- Reaction score
- 8,290
- Points
- 1,160
Me:
I have no ulterior motive. I don't like the Liberals. >
There seems to be some strangeness in the land that suggests that it is bizarre if somebody does what they say they are going to do.
WRT the C17, I have not heard that the CDS wanted to turn them down.
IIRC before the decision on airlift was made by the Liberals the CF, if not the CDS, was pushing for the C17s. At the time the press was pushing Chretien on the need for lift when he came up with his famous observation that we didn't need aircraft parked on the runway just in case. During Martin's campaign he declared that we didn't need Harper's hybrid carriers "We don't need ships. Ships are old technology and too slow. We need aircraft." So Martin in office decides to build ships and forget about aircraft. Eventually, in time for the next campaign, he decides that General Rick should get some aircraft - C130s (which were to be sole-sourced and Edmonton has a track record in servicing them - that contract was, however moved to Kelowna).
I wouldn't be at all surprised if General Hillier asked for what he thought he could get.
As to standing up a service capability for 4 aircraft.....why on earth would we go through the capital cost of setting up such a venture, the cost and time associated with training personnel to perform those tasks, then accept not only the risk associated with the learning curve as staff figure out how not to do their jobs but also the risk associated with skills fade due to only working on one or two aircraft a year?
It is a better decision all round just to send the aircraft back to the shop that is already servicing 180 or so aircraft.
On the other hand - having Spar look after C130s in Edmonton (or that group in Kelowna if they are up to snuff) look after any new C130s makes eminent sense. In fact the presence of that capability domestically is a powerful argument for buying the C130 vs the A400M.
Rant off...
I have no ulterior motive. I don't like the Liberals. >
There seems to be some strangeness in the land that suggests that it is bizarre if somebody does what they say they are going to do.
WRT the C17, I have not heard that the CDS wanted to turn them down.
IIRC before the decision on airlift was made by the Liberals the CF, if not the CDS, was pushing for the C17s. At the time the press was pushing Chretien on the need for lift when he came up with his famous observation that we didn't need aircraft parked on the runway just in case. During Martin's campaign he declared that we didn't need Harper's hybrid carriers "We don't need ships. Ships are old technology and too slow. We need aircraft." So Martin in office decides to build ships and forget about aircraft. Eventually, in time for the next campaign, he decides that General Rick should get some aircraft - C130s (which were to be sole-sourced and Edmonton has a track record in servicing them - that contract was, however moved to Kelowna).
I wouldn't be at all surprised if General Hillier asked for what he thought he could get.
As to standing up a service capability for 4 aircraft.....why on earth would we go through the capital cost of setting up such a venture, the cost and time associated with training personnel to perform those tasks, then accept not only the risk associated with the learning curve as staff figure out how not to do their jobs but also the risk associated with skills fade due to only working on one or two aircraft a year?
It is a better decision all round just to send the aircraft back to the shop that is already servicing 180 or so aircraft.
On the other hand - having Spar look after C130s in Edmonton (or that group in Kelowna if they are up to snuff) look after any new C130s makes eminent sense. In fact the presence of that capability domestically is a powerful argument for buying the C130 vs the A400M.
Rant off...
