“There is no standard, pre-determined process or timeline for an equipment acquisition of this complexity,” read a statement from the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, as reported by the National Post.
The statement continues: “Given the ongoing situation on the ground, the requirements are urgent and operational. For this reason, contracts have been awarded on a sole-source basis.”
Canada’s Department of National Defence said the cost of the purchase is $9.5 million.
“That includes .50-calibre sniper rifles equipped with silencers, 60mm mortars and Carl Gustav anti-tank systems, as well as grenade launchers, pistols, carbines, thermal binoculars, cameras, scopes and medical supplies,” National Post reports.
Canada was one of the first countries to send fighter jets to help the Kurds against ISIS in October 2014, though the current Liberal government has withdrawn the jets and pledged training and arms supply instead.
The equipment that Ottawa has promised to supply the Kurds comes from Canadian companies, “Although the timeline for the purchases isn’t known, DND said the aim is to deliver the items as quickly as possible.”
According to Canada’s Defence Minister, as quoted by the newspaper, the long delay of purchasing and delivering the weapons has been due to “bureaucratic roadblocks, not resistance from the Iraqi or Turkish governments.”
