Vanguard Magazine

8 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com s sIt REP nity for Army leaders from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean to meet on a regular basis to discuss areas of mutual inter- est and share lessons learned. In this way, the CAA contributes, from a military thinkers' point of view, to the security and democratic develop- ment of member countries. Canada joined the CAA in 1993, and the Canadian Army has hosted six events since becoming a member. The twenty armies of the CAA today are An- tigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, The Canadian Army hosted a special multi- lateral conference in Toronto in February. The event was part of the 32 nd cycle of the Confer- ence of American Armies (CAA), an international gathering of associated militaries consisting of six major meetings held over a period of two years. Founded in 1960, the CAA is designed to strengthen relationships on an army-to-army basis, to promote cohesion and to help improve security in the Americas. The CAA is an International Military Organiza- tion founded in 1960 and provides an opportu- Pentagon orders Super Hornet, F-35 comparison test ately to provide recommendations for an upcoming budget decision. Earlier in January, United States President Don- ald Trump had said he wanted Boeing to "price out a comparable" Super Hornet to the F-35. The review ordered by Mattis could boost Boe- ing's push for its Super Hornet and provide the com- pany a chance to prove the Advanced Super Hornet concept: it's proposal for an improved Super Hornet aircraft. Which is the better fighter aircraft? Lockheed Mar- tin's F-35 Lighting II or Boeing's F/A 18 Super Hor- net? We may finally find the answer after United States Defense Secretary James Mattis ordered a review of the country's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The review will compare the F-35C's capabilities with that of the F/A 18 E/F as well as assess the vi- ability of the Boeing Advanced Super Hornet program. "The Deputy Secretary of shall oversee a review of the F-35 program to determine opportunities to significantly reduce the cost of the F-35 program while meeting all requirements," a three para- graph memorandum from Mattis read. "In paral- lel, the Deputy Secretary of Defense will oversee a review that compares the F-35C and F/A 18 E/F operational capabilities and assesses the extent F/A18 E/F improvements (an advanced Super Hor- net) can be made in order to provide a competitive, cost effective fighter aircraft alternative." Mattis wants the review to be launched immedi- In November last year, the Liberals moved to ad- dress the Canadian Armed Forces' fighter jet "ca- pability gap" by announcing that they will buy 18 F/A18 Super Hornet jets from aerospace company Boeing. The Liberals called the acquisition an "in- terim purchase." A complete replacement of the Royal Canadian Air Forces aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets will still be launched sometime before the end of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's term. Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela. During these conferences, army officers have a unique opportunity to meet and dis- cuss issues of mutual interest, including best practices for peacekeeping operations, disaster response, and emerging security challenges. A commanders' conference rounds out the end of the cycle, where leadership can vote on the decisions and outcomes from the previous two years. One of the Canadian Army's core roles is to contribute to international peace and security, and being a member of the CAA is a strong con- tributor in delivering on these obligations. "It is through this long-term and active multilat- eral dialogue that we can better understand and identify the needs, challenges, and areas for potential collaboration in pursuit of common goals," said Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk, Commander of the Canadian Army. "Canada is a committed partner in these efforts and will con- tinue to work with member nations to address complex security challenges in a manner that promotes partnerships and cooperation." CA hosts Conference of American Armies

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