Monday, July 09, 2007

Canadian Ships to Enforce Arctic Soverignty

"The ships will have a helicopter landing pad able to accommodate the new CH-148 Cyclone choppers due in the fleet over the coming years. In addition to their purchase cost, the government expects to spend another $4.3 billion to operate and maintain them over their 25-year lifespan.

""The world is changing. The ongoing discovery of the north's resource riches couple with the potential impact of climate change has made the region a growing area of interest and concern," Harper said.""
clipped from www.thestar.com

OTTAWA — Canada's Navy will be getting to up to eight new armed Arctic patrol ships, worth $3.1 billion, to help enforce sovereignty in the country's vast northern reaches, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today.

The receding ice cover is making the Arctic waterways more accessible to international shipping than ever before, making it imperative that Canada stake its claim to the region, Harper said today.

"Either we use it or we lose it," Harper said as he announced the acquisition at CFB Esquimalt, a base near Victoria, B.C., that is home to the navy's Pacific fleet.

"This government intends to use it, because Canada's Arctic is central to our identity as a northern nation," he said.

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// posted by Unknown @ 4:47 p.m.
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