The price of being prepared

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The crisis in Libya has focused attention on the strengths and weaknesses of Canada's military capabilities. It also illustrates a justification for the purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which critics have dismissed as a luxury the country will never need.

When the uprising emerged suddenly last month, Canada dispatched a variety of assets to the region, including the C-17 Globemaster cargo jet, which itself was condemned as a vanity project when the government purchased four of them five years ago for $1.5 billion. The military transports have since proven their value in Afghanistan and Haiti, for purposes of war and peace.

The frigate Charlottetown is also in the Mediterranean Sea to assist in humanitarian relief and to serve as a command and control centre for Canadian operations. With just one helicopter and limited free space on board, however, the small warship is unsuited to all the tasks it might be asked to perform.

The navy was promised new Joint Support Ships seven years ago that would provide heavy sealift, command capabilities and the ability to support troops onshore as well as a naval battlegroup. They would be able to operate in the Arctic and around the world. Unfortunately, the project is still awaiting the green light from government, but it should not be delayed any further.

Canada has previously leased heavy transport ships for operations in the Balkans, East Timor and even Afghanistan, but it's an unreliable method of obtaining equipment when it is needed.

As for the F-35, it will be a few years before the first copies are delivered, but they would be ideally suited to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya, if NATO or the United Nations made such a decision. The stealth fighter offers the greatest protection to pilots because they are hard to detect in the air, which also makes them effective at carrying out their missions.

Critics say it's a capability Canada does not need and cannot afford, but try telling that to the pilots who would be putting their lives at risk. The Harper government says the jets will cost about $9 billion, plus another $7 million to maintain over 20 years, but Parliament's budget officer said the figure could reach $22.6 billion over the same period, more if the air force wants to hold on to the jets for 30 years.

It's a huge amount of money, but that is what it costs to acquire the instruments of war today. It's a cost, moreover, that is being shared by many of Canada's NATO partners who are buying the same airplane. It is possible to buy a cheaper warplane, but the F-35, with its remarkable flexibility and adaptability, is the right one for Canada.

Many well-meaning Canadians have been trying to collect a peace dividend since the Berlin Wall collapsed more than 20 years ago, but history continues to prove them wrong. The world has become even more dangerous since the end of the Cold War. No one anticipated the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq or Afghanistan, and no one anticipated the popular revolts that have swept the Middle East over the past few months.

The world is still full of nasty surprises, and Canada must be prepared to meet its obligations on the world stage, particularly if it wants to be heard and heeded in the corridors of international power.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 14, 2011 A12