Ottawa Opens Wallet To Billions In Military Spending
Posted June 26, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian Navy’s ship has come in.
Or at least three ships will be in soon.
As part of a promised increase in military spending, the Harper government has committed $2.1 billion towards building three new state of the art vessels to patrol Canadian waters.
Four companies are in the running to manufacture the 28,000 tonne boats, which will finally replace the country’s aging 1960’s support ships. Whoever wins the contract will get a buoyant feeling of their own – they’ll also get $800 million to provide support and maintenance for the life of the ships.
“These ships are an essential component of our Maritime forces,” applauds Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada’s chief of defence staff. “The joint-support ships are not just about the navy or supporting other ships, they’re a key operations capability for the Canadian Forces as a whole. With those ships, our ability to protect Canadians … will be enhanced. Without them, our ability to do what Canadians ask of us would be enormously diminished.”
The new vessels are designed to carry fuel, ammunition and equipment, and can also function as floating headquarters and hospitals.
But some fear the replacements won’t be a huge leap forward. “They’re simply restoring key capabilities to the forces that either we do not have in sufficient quantity or that we do have but are now falling apart due to age and rust-out,” contends David Rudd of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies.
Other critics maintain the real beneficiaries are the manufacturers who make the vehicles. And they point to Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor’s former role as a lobbyist for that industry, wondering if there’s some cronyism going on.
His response?
“I have disclosed everything,” he states. “I own no shares in any company. I get no remuneration from any company. I have no connections with any company.”
The first vessel should be ready by 2012 and will have reinforced hulls that will allow it to break the ice and survive in the Arctic.
But this ship hasn’t completely sailed yet. The announcement is just part of the $15 billion Ottawa is expected to fork over this week to strengthen our armed forces. Among the items on the shopping list – new helicopters to finally replace the old Sea Kings, which have been criticized as being too old and too unsafe.
