Monday, January 28, 2008

What the Canadian Army can teach the USN


Simple; the fundamental facts of warfare don't go away just because they don't fit your cute little theories.
Canada's Defence Department is planning to buy a lot of big guns, ...

The army is interested in acquiring as many as 34 new 155-200-millimetre towed howitzers to add to its existing stock of 12 M-777 guns, most of which are in Afghanistan.The program to re-equip gunners with state-of-the-art artillery began in 2005 under the former Liberal government when the army warned its stock of old 105-millimetre howitzers wasn't up to the demands of Afghanistan.

Under an urgent government-to-government procurement, the Defence Department bought six M-777 guns from the U.S. Marine Corps and later purchased six more from the British manufacturer, BAE Systems Inc.
In addition to going "oops, we need arty.." they also stopped sniffing the transformational glue about tanks when, yikes, combat got in the way.
The Canadian Army is acquiring 100 Leopard II tanks, to be delivered from Dutch and Dutch army surplus. The purchase is a change of direction for the army and in particular for Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier, who only a few years ago described the Leopard tanks as "millstone around the neck" of the Canadian forces. The Canadians realized the importance of main battle tanks in recent months, as tanks were rushed in to Afghanistan to support the Canadian contingent stationed at Kandahar. As the new tanks are inducted by the Army, the Leopard 1C2 tanks currently deployed in Afghanistan are expected to be retired from service.
...
Yet, the intensity of recent conflicts, in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon reestablished the validity of the tank as a highly protected, powerful and effective operational asset, which, at certain high threat scenarios, cannot be matched by more lightly armored wheeled vehicles. When employed in the proper manner, heavily protected tanks can survive most types of anti-armor and anti-material improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including shaped charge IEDs and landmines. They also offer unique capabilities of cross country mobility and counter-obstacle capability that cannot be matched by lighter armored vehicles. The Leopard 2 tanks will provide better protection against IEDs and landmines, compared to the currently deployed Leopard 1C2.
ASW. Coastal Mine Warfare. NSFS. Rinse, repeat.

PEO Ships; call you office.

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