RCAF wants more than 1,200 security personnel to protect F-35s, other planes

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/rcaf-wants-more-than-1200-security-personnel-to-protect-f-35s-other-planes/

19 Comments

  1. Here comes the griffin gang to say how the planes will protect themselves or are so cheap they don’t need protection.

  2. I remember when RCAF F18s came to my local airport as a kid. They were just sitting there on the apron with orange traffic cones around them. No more security than the Cessna they were parked next to.

    Can’t see that being sustainable with a 5th gen fighter in today’s climate.

  3. Reasonable-Sweet9320 on

    “The Air Force drafted a plan to first hire 199 new security personnel by 2028, then expand that security force to 747 in 2029 and 1,227 by 2030.

    RCAF is working on adding 140 new aircraft to its fleet — including the F-35 stealth fighters, CC-330 Huskies, P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol craft and long-range remotely piloted aircraft such as the MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones.

    “With the transition to these new platforms, the RCAF has undertaken important work not only to meet fighter staffing levels but also to define security requirements for these, and future, advanced technologies,” ministerial spokesperson Maya Ouferhat said in an emailed statement.

    “This includes looking at increasing security forces to ensure wings, personnel and data are properly protected given the sensitive nature of these new platforms.”

  4. Tricky_Reason892 on

    With all the heists… stealing a military aircraft seems ridiculously improbable but not impossible.

  5. Operation Spiderweb and the Israel operation against Iran have shown that a sufficient motivated and resourced opponent can sneak in or assemble drones to cripple opposing defense infrastructure and air force bases with drones. In additional to traditional threats, one can hope the RCAF is taking note of these new threats as well.

    While it is unlikely that Canada will face a direct threat due to such an attack, it’s within reason for an opponent to attack us as such to negate our ability to aid our allies. in the unlikely Greenland contingency, our airfields and such would be valuable to our allies. We need to be able to protect them. And despite all the worries about a kill switch, our F-35s are valuable targets. And if we lose them, better to lose them to expensive millions of dollars precision weapons rather than just thousands of dollars of drones or saboteurs. 

    Not to harp on the bogey man of the day, but there is growing concern in the USAF with Chinese firms, particular those with ties to the Chinese defense industrial complex, purchasing or renting properties in proximity to USAF bases in the US. We should likewise be taking a close look at property close to our bases, of any foreign power, including the US.

  6. What they need is something from stopping the Americans from flipping the off switch when they disagree with us