Canada getting access to Polish helicopters by summer

RackMaster

Nasty-Dirty-Canuck
SOF Support
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
11,787
Location
Land of Swine and Maple Syrup
Great news. It's only 2 but it will help things out greatly. Thanks to our Polish Brothers! ;)

Canada getting access to Polish helicopters by summer

Last Updated: Friday, June 6, 2008 | 1:55 PM ET Comments14Recommend5

CBC News


Canada's military mission in Afghanistan will be granted the use of two of Poland's helicopters this summer, a Polish minister says.
Speaking in Kandahar Friday during a visit with Canadian military and civilian officials, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced that two Mi-17 helicopters will be available for use by Canadian troops some time this summer.
Poland plans to deploy eight helicopters in total — four transports and four gunships. Polish special forces will also be using the helicopters, but the foreign minister says Canada will have access to the aircraft whenever necessary.
Sikorski said Warsaw is pleased to help Ottawa with the helicopters until it is able to secure the purchase of Chinook helicopters from the Americans.
The Canadian military doesn't have helicopters in southern Afghanistan, with soldiers forced to rely on other countries' equipment to ferry them around.
Canada's continued involvement in the Afghanistan mission was conditional on extra troops and equipment support from NATO.
The demand, based on recommendations in the report prepared by former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley, for an additional 1,000 soldiers to be committed to the volatile Kandahar region has been met. But the government is still trying to meet extra equipment requirements of new medium-lift helicopters and high-performance unmanned aerial vehicles.
Also during his Afghanistan visit, Sikorski said Warsaw is boosting troop deployment by 400 troops, up from the current 1,200. The move comes as Poland pulls troops out of Iraq.
"It's true that as we draw down in Iraq we are increasing here. And that's as much as we can do this year."
During Sikorski's visit to Kandahar, he also spoke with Canadian military and civilian officials about how to run a provincial reconstruction base, or PRT. Poland plans to take over a U.S. reconstruction base in the eastern Afghanistan province of Ghazni.
Roughly 2,500 Canadian troops are stationed in Afghanistan with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, mostly around Kandahar province in the volatile south.
 
Not at all. I don't think we should be relying on anyone for Air transport.

Our Air assets are a joke. Why we don't have CF/18's over there helping out us ground troops is fucked. Let alone helo's that can transport us around.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to the other countries for helping us out, but we need to get our act together.
 
I hear you.
When NZ deployed a company to a Brit Battalion in Bosnia the brits had to deploy extra men/gear to protect us as we were so pathetic. :rolleyes:
 
On the ground, we are second to none, however, We just don't spend the money in the right places when it comes to the airforce.

Have you heard about the F.A.G.'s?
Fast Assault Griffen?
 
On the ground, we are second to none, however, We just don't spend the money in the right places when it comes to the airforce.

Have you heard about the F.A.G.'s?
Fast Assault Griffen?

LMAO, no but I've seen a lot of them in the airforce.

There's been so many different ideas for reincarnating those fucking things just to save face and make it look like we didn't waste more money. One thing the CF is good at, doing well with the junk they give us.
 
LMAO, no but I've seen a lot of them in the airforce.

There's been so many different ideas for reincarnating those fucking things just to save face and make it look like we didn't waste more money. One thing the CF is good at, doing well with the junk they give us.

Apparently it is happening man. Putting dual .50's on the side and they will run convoy escort. I'm not holding my breath, but they are schedualed for the next task force.
 
EUFOR used them Birds alot in Bosnia/Kosovo..I think they were Ukrainians..Solid platforms and not a bad word ever said..
 
I can't fathom deploying a battle group of that size without any organic lift capabilities. It is even more criminal that 2-3 years down the road and it STILL doesn't have any.
 
I can't fathom deploying a battle group of that size without any organic lift capabilities. It is even more criminal that 2-3 years down the road and it STILL doesn't have any.

We've been in country needing and wanting some sort of lift capability since 2003. :rolleyes: It was only since we did the move South that it supposedly "justified" the push to our political masters to grease the pocket books.
 
Back
Top