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Topic: Manley Report. (Read 2491 times)
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Documents: Afghan spending may lead to ships being tied up
By MURRAY BREWSTER The Canadian Press
Fri. Apr 18 - 4:47 AM
OTTAWA — Both the navy and air force’s slice of the National Defence budget pie is being increasingly chewed up by the war in Afghanistan, federal documents reveal.
Background records, released as part of the Feb. 26 federal budget, acknowledge what members of the Forces have been saying privately for months: that the deployment in Kandahar is forcing the military to rob Peter to pay Paul.
The records say the war will "affect current defence planning" and additional costs not picked up by the federal Treasury Board will be absorbed in the overall defence budget.
In some cases it "will direct funding away from routine equipment and infrastructure maintenance."
"Readiness of the CF (Canadian Forces) may be affected, dependent on the degree of reprioritization required," the department’s report on plans and priorities said.
The budget woes come even though the federal Conservatives have increased spending at National Defence to $18.2 billion in the current year — a jump of $1.4 billion over last year.
The navy was particularly candid, stating that "in the current resource constrained environment, it is understood that there are insufficient resources to fully support all the operational readiness requirements."
That could potentially mean tying up ships. At the beginning of the budget process, defence insiders say, the navy is promised a certain amount of dollars for sea days, fuel and expenses.
But the internal juggling act that follows leaves admirals holding their breath on whether they will make it through with enough money to end of the year.
In 2007, the navy needed a $5-million bump up in its budget in order to put to sea for a routine patrol. The navy is currently examining how ships are part of its high-readiness task forces on both coasts.
Things are not much better over at the air force.
Senior planners at the 1st Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg were asked last summer to study a proposed a 32-per-cent reduction in money used for fuel and spare parts.
At the time, defence sources told The Canadian Press that the proposal was being studied for the new budget year and the reduction would lead to less flying time for CF-18s, the C-130 Hercules, CP-140 Auroras and CH-146 Sea Kings.
Published reports on Thursday said Chief of Air Staff, Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt expressed those concerns to government and asked for an additional $540 million over three years.
A spokeswoman for Watt said the request was made last November and the air force has now received an increase for this year’s budget. "Although the initial allocation for the air force was below the required amount to meet all equipment demands, the government has since increased the funding by an extra $97 million," said Lt.-Cmdr. Natalie Garcia.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3087
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Bravo!
Italy to stay in Afghanistan: new foreign minister
28 April 2008 | 13:07 | FOCUS News Agency
Rome. Italian troops will stay in Afghanistan despite the change of government in Rome, the incoming foreign minister said in an interview published Monday, AFP informs.
"It's not time to pull out," Franco Frattini told the Corriere della Sera.
"The attack on Hamid Karzai shows once again that Italy and its partners not only cannot withdraw from Afghanistan but also that they should pursue the UN and NATO goals" of democratising the country and fighting the Taliban, he said.
President Karzai escaped Sunday after militants attacked a military parade with rockets and gunfire, leaving three people dead including an MP and a 10-year-old boy who was killed apparently in return
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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