Canada will provide 2,000 military personnel, four frigates, one destroyer, a supply ship and several aircraft for the US-led coalition which began bombing Afghanistan Sunday, Defence Minister Art Eggleton said Monday.
Eggleton told a hastily arranged news conference that deployment of the personnel and equipment would begin "within the next few days."
The naval force will include one frigate, the HMCS Vancouver, which will be integrated into a US battle group, said Eggleton.
He also announced Canada would be providing three Hercules transport aircraft, one Airbus and two Aurora maritime patrol aircraft -- plus an elite commando group, known as JTF-2.
Eggleton said he would refuse to comment any further on the commando group, but added that all the Canadian contributions were "as requested by the United States."
General Ramond Henault, Canada's chief of defence staff, said the main Canadian contribution would be a naval task force comprising two frigates, one destroyer and one supply ship, plus a number of ship-based Sea King helicopters.
The task force would include half of the Canadian forces committed to the allied efforts, or about 1,000 personnel.
Eggleton said current planning by the Canadians was a six-month rotation for all the forces and equipment, but this would be reviewed as the military campaign progressed.
Henault added: "We know it will be a long campaign."
But he refused to speculate when the Canadian commitment might end -- OTTAWA (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
