As published on March 24, 2010 on David Pugliese’s Defence Watch
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny is no stranger to those in the defence community. The former chairman of the Senate defence committee, he has been an outspoken supporter of the Canadian Forces, overseeing reports that have been critical of both Liberal and Conservative governments.
With the Navy he has tried to sound the alarm about what he worries is the coming (soon) rust-out of the service. Here is a piece he has sent to Defence Watch. It is part cynical, part humorous, and all serious.
By Colin Kenny
Guest Writer Defence Watch
David, I meant to ask you today if you were doing something on how the Government is screwing the Navy for it's 100th anniversary. Here are a few ways:
1. Still flying Sea Kings.
2. The Cyclones are a mess,
- late, overpriced, no 'run dry' capability that matches specs. (Another civilian aircraft - I thought we learned that lesson with the Griffons.)
3. No news on Joint Support Ship.
We needed four, ordered three, will be lucky to get two. One (Preserver class going back for it's "second mid-life refit" which means, 'you can expect to wait years, boys.')
4. Not a word about replacements for Iroquois-class destroyers.
'Fellas, if you are lucky we will try and re-engineer (maybe losing the helicopter) to add Command and Control (to 3 instead of 4) frigates at the beginning of the frigate mid-life refit.' This, by the way, may be delayed a year or two cause of our deficit.
And this will mean that neither fleet will have wide area air defence - which means sail with the Americans or risk getting slaughtered from an air launch that is out of our range. Maybe sailing with the Americans is a good idea if we need fuel and air protection. And I don't want to hear a word from you about sovereignty!
5.Anybody heard anything about designing (much less building) the highly touted Arctic Coastal Patrol Vessels?
No? Ok, they were an incredibly dumb idea anyway - couldn't do either job properly. But a real vote getter if you are selling Arctic Sovereignty in Ontario. Hmmm. We may have to go with Americans - see #3 above.
How do you spell sovereignty anyway?
6. Recruiting. Yes, I know it can't keep up with attrition.
Did I hear that they are short the equivalent of two complete Frigate crews? You know, 'Baby Boom' and all that stuff. Blame it on Paul Martin for balanced budgets.
7. Submarines! Have we got a boat that has fired a torpedo yet? That's what they do if we want them to fight, you know.
And what about the Chicoutimi --odds are 7 to 3 that it will never see salt water again. Tell me it ain't so Stevie.
What ever happened to the crazy idea that Hugh Segal (Capt/N Hon.) and Colin Kenny (Able Seaman/Hon) of a 60 warship Navy to address the new threats Canada will face in the Pacific this century particularly in light of the Pacific being a naval theatre and in light of our National interests shifting west to reflect recent and current immigration. Oh yeah, it is more important for Stevie to get re-elected than to address Canada's security.
Well, I am sure I have left a lot of good stuff out (like no SAR fixed wing replacement - but is that really a Navy issue? Or the tail rotor nut problem with the Cormorants - that actually do rescue folks with problems off our coasts.)
Well, happy One Hundredth Navy. Your Government is making sure you get all that Canadians deserve and more.