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terrorists and blackmailers, the more one becomes a "sitting duck" for the next lunatic seeking infamy, fortune, retribution or power.

Yesterday, some 700 Canadians among an estimated 20,000 hostages — "detainees" for those with timid tongues — remained in either Kuwait or Iraq as Saddam Hussein began to install clusters of hostages at what he considers to be strategic targets, those likely to be raided by U.S. and allied forces in a shooting war. Some five hundred Canadians are said to be in occupied Kuwait and two hundred are in Iraq.

Detainees from countries not sending forces or participating in sanctions against Iraq are being allowed to leave. Baghdad has authorized departure for citizens of Argentina, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and Portugal.

At the start of this week, isolated Canadian voices began to whimper publicly: "He might get mad at us if we send forces to the Middle East."

Similar to the attitude of Americans, several Canadians told The Wednesday Report they believe, "We cannot show ourselves to be vulnerable to terrorism. We must send forces to support the international effort opposing Hussein."

Surely Secretary of State for External Affairs Joe Clark would not ask the Prime Minister to stall the Canadian Middle East task force to please Saddam Hussein into releasing Canadians from Iraq and Kuwait? Would he? Would Saddam release them?

This Canadian remembers recent horror as television cameras captured for eternity the image of Indian Affairs Minister Thomas Siddon signing an agreement under the apparent duress of a menacing force behind him — in full view, the form of a bandanna-clad, camouflage-geared civilian representing the most heavily armed organization in this country apart from the CAF.

That picture alone flies in the face of repeated government declarations about dealing with armed aggressors. Does Canada or does it not negotiate under the gun, submitting to the will of armed terrorists?

Micheal John O'Brien

Comment:

SUBMITTING TO TERRORISM

Like the Warrior Society, Baghdad has put a gun to Brian Mulroney's head.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has again stoked the fire in the Middle East. Wrenching the guts of millions of North Americans, he has blatantly declared that he will sandbag his military installations with the innocent lives of thousands of Americans, Britons, French, and civilians of other nations.

Caught as pawns in a military action, these benign victims of circumstance Hussein uses as a shield against the consequences of his malodorous acts. And worsening concerns in Canada, his agent in Washington has said "Canadians too" will man that shield, although no direct actions against Canadians have been reported.

Tonight the people of the United States will again dream the nightmares of a provoked and frustrated nation. As the memory of the Iran hostage-taking crisis still lingers, yet another Satan grips the lives of a people whose forefathers gave "Liberty" their most regal pedestal. U.S. President George Bush has clearly indicated that he and his nation will prosecute.

Americans have learned like no other public that the more one accedes to the whim of

THE BLINDNESS AT `EXTERNAL'

There's a certain hypocrisy in Ottawa's new-found sense of outrage about Iraq's "criminality". To anyone willing to pay attention, the evidence of Iraq's menacing military build-up and sinister intentions was available, abundant and persuasive. Yet, for over the past two years, the Department of External Affairs repeatedly stuck its head in the sand, refusing to consider the danger brewing in Baghdad. Prior to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Canadian mid-east policy makers, from the Secretary of State for External Affairs on down viewed Iraq as a force of moderation in the region.

When Saddam Hussein annihilated Kurdish rebels in Halabja, northern Iraq using chemical weapons, Clark had little to say and no real action followed. The matter wasn't even brought to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). When substantial evidence surfaced indicating that Iraq was re-equipping itself with the materials and technological know-how to develop chemical and nuclear weaponry, no reassessment of Canadian policy and attitudes towards Iraq was initiated. When Hussein was caught red-handed trying to smuggle nuclear triggers from the U.S. through the U.K. to Baghdad, External was still studying the matter. As Gerald Bull's Supergun was obviously being assembled in Iraq, and as Iraq launched long-range test missiles clearly aimed at Israel, the silence at External Affairs remained deafening. And when Saddam Hussein, along with Yasser Arafat, led the hysterical Arab campaign against Soviet Jewish immigration to Israel, nary a "tut-tut" was heard from Canada's capital.

When the "Bully of Baghdad" proudly threatened to incinerate half of Israel with binary chemical weapons, External's evaluation was that Saddam Hussein was merely issuing a defensive caution. As a result, External took this blood-curdling threat in stride. Despite entreaties from numerous Canadian groups of various stripes, External declined to define Hussein's threats as a serious breach of international norms, and once again let the matter slip the attention of the UNSC.

What is so disturbing about this is that External's disregard of Iraqi machinations seems to stem from a perceptual block — a preconceived attitude towards the Middle East — that prevented Clark and his officials from facing reality.To the Middle East Bureau of the Department of External Affairs, the "root problem" that has posed the real threat to international peace and security is Israeli-Palestinian conflict; more specifically — Israeli obstructiveness and "unacceptable behaviour" in the West Bank and Gaza territories. As a result, the Israel-PLO stand-off increasingly became the almost exclusive focus of Canadian policy concern in the region.

With obsessive zealousness, officials of External Affairs fought to justify this restricted prism by dismissing any evidence of trouble elsewhere in the region. The Arab countries, they convinced themselves, had joined the world of glasnost and were ready to make peace with Israel — if only Israel would similarly join the new age and accede to Yasser Arafat's reasonable demands. In this way, External largely turned a blind eye to PLO, Iraqi and other wrongdoing, no matter how heinous.

The Secretary of State for External Affairs himself made it clear that he was preoccupied with promoting the fortunes of the PLO Chairman. Clark was more than willing to have Israel repeatedly tried and condemned at the UNSC for even the most secondary matters, in the hope that such PLO "diplomatic successes" would help Arafat maintain his leadership and promote a "moderate consensus" within the PLO. Clark specifically indicated that he was "not interested" in hearing about Iraq.

Canadian interest groups attempting to draw External's attention to the growing menace in Iraq were told to "stop trying to change the subject" and were accused of "cynically attempting to deflect attention from the real problem in the region" which, of course, was Israel's stubborn unwillingness to deal with the moderate PLO, you see.

This prejudiced approach to regional affairs skewed the handling of relationships with almost all Middle East parties. Wedded to a preconceived notion, Clark and his deputies had cognitive dissonance with regard to Iraq. Now they must be suffering a heavy dose of the same malady regarding Arafat, whose veneer of moderation has quickly evaporated in favour of support for the new Arab Hitler.

Saddam Hussein should have been stopped much earlier. But retrogressive `group-think' in Ottawa (and to a lesser extent in other western capitals) filtered out reality and has left us all with egg on our faces. Now External's blindness could cost lives.

David M. Weinberg

Editor's note: David has joined The Wednesday Report as Middle East editor. He was, until recently, National Director of Research and Education and Chief Middle East Analyst for the Canada-Israel Committee of B'nai B'rith, an Ottawa-based lobby group. A veteran expert on matters of Arab-Israeli politics and regional affairs, he now resides in Jerusalem. His views are based on his own personal experiences while here in Canada.

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MASSIVE U.S. & ALLIED FORCE BUILDING IN MIDDLE EAST

Based on data received from Washington sources, The Wednesday Report estimates that greater than 200,000 U.S. military personnel are already in the Middle East as part of the U.S. force sent to oppose any new Iraqi aggression and to return sovereignty to Kuwait.

American units sent to Saudi Arabia include the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, North Carolina; the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) of Fort Campbell, Kentucky; the 24th Mechanized Infantry Brigade from Fort Stewart, Georgia; the 11th Air Defence Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas; three U.S. Marine brigades; thousands of U.S. Air Force officers and men; the sailors and airmen (7-9 thousand each) of four aircraft carrier groups: USS Independence, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Saratoga; and USS John F. Kennedy as well as numerous other military personnel. President Bush is expected to announce the number of Reserve troops he will call up this week. Some sources suggest an initial 40,000 land force Reserves will be called to regular duty. And more will follow.

The U.S. Air Force has sent F-15E squadrons; F-16 squadrons; F-4s; F-117As and five AWACS. Discreetly U.S.A.F. has ordered that B-1s and B-52s at several Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases be armed with conventional bombs. NATO F-111s were dispatched to Turkey and Transport Command's C-5s, C-130s, and C-141 transport aircraft have been flying "around the clock" in support of all services.

The U.S. Navy has dispatched more than 45 warships, dozens of support ships, and some 360 carrier-based aircraft. Two huge hospital ships were dispatched to the Gulf region as the crisis first began. The Marines will have more than 150 aircraft — 60 AV-8B Harrier jump jets, 72 F/A-18s and 20 A-6 ground attack aircraft — along with nearly 25 attack helicopters, 70 tanks and more than 90 155mm howitzers.

A massive transport effort is under way to airlift troops and equipment into the Middle East. While troop and cargo ships continue to leave the U.S. carrying M1A1 tanks and other heavy armour, C-5 Galaxy cargo planes deliver Sheridan tanks, armoured personnel carriers and munitions. As predicted last week in The Wednesday Report, in addition to the U.S. Army's customary practice of chartering commercial aircraft, the Bush administration has now opted to press into service some 38 commercial airliners which 16 U.S. air carriers under the U.S. Civilian Reserve Air Fleet Programme are turning over to U.S. Transportation Command and Military Airlift Command, General H.T. Johnson, to meet what he describes as "growing airlift requirements".

The government of the United Arab Emirates early this week extended an open invitation to host United States' and allied forces. U.S. C-130s have been landing in the United Arab Emirates since the end of last week. Saudi Arabian and U.S. troops have been joined by ground forces from Britain, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The waters of the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Asian Sea, and the Red Sea are dotted with warships as others arrive from Australia, Belgium, Canada, West Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United States.

To enhance local defence against a possible attack by Iraq, the U.S. will permit the flow of more than $1 billion worth of F-16s and antitank missiles to Egypt. The Egyptian Air Force already has 40 F-16s equipped with Maverick air-to-surface missiles and cluster bombs. U.S. arms sales may also increase to those Middle East nations assisting in the U.N.-ordered trade ban against Iraq including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Turkey.

CANADA/UNITED STATES DEFENCE BOARD CELEBRATES 50TH

The Canada-United States Permanent Joint Board on Defence (PJBD) celebrated its 50th anniversary in Kingston, Ontario and Ogdensburg, New York from August 15-18. The anniversary celebrations, which coincided with the 186th meeting of the board, included a symposium at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. and a number of ceremonial activities in Kingston and Ogdensburg. They were attended by high-ranking officers of the Canadian and American defence departments, the Canadian Department of External Affairs, and the American State Department.

The PJBD was formed in 1940 when the war in Europe and increasing concern over the defence of the Atlantic coast prompted Canada and the United States to meet in order to consider the problems of their common defence. The resulting Ogdensburg Declaration established the PJBD, an advisory body which continues to meet three times a year to discuss defence matters of mutual concern.

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CANADA HAS MUSTERED AN IMPRESSIVE MIDDLE EAST TASK FORCE

If Iraqi pilots `pick a fight' with our sailors, they'll get an awful `bloody nose'. (See The Wednesday Report, August 15, page 8, "Canada Sending Warships — Maybe More — to Gulf Region".)

And if HMCS Athabaskan's crew with their standard-equipment, 2 quad-launchers of Sea Sparrow don't do the job first, gunners aboard the three ships — now bristling with 3"-50, 3"-70, and 5" medium calibre ordnance; .50 calibre machine guns; 40mm Bofors guns; and 20mm gatling guns of four Phalanx CIWS — will punish attackers.

Any Iraqi pilot who can penetrate that barrage will only do so to fall quarry to 32 sharp-eyed, air defence marksmen of the 119 Air Defence Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) from Chatham, N.B. who will be aboard the three ships comprising 15 Blowpipe detachments. Such is the air-defence potency of the three-ship task force; such is the mindset of its tough, resourceful, well-trained, highly-skilled personnel.

Throughout NATO, Canadians are renowned for their resourcefulness. And they come by it honestly. A joke about CF-18 pilots from the Hornet's early days, in an odd sense, tells why.

"How many CF-18 pilots does it take to screw in a light bulb?" (You've heard this, right?) The answer is "Ten! Yes. One climbs the ladder, removes the old bulb and screws in the new one. The other nine pilots huddle at the base of the ladder bickering that `the old one was better'."

Hidden there is a stunning reality. Those innovative pilots did miraculous things with their venerable, crude CF-104s. Likewise, their naval confreres were also contending with adversity — coping with a `decaying' naval fleet.

For more than twenty years there has been a steady decline in naval strength due to the critical aging of equipment. With a disinterested population, deteriorating awareness, and no budget nor government will to halt pervasive "rust-out", the men and women of Maritime Command, Canada's navy, have learned to make do with what they have.

An all-volunteer, highly educated, well-trained force, Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen have collectively become the most resourceful, innovative, and effective military team in all the world. And when they tell you that they can do a particular job — believe it. What has been accomplished dockside in Halifax is nothing short of miraculous.

Air-attack is a critical threat to Canada's small task force which is to sail for the Middle East

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by the end of this week. Each of the three vessels is being treated to an ample assortment of weapons, navigation equipment and a mission-specific electronics suite. The two warships are being fitted with single, stand-alone Phalanx — a pulse doppler radar-directed GE 20mm gatling gun firing saboted, depleted-uranium, high-penetration rounds — HMCS Protecteur has been given two. Each vessel will also carry upgraded 40mm Bofors guns returned recently from the 4 ADR RCA (air defence regiment) in Europe which lately received its new (Oerlikon) GDF-005 twin 35mm gun/Skyguard system. The 40mm `Boffin' guns had been refitted, modernized and are destined for the 12 new Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV).

Readers referring to charts in last week's report for details of the three vessels' normal configuration should note that the Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability of Terra Nova and Athabaskan have been de-emphasized principally by reducing spares and munitions for ASW systems making room for stores of mission-specific munitions and spares. The ships are ready to defend against air-attack, chemical-attack, mines, and surface threats. ASW is last on the list of concerns.

The heavy-duty end of anti-shipping assets will be fitted to Terra Nova in the form of the Block 1c-variant of the RMG-84A Harpoon. Manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, Harpoon is a sea-skimming anti-shipping weapon. Terra Nova will have a Harpoon battery of 8 missiles. Three-inch, five-inch, 40mm, and .50 calibre guns of the three vessels will handily ward off the small patrol boats typical of the aggressor's naval resource. (See The Wednesday Report, August 15, page 4, "Iraq's Monstrous Arms Build-Up".)

Other improvements to the task group include the addition of Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff (SRBOC); Plessey "Shield" offboard chaff dispensers; ALR-76A broadband ESM receivers; DLF-2 inflatable "rubber ducky" decoy systems; INMARSAT; SATCOM; ADLIPS (standard kit aboard the warships, added to Protecteur in the past few days); Sea-Tech mine avoidance sonars; and HyperFix medium-range distancing equipment.

Supply ship Protecteur will take on from 3 to 6 months worth of fuel and provisions for replenishment-at-sea (RAS) of the two combatant vessels. In addition to ADLIPS (Automatic Data Link Plotting System), hitherto ill-equipped Protecteur's unique treatment will see the addition of Link-11; SPS502 radar; and MARK 12 IFF; as well as modification of its three CH-124A Sea Kings (Athabaskan has two). As noted earlier, the 24,700 ton HMCS Protecteur will carry Blowpipe detachments from 119 Battery RCA, and gets two Phalanx CIWS; 40mm `Boffins'; .50 calibre machine guns; and the return of its two 3" guns which were removed in 1984.

Providing navigation and a highly precise position reference for Athabaskan's weapons suite will be a Litton marine inertial-navigation, gyro-compass supplied from Litton Systems Canada Limited inventory and fitted aboard Athabaskan last week. Said Litton spokesman Chuck Pittman, "We are proud to be supplying support wherever we can." He told us that, "A mix of hardware is being taken [aboard the two warships] and we are supplying a support person to Maritime Command to help with the installations." The same attitude and a similar answer echoed through the industry. Paramax, MIL Davie, SJSL and others "pulled the stops out" to aid Maritime Command's engineers, technicians and workers to make ready for sea. Terry Liston of MIL Davie says his firm sent the Phalanx unit destined for CPF HMCS Quebec, and electronics equipment from TRUMP. The Wednesday Report has heard numerous stories of how up to "5 truck loads" of gear left MIL Davie miraculously at 1:00 am on the morning of Saturday, August 11, giving CAF dockworkers a head start on the massive refits they were compelled to perform. Jack Henry of Paramax enthusiastically declared that, "We had people working all hours each day including ILS and supply people, all delighted to work with the navy's team at [CFB] Halifax." Parts, drawings, installations, training and more were produced instantly for everything the navy needed.

While industry assisted when asked, the miraculous "job of work", a veritable transformation in less than two weeks was done by Maritime Command's resourceful personnel. The two warships began trialing at the start of this week and Protecteur was to begin trials today. Already the officers and crews of Canada's navy are fully deserving of the "Bravo-Zulu" flags and their task group hasn't yet sailed. They are expected to leave for the Middle East at the end of this week — as promised on August 10 by the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff — two weeks from the day the federal government decided in favour of sending ships to the Gulf region to monitor the effectiveness of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council against Iraq.

We wish the men and women of the Canadian task group Godspeed and a safe return home.

Micheal John O'Brien

THE MID-EAST WAR SCENARIO

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Israeli defence and intelligence officials are convinced that events in the Gulf are moving towards "an inevitable military clash" between the U.S. and Iraq. In the Tel Aviv headquarters of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), possible U.S.-Iraq war scenarios are being thought through over and over again in an attempt to assess the implications for Israel.

A top Israeli officer, quoted in the weekend press in Jerusalem, expressed the IDF's concern that Saddam Hussein will try "to bring Israel down with him". If Hussein is going to be pummeled by the Americans anyway, postulates this line of reasoning, he might as well risk the punishing retaliation of the IDF by gassing half of Israel with chemical warheads, just as he threatened two months ago.

Having struck a blow against "Zionist and Yankee imperialist aggression", as Arab masses might call it, Hussein could at least claim Arab martyrdom for himself. As a result, the public at large in Israel is clamouring for the mass distribution of gas masks which at present are stored in Israeli civil defence warehouses. The military, however, fears that distribution of gas masks could be misperceived by Iraq, and might only increase the likelihood of an Iraqi attack.

Ron Ben-Yishai, defence correspondent for "Yediot Acharonot", Israel's largest Hebrew-language daily newspaper, has sketched out what he sees as the U.S. battle plan in a column he published Friday. He is certain that the U.S. is planning a first strike at Iraq. Like many other Israeli analysts, he doubts the efficacy of economic and diplomatic sanctions now being applied against Iraq to alone do the job of rolling back Hussein's adventurism.

Certainly Iraq has the ability to hold out for an extended period. Stockpiles of food and basic necessities are more than sufficient for at least three months, probably longer, and Iraq's 18 million people are accustomed to the hardships of war. As well, support in the Arab world for Saddam Hussein can only grow as "U.S. imperialist" forces solidify their presence in the Arab holy lands of Mecca and Medina. By contrast, it will become increasingly difficult for U.S. forces to sweat it out in the Arabian desert sands as economic, military and political pressures on Washington compound.

Therefore, Israelis are saying the U.S. must act swiftly and decisively to cut Saddam Hussein down to size. And, officials here explain, the key to the American plan of attack is dominant air power. In order to gain air superiority, the first wave of air sorties, Ben-Yishai says, will be aimed at Iraqi air defence and radar installations, ground-to-air missile emplacements, and command, control and communications centres.

To achieve this, the U.S. will send in F-117A Stealth bombers, protected by F-15E and F-14 fighters which will dogfight with the Iraqi Air Force, guided by AWAC surveillance planes. Even after a successful first strike, additional sorties will be necessary to take out secondary Iraqi radar installations and previously unknown missile sites.

With control of the skies assured, U.S. air power will turn its sights on Iraqi armour in Kuwait. The flat and barren topography of southern Iraq and Kuwait should make Iraqi forces relatively easy targets for pinpoint bombing raids. Raids will also be directed at Iraqi supply lines, and at advancing reinforcements coming from the Basra region and the border with Iran.

In order to protect U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia (and to protect Israel too), Iraqi ground-to-ground long range missile sites will now become priority targets. Next will come Iraqi military installations and defence industries around the country, including plants known to be part of the Iraqi chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programmes. The U.S. is likely to avoid carpet bombing tactics and to stay away from military installations in and around Baghdad in order to avoid civilian casualties.

Leading these raids will be A-10s (against the Iraqi armoured divisions); Apache and Cobra helicopters; and Tornados and F-16s flying low-level out of Saudi Arabia. The sand dunes and ridges should provide good cover for these attackers. Also, F-111 bombers flying out of Turkey will target strategic sites in northern and central Iraq, disappearing into the high mountain ranges in that area. Special commando units will be sent on search and destroy missions behind enemy lines, much like the Soviet "Spensatz" units. These will likely seek out Iraqi command and intelligence centres.

This plan is likely being formulated now utilizing information supplied to the U.S. military from the KHI2 spy satellite which was just sent into geosynchronous orbit above Iraq, and by Israeli and French military intelligence. For its own purposes, Israel is constantly mapping out the exact locations of all key Iraqi installations, information which has been transferred in total to the U.S. France, which supplied much of Iraq's missile and communications technology can help the U.S. plan electronic disruption of Iraqi operations. (It is unclear whether the Soviet Union has similarly cooperated with the U.S. military.)

It is unlikely that any pro-western ground forces will move into action until these air operations have achieved a good measure of success. Then, Ben-Yishai assumes, a multinational ground force

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consisting of Egyptian, Syrian, Moroccan, Pakistani, Saudi and some American forces will advance from Saudi Arabia into Kuwait. For obvious reasons, it is preferable that the television cameras show Arab forces liberating Kuwait, not "American imperialist forces".

Just behind this multinational force will be two U.S. heavy tank brigades along with elite marine forces. The 101st Air Division will attack Iraqi forces from behind their flanks, in the hundreds of attack helicopters the U.S. has brought into Saudi Arabia. The 82nd Air Division will stay behind to guard Saudi installations and territory. (Transport ships carrying the 24th U.S. Division, along with Abrams tanks and APCs, will not arrive in the Gulf for another 2-3 weeks. Until then, the U.S. capacity to fight any sustained armoured warfare will be limited.)

The unknowns in this scenario are twofold: the effect of a possible, partially successful Iraqi chemical or nerve agent attack against U.S. forces; and the impact on U.S. military planning of Iraq's move to place U.S. civilian hostages directly into the line of fire at Iraqi military installations around the country.

What is clear is that the U.S. will likely strike quickly and with devastating force if it is going to engage Saddam Hussein at all. U.S. forces now in position, or on their way to the Gulf, appear to be structured to do just that.

FRIGATE FINISHES FIRST TRIALS WITH FLYING COLOURS

HMCS Halifax, the first of twelve Canadian Patrol Frigates (CPF), sailed into Saint John Harbour August 21 after completing two weeks of shipbuilder's platform tests. Arthur Nightingale, president of Saint John Shipbuilding Limited (SJSL), the ship's prime contractor, said that Halifax passed its tests in the Bay of Fundy with flying colours.

The usually reserved Nightingale released few details about the frigate's performance although he did confirm that Halifax managed to exceed the required contracted speed of 27 knots. Other sources claimed that the ship attained a speed of 29 knots at less than `full steam'. Industry observers predicted that a heavier CPF might run much slower.

Nightingale said that Halifax came in at an official weight of 4,717 tonnes, 33 tonnes below its requirement.

Tests on the machinery and propulsion systems were due to begin July 20, but were postponed when three of the vessel's four generators developed over-heating problems. The company refused to comment on the cause or nature of the generator problems.

Thirty naval and 195 civilian technicians took part in the latest round of tests. The lead frigate's combat systems will undergo trials at the Canadian navy's firing range outside the mouth of Halifax Harbour in the next few weeks. Nightingale said that SJSL will officially hand the vessel over to the navy for commissioning on October 29, one year after its original delivery deadline according to Nightingale. But TWR files indicate that Halifax was due for delivery March of 1989, 18 months ago. Nightingale was adamant that the ship is only a year late and peevishly refused to explain the discrepancy.

LAV UPDATE: FMC CORP AWARDED CONTRACT

After considerable uncertainty as to whether the tracked vehicle portion of the MIL/LAV project (Light Armoured Vehicle acquisition for the Militia) would get final approval, the Department of National Defence awarded a contract to FMC Corp. of San Jose, California late last month.

The contract calls for 22 M113-A2 tracked vehicles in two variants — antiarmour configuration and field engineer configuration. According to William Highlander, director of communications for FMC Defence Systems, production on the M113s is expected to begin mid-summer next year and deliveries are scheduled between January and March 1992.

An order for the first portion of the MIL/LAV project was awarded to GM Diesel Division of London, Ontario last summer. The $100 million contract calls for the delivery of 199 wheeled LAVs based on GM's LAV-25 (Piranha) family of vehicles. GM Diesel Division's Programmes Manager Defence Operations, Mr. Curtis Locke told The Wednesday Report that the first two vehicles have been delivered to DND and are currently undergoing extensive performance testing. The 36-month contract is expected to run until April 1992 when the last vehicle will be delivered.

SUBMARINES A LIKELY "GO" NEXT MONTH

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The Department of External Affairs and the Department of National Defence are coproducing a study on maritime requirements. The outcome may lead to a recommendation to the present government favouring the acquisition of a small fleet of "sovereignty-protection" and Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) submarines. Recent statements by officials who did not wish to be identified indicate that the contents of the study are virtually finalized and could fall into the public domain next month. Speculation since last fall has been biased toward a project comprising 5 to 7 small boats in the region of 1,800 - 2,000 tons, each to be fitted for eventual conversion to Atmosphere Independent Propulsion (AIP). It is also conceivable, if not likely, and certainly sensible given the declining state of the aging Oberon-class and the current state of the shipbuilding industry, that the first two or more submarines would be built offshore with a corresponding amount of industrial offsets swung back into Canada by the company with the winning boat design.

BRISTOL'S BLACK BRANT ROCKETS SOLD TO NASA

Bristol Aerospace Limited of Winnipeg, Manitoba, through the Canadian Commercial Corporation has been awarded a contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Centre at Wallops Island, Virginia. The $9.1 million (U.S.) contract calls for the supply of rocket motors for Black Brant sub-orbital rockets to be used to conduct a variety of scientific research missions. The rocket motors will be delivered over a period of 3 years and will be integrated with other hardware supplied by Bristol Aerospace as well as NASA furnished equipment into several configurations, the largest of which is the four-stage Black Brant 12.

PCBs INCINERATED AT GOOSE BAY

The first phase in the federal government's commitment to eliminate PCBs was successfully completed at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, Labrador. PCB contaminated material amounting to 3,500 tonnes — 40 percent of the federal government's PCB inventory — was destroyed in an infrared incinerator owned and operated by OHM Remediation Services of Canada Ltd. The incineration which began in January marked the first time that a transportable incinerator has been used to destroy PCBs in Canada.

Environmental monitoring was conducted throughout the incineration by Environment Canada, the Newfoundland Department of Environment and Lands, and the engineering consulting firm of Proctor and Redfern. The testing ensured that the incinerator met the requirements of Newfoundland and federal regulations on the use of mobile PCB destruction facilities.

"The project was a success because of the direct involvement of the community in the planning and environmental monitoring of the incinerator," said Defence Minister Bill McKnight. "The project demonstrates an expanded use of DND resources to meet national environmental goals and an increased commitment by DND to undertake meaningful public consultation."

The government will continue to work towards facilitating the siting of federally sponsored mobile PCB incinerators in regions across Canada where the volumes of waste warrant it. The siting process will involve the full cooperation and participation of provincial and private sectors, as well as the communities involved.

CALENDAR

September 16-19 — The AIAC's "Twenty-Ninth Annual General Meeting" is to be held in the resort area of Whistler Village, British Columbia. The four day event combines an extensive AIAC business agenda with rest and relaxation in the beautiful surroundings of the mountains and offers an enjoyable schedule of activities for members, invited guests, and their spouses. For more information contact Belva M. Neale, Convention Coordinator, (613) 232-4297.

October 4 — The fall meeting of the Forum for Industrial Participation (formerly CIBA) will be held at the Ottawa Congress Centre from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The meeting is open to all who wish to attend. For more information please contact Bob Brown, (613) 733-0704.

<TWR Stories FL>October 9 — The Canadian Defence Preparedness Association will hold a

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luncheon at the Radisson Hotel in Ottawa. The NATO procurement role for Canada and the U.S. will be addressed by speaker Tom Callaghan. For further information contact Mr. Bond at (613) 235-5337.

BAE "VERIFIER" LAUNCHES SEA SKUA MISSILE

The British Aerospace Sea Skua missile system has taken on a new dimension. Originally developed as an air launched system, customer demand has prompted the development of a ship launched variant which recently completed its first firing from the British Aerospace Dynamics trials patrol craft Verifier — the first vessel in which the complete Sea Skua missile system, which includes the GEC-Ferranti Seaspray Mk3 360 degree radar has been installed.

The trial demonstrated the complete sequence of target acquisition and tracking by the radar, followed by missile lock-on and launch from the deck-mounted launch canister while the vessel was travelling at 18 knots. The missile followed a sea-skimming trajectory ending in a direct hit on its target from a range of 12 kilometers.

Sea Skua provides naval forces with a highly effective capability against ships up to destroyer size. It uses semi-active radar guidance, and missiles can be fired singly or in rapid succession from outside the range of a hostile ship's point defence systems. The Sea Skua system comprises a combined surveillance, tracking and illuminating radar, a fire control console, and deck-mounted missile containers. The combined radar and fire control consoles are configured for a single operator and provide all the weapon control data such as target designation, tracking, and weapon launch information.

Sea Skua is the first ever British Aerospace missile to be used operationally by the British forces. It was designed to meet a Royal Navy requirement to protect the fleet from small missile-firing fast attack craft. Fitted to Lynx helicopters equipped with the GEC-Ferranti Seaspray radar, Sea Skua is deployed from all frigates and destroyers of the Royal Navy. Its success as a helicopter and fixed wing launched antiship missile system has attracted the interest of navies all over the world, and now the ship launched variant is also expected to enter the inventories of many of the world's maritime forces.

"SHOOT!"

The three-inch-fifty gun uttered a flat bang and snapped back on its trunnions. The shell screamed landward to explode almost 12 kilometers away on the high peninsula of Meaford. The Great Lakes had just heard the report of a naval gun, likely the first since the War of 1812.

"I've never heard of anything like this being done before," says Captain Larry Williams adjutant of the Militia Training and Support Centre at Meaford. "Certainly it's the first time we've ever had a naval shoot."

The shells at Meaford usually go the other way, fired by artillery of armoured vehicles. But this time Commander Andre Perusse took his warship to the horizon, and the gun crew under weapons officer Lieutenant (N) Rolf Friis swung the twin muzzles over the starboard bow, towards the green hills. In the tower, behind the scratched and fly-specked green glass, Captain Williams and Captain Tim Young, the forward observation officer from Echo Battery, 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, awaited the first ranging round.

"The shooting was good... very good," Captain Williams says. "She was able to fire for effect within three rounds on each mission."

The destroyer, a lean grey shape on the horizon, fired more than 40 rounds inland at ranges between ten and twelve thousand meters, from a position on Georgian Bay east of Cape Rich. The shoot was part of Exercise Neptune Warrior, in which members of 2 Commando, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, had earlier made an assault landing on the shore at dawn.

The landing site had been cleared ahead of the assault by the dive team from 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, under Sergeant Geoff Ziegler. The four-man team checked for mines and booby traps, then marked the beach with strobe lights and chemical light sticks.

From the beach, the troops went inland to carry out a live-fire attack on an enemy missile

The Wednesday Report - Copyright 1990

August 22, 1990

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site. Back in their assault boats, they moved into the bay as HMCS Ottawa opened fire to cover their withdrawal.

Although naval guns have a much flatter trajectory than artillery, Ottawa was firing at a very high angle. The arc of fire was also very narrow, only six degrees on each side of the centre line. Where an artillery or mortar fire arc looks like a fan or a generous slice of pizza, Ottawa's arc looked more like a sharp wedge or spike.

The safety side of the exercise was controlled by Warrant Officer Bob Bowins and Sergeant Don Blair, and the range control staff, who were on the go from 3:00 am to get things ready. Warrant Bowins manned one of the tiny Zodiac safety boats, running out almost three kilometers into the choppy bay to keep curious pleasure boats out of harm's way.

After the shoot, Ottawa made its way to Collingwood, where it disembarked the men of 2 Commando. A combined cadet band from Borden under the baton of Major Chris Alfano greeted it with "Heart of Oak" as the ship came alongside. Ottawa stayed three days in Collingwood before moving on to the next stop in its goodwill trip around the lakes.

The passage of warships on the Great Lakes is governed by the Rush-Bagot Agreement, a series of notes exchanged between Richard Rush, the acting United States secretary of state, and Charles Bagot, British minister to the U.S., in 1817. Still in force today, with modifications, this agreement limits the powers to a certain number and tonnage of warships on specific lakes at any time.

The Meaford range was created during the Second World War, as a training ground for tanks. It now forms a vital part of all militia training in Ontario, and was one of the major sites for On Guard 90, the first Total Force exercise.

Captain Tony Keene

Department of National Defence

CALENDAR

September 16-19 -- The AIAC's "Twenty-Ninth Annual General Meeting" is to be held in the resort area of Whistler Village, British Columbia. The four day event combines an extensive AIAC business agenda with rest and relaxation in the beautiful surroundings of the mountains and offers an enjoyable schedule of activities for members, invited guests, and their spouses. For more information contact Belva M. Neale, Convention Coordinator, (613) 232-4297.

October 4 - The fall meeting of the Forum for Industrial Participation (formerly CIBA) will be held at the Ottawa Congress Centre from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The meeting is open to all who wish to attend. For more information please contact Bob Brown, (613) 733-0704.

October 9 — The Canadian Defence Preparedness Association will hold a luncheon at the Radisson Hotel in Ottawa. The NATO procurement role for Canada and the U.S. will be addressed by speaker Tom Callaghan. For further information contact Mr. Bond at (613) 235-5337.

October 24-25 -- The Financial Post and The Wednesday Report will conduct the fourth annual defence conference for the Canadian defence industry. "The Canadian Defence Industry -- Building for the Future" will be held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. Topics include Procurement U.S.A. -- defence contracting in the build-down; Space Intelligence -- Canada's new role; and Quasi-Military Pursuits and Cross-Commercial Ventures. Participants will gain insight from those at the centre of change -- drawing on expertise from Europe and North America -- and advice from those making change an opportunity for the future. For further information contact the Registration Coordinator, FP Conferences, (416) 596-5681

November 6 — The Canadian Defence Preparedness Association will host a luncheon in Ottawa at which DCDS or ADM Mat will present a brief on the Defence Services programme. For more information contact Mr. Bond at (613) 235-5337.

November 19 — The Canadian Defence Preparedness Association will hold its annual general meeting. The basis of discussion will be Canadian research and development requirements and the ability of government, universities and industry to respond. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Stuart Smith and the luncheon speaker, Honourable William Winegard. The registration fee is $125.00. For further information please contact Mr. Bond at (613) 235-5337.

May 13-16, 1991 — The fourth European Aerospace Conference will be held at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris. The Association Aéronautique et Astronautique of France, Germany's Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft-und Raumfahrt and the Royal Aeronautical Society are organizing the conference which will deal primarily with "Launch Bases" and "Satellite Control Systems". Separate

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The Wednesday Report - Copyright 1990

August 22, 1990

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