Hello to all,
Dont know if it made the news in your neck of the woods, but our local
paper has reported that the MND is considering scrapping Canadas MBTs.
I chose to discuss the issue with my MP, letter re-printed below.
Should you choose to do the same, the link below will help you get in touch
with your MP.
http://canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html
<
http://canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html>
Cheers- Garry Naylor
Dear Sir,
Attached below please find the article from the Edmonton Sun that
precipitated this letter.
During the Canadian Forces deployment to Somalia, the people we were sent to
protect killed a number of US Soldiers. The local Commander of US Forces had
foreseen the plausibility of the event prior to its inception, and
accordingly had requested a platoon of tanks (four) to be assigned to his
command in Somalia. His request was denied, not due to a lack of proper
tactical thought, but due to Political Considerations. The lack of tanks
denied the Commander the ability to project power in a local area, resulting
in the loss of many US soldiers lives. Short answer: nothing can project
power on the ground like a Tank; therefore, when our Soldiers find
themselves in an untenable situation, nothing can save lives like a properly
employed Tank.
I would suggest that should Canadians choose to send our Soldiers in harms
way, that we find it incumbent upon ourselves to ensure their safety.
I realize that our Leaders have to make tough decisions as to how our tax
dollars are spent. Had the decision to scrap the Main Battle Tank from the
Canadian Order of Battle been the result of a White Paper on Defense, you
wouldnt have received this letter. I am concerned that the decision will be
a hasty, poorly thought out one, to the detriment of our Soldiers.
Thanks for your time.
FG Naylor
Cold Lake
'Big mistake' to scrap tanks: ex-major-general
By PAUL COWAN <mailto:paul.cowan@edm.sunpub.com> , EDMONTON SUN
The man who until last October was the honorary head of Canada's armoured
corps yesterday said he was appalled to learn Defence Minister John McCallum
appears to be considering scrapping the country's Leopard tanks.
McCallum recently raised the possibility of scrapping the tanks during a
speech to a meeting of chief executives in Toronto.
"I think that would be a big mistake," said retired maj-gen. Clive Milner,
who spent 35 years in the army and nine years as colonel commandant of the
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
"There are armies that don't have tanks but if you want to play in the big
leagues - in this case NATO - you need them.
"This would be a very unwise decision to make without very careful
analysis."
McCallum told the businessmen that he was confident he could find $200
million in savings from the military's $12-billion budget.
"Anyone with a $12-billion budget who can't find $200 million in savings
should be in another line of work," he said.
McCallum singled out tanks as a possible source of savings.
"For example, arguably, in today's world where there is a need for rapidly
deployable forces, Canada's tanks may be less than relevant," he said.
Milner said the decision to get rid of Canada's 114 Leopard tanks would not
be a military one.
"It will be a political decision," he said.
"The military has been fighting a rearguard action for years against the
cost-cutters.
"Some of the things they are being asked to do are heartbreaking."
Milne cited the case of the Cougar armoured car, which was fitted with a
small tank gun but was intended only as a training vehicle.
"The politicians promised they would never be used in a war - and then sent
them to Bosnia," he said.
Canadian tanks have not been used in battle since the early 1950s in Korea,
but five from the Edmonton-based Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
were sent to Kosovo in 1999.