weaponeer

I am not Iraq expert, but maybe it is time to break that country up. It's a product of the post WW1 carving up of the Turk-Ottoman empire, it is aqn artificial country. Bring back Kurdistan, Mesopitamia etc. Partion Iraq, and split the oils revenues, give evry citizen a yearly oil dividen, so they all get something. I would like to see the US pull out of 1 city, totally pull out, and see what happens. If it calms down, we may have solved the problem, start slowly withdrawing from every city back into Kuwait. If it does not work, go back in. I think GW need to light a fire under the Iraq gov'ts butts too. This cannot go on forever. I really fell Hillery would put the fear of God into Iran, she'sa Lib, but she is tough. I do not see her putting up with much of Irans crap for long...

I think people are more interested in seeing the USA fail in Iraq that in really doing anyhting about rouge states. Lets be honest, many nations profit from the sales they make to rouge states. I the entire world spoke with one voice against they N Korea's & Irans of the world this would not be a problem for long. There is too much $$ to be made for the likes of Iran, N Korea, Syria. They feel threatened by the USA, Russia, China and even France are there to sell there wares. People here are going to say, "yes but the USA did it too", yes I know. There is too much profit to be made from the madmen of the world...

Now Hillery, she would go for them, no doubt!!

IF, and I very much doubt it, but IF he went for Iran it would be a massif crippling airstrike. Hundreds of cruise missiles, stealth bomber raids, perhaps an EMP attack, etc.. It would be over within an hour.

I don't think there will be a draft or an attack on any of those places. Afghan troopa are a prob, they need to be bribed to do many things, LOC is a comletly foreign concept to them. They need to be trained to western standards, tjhis is going to take time. The notion of leaving a town unguarded, at the mercey of the talibs is a major prob. Only more troops can eleviate that prob.....

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q1/070202d_nr.html Here's a link to beoing, with Canadian C17...

Interoperability is the MAJOR factor now in purchases for the military. We bought the C17, no accident, we did it because the US has them so does the UK & Australia, our major allies. We are purchasing a long list of equip, designed to be interoperable with these forces, as one huge force. This is by design. With few exceptions, we are not going to purchase equip that cannot be maintained by Canadian, US, UK or Aussie forces, will not happen. One exception could be the purchase of newer Leopard2 tanks from the Germans. it is the best tank in the world, NOBODY builds tanks better that the Germans. As for the AC130, would love them, not going to happen. We are prob going to see Canadian Forces Apaches before them. An Apache is 9 million, the AC130U is 190 million. We get our first C17 this august.... Here's some C17 info from a buddy who flies them...... 1 - We will be getting the ER (Extended Range) aircraft. These aircraft (post block 12 aircraft mod) have the centre wing boxes modified into 4 internal centre wing fuel tanks which ups the total fuel capacity from 185,000 lbs to 245,000 lbs. Burning fuel at just under 20,000 lbs/hr we would have just over 10 hours of fuel burn on-board the new aircraft .... and currently we do not have crew duty days long enough to accommodate anything longer than that. 10 hours of flying (God forbid) would translate into a 15 or 16 hour crew duty day. The USAF fly with "augmented crews" meaning that they can increase the crew duty days to 24 and 26 hours. We will not be doing that - it is just too dangerous. The CF will remain with the basic crew (Pilot, copilot and loadmaster) and remain with the basic crew duty day as defined in the 1 Cdn Air Div Orders (14, 16 or 18 hours) .... so right now we don't have enough crew day to require air refuelling. 2 - No we can't modify the aircraft for probe and drogue. In fact, we have opted into the GSP - The Global Support Program - and in doing so we will NOT be making any modifications to the aircraft whatsoever. In fact, the RAAF have also done the same thing so that we can all belong to the "Virtual fleet". The RAF have not been allowed to make any modifications because they were confined/restricted by lease. We have "chosen/opted" not to make any mods at all. In doing this we can participate in the JUG (Joint Users Group), and the CORT/SORT (Crew Operational Review Team) and also the GSP. This is a good thing for a couple of reasons. So, if I happen to be flying into Brize Norton and I toast an engine ... when I land I simply let Trenton know what the problem is ... and then I phone the UK Boeing reps and tell them to come and replace/repair the engine. I simply walk away from the aircraft and leave it to Boeing. While it has limited uses, the GSP will have some great benefits with it. However, in order to have these guys work on our aircraft they have to be configured identically to the USAF - RAF - RAAF. Everyone will be the same in the virtual fleet. So, essentially every C-17 will be identical except for the paint scheme and the flag on the tail. Furthermore, participation in the JUG and CORT will allow the aircraft to remain within the continual cyclic block upgrade program. We'll be getting block 17 aircraft, then when Boeing comes out with the block 18 and 19 software and hardware upgrades, we will also get our aircraft done in sequence as we cycle them back through Long Beach (Boeing) for major periodic inspections and overhauls. In this way we get to participate in the continual upgrade program. Also, for the AR .... as you know, we don't have any KC-135s or KC-10s with the boom ..... so it would be a nightmare trying to coordinate periodic re-currency training for our C-17 crews to refuel off USAF tankers. As such we have opted out of the AR capability of the aircraft since it isn't really required for us .... trust me, you don't want to be a passenger in the back when the pilot is at the 26th hour of a crew duty day ..... and trying to approach and land at a major airport. It's not pretty ...

Yes, and if, God forbid, anything serious happened in Vancouver the C17 fleet when we have it would move heavy equip in night & day. It can evac hundreds of people to hospitals in Calgary, Edmonton, Reginq etc.. It can fly in heavy equip like buldozers, backhoes trucks etc... They could move things in faster than truck or rail. They could "hold the line" unitl more help came by road. If need be, it could airdrop suplies to stranded people. 4 C17's loaded with Canadian paratroopres could drop them on an airport, seize it and evac Canadian citizens from a foreign country. Combined with our C130 fleet they can move our troops & equip to anywhere very quickly. I think Canadians at an airshow will see our C17, big Canadian flag on it, and smile..... The C17, she's OURS!!! I say we should start a campaign to name each one, The Sprit of Vancouver, Harper's Haule......

As for the mian point of this thread, let a Airforce guy jump in. This is a really great day for Canada, a great buy. We are finally in the "big leagues". Militarily we have been completely irrelivant for way too long, I am glad to see a gov't that puts Canada first. Finally we have somebody who gets it. We are starting to think BIG, that we matter. Far too long gov'ts of Canada have thought too small. We are absolutly filthy stinking rich in this country, an energy superpower. It is time to get moving here. We are in the G8, but we act like a we can't afford anything. we need to overcome this pathalogical fear of spending $$ on the military. We are not warmongers, we are not going to take the canadian army and conquor the world, but we do need to defend OUR interests. We need to grow up as a country. The C17 gives us a capability & flexability we have never had. We can now move almost anything, anywhere. We can move large numbers of troops to the arctic, fast, alnd on dirt airstrips. We can evacuate ENTIRE towns if need be now, as we saw in northern Ontario last year with the water probs. We can move our troop worldwide, we can get them out if need be, we acn evac Canadian people from the worlds hot spots without having to beg from the USA. WE ARE SOVERIGN!!! Renting planes form Russia was a complete waste of time. I have been involved in various operations where we used the Russians & Ukraines. On several occassions I witnessed theses pilots arriving in theater with our equip, DRUNK. Often they would demand cash from us to unload. The Americans only have a limited strat airlift capability, they cannot babysit all they time. NATOs program is seriously flawed, why do you think UK bought C17's, why do you think Airbus is going ahead with their A400 project. Why are they based in Trenton, because that is Canada's only military air transport hub. That's where the big maint hangers are, where the aireil port is to load & unload large military cargo planes. You do not spread 4 airplanes out across Canada, that's a waste of $$, very dumb. They will all be based at CFB Trenrton, initially with 437 Sqn, then they will stand up a new Sqn, 429 that will operate them. all the training for pilots & ground crews will be conducted at Altus AFB Oklahoma. Katrina, we Canadians should not in any way critic the US response. We are in NO place to mock them. At the peek of the Katrina rescue ops the US military had almost 1000 helos in the area. We don't have that many helos, military or civil in the whole country. Ther is NO way we could rescue that many of our citizens should disaster strike. At least now we will be able to move help in, and take lots of people out, using a dirt strip if required, instaed of standing on the side watching somebody else save our people. But alas, watching SOMEBODY ELSE defend and protect us is a Canadian tradition......

These city "Territorial" battalions already exist, they are the local militia. The CF is looking at a major reworking of the militia organization. This is a leaked draft doc, there's not hard & fast fact here. Let's not get ahead of ourselves too far. Anyhow, good night, I must work tomorrow, another long day of "oppressing, raping & piliging" ahead........

I am sorry, but drug addicts do not push my pitty buttons...... Kick his ass out, why should DND pay for his rehab, I say later.....

Yes, I guess the view from mom & dads basement is differnt....

RB, Thanks, got to run, work very early in the morning. I have a full day of oppressing the Canadian people, guarding the banks & corporations ahead of me. If there's time I'll try to slaughter some children & puppies, but I cannot promise.....

Invasion, no, the word I used was strike, big difference. The US does have trhe power to launch a very desructive airstike on the Iranian nulcear program. Of course Iran would fight back, never thought for a minute they would not. No doubt to me they'd loose. People are seeing what's going on in Iraq and think the US is weak, agreed they are rather tired up with their "ground" forces, but I do not really think that people understand or comprehend the power of the US military. They have hundreds of cruise missle armed warships, hundreds, subs, destroyers, crusiers etc.. Not to mention their Airforce, which is not that heavily commited right now. The USAF has stealt bombers & strike planes, F22 stealth fighters, you CANNOT see these planes on radar, you cannot defend against them. They have B1 & B52 bombers with hundreds more ruise missile, not to mention hundred of ICBM's in the Montana & North Dakota prairies that can now be armed with CONVENTIONAL warheads. Believe me they have power, thet can do it.

OH, I forgot, I, a soldier, was just out on "the street" in on of your cities, shoveled out my driveway and the sidewalk. I managed not to kill any citizens, took all my strength but I held back.. The sidewalk is now clear, so all those heartless corporation people can walk by on their way to steal your $$ from the banks, mission accomplished..

I am actually not proposing a strike on Iran, I simply said the US has the power to do it if they wished. I believe the youth of Iran will bring down this gov't long before any shooting starts.....

Yes most but not all sldiers sailors & airmen lean towards the right. There's good reason for that. The values of the right fit our ethos. My best friend in the military is hard core Lib, so it does not always fit. Funny ideas like hard work, duty, honour, selfless action. The fact that we are not standing around thinking the whole world owes us something, that everything is an entitlment. No, I have not time for left wing ideas, the are old and outdated. Communisim is dead, socialisim is a waste of time. Any ideaology that seeks to bring down lifes achievers, that condems peolpe for being good at something and making money doing it. I in no way like to see poverty, but lets face it, some of those folks are there because of the choices they made. Personel responsibility, another idea I believe in, but is dismissed by the left. No, to the left, your a victim of some big corp, or the USA, it's old, tired and crap. So Pinochet was a killer, so was Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Castro, the Komher Rouge, the KGB, Romania secret police, East German secret police, shall I continue. Socialist hate the USA, why; the USA has been fighting against everything they believe in for the last 60+ years. The USA won the cold war, brought down communism, thank God!! The only real communist power on Earth is China, and they are more capitalist than we are. The dream is over....... Another point here, this bigotry and prejudice towards soldier is really sad. Soldiers in our streets, sounds lioke nazi crap for the '30s,s, "jews in the streets". You should take out the words "soldiers" or "military" in your post and repalce it with a racial slur, see what you really are.......

Of course the USA, Russia, China, India some of the nuke nations are threatening to "wipe a country off the map". This is typical left wing BS, and cowardice. Dealing with Iran is too hard, someone might get hurt. Lets leave them alone, then in 10 years when they have given nukes to terrorist or nuked Israel, we can blame the Americans for "not having done anything to stop this".

Well I'm a soldier, and I am going into your streets right now. Armed with a snow shovel, my driveway is full. Canadian soldiers enemies of the Canadian people, only a socialist asshat could think of something that absolutely stupide!!!

Canadians are "practical" people. Depending who invaded, we could give some resisitance, but you do not wait until the enemy has landed in Nova Scotia before you hit them. You hit them way out to sea, sink thier troop ships, that's why we have a navy, and maritime aircraft. You send out your CF18s to sink their ships, shoot down their cargo planes full of paratroopers. When they land you hit them again. The "Militia Myth" has been replaced today by the "Peacekeeper Myth"...

Yes, Well the left is exceptionally good at telling people "you have nothing to fear, trust us". Of couse they are nowhere to be found when it all comes crashing down. Hitler was someone we could do business with, PEACE IN OUR TIME. Whatever!!! You right, we live in a peaceful world where everybody has our best interests at heart. Only the Americans have bad intentions, everybody else is a victim. The left will save us, by doing nothing and telling us it will all be OK....

That a really simplistic way of looking at it. Iran nuking the US is NOT likely, Iran "passing along" nuke material to terrorists is VERY possible. You may not care about a nuclear Iran, I on the other hand see it as a real danger. AQ with nuke, great, just great!!!

It never ceases to amaze me just how many absoulutly stupide people there are our there, it's really kind of scary. The Canadian military, YOUR military, should not be in Canadian cities because we're a police state. Do some of you fools even know what a police state is?? NOT. Not a clue. Police states are for the most part SOCIALIST, I could see Canada going in that direction if the NDP were in charge. Canadian soldiers armed in our street, are you nuts!!! That we cannot be in our cities, the very citeis most of us grew up in. Armed in the streets rounding up the idiots, would take the CF 100,000 troops and 20 years to get them all. How did Lenin phrase it, "usefull idiots"..... For one I am glad the gov't is finally going to better incorporate militia unts into the CF.....

He should get together with that nut preecher in Kansas, can't recall his name. The guy who says Americans are dying because God hates homosexuals....

Minister of National Defence Gordy!!!