RCAF News

[Guest2]

Canada not sending fighter jets to Europe next year as Air Force rearms, regroups

Yesterday 2:31 p.m.

OTTAWA — Canada will not send fighter jets to patrol NATO airspace for Russian incursions next year, the first time that Canadian CF-18s will be absent from the skies over Europe since 2017.

Canada not sending fighter jets to Europe next year as Air Force rearms, regroups© Provided by The Canadian Press

While the decision is being blamed on the need to upgrade the CF-18s and train more personnel, it has nonetheless raised eyebrows given the West’s current tensions with Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Canada first deployed a group of CF-18s to participate in what is known as the NATO air policing mission in 2014, as the military alliance scrambled to bolster its forces in eastern Europe following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

Based out of Romania and working alongside other NATO aircraft, their mission was to monitor Russian air activity over the Baltics and Black Sea ⁠— and protect against any aggressive action by Moscow.

The Air Force started to send aircraft and personnel every year in 2017, with the most recent rotation ending on Dec. 1, as six CF-18s returned home from Romania following a four-month deployment in which they flew nearly 500 sorties.

Yet while there was an expectation that Canada would return next year, Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier confirmed in an email that will not be the case.

“While the RCAF remains ready to deploy NATO committed assets when required, we are not planning to participate in NATO air policing in 2023 at this time,” he said in a statement.

Many of the Air Force’s aircraft and personnel are currently tied up on “modernization activities,” Le Bouthillier said, which includes upgrading Canada’s aging CF-18s so they can fly and fight for the foreseeable future.

“Moreover, the RCAF is also focusing on training new and existing fighter pilots and technicians as part of our ongoing reconstitution efforts,” he added.

[Guest2]

Canada will wrap fighter jet contract in ‘very short term,’ says minister

Story by Rachel Gilmore • 24m ago

22Comments

 

 

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After years of delays and deliberation, Canada is set to finalize a contract to replace its aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets in the 'very short term," according to Defence Minister Anita Anand.

An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet practises for an air show appearance in Ottawa, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019.© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The government announced earlier this year it was moving into finalization talks towards procuring Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, though officials cautioned at the time those talks were not a guarantee that a signed contract would follow.

Read more:

Ottawa entering final talks to procure Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets: minister

Anand told The West Block's Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that the process is now close to wrapping up.

"We will be concluding that contract in the very short term and moving to ensure that the assets arrive as soon as possible," she said.

"But in advance of that, we need to make sure we have the pilots trained and we need to make sure that we have the infrastructure in place to house the 88 new future fighters. And so there is long-term planning occurring to make sure that we are ready to accept the new capabilities that we are contracting for."

 

 

 

Ottawa says final talks underway with Lockheed Martin to procure F-35 fighter jets

The federal government launched the competition to replace its aging fleet of Boeing CF-18 fighter jets in 2017, when the government also said it would buy 25 used jets of the same model from Australia as a bridge toward a longer-term fleet replacement.

But with increased demands on the Canadian military, pressure has continued to mount on the government to speed up procurement in the process that has been underway for more than 20 years.

While the government has been in talks about the F-35 since the late 1990s, the former Conservative government formally announced its intent to buy 65 of the stealth fighter jets in 2010.

Read more:

As Canada moves towards F-35 fighter jet deal, here’s what you need to know

Deliveries at the time were projected to begin in 2016 -- but high costs and concerns about inaccurate budgeting dominated headlines over the subsequent years, with the auditor general in 2012 criticizing the handling of the sole-sourced deal.

By the time of the 2015 federal election, then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau vowed he would not buy the F-35 jets, pledging instead to look into a “more affordable aircraft.”

Despite that promise, the government did not exclude Lockheed Martin from entering the contest for a replacement fleet -- and now, seven years later, Trudeau's government appears to be on the cusp of signing a contract for the fleet they promised not to purchase in 2015.

In addition to the decades of delays Canada has faced in replacing its fighter jet fleet, the Canadian Armed Forces are also struggling to bring in another important resource: recruits.

The military has been plagued by a personnel crisis that has forced Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre to halt non-essential activities and raise questions about the readiness of the armed forces.

Speaking to Stephenson, Anand acknowledged there are "thousands of Canadian Armed Forces that we do need to recruit."

"Recruitment and retention and reconstitution of the Canadian Armed Forces is one of our utmost priorities," she added.

Read more:

Anand pledges ‘ambitious’ military culture reform in report to Parliament

The Canadian Forces have been shaken in recent years by a sexual misconduct crisis that touched even the highest ranks, along with wider attention on systemic racism that an external advisory panel to the minister warned earlier this year is "repulsing" new recruits.

The reputational problem has been compounded by concerns about the presence of right-wing extremists in the ranks.

Anand admitted it has not been easy trying to shift the military's culture.

The defence minister tabled what she described as a "roadmap" to reform the ranks this week, following a scathing report from former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour into sexual misconduct allegations first brought to light by Global News in February 2021.

However, the plan does not contain clear timelines for fulfilling its promises. When Stephenson pressed Anand on this, the defence minister said she wasn't interested in providing "false deadlines."

"What I am doing in the report is being my prudent self, to make sure that what I am saying to Canadians is what is going to occur, as opposed to giving false deadlines, which I am not confident that we can meet," Anand said.

"But what I am confident about is that this is a different moment in terms of our response to the need for cultural change in the military."

The roadmap comes after a "very long year," Anand added.

"Despite criticism coming from various stakeholders and the media, we need to make sure that we stay on track."

-- with files from Global News' Amanda Connolly

[Kip Powick]

Each F35 is listed at 110.3 million USD which includes all ground support equip etc

Annual operating cost per F35 is estimated at 7.1 million USD

((All data from numerous company reports and USAF reports))

Hopefully the govt got a Christmas special deal............but I still think it is a waste of money.......we need SAR and Heavy Transport  aircraft.........not fighters.

 

[Guest2]

1 hour ago, Kip Powick said:

Each F35 is listed at 110.3 million USD which includes all ground support equip etc

Annual operating cost per F35 is estimated at 7.1 million USD

((All data from numerous company reports and USAF reports))

Hopefully the govt got a Christmas special deal............but I still think it is a waste of money.......we need SAR and Heavy Transport  aircraft.........not fighters.

 

Quite agree, but the egos must be served......

[Airband]

A designated adult?

Air Force to add oversight after officers lose pay over 'egregious' pilot call sign

Mon Dec 19, 2022 - Canadian Press

Quote

"One idea is to have a senior member in the room who will not drink and whose job is to control the group.
"Someone has to be there to be able to say: 'Hey, this is stupid, knock it off,'"

OTTAWA — While the Royal Canadian Air Force plans to add more control over how fighter pilots get their call signs, a senior officer says there are no plans to abolish the nicknames — or the social gatherings where they are handed out.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Maj.-Gen. Iain Huddleston said he is aiming to have a formalized process for assigning call signs in place by the end of January.

Yet he also defended such nicknames as important for morale and esprit de corps.

"They're a tool that's been used for many years to bring those teams that are focused on fighter operations together," Huddleston said. "So, I think it's important to have that team spirit, that esprit de corps, that camaraderie."

Huddleston's comments follow a disciplinary hearing last week in which two senior officers under Huddleston's command were reprimanded and fined for not intervening after a sexually inappropriate call sign was assigned to a junior fighter pilot.

The call sign, which was homophobic and targeted a female pilot, was assigned during what is known as a "call sign review board" on June 22 at one of Canada's two fighter-jet bases, 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta.

Despite their official-sounding name, such boards are social events where pilots tell funny or embarrassing stories about each other over drinks before deciding on an appropriate nickname for new aviators.

Describing the call sign assigned on June 22 as "egregious," Huddleston said the nickname and review board clearly crossed the line and "had nothing to do with esprit de corps, it had nothing to do with teamwork."

Yet he also said that he does not want to change the basic structure of such review boards, adding: "They’re still going to be social events, because it is about esprit de corps. ... And I feel that it is still a tradition that we want to support, but with structure."

Exactly what form that structure will take remains uncertain, but Huddleston said one idea is to have a senior member in the room who will not drink and whose job is to control the group.

"Someone has to be there to be able to say: 'Hey, this is stupid, knock it off,'" he said.

Asked how a roomful of fighter pilots would assign such a name at a time when military members are supposed to have been warned about inappropriate sexual behaviour, Huddleston said he was at a loss.

"I can't understand it myself," he said. "It's stupidity. I don't understand it. This is not something that I'm familiar with even in my 33-year career."

He also couldn't say why Col. Colin Marks and Lt.-Col. Corey Mask, who were the senior officers in the room, didn’t intervene.

However, he said both have accepted responsibility and worked to understand the harm that was caused by their failure to act.

The two officers pleaded guilty during a summary hearing held in front of 50 Air Force members at 4 Wing Cold Lake on Monday. Marks was deprived of eight days' pay while Mask lost five days of pay.

Marks and Mask are also receiving a six-month "mentorship" to ensure they learn from their mistake, Huddleston said.

That mentorship, which Huddleston is conducting with Marks while 4 Wing commander Col. David Turenne works with Mask, involves various discussions about leadership and reviews of the military's orders on sexual misconduct.

The mentorship program falls under what the military has described as its "reintegration framework." Launched earlier this year, the framework aims to help Armed Forces members learn from mistakes, rather than simply kicking them out.

"I think it gives us a path to allow people to make mistakes, reasonable mistakes, and then move forward and be part of a cultural evolution," Huddleston said.

It remains unclear what position Marks, who was poised to take command of Canada’s other CF-18 base in Bagotville, Que., and Mask will be assigned in the future. That decision will be up to Huddleston and defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre.

"Nobody's going to forget that they made this mistake," Huddleston said. "It'll be a real leadership challenge for them. But they're committed to it, if we give them the opportunity."

[J.O.]

I met the CF18 demo pilot in the line at the local Starbucks during the air show week a few years back. It quickly became obvious that his call sign was very appropriate, but I’m pretty sure it would fall afoul of this “new standard”.

Edited December 20, 2022 by J.O.

[conehead]

49 minutes ago, Wolfhunter said:

And there are more than enough existing callsigns (of that nature) to lead any reasonable person to conclude that the outrage is highly selective. 

On a lighter note, I thought this was funny. BUT.... if your offended by poking fun at celebs and controllers with foreign accents  maybe you shouldn't watch.

 

That was hilarious!

[Guest2]

after many months of screwing around..........

Defence Department gets OK to spend $7 billion on 16 F-35 fighter jets: CP sources

A ground crew member of the F-35A Lightning II fighter demonstration team works on a jet following its arrival at the airport Wednesday September 4, 2019 in Ottawa. The jet is part of a demonstration team in town for a weekend air show. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

• The Canadian Press
• ore share options

OTTAWA - 

The Department of National Defence has quietly received approval to buy 16 F-35 fighter jets and related gear for a price tag of $7 billion.

Two defence sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public, say a funding request sent to the Treasury Board got the green light earlier this month.

The Canadian Press also viewed a document summarizing this request to Treasury Board, which is the department that controls the federal purse strings, and independently verified its accuracy.

RELATED STORIES

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•  Capital Dispatch: Sign up for in-depth political coverage of Parliament Hill

The approval covers an initial set of 16 F-35s, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, as well as spare parts, weapons and various startup costs associated with obtaining new jets, such as building new facilities.

The Liberal government has said it plans to buy 88 new fighter jets to replace its aging CF-18s between 2026 and 2032.

The sources say an initial order was required by the end of the calendar year to keep that schedule.

The funding approval follows months of negotiations with the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin after the F-35 beat out Sweden's Saab Gripen in a competition earlier this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2022

[Guest2]

Air Force reinstates officers disciplined for 'egregious' fighter pilot call sign

2h ago

 

OTTAWA — The Royal Canadian Air Force is reinstating two officers disciplined over a homophobic nickname given to a fighter pilot.Air Force reinstates officers disciplined for 'egregious' fighter pilot call sign© Provided by The Canadian Press

Maj.-Gen. Iain Huddleston announced the decision to reinstate Col. Colin Marks and Lt.-Col. Casey Mask in a message to Air Force members today.

The two officers pleaded guilty at a hearing last week after failing to stop a group of fighter pilots from assigning an inappropriate call sign to another pilot in June.

Huddleston says Marks and Mask have demonstrated humility, and that he and Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny believe the two officers can learn from their mistake.

He says that is why Marks will be allowed to assume command of Canada's fighter base in Bagotville, Que., and Mask is returning to his post as commander of a CF-18 squadron in Cold Lake, Alta. 

A military sexual assault survivors' group has raised concerns about the two officers being reinstated without some type of concrete action to atone for their choice not to intervene.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2022.

[Rich Pulman]

17 hours ago, Wolfhunter said:

I won't beat this poor horse any further other than to say that I'm disappointed by the lack of pushback from the RCAF.

FAWG is a known USN/NASA acronym that was spun as an inside joke, examples of this sort of thing abound in crew rooms around the world, all of us (OK most of us) here have done exactly the same thing ourselves with a variety of existing acronyms.... particularly company acronyms. We could have a full, albeit mature rated, thread on the subject.

IMO they need not have released or even acknowledged a rogue spin on something so innocuous. Most people who know better also know that it only detracts from real cases of abuse that are worthy of illumination and action. IMO we've become experts at doing that; I find it unfortunate, distracting and insulting to the victims, but that's just me....  Anyway: 

Best wishes and Merry Christmas to all.

Cheers

 

It’s not just you. Beware the Art of Apologizing. You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

[Guest2]

The real solution is to ignore it but if worries are around the naming process, perhaps a dry bar would help. 

What is esprit de corps in military?

 

 

-- Esprit de corps (es-pree-deh core) is a French term that means group spirit. It also means good morale, comradeship and having a shared purpose. I like to think that the "spirit" of our service implies devotion and loyalty to the Air Force and our country with a deep emphasis on our history and traditions.

[Guest2]

Experts say F-35 startup costs will be high due to infrastructure, network upgrades

1h ago

OTTAWA — Experts say they are not surprised that Canada intends to spend billions on an initial set of F-35s given the large startup costs associated with buying a new fighter jet.

 

Experts say F-35 startup costs will be high due to infrastructure, network upgrades© Provided by The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press reported this week that the Department of National Defence has received authorization to spend $7 billion on 16 F-35s and associated gear.

That works out to about $450 million per plane, which is about four times more than expected and has left some wondering whether Canada is getting a good deal.

But the total also includes weapons and spare parts, new facilities to house and maintain the fighter jets and upgrades to the military’s computer network.

Experts say those infrastructure and network upgrades are necessary given the state of the Air Force’s current facilities and the advanced nature of the F-35 compared to the CF-18s.

They also say it will be expensive, and will likely account for most of the initial costs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2022.

The Canadian Press

[Kip Powick]

So now 4 times the cost  I quoted and NOTHING about annual cost to operate each one of these non-essential  toys.

We will lose,one, two ????? hopefully none with a loss of life, but the RCAF has not had a "whiz-bang" aircraft that has not become a lawn-dart so each time that happens 1/2 billion dollars  has been vaporized...........

 

All that money could been spent on something DND really needs....what a shame.

[Guest2]

The problem is "Who Talks for the DND" and can represent all branches?

 

[Kip Powick]

2 hours ago, Skeptic said:

The problem is "Who Talks for the DND" and can represent all branches?

 

The CDS, (Chief of Defence Staff), is presently an army Lt General, (3 Maple leafs), who took over after the Admiral,  (4 Maple Leafs), became the subject of an internal investigation.

The Canadian Armed Forces normally  rotate the CDS between Army, Navy, and Air Force. In theory the CDS talks for all branches but it is no secret that there is a bit of loyalty toward the branch the CDS came from.

I don't know who the CDS was when the F-35 was thrown about  but again, internal workings like any "company"..... "you get your toys, we get the next batch."

The CDS is supposed to be the spokesperson for all 3 branches and takes their recommendations to the, MND, (Minister of National Defence),  who in,most cases, doesnt know  the pointy end of a boat from the blunt end........but such is life  and the troops soldier on  

[Airband]

Ottawa to spend $1.24 billion to extend life of search-and-rescue chopper fleet

Government made the announcement quietly on the eve of the holidays

Fri Dec 23, 2022 - CBC News
by Murray Brewster

Quote

"So typical of PSPC and DND to announce $1.24B contract in the late afternoon two days before Christmas. No opportunity to question decision-makers. It is beyond cynical."
Murray Brewster

The Department of National Defence (DND) quietly announced Thursday that it will spend $1.24 billion to extend the life of the air force's search and rescue helicopter fleet — part of a long-standing, problem-plagued procurement effort.

The announcement was made by press release late in the day by Defence Minister Anita Anand's office on behalf of Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek.

The upgrade to the country's 13 CH-149 Cormorant helicopter fleet was first proposed more than five years ago in the Liberal government's defence policy.

The sole-source project hit a major snag almost two years ago when upgrade proposals turned out to be costlier than the government anticipated.

"Negotiations with the contractor were put on pause due to the proposals being unaffordable," said a one-page internal presentation used to update senior officials at the time.

On Thursday, the Liberal government announced two contracts — one for the upgrade, the other for simulators. 

CAE Inc. of Montreal will offer the simulators while Leonardo U.K. Ltd. (Yeovil, United Kingdom) will perform the overhaul.

The work will, among other things, equip the choppers with advanced electronics. The government also says it will add three more helicopters to the fleet.

In the statement, the department said the extra aircraft will ensure the air force can continue to perform search and rescue operations out of Comox, B.C., Gander, N.L. and Greenwood, N.S., and can resume operations out of Trenton, Ont.

"The CH-149 Cormorant helicopter is a critical asset for search and rescue operations in Canada and these contracts provide the best solution for Canada to upgrade its fleet and provide the accompanying training tools to our aviators so that they can continue to keep Canadians safe – now, and in the years to come," Anand said in a media statement.

[Guest1]

Criminal if true

Ottawa on hook for software glitch that caused deadly military helicopter crash

Story by The Canadian Press • 3h ago

Year later................................................................................

OTTAWA — A still-unresolved software problem identified as the main cause of a deadly military helicopter crash off the coast of Greece in 2020 will end up being fixed on Ottawa's dime — at a yet-to-be-determined cost and time.

Ottawa on hook for software glitch that caused deadly military helicopter crash© Provided by The Canadian Press

The Defence Department and U.S.-based Sikorsky Aircraft say they have agreed on a plan to fix the autopilot problem that allows the CH-148 Cyclone's computer to override the controls of its human pilots in certain situations.

But nearly three years after the glitch resulted in a Cyclone plunging into the Ionian Sea, killing all six Canadian Armed Forces members on board, it still remains unclear when that solution will be implemented.

"Now that the technical requirements have been agreed upon by all parties, Sikorsky and its subcontractors have proposed an initial implementation plan for Canada’s review," Defence Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande said in an email.

"Discussions on this plan are ongoing, so it’s too early to discuss cost and schedule. We hope to have the plan finalized in the coming months, and will provide more details at that time."

One thing that has been finalized, however, is that Canada will foot the bill.

Lamirande said the planned software upgrades fall outside the scope of the government's existing $9-billion contract with Sikorsky for the delivery and maintenance of 28 Cyclones, which was signed in 2004.

"We are committed to continuously improving the safety of our fleets and those who operate and fly in them," she said. 

 

 

Sikorsky spokesman John Dorrian said the company, which has yet to deliver all 28 Cyclones nearly 20 years after the original contracts were signed, is now waiting for a new contract for the work. 

"Following a contract award from DND, Sikorsky will complete development, flight test and upload of the enhancements to the CH-148 fleet," Dorrian said in an email.

The federal government has faced calls for urgency since two internal military reviews identified the autopilot glitch as the primary cause of the deadly Cyclone crash on April 29, 2020.

The tragedy took the lives of Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins, Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough, Capt. Kevin Hagen, Capt. Brenden MacDonald, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin and Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke. It also shook the nation during some of the darkest days of the pandemic.

Military commanders have repeatedly suggested the problem isn't serious, saying the Royal Canadian Air Force has developed protocols and procedures to avoid a repeat of that tragedy by training pilots to avoid certain manoeuvres.

"I'm very confident that we're operating within that aspect, within a safe regime," Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny said in a recent interview. "Otherwise they wouldn't be flying the aircraft."

A number of Cyclones have been deployed overseas on Canadian warships in recent years, where they are primarily used for search-and-rescue missions, surveillance and anti-submarine missions. Kenny said the helicopters have excelled.

Yet there have been problems, including the discovery of tail cracks on nearly the whole of the fleet due to a design flaw. Sikorsky has agreed to cover the cost of those repairs, but they have yet to be implemented.

The 26 Cyclones that have been delivered by Sikorsky so far don't have all the capabilities that the American company originally promised to include.

Former Sea King squadron commander Larry McWha described the Cyclone fleet's autopilot issue as a serious software design flaw or "gremlin" given the potentially deadly consequences.

The fact the government is covering the bill for the autopilot fix suggests Ottawa is taking at least partial responsibility "for having specified, tested and approved the original design and control laws that led to the tragic loss of an aircraft and crew," he added.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2023.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

[Kip Powick]

On 3/3/2023 at 7:38 PM, Kargokings said:

The Defence Department and U.S.-based Sikorsky Aircraft say they have agreed on a plan to fix the autopilot problem that allows the CH-148 Cyclone's computer to override the controls of its human pilots in certain situations.

Be nice to have an expanded explanation of the problem that is supposedly going to be fixed.

[Guest1]

Penticton Peach Festival is an annual South Okanagan Valley tradition, which began in 1947, to celebrate the peach harvest in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. This year's event is scheduled for  August 9 - 13, 2023 at Okanagan Lake Park.  The Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks, will be performing on August 9, 2023 at 18:00 showcasing their signature tricks and formations. See PeachFest.com for festival details See www.Canada.ca/en/army/corporate/SkyHawks for more info about the SkyHawks

[Guest1]

On board a Canadian military surveillance plane | CBC.ca

[Guest1]

Operation NEON: Behind-the-scenes look at CAF training to monitor North Korea sanctions | Watch News Videos Online (globalnews.ca)

osted April 3 2023 07:03pm

A Canadian Armed Forces team is preparing for deployment to Japan, as part of a multinational effort to help enforce sanctions against North Korea. Neetu Garcha goes behind-the-scenes to get an inside look at the training mission, as the crew prepares for potential intercepts in the sky.

 

[Guest1]

I wonder what the MEL looks like for this aircraft and of course if it will be attacked while grounded. 

Following the story I have placed a link to a US Airforce MEL for the C-130J

 

Canada's Sudan relief flights held up by mechanical difficulties

Story by Murray Brewster • 47m ago

 

 

Jordanians evacuated from Sudan arrive at a military airport in Amman, Jordan on April 24, 2023.© Raad Adayleh/AP

After one of Canada's planned evacuation flights out of Sudan ran into mechanical problems Friday, Defence Minister Anita Anand said the problem has been resolved and officials hope the airlift will resume "as soon as possible."

The problem emerged just one day after Canada began its long-anticipated humanitarian mission in the east African country, now in the midst of a precarious ceasefire between two warring factions.

Canada has been staging its evacuation flights out of the nearby nation of Djibouti. Two aircraft are assigned to the mission.

Anand did not say where the C-130J encountered its mechanical issues, or what the nature of the problem was, or why the second aircraft could not fly.

"We are hoping flights will resume as soon as possible. That is what we are working towards," Anand told reporters at a media availability in Dartmouth, N.S.

"We need to ensure that occurs safely and that's the question on the table right now."

Anand brushed aside questions about specifics, saying federal officials will have more to say at a briefing this afternoon. A defence source said the transport aircraft was on the ground in Djibouti and was unable to take off.

Canadians and other foreign nationals have been caught in the crossfire of Sudan's civil conflict after violence broke out last week between the east African country's army and a paramilitary force.

The fragility of Sudan's truce was underscored Friday by reports that a Turkish evacuation plane came under fire at an airbase outside Sudan's capital Khartoum as it was coming in to land.

The Turkish defence ministry said no one was injured and it landed safely at Wadi Seidna, where it was being checked.

The Sudanese army blamed paramilitary fighters with the Rapid Support Forces faction for the attack on the Turkish aircraft. The RSF denied the allegation, saying it was committed to the extended humanitarian truce.

The two sides agreed late Thursday to a three-day extension of their ceasefire, which had been set to expire.

Aside from security, Anand said the condition of the runway at the Sudanese military airport is an increasing source of concern for Canada and its allies.

"The terrain at the airport is very rough and it requires a continual assessment by our officials, together with our allies, that planes can safely take off," she said.

Anand said roughly 250 Canadians have been evacuated so far. Of that number, 117 were airlifted by the Canadian military.

 

 C-130J Minimum Equipment List. This MEL lists the minimum equipment and systems to launch the aircraft under routine operations. afman11-2c-130jv3.pdf

[Guest1]

Latest Update:

Posted at 1500 or so EDT

Window to safely airlift people from Sudan closing quickly, Canadian officials say

Author of the article:

Canadian Press

Dylan Robertson

Published Apr 28, 2023  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  1 minute read

Mechanical issue in Canadian plane delays Sudan airlift, Turkish plane shot at | Toronto Sun

[Guest1]

back in the day vs the recent trip to New York

Quote

Canadians Begin Evacuation From Lebanon

 

By News Staff

Posted Jul 19, 2006, 12:00PM EDT.

This article is more than 5 years old.

The federal government has come under heavy fire for its reaction to the crisis for Canadians in Lebanon and some evacuees will get the chance to voice their opinion of the effort directly to the Prime Minister.

Stephen Harper is getting personally involved in the mission to deliver Canadians to safety from the war-torn region, making a detour to Cyprus to pick up about 100 evacuees. He was supposed to fly home from Paris Wednesday following the G8 summit in Russia.

“Because of the seriousness of the situation and our relative proximity to Cyprus, we have decided to take the Canadian Forces aircraft we have been travelling on to help airlift evacuees back home,” Harper said in a statement.

“The aircraft will be stripped down to a skeleton staff.”

Only Harper’s wife, Laureen, three of his communications staff, his official photographer and a few other staffers were joining him on the flight.

Harper denied the trip was a photo opportunity.

“It’s more than a symbolic trip,” he said. “There’s a need for air support in Cyprus. Freeing up seats, we will have a significant number of seats to help the situation.

“I think criticism in this type of situation, given all the complexities, is inevitable one way or another,” Harper added. “We believe there is a real need here. … We believe it’s the right thing to do.”

It’s unclear at this point how long it’ll take to bring all of the Canadians home and some criticized Ottawa for not acting sooner.

This is the largest evacuation effort in Canadian history.

Seven chartered passenger ships were expected to arrive off the Lebanese coast Wednesday to begin transporting Canadian citizens to safer ground. About 30,000 Canadians are believed to be in the region, and federal officials estimate they’ll be able to move about 2,000 of them out per day.

The ships will travel to Cyprus or Turkey, where passengers will disembark and then fly home on government-leased planes.

Thousands of Canadians clamoured for a spot on one of the ships at a hot and crowded Beirut port Wednesday. Many of the people waiting to board Bleu Dawn – a Canadian chartered ferry expected to arrive in Cyprus late Wednesday – voiced their complaints about the government’s slow response.

Telephone calls to the Canadian Embassy apparently went unanswered for days and it wasn’t until Tuesday night that officials spread the word that Canadians should meet on a Beirut street at 7:30am Wednesday.

There was no shade, no washroom facilities and no water at that meeting point.

“It’s a humiliation,” said Nada Sefian, 52. “Is this because we are of Arab origin? The government said `trust us’ and this is the trust I put in them?”

Canada has one of the largest groups of nationals in Lebanon in the world. Eight were killed this weekend in an Israeli air strike.

Israel contended Tuesday it’s prepared to fight Hezbollah fighters for weeks, raising fears that a peace deal might be farther away than other world leaders had hoped.

So far the fighting has claimed 260 lives and displaced nearly half a million people.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed when Israeli plans struck an army base outside Beirut. Five explosions shook the capital early Wednesday and missiles struck nearby towns.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora called on the guerrilla fighters to release captured Israeli soldiers – their capture sparked the attacks by Israel – but said Israel’s response was disproportionate and accused it of “opening the gates of hell and madness” on his country.

President George W. Bush has accused Syria of trying to influence Lebanon.

“We have made it very clear that Israel should be allowed to defend herself,” Bush said in Washington. “We’ve asked that as she does so that she be mindful of the Saniora government. It’s very important that this government in Lebanon succeed and survive.”

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert believes Iran may be responsible for sparking the conflict in order to deflect attention from its controversial nuclear program.

So far Israel’s attacks have been limited to air and sea, but army officials didn’t rule out sending in ground troops. The international community is trying to bring about a diplomatic resolution, and in recent days a United Nations mediation team has met with both Lebanese and Israeli leaders.

A proposal to send an international peacekeeping force to boost the 2,000-member UN force in south Lebanon is gaining strength.

Western countries believe the beefed-up force could be part of an eventual ceasefire agreement.

 

[Maverick]

JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA TIES

Japan, South Korea near resolution to 2018 radar lock-on dispute

Yoon administration set to remove naval guidelines protested by Tokyo

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol plane, like the one pictured here, was involved in a radar lock on dispute in December 2018. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)

YUSUKE TAKEUCHI and JUNNOSUKE KOBARA, Nikkei staff writersMay 31, 2023 16:53 JST

 

TOKYO/SEOUL -- A radar lock-on dispute between Japan and South Korea from 2018 is poised for a potential resolution, with talks between the two sides entering their final stages.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and South Korean counterpart Lee Jong-sup will meet on June 3 -- the first bilateral meeting of defense chiefs in three and a half years -- during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Seoul has maintained denial of responsibility for the incident while moving to withdraw harsh guidelines implemented in its wake. Tokyo looks to advance defense cooperation after steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.

The incident occurred on Dec. 20, 2018, when South Korea was under the administration of Moon Jae-in. According to Japan's account, a South Korean naval destroyer directed its fire-control radar at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol plane, which was conducting surveillance off the Noto Peninsula over the Sea of Japan.

The radar is usually used to measure the position of a target before attacking it. Japan protested the move as a dangerous act that could provoke armed conflict, demanding the prevention of a recurrence.

In response, South Korea said that the destroyer was using surveillance radar to search for a North Korean ship in distress. The Japanese plane's low-altitude flight threatened the destroyer, it said in demanding an apology from Japan.

Japan's Ministry of Defense released its final position in January 2019, saying, "There is no choice but to conclude that [South Korea] has been repeating claims that by all means differ from [the] truth. [It] refuses to conduct an objective and neutral determination of facts."

The South Korean side refused to acknowledge the radar lock-on, and in February 2019 it issued guidelines to its navy for Japanese SDF aircraft. If one were to fly near a South Korean vessel and did not respond to two radio warnings, officers were ordered to lock fire-control radar on it. It was an unusual guideline, applying only to Japanese SDF aircraft. Japan's position is that it is necessary to abolish guidelines that hold only the SDF as hostile.

South Korea's stance changed in May 2022 with the inauguration of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon's administration has been considering withdrawing the guidelines. Japan's Defense Ministry believes that doing so will create an environment where similar incidents can be prevented.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Yoon have met three times since March and have confirmed that they will strengthen security cooperation.

In April, Japanese and South Korean officials resumed a bilateral security dialogue after a five-year hiatus. On May 29, an MSDF escort ship entered the port of Busan, the first such visit since 2017.

There is no change in Japan's view that the South Korean vessel locked on to its plane using fire-control radar. But at the upcoming meeting in June, Hamada does not intend to ask his counterpart to make a statement confirming this, sources say.

If the radar issue can be resolved, security cooperation between the two countries can return to the state before the 2018 incident, including the resumption of stalled bilateral naval exercises.

"We will strengthen Japan-South Korea cooperation so as not to impede cooperation between Japan, the U.S. and South Korea," MSDF Chief of Staff Admiral Ryo Sakai said at a press conference on Tuesday. Regarding joint exercises with South Korea, he added, "The time is ripe. We can quickly resume exchanges."

In addition to the Japan-South Korea bilateral meeting, a trilateral meeting with the U.S. is scheduled in Singapore, where implementation of an initiative to share North Korean missile launch information will be discussed.

The U.S. advocates integrated deterrence, which aims to enhance deterrence and response capabilities together with allies. It has been urging the Japanese and South Korean governments to deal with the fallout from the radar incident in order to strengthen trilateral security cooperation.

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-South-Korea-ties/Japan-South-Korea-near-resolution-to-2018-radar-lock-on-dispute?n_cid=NARAN185