DND Spending

[weaponeer]

I'm no expert but I think the intent of the F22 is to replace the F15 and the F35 to replace the F16 & F18.

The F22 will replace the F15C air to air fighter in active duty units. The USAF will retain the F15E bomber for the next few years. The older F16 & F18C and Harriers will be replace by the F35 JSF. The USN recently purchase a fleet of new F18E Super Hornets to replace their Tomcats.

I have worked with the F22's, they are awesome in their capabilities. They have a very good CAS & BAI capability, their EW suite is unreal. They are the King Kong of the sky. With that in mind, planes like the Super Hornet, Eurofighter & Gripon are still very good at what they do.

[White Doors]

Story

Socialist worry-wart, what could he possibly know about reality?

Just a wee bit off topic aren't we?

Food prices going UP is great! more incentive for the WTO to be able to get rid of world-wide food subsidies which will be the harbinger of less poverty in Africa.

[weaponeer]

I'm not in the CF (not even in the CG anymore), so I'm not certain about this, but Canada has only about five or six buffalos based in Comox right? I thought they were using Hercs for SAR out of Winnipeg, Trenton and Greenwood, so wouldn't the CF still need to purchase a new fixed-wing SAR platform even if it retains the Buffalos?

I've never worked with the DHC-5, but some of my experience is on the Twin Otter. Viking Air in Victoria purchased the type certificates for everything from the Otter right up to the Dash7, and apparently they're putting the DHC 6 back into production with a 400 hundred series (more capable engines and some avionics updates, I think). I think they have about three dozen firm orders right now. Wonder how many orders they'd need to put the Buffalo back into production. Pressurization (or lack of) is an issue with the Buffalo too, isn't it?

Comox has the only 6 Buffalos left in the CF, with 442 Sqn for SAR. The pressurization is not too much of an issue with them as they open the cargo door to drop SAR Techs by parachute. The issue I understand is the engines. The Twin Otter is an excellent plane for SAR duties and the CF fleet of 4 in Yellowknife is getting old. They could be an option, I know the SAR Tech like them. They are slow, that is their main problem. Hercs are currently used in Trenton, Greenwood & Winnipeg for SAR, and one option the AF looked at is retaining soem for the SAR role.

We are buying 17 C130J to replace 32 C130E & H models. Of the 32 we have, 13 are C130H and the option was to retain them in a SAR role only, no more heavy lift. That could buy them several more years of life. The issue then becomes the mountains, C130's are fast, good for SAR over the ocean, arcitc, wide open spaces, not so good in mountains...

Edited January 17, 2008 by weaponeer

[eyeball]

I was just curious, how do you propose paying for all the toys I see listed above?

[M.Dancer]

Legalize weed and tax it with a special tax on hair shirts and kelp.

[weaponeer]

I was just curious, how do you propose paying for all the toys I see listed above?

First, they are not toys, it is serious equipment that the people in the CF need to do our jobs, you see our very lives depend on our equipment working. But you do not care about the lives of soldiers.... I forgot!!

[eyeball]

How do you propose we defend ourself from America after we legalize weed?

[weaponeer]

Legalize weed and tax it with a special tax on hair shirts and kelp.

Would not work, most of the weed and hair shirts folks do not work, never heard of work. They have no $$ so we could not collect.

[eyeball]

Marc Emery must have worked pretty hard to become a millionaire.

[bush_cheney2004]

...Somehow the USandA has got to stop starving their own children and denying them health coverage just so they can spend more on the military, and the US (along with China and India) have got to stop being the world's biggest polluters.

No way...being the biggest polluters just means being the biggest. Ever seen the Nanticoke power plant in Ontario?

We are running out of time. Physicist Stephen Hawking gives the world less than 500 years before it becomes completely inhabitable, things have got to start changing soon, and like it or not, the US will to have to lead the way or it's just not going to happen.

Hawking should stick to what he knows about.....500 years is nothing. The Earth's "inhabitants" laugh at his puny human concerns. The US will lead for it's own interests, not Hawking's wild imagination.

[eyeball]

It occurs to me that legalized weed might also avert the looming food shortage in addition to help fund the military, but the problem of defending ourselfves from a US attack still remains. What to do, what to do?

[weaponeer]

It occurs to me that legalized weed might also avert the looming food shortage in addition to help fund the military, but the problem of defending ourselfves from a US attack still remains. What to do, what to do?

Tie you to a tank as a human shield comes to mind....

[M.Dancer]

It occurs to me that legalized weed might also avert the looming food shortage in addition to help fund the military, but the problem of defending ourselfves from a US attack still remains. What to do, what to do?

Why should you care? You call yourself a unconscious objector...all you have to do is lay down in front of an Abrams....

[james rahn]

No way...being the biggest polluters just means being the biggest. Ever seen the Nanticoke power plant in Ontario?

Hawking should stick to what he knows about.....500 years is nothing. The Earth's "inhabitants" laugh at his puny human concerns. The US will lead for it's own interests, not Hawking's wild imagination.

Never been to Nanticoke, but I've seen the Strathcona and the Petrocan refineries on the east side of Edmonton. They are big and manly...and really smelly!

Better be careful, mister, lest you find yourself beneath the wheels of Mr. Hawkings motorized wheelchair.

Uh, do you even know who Stephen Hawking is?

Edited January 17, 2008 by james rahn

[bush_cheney2004]

...Uh, do you even know who Stephen Hawking is?

Maybe...I think he is the genius that had been wrong about black holes and cosmology for over 30 years. Good thing somebody else checked his "math".

[eyeball]

Why should you care? You call yourself a unconscious objector...all you have to do is lay down in front of an Abrams....

Morris

I care a lot about homeland defence actually. If I was in charge of that I'd do like the Chinese and deter potential invaders by building a small number of extremely large nukes. Much more cheaper and efficient than constatantly trying to upgrade our supply of weapons.

Edited January 17, 2008 by eyeball

[M.Dancer]

I care a lot about homeland defence actually. If I was in charge of that I'd do like the Chinese and deter potential invaders by building a small number of extremely large nukes. Much more cheaper and efficient than constatantly trying to upgrade our supply of weapons.

Thanks for confirming you are not a conscientious objector. You may have been close to fooling some with your ridiculous charade....but not now.

[weaponeer]

I care a lot about homeland defence actually. If I was in charge of that I'd do like the Chinese and deter potential invaders by building a small number of extremely large nukes. Much more cheaper and efficient than constatantly trying to upgrade our supply of weapons.

So we should repel an invader by nuking our own country. Are you for real. I bet you a blast to have a a game of Risk:)

[james rahn]

Maybe...I think he is the genius that had been wrong about black holes and cosmology for over 30 years. Good thing somebody else checked his "math".

I always knew there was something fishy about that guy...

[eyeball]

So we should repel an invader by nuking our own country. Are you for real. I bet you a blast to have a a game of Risk:)

Risk was a great game wasn't it? We used to draw in extra lines to make it more interesting and I understand there's a version out that includes bases on the moon and under the ocean.

By the way the nuke strategy seems to be working just fine for China.

Edited January 17, 2008 by eyeball

[weaponeer]

I always knew there was something fishy about that guy...

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/site/index_e.asp

Here's a link with some good info ref AF issues we were talking about....

[james rahn]

The issue then becomes the mountains, C130's are fast, good for SAR over the ocean, arcitc, wide open spaces, not so good in mountains...

Is it because the Hercs are to large and not manoevrable enough over BC's type of terrain?

I thought the problem with the TO was that it was too small to carry the equipment the SarTechs need.

I have to admit though, I hope DND replaces the YK twin otters with new ones.

Kenn Borek Air flys a couple dozen of them up in the north and its a fantastic little airplane. Like to see the CG with a couple of them up there.

Edited January 17, 2008 by james rahn

[eyeball]

Thanks for confirming you are not a conscientious objector. You may have been close to fooling some with your ridiculous charade....but not now.

Nice try but I said I was a COMT and I also made it quite clear that I suppport a strict policy of non-interference in the affairs of others in the sense of a Prime Directive similar to that outlined in Star Trek. As I recall this never stopped anyone from defending themselves.

I also repeatedly said that I oppose, conscientiously, ANY funding for offensive military expeditions beyond our borders.

Please try to pay more attention.

[M.Dancer]

Nice try but I said I was a COMT and I also made it quite clear that I suppport a strict policy of non-interference in the affairs of others in the sense of a Prime Directive similar to that outlined in Star Trek. As I recall this never stopped anyone from defending themselves.

I also repeatedly said that I oppose, conscientiously, ANY funding for offensive military expeditions beyond our borders.

Please try to pay more attention.

I have paid attention. You tune changes when heat is applied. You have called yourself a CO, and when it was shown you aren't, you call yourself a COMT. Well, at least when you pronounce that it sounds closer to the truth. In any case you are still just another fraud trying to make political points hijacking what could be someone's earnst beliefs.

So you would have opposed Canada's involvement in the Second World War?

Edited January 17, 2008 by M.Dancer

[weaponeer]

Is it because the Hercs are to large and not manoevrable enough over BC's type of terrain?

I thought the problem with the TO was that it was too small to carry the equipment the SarTechs need.

I have to admit though, I hope DND replaces the YK twin otters with new ones.

Kenn Borek Air flys a couple dozen of them up in the north and its a fantastic little airplane. Like to see the CG with a couple of them up there.

They will most likely replace the TO in Yellowknife with new ones. There's talk about beefing up the arctic presents, perhaps a bigger unit, more planes. As for the old DND TO's & Buffs, people are lining up to buy them, so they are still good planes.

Comox SAR is a little diff than the other units, they need to operate over the ocean as well as the mountains. Very differnet equipment requirments with that terrain mix, as well, Comoox is the SAR training unit. They train all AF SAR crew because they have the different terrain in the area.

I have a close friend whose a SAR Tech in Winnipeg, he told me that they actually like the CL415 waterbomber. The SAR folks would love to see that airframe converted for SAR use. The second choice of the SAR world is the V-22 Osprey as it is both helo & plane....