(from Jane's Defence Weekly, 7 February 1996, p.9)
Germany, the UK and the Netherlands have reached an agreement on the use of
the low-level fighter training facilities at Goose Bay in Labrador, writes
Sharon Hobson in Ottawa.
The new Memorandum of Understanding, to be signed this month, has two key
changes from the previous 10-year agreement, which expires on 31 March. It
reflects Ottawa's directive that NATO training in Goose Bay should not be
carried out at Canada's expense. The assessment of costs associated with
shared facilities has been changed to reflect use.
Under the old agreement, the four countries paid for their own dedicated
facilities such as hangars, plus a 25 per cent share of the common costs.
Under that system, a country that did not fly as much as the others, such
as Canada, still paid the same share.
The new system introduces a more complex, user-pay concept. Frank Young,
Project Manager of the Goose Bay Project Office, siad: "The costs are
proportionate to the activity of the user." Air forces that fly more and
have more support people at Goos Bay will be charged more.
The new MOU also provides for the marketing of the base by allowing other
NATO allies to test the facilities at Goose Bay without being given a share
of the long-term common costs, such as resurfacing the runway. Visiting
air forces will only have to pay the direct costs, such as for fuel and
food, and the indirect costs will be waived.
As part of an attempt to reduce costs, Canada is hoping to attract other
allies to the range. Last year, Belgians, Italians and French deployed
aircraft to Goose Bay for two to six weeks, to assess the facilities.
Young says all three air forces found the deployment "operationally
rewarding" and they are now deciding whether they can afford to use Goose
Bay on a regular basis. He said "there is provision in this new MOU for
them to sign if they wish to do so at a later date."