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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 now be sent to Ukraine through Poland over the next few months.
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.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova says expected U.S. aid will help her country hold its front line against Russia, but more is still needed. Ustinova joins CBC’s chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton to talk about her visit to Canada and what Ukraine is asking for.
“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,
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.
