Canadian military donates 2,500 rifles to Afghan army

[Kind of Blued]

Canadian military donates 2,500 rifles to Afghan army
Last Updated: Sunday, December 23, 2007 | 1:15 PM ET
CBC News

The Canadian military has agreed to donate 2,500 surplus C7 rifles to the Afghan National Army, along with ammunition and training.

The decision, made quietly last week, is expected to bring the fledgling Afghan force in line with other NATO countries.

Building capacity among the ANA is the key to Canada's exit strategy from Afghanistan.

In November, a senior Afghan commander told the Canadian Press that better weaponry was crucial to the buildup of the ANA.

Lt.-Col. Shirin Shah Kowbandi said the army's old Soviet-era AK-47s frequently misfire.

At the time, he said Canadians had promised to provide the ANA with "good weapons" but that they had not yet delivered.

Canada has about 2,500 troops deployed in Afghanistan, on a mission that began in early 2002 in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban government.
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I heard about it initially on NPR. Melissa Block noted that the buttstocks had to be altered (shortened) to accomodate the average Afghani.

 

[tinygnat219]

Canadian Surplus? WOW... I thought they were struggling to scrape by.

 

[wideym]

What is a C7? M-16, FAL, or what?

 

[strambo]

M16...not like they need a complicated weapon to transition to. They aren't shooting to the accuracy potential of the AK yet.

 

[Hoppy590]

C7 is an M16 made by Diemeco, now Colt Canada

 

[wideym]

Back in 89' at Ft. Chaffee, AR I met some Canadian soilders who were carrying Sterling SMGs. They called it a C-something. Could'nt remember the number and thought maybe they were sending them to the ANA.

 

[Hoppy590]

Canadian Sterlings are C1's i believe

 

[SDC]

A C7 is the equivalent of an M16A2 with full-auto instead of burst, and a C8 (current issue) is our version of an M4. And, yes, the Canadian Sterlings are C1s. The nomenclature is really no different than the US calling everything an "M" whatever, the British calling everything an "L" whatever, the Australians calling everything an "F" whatever, and so on.

 

[Aries-]

everything the canadian army has that comes from somewhere else first. they change the name to start with c.

CF 18 = f18
C7 = m16

its really stupid and annoying.

 

[Airborne01]

the us army is alreay starting to convert Iraqy army units from AKs to m16muskets

 

[scout26]

Lt.-Col. Shirin Shah Kowbandi said the army's old Soviet-era AK-47s frequently misfire.

Wait, I've been told that you can throw an AK in the mud, have it run over by a battalion of M1A1 tanks, drop it in a volcano, wait 10,000,000 years for the glacier to push it down the side of the now extinct volcano, into the ocean where it slowly melts from it's iceberg and drops to the ocean floor, before it gets caught in a fishing net or crab/lobster pot 400 years later. The captain can then take it and load it up whatever ammo he happens to have on-hand (.25 Auto or .30-06 being his choices) and go shoot down the UFO's hovering at 78,000 feet over his secret fishing spot.

All, without so much as a drop of oil.





Or was I mislead ????

 

[WinchesterAA]

you might have been lied to scout.

 

[toivo]

Lt.-Col. Shirin Shah Kowbandi said the army's old Soviet-era AK-47s frequently misfire.

Yes, after 20 years in the field without cleaning or lubrication, they frequently misfire.

 

[alex_trebek]

Lt.-Col. Shirin Shah Kowbandi said the army's old Soviet-era AK-47s frequently misfire.

Yes, after 20 years in the field without cleaning or lubrication, they frequently misfire.

And how long does the m16 last without cleaning or lubrication in the desert???

Sorry, couldnt resist!

 

[junyo]

Or was I mislead ????

Obviously. The .25 Auto could probaly only dent a spaceship hovering at 78,000 feet.