French pitch new warships for next Canadian navy vessels

Buying French ships would be a smart choice, never been fired and only abandoned once.

I don't think so, the props are designed to act most efficiently in reverse.

comes with an extra operating manual in German

I don't think so, the props are designed to act most efficiently in reverse.

Or not. They make very good ships and have a better track record of marketing them than the ships we built. They also have a far superior navy so any smugness we try and show comes across as pretty damned hollow.

Frankly, I'd love to have some of their kit.

It does look nice and well thought out. In these days where military personnel is getting cut, having ships that need smaller crews would be a plus.

Ah come on, you know they were poking a bit of fun. I agree French equipment is top notch...

That being said, why bother? Canadians, and their government, have a hard time sticking to any goddamn procurement plan for military equipment. I'm even disappointed in Harper in this regard, although, sadly, he would still be better for the military than the Liberals and their untested leader, and the NDP.

Ah come on, you know they were poking a bit of fun. I agree French equipment is top notch...

That being said, why bother? Canadians, and their government, have a hard time sticking to any goddamn procurement plan for military equipment. I'm even disappointed in Harper in this regard, although, sadly, he would still be better for the military than the Liberals and their untested leader, and the NDP.

Frankly, you have no idea what the Liberals will do. Harper put money into the military when it was both politically expedient domestically and internationally not because he and the CPC have any great love for the CAF. The fact they are cutting money at a point when capital acquisition is badly needed by all services, cutting personnel when personnel are needed, and operating budgets are shrinking is ignored by those wearing the usual Conservatives love the military blinders.

Yup...

Yup...



Yeah. Wanna poke fun then look at the RCN; the tankers that are not allowed in most foreign ports, the subs that are more often than not, junk, the MCDVs that are tasked for just about everything and capable of just about nothing and the frigates already at mid life with no tangible plans for replacement.

Oh, should we discuss the 40 year old destroyers?

Yeah, but let's take pot shots at the French. It's easier to do that than take our government to task.

The joke about the French fighting spirit is getting a little old, and a look back through French history doesn't bear it out. The Franco-Prussian War and the German Blitzkrieg of 1940 don't tell the whole story. In WWI, for example, the Germans found the French to be stubborn and determined troops. And in Napoleonic times the French, of course, conquered most of Europe.

If anything should be noted, the French knew, at certain times, when to give up, a concept the Germans never mastered.

As far as Canada is concerned, it's pretty well a foregone conclusion that our armed forces would suffer under an NDP government. The Conservatives and the Liberals are more of a toss-up; the difference between them, based on past record, is murky. Perhaps the Conservatives talk a better line, but in end effect there may not be a whole lot of difference.

I'd like to see new ships built in Canada, if that's at all possible.

Ah come on, you know they were poking a bit of fun. I agree French equipment is top notch...

That being said, why bother? Canadians, and their government, have a hard time sticking to any goddamn procurement plan for military equipment. I'm even disappointed in Harper in this regard, although, sadly, he would still be better for the military than the Liberals and their untested leader, and the NDP.

Frankly, you have no idea what the Liberals will do. Harper put money into the military when it was both politically expedient domestically and internationally not because he and the CPC have any great love for the CAF. The fact they are cutting money at a point when capital acquisition is badly needed by all services, cutting personnel when personnel are needed, and operating budgets are shrinking is ignored by those wearing the usual Conservatives love the military blinders.

Strange but during my time in it was a always said that the Liberal Gov't took better care of the troops and the Conservatives took better care of the equipment. I don't know how it would play out over the last 50 years but here's one instance where that was true.

In the late 80's and early 90's under everybody's second most favorite PM Brian Mulroney we went around 7 years with no pay raises which was rectified a couple of years after Chretien got elected, but on the flipside we got new ships under Mulroney and would have gotten the Helicopters that Chretien shit canned had he still been the PM.

So each gov't seemed to bring something different in terms of benefits to the military, but if the truth be known neither ever seems to do enough or what's right.

Under whose watch was it, that the families of serving members had to use food banks?

You're right, we don't know how Trudeau will treat the military if he becomes Prime Minister, and I do take issue with the CPC cutting the military's budget when there are still many issues with the Canadian forces that haven't been resolved, but past history of Liberal leadership in Canada in relation to the Canadian military leaves a lot to be desired, even if the Conservative leadership should be doing better as well