How much is this war costing us?

It's been in both the Globe & Mail and the Toronto Star over the last couple of days that Canada's tanks are outdated and not very good for Afghan summers. Today the Star is reporting that Canada is set to lease and/or buy new tanks.

Swell, so what is this going to bring the cost of the war up to now? Moreover, while I'm sure that Flaherty will continue to insist that the budget is balanced, you have to recall that he was part of the Eves government. Remember them, the ones who played a trick on Ontario's voters by pretending that the budget was balanced.

While I'm sure most Canadians don't want to send our troops out into combat with the Taliban unprepared, I think we need to have a frank discussion about what exactly we are prepared to spend on our military. You, know the navy has a wishlist of its own. What about our new transport aircraft? Aside from the purchase price for all this fancy stuff, what will it cost to maintain it all? Parts? Where will we store it all?
Picture: Leopard tank