Army

The Department of National Defence has confirmed that the deputy commanding officer of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group tasked with training light infantry, faces a civil trial on charges of sexual assault, interference and exploitation. Major Robert Baker, a logistics officer in the Canadian Armed Forces since 2007, was charged by the Ontario Provincial Police. [node:read-more:link]

New anti-tank missiles, air defence systems and drone countermeasures for Canada’s battlegroup in Latvia are being fast-tracked, according to Defence Minister Anita Anand. “These projects will better equip our Canadian Armed Forces members deployed on NATO’s eastern flank,” she confirmed. A Request for Proposals is possibly imminent. [node:read-more:link]

Military prosecutors have dropped their case against a soldier charged with negligence after the May 2021 shooting of an Army reservist during live-fire training at CFB Wainwright in Alberta. A court martial had been scheduled March 5 but no reasons were given for the prosecution’s decision. [node:read-more:link]

The federal government announced today that it is sending four more Chieftain 2 main battle tanks as well as an armoured recovery vehicle and more than 5,000 rounds of artillery to Ukraine. In the meantime, the four original MBTs are in Poland where a Canadian Armed Forces team is training Ukrainian tank crews. [node:read-more:link]

As the Army officer who oversaw Canada’s refugee verification mission in Kosovo some three decades, retired Lieutenant-General J.O. Michel Maisonneuve is asking why the internationally-respected Disaster Assistance Response Team hasn’t been deployed to help in the aftermath of the earthquakes that have killed more than 25,000 persons in Turkey and Syria. “In truth,” Maisonneuve says, the CAF have “very little capability to help” due to shrinking ranks and mostly outdated equipment. [node:read-more:link]

A Canadian Army trooper faces charges of aggravated sexual assault and forcible confinement following an Ontario court’s hearing in a private prosecution. The accuser’s lawyer said the civil action was initiated after the Department of National Defence declined to prosecute after an investigation in 2018. A warrant has been issued for Corporal Oleksii Silin, based at CFB Gagetown. [node:read-more:link]

New tank training programs in Poland could get the Ukrainian army ready to operate Leopard 2 main battle tanks in as few as six weeks due to their experience thousands of Ukrainians have built up in combat with their own and captured Russian armour. That could position Ukraine for a spring counteroffensive against Russian invaders a year into their war. [node:read-more:link]

Unnamed German government sources say their government, subject to parliamentary debate January 25, is prepared to send Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. The expected ratification would effectively free Canada and other NATO allies to ship their Leopards as well to bolster the country’s defences. [node:read-more:link]

More than a decade after the Army identified the need for a range of equipment upgrades needed to ensure its status as a modern combat force, most of the plans have atrophied with age, a victim of a political indecision and a glacially-slow procurement process. The new gear includes ground-based air defence, modern anti-tank systems and long-range artillery, all top priorities for many of Canada’s allies in Europe as they face down a resurgent Russia. [node:read-more:link]

The commander of the Canadian Army, Lieutenant-General Joe Paul, says more demands at home and abroad are putting increased pressure on his resources. The situation has been exacerbated by continued shrinkage in the ranks. He says the loss of 1,200 soldiers in 2021 could be followed by 800 more once the final 2022 count is in. [node:read-more:link]

BAE Systems Land & Armaments is proposing a radical replacement for its M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, which has been in service with the U.S. Army since 1981. While there’s a basic similarity, a seminal difference in the “optionally manned” design unveiled November 30 is the replacement of its large diesel engine, which has a readily-targettable heat signature, with a hybrid-electric system distributed throughout the armoured hull. That also frees up internal space to relocate other components. [node:read-more:link]

Defence Minister Anita Anand announced today in Warsaw that Canada will send “approximately” 40 combat engineers to bolster training in Poland of Ukrainian forces on reconnaissance, explosives, mining and de-mining. She said it would complement other Canadian training support such as the use of the M777 howitzers Canada donated to Ukraine. [node:read-more:link]