The Sea Kings are Falling
According to Defence Minister John McCallum, the ability of the Canadian Forces to set sail for the Persian Gulf is not "up in the air."
Neither are our helicopters.
Just a few days into the long voyage to Iraq - geographically and politically - our one naval destroyer currently afloat was turned back after the oldest ship-borne helicopter in our dilapidated fleet fell to the ship's deck like a live turkey tossed from, well, a helicopter.
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Opponents of Canada's involvement of a war in Iraq could with good cause trumpet the cascading chopper as the writing on the wall confirming Canada should just stay home.
However, this was no isolated incident of the Canadian Forces' lack of consistent aerial abilities. This is only the latest of many occasions when the most rudimentary requirements we have of our military aircraft - remaining aloft - are unable to be met by equipment older than most of the personnel ordered to fly it.
Indeed, the original fleet has been depleted significantly not because some Sea King helicopters have been retired having reached the end of their intended lifespan, but because they have crashed into land and water as they were flown long beyond their intended lifespan.
Regardless of one's position on Canada's role in any war against Iraq, that Canada is unable to effectively meet military engagements to which they've committed ought to be a source of national shame, not pride.
The Sea Kings are only the most prominent symbol of Canada's lack of military prowess. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Canada's ability to contribute to international missions - including a wide variety of peace keeping operations - has been significantly hampered by aging equipment, lack of personnel and lack of commitment by the federal government to bring the Canadian Armed Forces up to date.
And lest we forget - Canada was once a prominent military contributor to both the First and Second World Wars. By the end of 1945, Canada's military was arguably the fourth or fifth most prominent in the world. How better to demonstrate commitment to being a keeper of world peace than having the means to do so?
But the consistent mechanical and mission failures of our Sea Kings are the most consistently visible manifestation of Canada's faltering Forces. As much of the rest of the democratic world seeks ways to improve its security and contribute to the reduction of active terrorism organizations, Canada's Sea Kings are grounded on average for thirty hours of maintenance for each hour of flight time. Put that into practical terms and had that helicopter en route to the Persian Gulf not crashed long before arriving, a four hour flight mission ferrying officers and supplies between ships in the multinational fleet - which Canada's Iroquois is supposed to lead, recall - would in theory render the bird inoperable for 5 days.
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