Canada sending rocket motors, spare parts to Ukraine in latest aid package
Defence minister also unveils details of F-16 pilot training program for Ukraine
Canada is donating tens of thousands of rocket motors, a handful of surplus warheads and the decommissioned chassis of nearly 100 armoured vehicles to Ukraine as part of its latest military support package.
Defence Minister Bill Blair also announced Friday details of Canada's plan to contribute to F-16 pilot training for the Ukrainians — a $389 million investment by the federal government that will be spent over five years. The funding was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the NATO summit in Washington last July.
It's the latest in a series of donation announcements by the federal government and it comes as allied defence ministers meet in Ramstein, Germany to assess military support for the embattled Eastern European country.
The Liberal government has faced political pressure from the Opposition Conservatives to donate surplus air-to-surface CRV-7 rockets, tens of thousands of which are no longer being used by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The 1980s-vintage rockets were in storage and awaiting disposal. The Department of National Defence said only the motors were in good enough condition to be donated; more than 2,100 have been shipped already.
Blair said Friday an additional 80,840 rocket motors and 1,300 warheads will be sent to Ukraine through Poland over the next few months.
"I've been a little bit frustrated with how long this has taken, but I had received constant assurances from [the Canadian Armed Forces] that the work has been progressing," Blair told CBC News.
"It wasn't simply a matter of going into an old warehouse where there's a bunch of munitions that are in the process of being decommissioned, throwing them on a plane or a boat and sending them over. There are certain safety requirements for transport of those materials."
The minister also announced that Canada will donate the decommissioned chassis from 29 M113s and 64 Coyote LAVs, formerly used by the Canadian Army. The vehicles will be further broken down by the Ukrainians and used for spare parts in other donated vehicles.
Several countries have donated M113 armoured personnel carriers to the government in Kyiv, but maintenance has been an ongoing source of concern.
Last spring, Oleksandra Ustinova, a leading member of the Ukrainian parliament, pleaded with Blair, key members of several House of Commons committees and military leaders for additional support, including donations of decommissioned armoured vehicles.
She told CBC News at the time she doesn't buy the argument that old, broken-down light armoured vehicles are not fit for donation.
"Ukrainians are ready to take even junk, tear it apart and make one out of three machines. This is something that can protect our soldiers," said Ustinova, the head of Ukraine's special parliamentary commission on arms and munitions,
In reaction to Friday's announcement, Conservative defence critic James Bezan said the government is "finally" doing what the Official Opposition has been asking it to do for months.
He added the delays in delivering on a series of federal defence procurement pledges to Ukraine — including the long-promised NASAMS air defence system — have been unconscionable.
"The Liberal government's continuous dithering and delaying has cost Ukraine in the lives of innocent civilians and soldiers, and the loss of their sovereign territory," Bezan said in a media statement.
"The assistance and aid that has been announced to date must be delivered immediately."
Last spring, the chief of Ukraine's defence intelligence agency, Lt.-Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, wrote to Conservative Leader Pierre Pollievre to thank the party for advancing the public discussion in Canada about the surplus rockets and equipment.
Also on Friday, Blair discussed Canada's decision to take over the F-16 fighter lead-in training program for Ukraine. Following the donation by European countries of a handful of the advanced warplanes, allies launched training programs designed to put Ukrainian pilots in F-16 cockpits.
Blair said Canada's package includes advanced pilot training, critical equipment and other supports for Ukrainian airbases and aircraft.
Six of the F-16s made an appearance in the skies over Ukraine this summer. One was recently lost in a crash that also killed the pilot.
During Friday's meeting of allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the country's defence minister called on allies to invest in building up Ukraine's domestic defence industry so that it can produce the weapons it needs rather than relying solely on western aid.
Blair said Canada, with its dwindling available stocks, has been onboard with that approach for months and pointed to last winter's investment in Ukraine's homegrown drone production.
"They would like us to continue to support the development of their industry and I think strategically, for the long term, that is a good investment for us," Blair said.
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