What is preventing Canada from delivering 80,000 CRV7 missiles to Ukraine?

According to EurAsian Times, Canada's opposition Conservative Party has urged the government to expedite the delivery of outdated CRV7 air-to-ground missiles to the Ukrainian military. CBC News reports that the Canadian government is under pressure from the federal Conservative Party to transfer tens of thousands of surplus air-to-ground missiles to Ukraine.

In a press release, the party stated: “ Since 2018, the Conservative Party has called on Prime Minister Trudeau’s 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 .”

CRV7 air-to-ground missile.

Canada's CRV7 missile arsenal

Referring to the CRV7 missile, Poilievre said: “ It’s time to talk less and act more .” Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces have approximately 83,000 CRV7 missiles in stock, which the government plans to destroy, and Ukraine has requested that the Canadian government provide them with this surplus weapon.

Instead of paying millions of dollars to dispose of these weapons, Conservative Party members are urging Prime Minister Trudeau's government to hand them over to Ukraine so that its military can use them.

The Canadian Armed Forces possess 83,303 CRV7 missiles, a type of weapon manufactured in the 1980s and decommissioned in the early 2000s. An agreement to phase out the missiles, which will last for many years, was signed by the federal government three years ago.

Poilievre acknowledged that instead of decommissioning or removing the CRV7s, Ukraine had requested that Canada transfer them. The Canadian government appears to be considering the possibility of transferring these missiles to Ukraine. However, no official decision has yet been made.

These missiles remain in the possession of the Department of Defence (DND) and are being evaluated for inclusion in a future military contribution package. 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.

Daniel Minden, head of communications for the Canadian Department of Defence, said in a statement: “ Before sending equipment to Ukraine, we work closely with Ukraine to ensure that any donations effectively meet their military needs, and we are testing the operational effectiveness of the weapons .”

NASAMS air defense system.

“ We are following this procedure with regard to the CRV7 missile stockpile, which was purchased decades ago. In particular, we are conducting tests to ensure that this equipment is effective 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 committed to delivering to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) in January 2023.

On January 10, 2023, Canada announced it would provide Ukraine with the NASAMS surface-to-air missile defense system worth $406 million. However, it remains unclear when the Canadian government will deliver the system to Kyiv.

The Canadian government has been heavily criticized for failing to provide Ukraine with the air defense equipment it promised, while Kyiv's military is struggling with relentless barrages of missiles and drones.

What do we know about the CRV7 missile?

The CRV7 was one of the most powerful air-to-ground missiles of the Cold War, manufactured by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This missile continued to be used by the Allies throughout the Afghanistan War.

The missile was first introduced in the US as an improved air-to-ground missile in the early 1970s. It was the first weapon capable of penetrating the heavily fortified hangars of the Warsaw Pact.

The missile is equipped with various types of warheads, one of which weighs 7.3 kg and can penetrate armored or fortified targets; it can be fired from attack helicopters and fixed-wing bombers.

The SUU-5003 rocket launcher was modified to fire four CRV7 missiles.

Furthermore, with a maximum effective range of nearly 4,000 m, the missile can be deployed from locations outside the operational 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 supply them. However, Ukraine has already used several Soviet-era fighter jets, including the Su-24 and MiG-29, to fire missiles supplied by Western partners. Additionally, the country is also expected to receive the F-16s promised by NATO in 2023.

Le Hung (Source: EurAsian Times)

Source: https://vtc.vn/dieu-gi-khien-canada-chua-chuyen-80-000-ten-lua-crv7-cho-ukraine-ar851722.html