State of Canadian Forces

JTF-2 was created before the CAR disbanded. JTF-2 refers to the military unit that took over the counter-terrorism tasking from the RCMP unit which was JTF.

As for your comment on "that peacekeeping crap", damn, where you been? We've done it for decades.

Note: Corrected stupid mistake. Thanx H.

Actually... it was just JTF orginally. No number. What few realize is that what made it "joint" was the fact that there was a military component in it the entire time. It was under RCMP command, and it reported to the Solicitor-General, but there was a rather significant number of members seconded from the CF.

The suggestion that a JTF2 team be sent to the north to "diddle" the Danes is a bad idea. That is not the role of JTF2. Send a company of real soldiers in a real "ice strengthened" ship.

Hmmm

Article discussing CTV interview with General Hillier. Some interesting related articles on the right side of the page, as well.

I've said it from the begining with my coleage(spelling) I like the Appointment of Hillier he has many very good Ideas and is a very campitent leader. He visited my 6a course in Pet. He wanted to get some oppinions out of some of us up and comming reservists. The Fact that he took the time out of his bussy schedual to take an hour or so to talk to a course of only 12 was pretty cool and landed him in my good books

It's been awhile since I had time to respond to any of this and I have alot to say but it's 1:30 in the morning and I just finished a 3 hour night flight (flying with night vision goggles is going to kill my back!!

).

First of all (and I know this is going to get me in trouble

) why do we need tanks? OK everyone take a deep breath and follow me through here. Take a look at the past 10 years, or even 20, when is the last time we have needed to deploy a tank regiment? I know we had leopards in Kosovo, not that they did much, and that was the first time they had been overseas since Germany. Where are we going in the next year, 10 years, 20? Is there a chance of another all out world war? Yeah, maybe, but more realisticly we will be dealing with more Afghanistans, Rwandas, Bosnias....pick some other crap hole somewhere in the world. Even the CDS is on board with this one, the latest revolution in military thinking is the Three-Block War and tracks just aren't effective in that environment. I really wish we had the capability to have an entire brigade of heavy tracks but we don't and in my belief we don't need them.

Heavy-lift choppers, only one aircraft fits the bill, the Chinook. The reason we need heavy-lift isn't really to move guns around, believe it or not the Griffon can do that it's just not very economical, we need the ability to put large numbers of guys onto the ground anywhere in the world. Right now the Chinook is the only western helicopter capable of operating in and around Kabul, there as an aerodynamic reason, I just don't want to get into right now!

If I can recall the super stallion can lift more weight but has a much lower operating density altitude. The EH-101 was not designed to be an army aircraft, ask the British Army about that one! Again the S-92 is a naval aircraft, it probably won't be able to handle the rigors of field deployments.

I really do believe we may see new equipment, IF the current budget plan stays in place (a very big if!!). The money will be there, to bad it's still another 2 years down the road before we see anything substantial. The chances of the plan surviving the next two years? Well if you believe that, I have some great used helicopters to sell you :lol:

Well starting to go cross-eyed, have a good night all.

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For those who are unfamiliar with the term MLVW, it stands for Medium Logistics Vehicle Wheeled, basicly the big green army truck. Our trucks have served us well over the years in various missions overseas, but they have been in service since 1982 and are in need of replacement.

One of the possible procurement projects set aside in the 2005 defense budget is for new army trucks, replacing the old MLVW fleet. I have been researching the candidates and I think the best truck for the job is the Oshkosh Truck Corporation MTVR (Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement).

Made by the same company that makes the infamous HEMTT front-line heavy supply vehicles, the MTVR is a brand new vehicle. Having entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps recently and serving overseas in Iraq, the performance of the MLVW has shown to be superior than all other medium trucks. Looking like an ordinary military truck, the MTVR actually incorporates many advanced off-road qualities such as an independent suspension system, central tire inflation system, as well as advanced electronics.

With the outstanding heavy-lift capabilities of this truck, could the MTVR also replace the HLVW fleet? Although the HLVWs (Heavy Logistic Vehicle, Wheeled) are not in need of replacing, by the time the MTVR (theoretically) has finished replacing the MLVW fleet, the HLVW would be approaching retirement age. The incoporation of both HLVW and MLVW into one fleet would produce commonality into one wheeled truck fleet.

I noticed acouple other suggestions on this topic...any comments or alternate proposals?

Not a suggestion, because your's looks pretty good to me, but more of what we're actually likely to get.

The Feb 2005 budget indicated "logistics trucks". Maybe it's just Liberal-speak but the army's focus has been on "tactical trucks". One of the issues is the ability to carry the MAVS (Mobile Artillery Vehicle System) which needs a minimum 4 ton carrier. That has caused a hard look at the US FMTV since they come in two weights (2.5 and 5 ton). The FMTV can be purchased without the Liberal MPs and the NDP melting-down into their traditional gelatinous mass each and every time DND mentions that the CF needs something related to a weapon, bullet or missile. In other words, they can buy FMTVs, essentially as logistics vehicles, with enough 5 ton 6x6s to carry the MAVS without suggesting the army will actually get a gun platform out of it. The only problem is that it is manufactured by Stewart & Stevenson in Texas and the speed at which the design can be pried out of them is a question. The other issue is that the FMTV engine burns JP8 and we have always gone with diesel, so it won't be an off-the-shelf buy.

The MTVR would exceed all the same requirements and has the advantage of being deployed, not just with the US Marine Corps, but also with the British Army. The downside is that Oshkosh has no Canadian partner and no matter what you do, getting the Canadian government, particularly the Liberals, to buy new for the CF requires a technology transfer and a high level of Canadian participation in the actual build. That is why it takes far too long to procure equipment and weapons in this country, and why many items are obsolete by the time they enter service.

An alternative is to kick Bombardier in its corporate ass and remind them that they have been financially bailed out by the Canadian taxpayer more often than a cow farts and it's time to return something a little more substantial than an obsolete design based on WW2 American trucks, (which is exactly what the MLVW is).
That this company is virtually guaranteed any manufacturing contract of military trucks, yet has never produced a modern military vehicle prototype for the 21st Century, is reprehensible.

So, I believe the MTVR is another wet dream. We're more likely to get something a little less advanced, modified to meet our standard and diddled by Cabinet to get work for the Bombardier plants.

I though the CF had bough a vehicule fro oshkosh and it was a big dud. THey are in the process of getting a vehicule from Mercedes.

I must have my wires crossed somewhere. What other vehicule maker is there in BC???

I think that I got it now...

The LSVW replaced the Iltis... and the LSVW (built in BC somewhere) is also a big piece of crap. So now we are getting the G-Wagon.
Unless I still have those wires crossed.

Here's a bit of a breakdown... at least this is from the old Army Acquistion Index:

Iltlis = Replaced by LUVW known as the G-Wagon (Mercedes Benz Canada Ltd., but it's being built in Graz, Austria)
Also added to the LUVW fleet are 1,061 MILCOTS Chevy Silverado 4x4s

5/4 ton = Replaced by LSVW. Manufactured in Kelowna's Western Star truck plant under license from the Italian firm Iveco which is owned by Fiat.

2.5 ton MLVW = In contract development for procurment of a "Tactical" truck. Current model was built by Bombardier based on a combination of the US M35 and M36 trucks. (Interesting note: The US is upgrading their current fleet of M35/M36 rather than carry out a total replacement)

HLVW = Replaced a plethora of different vehicles. Assembled by UTDC Inc. in Kingston ON, a rail car company, with parts supplied by Austian companies. Oh yes... Bombardier owns UTDC.

Where are we going in the next year, 10 years, 20? Is there a chance of another all out world war?
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Hey Inverted, I am sure this question was asked in the early 90's when all we were doing was getting sun tans in Cypress, Look at the operation over the last 15 years or so, I am sure they were not forseen, no actually I KNOW the weren't.