The Year Ahead - 1989The new year should, at least in theory, bring a flurry of procurement announcements as Canadian defence planning moves into a more mature post-white paper period. High on the agenda for hoped-for action include the main battle tank, light armoured vehicle and close air defence weapon system projects. For the air force, it is hoped that 1989 will bring some positive action on tanker and heavy transport aircraft, the medium-range patrol aircraft (MRPA), additional long-range patrol aircraft (LRPA), and on the proposed family of training aircraft. The latter appears likely to be spearheaded by the acquisition of approximately twelve turboprop-powered multi-engine trainers. For the navy, the pivotal question will of course centre on an SSN 'country-of-origin'. On other fronts, 1989 should bring further refinement of the army's new
Divisional structure, additional peacekeeping commitments, a clearer picture of
Canada's requirements for new search and rescue aircraft, and varying degrees of
action on a host of smaller procurement programmes. It also appears likely to be
the 'Year of the Environment', with any procurement or deployment programme with
environmental 'overtones' almost guaranteed to produce public, media or
political controversy. Falling into this category, frequently as a result of
misinformation, are the Goose Bay training facility (even if it is not selected
as the site of NATO's proposed Tactical Fighter Weapons Training Centre),
CASAP-SSN and the five Forward Operating Locations (FOL) for CF-18 and other
interceptor aircraft. The FOL programme is already the source of confusion,
since reports by the general media have left the public with the image of five
massive, Cold Lake-style military airbases, replete with all manner of support
and training facilities and hordes (!) of permanently-deployed CF-18s. Only in
Canada... |
