Newly elected and Newly promoted to associate Minister of Defence in charge of procurement Minister Julian Fantino will certainly have his work cut oiut for him with last years decision to purchase the F-35.
In July 2010, the Government of Canada announced it is acquiring the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35, a fifth generation fighter jet, to replace its fourth generation fleet of CF-18s, which are expected to reach the end of their operational life in the 2017-2020 timeframe. Delivery of the new aircraft is expected to start in 2016.
The Canada First Defence Strategy states that the Canadian Forces will acquire a next-generation fighter capability that will help them carry out their core missions of defending the sovereignty of Canadian and North American airspace through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and providing Canada with an effective and modern capability for international operations.
For further details this Link is important to Canadians:
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/pri/2/pro-pro/ngfc-eng.asp
Meanwhile in Afghanistan, despite conflicting reports on the death of Mullah Omar, the carnage continues.
NATO troops slain
NATO says five of its service members have been killed in separate explosions in Afghanistan.
The international military alliance says one blast happened in the east, the other in the west, but did not provide further details. NATO typically waits for national authorities to announce casualties before giving specifics.
Most of the forces in the east are American, but there are service members from other NATO countries also serving in the region.
Canada currently has about 2,800 personnel deployed in Afghanistan.
The latest deaths bring to 26 the number of NATO personnel killed in Afghanistan in May; 177 have been killed since the start of the year.
The Head Honcho of the US Military in Afghanistan. U.S. Gen. David Petraeus paid tribute to Canadian troops who are on the cusp of departing the southern region following five long, bloody years of fighting.
"This has been Canada's area," Petraeus said in an interview. "What Canada hands off now to the U.S. elements that take over is dramatically improved."
He noted that the Panjwaii is one of the toughest neighbourhoods in Kandahar, an "area that used to be Mullah Omar's hometown and used to be a Taliban stronghold."
But Petraeus says it now belongs to Afghan security forces, something Canada has "contributed to significantly."
The U.S. commander was accompanied by Canadian Brig.-Gen Dean Milner, who gave the ISAF commander an aerial tour of a recently completed road project that cuts through the former Taliban stronghold of the Horn of Panjwaii.
Canadian Troops will come home heads held high as they have done in many wars. BRAVO ZULU to our men and women of Canada’s Military Units.
Meanwhile things continue to heat up in Ghadaffi land. Our air elements, their support staff and the crew of the HMCS Charlottetown are integrally involved in this UN Mission.
Canadians are certainly doing the Lion’s share in Global Policing. A special thought for the men and women of our military and for their families the members of invisiblearmycanada.ca
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
