Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada asks U.K. to help fly troops to Latvia

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Jul, 2020 07:46 PM
  • Canada asks U.K. to help fly troops to Latvia

Canadian troops have been forced to hitch a ride with the British military to get to and from Latvia due to a shortage of working planes.

Canada has 540 troops in Latvia, where they form the core of a 1,500-strong multinational battlegroup established by NATO three years ago. Similar battlegroups led by Britain, Germany and the U.S. have been established in Estonia, Lithuania and Poland, respectively.

The current Canadian contingent arrived in January and is to be replaced this month. That planned rotation was to include having one of the military's three CC-150 Polaris planes fly to Latvia Wednesday with around 120 soldiers before returning with a similar number later in the week. But that was before a problem was found with the Polaris's landing gear, according to Defence Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande. And while the other two would normally have filled the gap, Lamirande said they were unavailable, which is why the British were called in to help.

One Polaris is currently ferrying troops to and from the Middle East, where Canadian troops remain engaged in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The third Polaris — which normally serves as the prime minister's plane — is out of commission until at least January after a hangar accident last October.

Officials have estimated the cost of repairs at around $11 million. "The members originally set to depart from (Canadian Forces Base) Trenton for Latvia on 8 July departed instead on 9 July with the support of the British Royal Air Force, who had an A330 Voyager aircraft available to support the departure from Canada," Lamirande said in an email. "This aircraft will also bring the approximately 120 returning members home." The mechanical breakdown is only the latest problem to plague not only the Polaris fleet but also plans to rotate the current contingent of Canadian troops in Latvia.

A Polaris carrying about 70 Canadian soldiers to Latvia was forced to turn around last week because of concerns those on board might have been exposed to COVID-19. All military personnel deploying on overseas missions are required to undergo strict quarantine measures to ensure troops do not carry COVID-19 to another country or spread the respiratory illness among their unit.

Despite those precautions, the plane was forced to turn around in midair after the military received word that a civilian contractor at CFB Trenton who may have come in contact with the plane and passengers had tested positive for the illness. Those who were on board are now in the middle of a second 14-day isolation period.

The NATO battlegroup in Latvia includes troops from eight other countries. It and similar battlegroups in Estonia, Lithuania and Poland were created after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and began to support separatist forces in Ukraine’s eastern regions.

The battlegroups are designed to defend against a Russian invasion, but their small size means they would almost certainly be overwhelmed in a real war. Instead, their main utility is to deter Russian aggression, with the idea that an attack on one would draw in all of NATO.

MORE National ARTICLES

A list of charge rates from police watchdogs

A list of charge rates from police watchdogs
Seven provinces have civilian oversight bodies that investigate incidents of death, serious harm or sexual assault that could be caused by police action or inaction. The remainder rely on police departments or watchdogs from other jurisdictions.

A list of charge rates from police watchdogs

Rideau Hall suspect faces multiple charges

Rideau Hall suspect faces multiple charges
A man who rammed his truck through a gate at Rideau Hall Thursday was loose on the grounds with a gun for 13 minutes before police laid eyes on him, the RCMP said Friday.

Rideau Hall suspect faces multiple charges

Why U.S. wants tariffs on Canadian aluminum

Why U.S. wants tariffs on Canadian aluminum
The United States is once again threatening to spark a fresh tariff war with Canada over aluminum exports, despite the debut of a North American trade agreement that was supposed to usher in stability in the midst of an international economic crisis.

Why U.S. wants tariffs on Canadian aluminum

Canada suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong

Canada suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada is suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong as part of a package of responses to the new security law China has imposed on the territory.

Canada suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong

Vancouver man pleads guilty to child pornography related charges

Vancouver man pleads guilty to child pornography related charges
A 68-year-old Vancouver man was sentenced this week after a Vancouver Police investigation into child pornography.

Vancouver man pleads guilty to child pornography related charges

'Queue jumpers' not welcome in B.C. as COVID-19 U.S. cases rise: B.C. premier

'Queue jumpers' not welcome in B.C. as COVID-19 U.S. cases rise: B.C. premier
British Columbia's premier has a message for Americans coming across the border on their way to Alaska: Do not stop in the province while COVID-19 cases continue rising in the United States.

'Queue jumpers' not welcome in B.C. as COVID-19 U.S. cases rise: B.C. premier