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<strong>Title: </strong> <a href="/link.php?id=29864" target="_blank">Poland offers two helicopters to help Canadians in Kandahar</a> (click to view)

<strong>Category:</strong> <a href="/news/topic/16-world" target="_blank">World</a>
<strong>Posted By: </strong> <a href="/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=Hyack" target="_blank">Hyack</a>
<strong>Date: </strong> 2008-02-04 09:56:18
<strong>Canadian</strong>

   

Maybe we could talk the Dutch into selling our old Chinooks back? They still fly great AND they are right there in Afghanistan already. Great forward thinking....thanks for all the road convoy casualties Liberal Party!!

   

Does anyone else find it repugnanat that the Canadian forces must accept charity aid from Poland, an ex-Warsaw pack member?

   

Does anyone one find it repugnanat that we have to hitch a ride on the same chinook helicopters that we sold to the Dutch?

   

Thanks Poland! Should demonstrate our need for them!

   

But it isn't a Warsaw Pact country anymore, it's a NATO ally.

   

Forgetting who sold the Chinooks are you?

How about the US deaths in their helicopters including Chinnooks?

   

I though our army was above flying around in Russian junk.

   

He had to do it "TO SAVE CANADA!"


Yeah, it was a dumb move. I'm not sure what the hell he was thinking over that one.

   

I do have to commend Poland for being one of the first countries to step forward and offer assistance. Out of 27 (I think it’s 27, correct me if I’m wrong) countries that are members of NATO they are the only ones who have come forward so far with anything tangible. Where the hell is Germany in all of this? Even if they don’t want to commit troops why can’t they contribute more equipment? Didn’t we have troops stationed there for how many years acting as a deterrent during the cold war?

   

Hey we need choppers, the Polish are now in NATO, let's accept?

Or shall we see another IED kill another CF troop?

Stop being proud and take the offer.

Thanks to Mulroney and Chretien we have no rotary wing aircraft that can do the job in the Canadian Forces.

   

This isn't just a Canadian problem. Previous governments can take some blame but most of the problem lies with the lack of hot and high capable aircraft and this is a common problem for all the NATO allies. But you are right, taking into account what I’ve just said about the shortage of such choppers, we should be grateful for any helicopters that are capable of operating in Afghanistan.

   

A number of our Allies have been generous with their Helos – the US, Dutch, British, and Australians have all shared their Chinooks in southern Afghanistan. Other NATO allies have been less willing to help. Germany has CH-53 Sea Stallions in-theatre, but will not fly them in the south. Likewise, Italy, the largest European user of Chinooks, has been unwilling to send any of these highly sought after helicopters out of the relative safety of northern Afghanistan. None of the other NATO Chinook users, Spain with 18 Chinooks, or Greece with 15 is willing to spare any of their helicopters for the joint NATO ISAF ops in southern Afghanistan.

In mid March 2007, Boeing announced a direct commercial sale of 16 - 20 CH-47F Chinooks to Italy. With pending replacements imminent, you gotta wonder why Italy is holding back its serving CH-47Cs?

   

Don't forget Spain recently equped 45 NH90 helicopters with its GE's CT7-8F5 which would be anouther welcome addition to the mission. As for the CH-47F's, if they're not willing to contribute the helo's why can't they at least bump Canada to the top of the waiting list and let us purchase ours sooner?

   

You sound like you know whats what. I've worked with our Italian allies in NATO before. Good food and nice wine are their strong points.
Combat isn't.

The last good Italian army carried 'SPQR' before it.

   

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