Canada sends helos, drones to back up troops in Afghanistan

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Cpl. Igor Navarro, mans a machine gun on a Canadian Griffon escort helicopter during a training mission over the red sands of the Dasht-e-Margow, or "Desert of Death" south of Kandahar, Afghanistan. Canadian forces have recently started operating small wing of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to support their troops and other NATO forces in southern Afghanistan.


Canada sends helos, drones to back up troops in Afghanistan
By Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, February 4, 2009

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canada has boosted its forces in southern Afghanistan with a new contingent of helicopters and drones, a move that senior military officers say will reduce the number of ground convoys used to supply remote bases and better protect soldiers against Taliban fighters.

The addition of the new aircraft comes as U.S. attention shifts from Iraq to Afghanistan and as the NATO-led international coalition renews its focus on Kandahar, Helmand and other southern provinces, which have seen a sharp rise in bombings, assassinations and other Taliban violence in the last two years.

"There are never enough aircraft and helicopters to support operations," said Col. Christopher Coates, commander of the Canadian air wing in Kandahar, during an interview last week. "Certainly, it’s a recognition that there is a need for more aviation support."

The new aircraft include six Chinook cargo helicopters, eight Griffon escort helicopters and four Heron unmanned aerial vehicles.

A study commissioned by the Canadian parliament recommended last year that Canada purchase new medium-lift cargo helicopters and high-performance surveillance drones. The study, known as the Manley Report, concluded that Canadian soldiers "currently rely too much" on allied forces to provide those capabilities.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60452