Malta needs to upgrade its defensive capability - AN

lgalea

Aug 24th 2009, 22:11

Robert Callus, J Martinelli, Robert Scullion
Defense against the illegal immigrants and their traffickers, drug traffickers and the scum who are hell-bent to destroy Maltese society.
Anything wrong with a taste of military discipline for our youths?
Natural citizens because they have the most to lose unlike you who has gone to Canada and yet think you could dictate what we should do. Scullion, the money will come from that saved by not having any illegal immigrants in Malta.

Peter Korsten
Downplaying our strategic position will not work Peter. Furthermore I am not referring to military intervention in other countries but giving our youth a taste of military discipline and at the same time helping our country to free itself from the illegal immigrants invasion, drug traffickers etc. These are invading us Peter.

Mark Galea

Aug 24th 2009, 22:01

If Malta needs to upgrade its defensive capability, it must be to defend itself from those hot heads that create trouble everywhere they go.

@ Robert Callus - You could not have said it better - imagination from some maltese is more than fertile - I call it the Chihuahua Syndrome.

Robert Callus

Aug 24th 2009, 20:54

Are we going crazy or what? Has paranoia escalated to the extent of introducing conscription and mobilize the AFM for war? Against whom? Italy? The whole EU? or maybe the US and China?
Why don't we invade Chad, kill all people there and build refugee camps for people from the neighbouring countries?
It seems some fertile minds are having trouble distinguishing fact from fiction

Robert Scullion

Aug 24th 2009, 19:51

@T.gauci We could also turn Comino into a military base, and perhaps allow Mr Blofeld to come and upgrade it further. Build a moat channel around the islands and fill them with sharks to protect us even more. Then take over the world by threatening to release atomic bombs that have been hidden on the island. *Any similarity to James Bond movies is purely coincendental :)

Joseph Cauchi

Aug 24th 2009, 18:48

@ T. Gauci, Why don’t we add four submarines, two destroyers, two frigates, a dozen cobra helicopters, some patriot missiles and perhaps also one aircraft carrier? This would definitely enhance our defensive systems! JC.

T.gauci

Aug 24th 2009, 17:09

I totally agree with Igelea. look at all the small countries they are well equipped so why don't we do the same. all we need is a small squadron of Air Force,a couple of warships and ground forces like tanks and SAM systems.

J Martinelli

Aug 24th 2009, 14:36

@ lgalea

What a great idea! But...

"How about introducing military training for all NATURAL MALTESE citizens?"

Why did you hide that magic word "conscription"?

Only to 'NATURAL MALTESE'?

Run for a political career with a 'conscription' platform and see how many votes, beyond yours, you will garner.

Robert Scullion

Aug 24th 2009, 14:21

@lgalea
"How about introducing military training for all NATURAL MALTESE citizens?"

Taking them out of the various jobs/educational courses that many are already on, will do wonders for the economy and future knowledge of the people.
Less people about spending money, lower tax receipts.

How would you pay for this?

Also why was 'NATURAL' in bold, have you got anything against foreigners (don't we know it) wanting to join the army?

andrew mcpherson

Aug 24th 2009, 13:03

@I Galea,
I served in the RAF both here and abroad and I know that very often resources are stretched to the limit, in fact, a case in point is the lack of equipment. just recently when a young gunner lost his life. Nothing can replace the men, but you can always get new gear. To serve in the military is one of the greatest forms of education and if I were given the chance I would reintroduce conscription. After teenagers have served under military discipline I'm sure that Malta would advance in leaps and bounds

Peter Korsten

Aug 24th 2009, 12:41

It's interesting to figure out what they're actually saying, which is "we don't want more illegal immigrants and we're afraid because of Frattini's comments". Not entirely surprising, coming from AN.

After all, the whole of the western world is moving its military from a mostly defensive role to an interventionist role, so upgrading defensive capability is going against the trend. Also, it's prohibitively expensive, and money isn't exactly growing on trees.

Plus, who would want to invade Malta? If it were that militarily important, the British would still be here, like they are in Cyprus. There are no natural resources, it's overcrowded, and its harbour facilities are only of regional importance. On the other hand, it would aggravate military powers such as the USA, the UK and regional players. There's nothing to be gained, but everything to be lost.

So, whilst investment in the AFM is not a bad thing per sé, doing so to defend the country is a bit useless, and needlessly expensive.

How this thing will probably pan out is that the EU gets annoyed/pressured enough, and allocates some funds to station a couple of marine observation aircraft on Malta.

I Brown

Aug 24th 2009, 12:19

lgalea, you want to go training with the military? go ahead. I'd rather earn my living without polishing guns, if you know what I mean. hope you're not seeing through any of my thin veils now.

lgalea

Aug 24th 2009, 12:04

Mark Galea
What I do is none of your business. In that case since you always defend the ILLEGAL immigrants, I suggest that you try your luck and see whether they elect you as their president in their own countries. Who knows, maybe you will unite all their different countries and solve their problems which in turn will solve ours.

Mark Galea

Aug 24th 2009, 11:44

@Igalea
Then YOU should vote AN, not PL, PN or AD.

Mark Galea

Aug 24th 2009, 11:31

Spending money to upgrade defensive capability? agains what? and invasion from aliens? The real issues we have are illegal immigration and some Maltese hot heads. AN, are you joking? Are you trying to recruit the extreme right guys and gals?

lgalea

Aug 24th 2009, 11:19

Totally agree with AN.
Our military spending should be channeled to defending Malta not to search for and bring illegal immigrants but to repel them and prevent them from reaching Malta.
How about introducing military training for all NATURAL MALTESE citizens?

andrew mcpherson
That's what you think or want to make us believe andrew, but you shall not succeed because we can see through your thin military veil.

C. Calleja

Aug 24th 2009, 11:08

@ Christian Ellul.

Iceland does not have a military of it's own.

Whilst I agree completely that given our position, we need sound naval protection, we do not have the muscle or luxury to have and maintain any decent military of our own.

Paul Barrett

Aug 24th 2009, 11:05

From the previous article to this one "AFM arrest four during vehicle check points" it would appear that the AFM are fully stretched doing the work of the Police rather than security of the Island.
The next thing is for the AFM to be issued with equipment to test vehicle emissions and perhaps then arrest some of the smoking vehicle drivers - after all, if they can arrest someone for licence and or insurance discrepancy, why not for smoking vehicles.

C.Agius

Aug 24th 2009, 11:01

I fully agree with AN.

Where is the EU? or we're in the EU to fulfill Frattini's statements and dreams - to have Malta and Cyprus absorb all the illegal imigrants and they (Italy) waivers off all the responsabilities which Italy should carry as it was italy who had exploited all these countries from where all the illegal immigrants are coming from?

A. Gatt

Aug 24th 2009, 10:43

While I do not agree with an arms build-up, it is about time that the government dedicates some decent resources to upgrade our army into a professional brigade that is capable to respond as a cohesive unit and that isn't completely starved of resources. The AFM needs a major upgrade... in terms of personell and leadership... but also in terms of the resources to which it has access.

Politicians... it's about time you listen!!

john micallef

Aug 24th 2009, 10:42

go and tell that to all our politicians. they seem that they are not aware of this, that we do not have adequate defensive tools. but maybe they want to spend money on other non sense issues as usual

Christian Ellul

Aug 24th 2009, 10:42

Despite being skeptical on AN, I fully agree with them on this regard. If one simply takes a look at Malta's spending on the Military it places bottom on military spending from all EU countries. To give an example even Iceland with a population of around 300,000 has a much higher military expenditure. Iceland an island just like Malta (larger but with a smaller population). In order to keep our integrity in Maltese waters in the 21st century we need to invest.

andrew mcpherson

Aug 24th 2009, 10:41

Please explain how this can be done when three quarters of the Armed Forces are carrying out search and rescue, guarding immigrants, conducting road blocks, etc, etc. The funds and personel for the Armed forces can only be stretched so far. Malta is no longer the 'Aircraft carrier in the middle of the Med' and would be of very little use to any big power in event of a war.

G. Fenech

Aug 24th 2009, 10:39

The last thing we need to be spending money on is "defensive capability".

Lets wait for the next budget to see in what deep trouble we are.