together and has proven it in battle. Also the more modern tanks are built to fight in the digital battlefield, so its going to be tougher to generally ambush them if the system works.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Not sure which thread NATO's recent summit and strategic shift belongs in most, but I find this pivot to global interest very uncomfortable. How does this not simply present to the world as a military alliance of the Global North to further the economic, political and military interests of the Global North? Not good.
OTTAWA — For the first time in eight years, Canadian warships are not involved in either of two NATO naval task forces charged with patrolling European waters and defending against Russian threats.
The revelation has cast a spotlight on what experts say are the growing trade-offs that Canada is having to make with its navy, which is struggling with a shrinking fleet of aging ships and a lack of trained sailors.
Canada had been a consistent presence in the Standing NATO Maritime Groups since Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, deploying at least one Halifax-class frigate to the North Atlantic or Mediterranean on a rotational basis.
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But Defence Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande says Canada does not have any frigates attached to either of the NATO naval groups since HMCS Montreal and HMCS Halifax returned to their home port last month.
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But he conceded in an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday, “we are stretched from a resource perspective. And so we’ve got to make those decisions as to where we invest, and when we invest.”
He added that he approved the decision to send two frigates to the Pacific, where tensions between the West and China are growing, “because we want to deliberately increase our presence in Asia-Pacific, because we are a Pacific nation.”
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Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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Not sure which thread NATO's recent summit and strategic shift belongs in most, but I find this pivot to global interest very uncomfortable. How does this not simply present to the world as a military alliance of the Global North to further the economic, political and military interests of the Global North? Not good.
Given NATO members have global interests, I think it would be a bit strange to purposely confine themselves to the North Atlantic area. The world is more globalized than 1945 - I think its ok that NATO's interest grows beyond Europe (as it has in the past 2 decades or so). Silly to confine the world's most powerful military alliance to a small slice of the earth and leave the rest to whomever (Russia/China). I'm not looking to conquer the world - but the world is out there.
This might be a little off topic, but if you're a veteran you really ought to apply for the Veteran's Service Card and CFOne card. I got out over a decade ago and I've been missing out on some unreal discounts, particularly for outdoor gear and cell phone plans.
The City of Calgary also gives you $10/month in free parking, all you need to do is submit a few documents.
Anyway, just wanted to flag this for fellow vets who might have also been unaware of the discounts available to us.
This might be a little off topic, but if you're a veteran you really ought to apply for the Veteran's Service Card and CFOne card. I got out over a decade ago and I've been missing out on some unreal discounts, particularly for outdoor gear and cell phone plans.
The City of Calgary also gives you $10/month in free parking, all you need to do is submit a few documents.
Anyway, just wanted to flag this for fellow vets who might have also been unaware of the discounts available to us.
Games to Grunts will give free video games to vets too, US and Canada
Things just seem to be getting atrocious with the armed forces and their readiness to do anything.
The recruiting numbers are way down to the point where we have trouble staffing ships. The Airforce is losing pilots, as nobody wants to fly basically 40 year old planes. and the F-35 purchase is probably going to keep getting kicked down the road.
With the sexual abuse/harassment scandal, where our PMO tried to ignore it and hoped it went away has effected moral and recruiting.
Our equipment is rusting out and that impacts readiness.
We are not a peacekeeping nation anymore, there is little activity on that front and a lot of broken promises.
At the same time, the government talked a big game on increasing spending, but that's not going to happen.
The experienced core of the Forces were gutted with the vaccination thing, and its impossible to replace that.
The government is talking about casual dress and allowing things like long hair and facial tattoos as part of their recruiting strategy, talking to current members it was met with eye rolls and groans.
We depleted our stores for Ukraine, and there's really not enough of a procurement budget to quickly replace that.
I really have/had high hopes for the current defense minister, but I haven't seen a lot yet that fills me with confidence.
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A Canadian Forces veteran seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury was shocked when he was unexpectedly and causally offered medical assistance in dying by a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employee, sources tell Global News. Sources say a VAC service agent brought up medical assistance in dying, or MAID, unprompted in the conversation with the veteran. Global News is not identifying the veteran who was seeking treatment.
But multiple sources tell Global News the combat veteran never raised the issue, nor was he looking for MAID and was deeply disturbed by the suggestion. Multiple sources and VAC have told Global News that the discussion took place.
Sources close to the veteran say he and his family were disgusted by the conversation, and feel betrayed by the agency mandated to assist veterans. The sources said the veteran was seeking services to recover from injuries suffered in the line of duty, and had been experiencing positive improvements in his mental and physical health. They say the unprompted offer of MAID disrupted his progress and has been harmful to the veteran’s progress and his family’s wellbeing.
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The department also did not answer Global News’ questions about how many times assisted dying has been offered to veterans through this particular VAC employee or others at Veterans Affairs, or what guidance employees have been given about providing such advice.
Sources who spoke to Global News are concerned this is not an isolated incident and that more veterans could be inappropriately offered assisted dying, putting their lives and mental health at risk. They added they are worried other veterans have already received similar offers, which have not been verified by Global News.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, 
