“Restoring Pride and Strength in our Canadian Forces”

July 19, 2006

As part of our steadfast pledge to strengthen Canada’s domestic and international security, the Conservative government has made a quick start on purchasing the military equipment necessary to restore the operational capability of the Canadian Forces.

We began with announcing details for the project to deliver three multi-role vessels. These Joint Support Ships will provide at-sea support (re-fuelling and re-supply functions). They’ll also be capable of sealift operations and support forces deployed ashore on security and humanitarian missions.

The very backbone of the army’s combat support, its vehicle fleet, is in dire need of replenishment. The current fleet of medium-sized trucks is nearing the end of its service life. The federal government will buy 2,300 new medium-sized trucks and associated equipment to help our troops get the job done.

We will also purchase 16 new Medium-to-Heavy-Lift helicopters to increase the deployment capability, mobility and flexibility of our forces. Canada has had to rely on allied or coalition forces to provide this type of transport which is necessary in global peace and security operations.

Our forces have also ‘gone without’ when it comes to strategic and tactical airlift. Canada has had to either ‘hitch a ride’ with other countries or rent aging Russian aircraft to transport our military equipment.

Therefore, the Conservative government will buy four new strategic lift aircraft to quickly move heavy equipment over long distances when and where it’s needed. This will prove especially useful to the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) when they deploy on humanitarian aid operations. To replace our aging Hercules fleet, we are also purchasing 17 new tactical lift aircraft to meet current and future operational demands.

This much-needed new equipment for the Canadians Forces will help rebuild Canada’s most basic military capability – the ability to lift and move troops and their equipment whether by air, land or sea.

Will it be cheap? No. Yet we have a great deal of ‘catching up’ to do after a decade of Liberal neglect. It is a critical investment towards ensuring that we have a modern, well-equipped military that is essential to our security, sovereignty and, ultimately, control over our own domestic and foreign policy.

Canadian industry welcomes the investment these projects will bring to the Canadian economy. Our policy requires that the prime contractors for these defence procurements must undertake business activities in Canada, usually in an amount equal to the value of their contract. Canada’s shipbuilding, aerospace and defence industries are world-class competitors well-positioned to play significant roles in these procurements.

We’ve also undertaken stringent measures to ensure the procurement process for these acquisitions are competitive, fair, open and transparent through the publication of all Requests for Proposals, Advance Contract Award Notices and Solicitations of Interest and Qualification.

Years of funding cuts under the former Liberal government hollowed out the army, rusted out the navy and grounded our air force. We’ve taken just the first, urgent steps necessary to set things straight. There is a great deal more work to be done towards ensuring our troops can fulfill a role which is increasingly earning the pride and respect of all Canadians.

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