CANADIAN ARMED FORCES: The RCAF is Missing the Boat Again
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 10:30 am
The Lease Agreement: The government is leasing four AT-802 air tankers, five rotary-wing aircraft, one 'bird dog' spotter plane, and two mobile forward attack tanker bases (1:00-1:28). This move is intended to provide a flexible, federal asset that can be deployed across the country, bypassing the 3-5 year wait required to purchase new aircraft (1:28-1:38).
The Argument for RCAF Involvement: The narrator, Scott Taylor, argues that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) should be formally mandated and equipped to handle forest firefighting (0:32-0:37, 2:00-2:06).
Canadian Capability: Taylor highlights the De Havilland DHC-515 (the "Super Scooper") as a world-class, Canadian-made firefighting tool capable of skimming water from lakes, unlike the reconfigured passenger aircraft currently being leased (2:06-2:54).
Strategic Benefits: The video suggests that tasking the RCAF with this role would provide significant public relations benefits, protect national resources, and allow for the deployment of a specialized squadron to allied nations during their respective winter wildfire seasons (3:40-4:09).
Ultimately, the video criticizes the RCAF senior brass for their perceived resistance to taking on this domestic role, suggesting they focus too heavily on traditional fighter roles like the F-35 (4:11-4:16).