According to EurAsian Times, Canada's opposition Conservative Party has called on the Canadian government to provide obsolete CRV7 air-to-surface missiles to the Ukrainian military as soon as possible. CBC News reported that the Canadian government is under pressure from the federal Conservative Party to transfer tens of thousands of surplus air-to-surface missiles to Ukraine.
“ Since 2018, the Conservatives have called on the Trudeau government to do more to support Ukraine. This includes sending surplus weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and replacing Russian oil and gas with Canadian energy for our closest allies, which would help create jobs for Canadian workers,” the party said in a press release.
CRV7 air-to-ground missile.
Canada's CRV7 Missile Depot
Referring to the CRV7 missiles, Poilievre said: “ It is time to talk less and act more .” Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces have about 83,000 CRV7 missiles in stockpiles, which the government has planned to destroy, and Ukraine has asked the Canadian government to provide them with these surplus weapons.
Instead of paying millions of dollars to dispose of these weapons, Conservatives are calling on the Trudeau government to give them to Ukraine so that its military can use them.
The Canadian Armed Forces own 83,303 CRV7 missiles, which were manufactured in the 1980s and were decommissioned in the early 2000s. A multi-year agreement to phase out the missiles was signed by the federal government three years ago.
Poilievre acknowledged that rather than decommission or scrap the CRV7s, Ukraine has asked Canada to transfer them. The Canadian government appears to be considering the possibility of transferring the missiles to Ukraine. However, no formal decision has been made.
The missiles remain in the possession of the Department of National Defence (DND) and are being evaluated for inclusion in a future military contribution. However, a defence official said the transfer would not be easy because Canada still has tens of thousands of missiles and rocket engines, but not all of them are equipped with warheads.
“ Before sending equipment to Ukraine, we work closely with Ukraine to ensure that any donation will effectively meet its military needs and we are testing the weapons for operational effectiveness,” Daniel Minden, communications director for the Canadian Department of National Defense, said in a statement.
NASAMS air defense system.
“ We are following this procedure for our CRV7 missile stock, which was purchased decades ago. In particular, we are conducting testing to ensure that this equipment is operational and safe for transport to Ukraine .”
The Canadian government is in a difficult position because it has yet to deliver the weapons it promised to Ukraine. For example, there is still no information about the NASAMS system that the Canadian government promised to deliver to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) by January 2023.
On January 10, 2023, Canada announced that it would provide Ukraine with a $406 million NASAMS surface-to-air missile defense system. However, it is currently unclear when the Canadian government will deliver the system to Kiev.
The Canadian government has been heavily criticized for failing to equip Ukraine with promised air defense equipment, while Kiev's military is struggling with relentless missile and drone attacks.
What do we know about the CRV7 missile?
The CRV7 was one of the most powerful air-to-surface missiles of the Cold War, manufactured by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was still used by the Allies throughout the Afghanistan War.
The missile was first introduced in the United States as an improved air-to-surface missile in the early 1970s. It was the first weapon capable of penetrating fortified Warsaw Pact aircraft hangars.
The missile is equipped with a variety of warheads, one of which weighs 7.3 kg, can penetrate armored or hardened targets and can be fired from attack helicopters and fixed-wing bombers.
The SUU-5003 rocket launcher is adapted to fire four CRV7 missiles.
In addition, with a maximum effective range of nearly 4,000 m, the missile can be deployed from locations outside the combat range of enemy short-range air defense systems.
Several countries have used the CRV7 missile including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Canadian fighter pilots also used the missile in Europe during the Cold War.
It is unclear which aircraft Ukraine would use to fire the CRV7 missiles if the Canadian government decides to provide them. However, Ukraine already uses a number of legacy Soviet fighters, including Su-24s and MiG-29s, to fire missiles supplied by Western partners. It is also expected to receive the F-16s promised by NATO in 2023.
Le Hung (Source: EurAsian Times)
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