European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 5, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday january 5. 1986 Canadian personnel kantian to in Germany Wales a Cf-18 fighter lift off from the runway at Baden Sou Ingon. On Canada s armed forces by Christopher s. Wren new Ycek times w Hen the Canadian armed forces Heldi heir Large so Maneu vers in several decades in Alberta last May and june they fielded All the tanks they had in inc country a total of in. This is lower Han Iho number Brilain and Wesl Germany maintain at their own armoured training centers in Western Canada according to Canadian officers. And As canadians like to Pool Oul. Their Navy is now outnumbered m submarines by an amusement Park Al a shopping mall in Educ Rilon. The Park had four submarines built to take customers on underwater rides the Navy has three obsolete Diosel subs to patrol More than 36,300 Miles of coastline on three oceans the canadians also Point out that the submarines Are not used Lor Pairol Dulos bul serve As target practice Lor anti submarine frigates. Canada lacks nuclear weapons having Given its nuclear tipped Genie aircraft missiles Back la the United Slaius in Laski has ewer than 83,000 men and women under arms to Detent a Emlory larger than Trie United sales. And is spends lesson its Gross Nal tonal product on Delen e. Barely 2 percent than tiny other nato ally except Iceland which has no army a i All and Luxembourg the Polar approaches la Norm America re to exposed Hal a Canadian Senate committee warned last january that soviet bombers could Fly undetected into the Hearl of North America. In september 1985, foreign minister Joe Clark alluded to the presence of soviet submarines deployed under the Arctic ice pack Yel Canada s patrol aircraft performing maritime surveillance fell in number irom 99 in 1955 to 36 by 1985. The progressive conservative government Wimch look mice in september 1984. Has promised to rectify such weaknesses by spending More prime minister Brian Mulroney said during his Campaign that a first class nation needs a Tirol class defense Lores. But canadians often seem unconcerned knowing the oiled slalom will guard them anyway. Prime minister Brian Mulroney its comfortable geography Wilh lots of Snow and ice to the North and a irl endly superpower to the South has Given Canada to Fate incentive to do More. Any increase in defense spending is unlikely to enhance is Security. Any reduction is unlikely to diminish it. Even so the Canadian armed forces would be challenged to carry Oul their Lour conventional commitments 1o protect Canadian territory join the americans in defending Noah America contribute forces to the Atlantic Alliance and provide peacekeeping units or the United nations. If All my missions were pulled on me simultaneously i would have some severe problems said i Gen. Charles h. Belille. The commander of Canada s land forces. Though Canada lacks the my Hilary tradition of some other countries. Including the United Stales he ability of canadians to Light is not in doubt. More than 100,000 canadians died in two world wars by tha end of world War ii. Canada had More Han 500,000 volunteers under arms an air Force As big As by Italy s and the third largest Navy in the world Wilh 200 ships. But As a government report on foreign policy acknowledged earlier ii year after the War Wesel a definite upper limit on our my Hilary capability when we ruled ourselves out of the nuclear club and in the mid 1960s our conventional military Power began a steady decline to respect of both personnel and today with barely 8,000 combat troops Canada can no longer Field a Lull infantry division. Most of its 23 aging destroyers and of regales still run on steam in a Navy that is hardly larger 1nan Ecuador s. The air Force has two squadrons of interceptors deployed in Canada s Lerr Iloria defense compared with nine squadrons in 1960. Forty percent of canadians surveyed in a Gallup poll Lasi october though Canada wus spending too mile on
