[afransen]

Or sailors or aviators, but I get your meaning. Compared to other militaries, CAF members are well paid' some sources say #2 behind only Australia. There are other factors; some societal, some internal.

I think Keith has written before about how the location of many CAF bases also harms enlistment, as not many spouses want to be relegated to Cold Lake or Trenton. If more of CAF could be based close to where population is, it might be easier to recruit and retain talent.

 

[Richard White]

I think Keith has written before about how the location of many CAF bases also harms enlistment, as not many spouses want to be relegated to Cold Lake or Trenton. If more of CAF could be based close to where population is, it might be easier to recruit and retain talent.

True but CFB Downsview was decommissioned and I don't think you will see a CFB Vancouver anytime soon.

I get it though. CFS Alert is the northernmost forces station in the world. I highly doubt anyone wants to be stationed there.

 

[lenaitch]

CFS Alert is the northernmost forces station in the world. I highly doubt anyone wants to be stationed there.

That is a 'tasking' not a posting (there's a difference), I forget how many months; so no families, housing issues, etc. It might be different now but it used to be they had little trouble staffing it.

 

[kEiThZ]

I get it though. CFS Alert is the northernmost forces station in the world. I highly doubt anyone wants to be stationed there.

Alert isn't the problem. Places like Cold Lake or Petawawa, and even to some extent places like Trenton, are the problem. Especially once a member has a spouse and a family. The CAF doesn't pay enough to have a family member stay home. But the CAF also doesn't help much with childcare and posts us to places where spouses have poor employment prospects. Those can end up being major hits to the family. And in a country with an aging population, our military can't be designed around single twentysomethings. It has to be designed around thirtysomething two income households where spouses need more employment options than part time cashier at the Canex.

That is a 'tasking' not a posting (there's a difference), I forget how many months; so no families, housing issues, etc. It might be different now but it used to be they had little trouble staffing it.

Different positions have different rotations. Some just do a single 6 month tour. Some rotate in. 2-3 months on/off.

 

[kEiThZ]

War always seems far away for Canadians. But now we actually have something cooking in our hemisphere with the growing tensions between Venezuela and Guyana and Brazil. Venezuela, like all dictatorships, unfortunately has a large military and an eye on the rapidly enriching Guyana. If this kicks off, the US has to intervene. I would expect the US to ask for Canadian participation. And I expect pressure from our large Guyanese diaspora.

 

[kEiThZ]

Yeaaaaa this is not looking good for India.

We need to start looking at India with a more skeptical eye. Something the Americans are not really doing. In their headlong rush to help make India a counterbalance to China, it increasingly looks like they are building China 2.0.

 

[kEiThZ]

Contract set to be let to Boeing for 16 new P-8s to replace the old Aurora fleet of Maritime Patrol Aircraft:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/surveillance-aircraft-boeing-bombardier-1.6792730

I'm usually dour and critical. But there's a certain important perspective to keep in mind. We're actually on our way to at least building a half a decent air force by the mid-2030s. There are still gaps to what we need for our domestic security and foreign policy commitments. But this is a start.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1730024463662465462

 

[lenaitch]

Alert isn't the problem. Places like Cold Lake or Petawawa, and even to some extent places like Trenton, are the problem. Especially once a member has a spouse and a family. The CAF doesn't pay enough to have a family member stay home. But the CAF also doesn't help much with childcare and posts us to places where spouses have poor employment prospects. Those can end up being major hits to the family. And in a country with an aging population, our military can't be designed around single twentysomethings. It has to be designed around thirtysomething two income households where spouses need more employment options than part time cashier at the Canex.

It would help, but certainly not solve, if the CAF reduced its focus on 'career recruiting and more on 'join us for five or 10, learn a trade for free that you can take back to the economy'. I wouldn't work across the board, but it could for many of the maintenance and hands-on trades. A lot of things would have to happen both in and outside the CAF for it to be effective.

Concentrating bases in places like Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal might be a dream to some, but it simply won't happen.

 

[Richard White]

It would help, but certainly not solve, if the CAF reduced its focus on 'career recruiting and more on 'join us for five or 10, learn a trade for free that you can take back to the economy'. I wouldn't work across the board, but it could for many of the maintenance and hands-on trades. A lot of things would have to happen both in and outside the CAF for it to be effective.

Concentrating bases in places like Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal might be a dream to some, but it simply won't happen.

Many years ago I almost signed up as a cook so I could gain valuable skills which would then be transferrable to life outside the CAF.

Honestly, among other things I declined because the pay was low and I'd be based out of who knows where in Canada far from my family.

It was a great opportunity but there wasn't enough of an incentive to make it worth it.

 

[kEiThZ]

It would help, but certainly not solve, if the CAF reduced its focus on 'career recruiting and more on 'join us for five or 10, learn a trade for free that you can take back to the economy'. I wouldn't work across the board, but it could for many of the maintenance and hands-on trades. A lot of things would have to happen both in and outside the CAF for it to be effective.

The CAF certainly let's people sign up for 5 years. We just don't design our military for this because it is very expensive to have to train 3-4x as many people. This is the American model though. And it's at least partly motivated by the desire to provide workforce training.

 

[kEiThZ]

Confirmed.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1730292657522430058

 

[kEiThZ]

^ 14 P-8 to replace 18 Auroras and 3 Arcturus is still a bit short. We need to exercise the options to get a decent replacement fleet. Ideally we would have a fleet of 20, and add a squadron to Newfoundland.

 

[lenaitch]

^ 14 P-8 to replace 18 Auroras and 3 Arcturus is still a bit short. We need to exercise the options to get a decent replacement fleet. Ideally we would have a fleet of 20, and add a squadron to Newfoundland.

Agree that it should be *at least* one-for-one. Weren't the Arcturus' retired over a decade ago? If nothing else, for the initial few years, there won't be as many aircraft down for long-term refits and upgrades, so more mission-ready aircraft. The other challenge is crews,

Edit: I just came across this. It's a good thing (for so many reasons) that we had already decided to replace the CC-150 Polaris fleeet.

Air Force plane to be completely scrapped after collision with French aircraft

Fixing the CC-150 Polaris that collided with a French air force plane at Anderson Air Force Base in July would cost as much as $28 million

nationalpost.com

 

[kEiThZ]

Agree that it should be *at least* one-for-one. Weren't the Arcturus' retired over a decade ago? If nothing else, for the initial few years, there won't be as many aircraft down for long-term refits and upgrades, so more mission-ready aircraft.

We're down to 15 operational Auroras from the original fleet of 21. That's why the government thinks 14 P-8s is a good replacement. This has unfortunately been a running issue with the CAF for a while. Every government just buys enough to replace the fleet that is retiring, not trying to replace what we originally bought 40 years ago.

The P-8 is more capable than the CP140. And thanks to the P-8 being based on the 737, there's enough decent simulators available that additional frames for pilot training isn't necessary. So 16 P-8s really is a more accurate replacement for 18 CP140s. But even 16 P-8s really ignores the fact we should have a larger maritime patrol fleet, particularly given our growing need to patrol the Arctic. Ideally, we should be closer to 20 P-8s.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Contract set to be let to Boeing for 16 new P-8s to replace the old Aurora fleet of Maritime Patrol Aircraft:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/surveillance-aircraft-boeing-bombardier-1.6792730

We’ll need to add a passenger aircraft to the order.

Air Force plane to be completely scrapped after collision with French aircraft

Fixing the CC-150 Polaris that collided with a French air force plane at Anderson Air Force Base in July would cost as much as $28 million

nationalpost.com