Special Issue: Recapitalizing the Fleet SPONSORED by the NAVAL ASSOCIATION of CANADA
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VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4 (2017) Special Issue: Recapitalizing the Fleet SPONSORED BY THE NAVAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA Some Observations on Canada’s Experience Building Warships Assessing the Progress of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy Building Canada’s Next Navy: Strategic Basis and Fleet Mix Canada’s Submarines are Sunk Costs The Navy's Prospects in Trudeau's Defence Policy Review This Special Issue was made possible by the generous support of the (www.navalassoc.ca) Our Sponsors and Supporters Canadian Naval Review (CNR) is a ‘not-for-profi t’ corporate support CNR would not be able to maintain publication depending for funding upon its subscription its content diversity and its high quality. Corporate and base, the generosity of a small number of corporate institutional support also makes it possible to put copies sponsors, and support from the Department of National of CNR in the hands of Canadian political decision- Defence and the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at makers. Th e help of all our supporters allows CNR to Dalhousie University. In addition, CNR is helped in continue the extensive outreach program established to meeting its objectives through the support of several further public awareness of naval and maritime security professional and charitable organizations. Without that and oceans issues in Canada. (www.canadasnavalmemorial.ca) (www.navyleague.ca) To receive more information about the corporate sponsorship plan or to fi nd out more about supporting CNR in other ways, such as through subscription donations and bulk institutional subscriptions, please contact us at [email protected]. i CANADIAN NAVAL REVIEW VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4 (2017) VOLUME 12, NO. 4 (SPECIAL ISSUE WINTER 2017) Editorial Board Dr. Brian Bow, Vice-Admiral (Ret’d) Gary Garnett, Dr. Rob Huebert, Dr. (Commodore, Ret’d) Eric Lerhe, Dr. Danford W. Credit: Cpl Chris DND Gray, Middlemiss, Dr. Marc Milner, Rear-Admiral (Ret’d) David Morse, Colonel (Ret’d) John Orr, Hugh Segal, Mark Sloan, Dr. Denis Stairs, Michael Young Editor: Dr. Ann L. Griffi ths Assistant Editor: Douglas S. Th omas Photo Editor: Dr. Danford W. Middlemiss Subscriptions/Administration: Mary Okwese Graphic Design: Kim Squared Inc. Printing: Advocate Printing and Publishing HMCS Charlottetown fl ies her Battle Ensign as she sails west in the Mediterranean Th e editorial offi ces of CNR are located at the Centre for Foreign Policy Sea during Operation Reassurance, 23 December 2016. Studies (CFPS)/Centre for the Study of Security and Development (CSSD), Hicks Building, Dalhousie University. Th e mailing address is 1699 South Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2. Phone: (902) 494-3769 Contents Fax: (902) 494-3825 Email: [email protected] Website: www.navalreview.ca EDITORIAL: RECAPITALIZING THE FLEET 2 ERIC LERHE Canadian Naval Review is published by the CFPS/CSSD at Dalhousie University. It is a professional journal examining a wide range of mari- SOME OBSERVATIONS ON CANADA’S EXPERIENCE 4 time security issues from a Canadian perspective. In particular it focuses BUILDING WARSHIPS on strategic concepts, policies, operations, history and procurement of MICHAEL HENNESSY the Canadian Navy, plus national security in general and marine/ocean aff airs. Th is initiative brings together members of the Canadian defence ASSESSING THE PROGRESS OF CANADA’S 9 and academic communities and is a component of the Centre’s Maritime NATIONAL SHIPBUILDING STRATEGY Security Program. TOM RING Canadian Naval Review has three primary objectives: BUILDING CANADA’S NEXT NAVY: STRATEGIC 15 • provide a public forum for the discussion of the maritime dimen- BASIS AND FLEET MIX sion of Canada’s national security; ELINOR SLOAN • provide a public forum for the discussion of Canada’s naval and maritime policies; and CANADA’S SUBMARINES ARE SUNK COSTS 20 • provide a source for the public examination of Canadian naval MICHAEL BYERS and maritime history and for the development of lessons learned. Th e material included in CNR is presented for the professional and THE NAVY’S PROSPECTS IN TRUDEAU’S DEFENCE 25 general education of the readers. Articles, commentaries and opinion POLICY REVIEW pieces are invited from the widest possible spectrum for the purpose of DAVE PERRY informing, stimulating debate and generally challenging readers. Th e opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily refl ect the opinions MAKING WAVES of the Editor, Editorial Board, CFPS/CSSD, the Department of National THE NEED FOR MARITIME THINKING AND SEA POWER 30 Defence, or the Canadian Navy. PETER HAYNES CAPABILITY AND CAPACITY: ALL THAT GLITTERS IS 32 Articles, opinion pieces, book reviews and letters may be submitted via NOT GOLD email or mailed (with an electronic copy) to the address given above. Send VICE-ADMIRAL SIR JEREMY BLACKHAM to the attention of the Editor, Dr. Ann Griffi ths. Articles are to be in Word TWEAKING THE PROCUREMENT APPROACH FOR 34 or WordPerfect format and no longer than 3,000 words. Articles must not THE CANADIAN SURFACE COMBATANT have been published elsewhere. Citations should be kept to a minimum CAPTAIN ROGER CHIASSON and articles must be accompanied by a 100-120 word abstract. Opinion pieces are to be 1,000-1,500 words. Authors of articles and opinion pieces DOLLARS AND SENSE: ADJUSTING TO TRUMP 37 which are published will be paid a small honorarium. Book reviews are DAVE PERRY to be 500-750 words. Photos may be submitted with articles or commen- taries but they must be at least 300 dpi, at an equivalent size to 5 by 7 WARSHIP DEVELOPMENTS: AIRCRAFT CARRIERS: 39 inches, and internet images cannot be used. Intellectual copyright will TODAY’S DREADNOUGHTS? remain the property of the author, however, the right to re-publish articles DOUG THOMAS initially published in Canadian Naval Review remains with the Editorial Board. Articles and commentaries written in French are welcome and, if BOOK REVIEWS 41 accepted, will be published in French. Copyright © 2017. ISSN 1715-0213 Canadian Naval Review VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4 (2017) CANADIAN NAVAL REVIEW 1 Editorial Recapitalizing the Fleet Th e Centre for the Study of Security and Development strong recommendations for what will be required to keep (formerly the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies) which it on track. He makes it clear that the success of the NSS in publishes Canadian Naval Review has a long history of reinvigorating the East and West Coast shipyards rested working with other groups to expand the public debate on offi cials and experts within industry, Public Works on maritime security. Th e Naval Association of Canada’s and Government Services Canada, Industry Canada, fall conference, “Recapitalising the Fleets of the Govern- the Department of National Defence, the RCN, the Privy ment of Canada,” presented another opportunity to do Council Offi ce, Treasury Board and Department of so. I was able to attend this conference and was struck Finance working in close collaboration. Not surprisingly, with the quality of the speakers. Th ey all looked beyond over time much of the original team that built the strategy the immediate shipbuilding projects to assess the Royal has moved on, and some of today’s key players are return- Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Coast Guard’s long- ing to their departmental silos and may be unwilling to term needs and what would be required to meet them. As make the sacrifi ces full cooperation requires. In complete a result of this tight focus, CNR reviewed the conference agreement with Hennessy, Ring argues this collaboration program and selected the fi ve presentations most suited must continue for the NSS to succeed, and he strongly for publication here.1 CNR then came to an agreement advocates a form of ‘relational contracting’ to achieve this. with the Naval Association’s executive that permitted Th ere is, he concludes, also a recent, return to political NAC to sponsor this issue. involvement in the tactical issues of defence procurement, with little of this being good. Th e fi rst article, by Michael Hennessy of the Royal Mili- tary College of Canada, addresses Canadian shipbuilding Elinor Sloan, a professor of international relations at Carle- history. It is an excellent condensed history of Canadian ton University, begins with an examination of the mari- naval shipbuilding focused at the strategic level. Hennessy time security threats that Canada faces from the competi- stresses that in the past the RCN suff ered politically damag- tion between major powers, lawlessness in the littoral ing cost overruns as a result of either cutting steel before regions, and challenges to Arctic interests. She then the design was fi xed or as a result of frequent changes in focuses on what the NSS must do to address these chal- operational requirements during the build. He notes the lenges. She argues that this would include a plan to replace improvements in these areas with each successive class Canada’s diesel-electric submarines aft er their scheduled and with the overall government project management life expires in the 2027-30 period. Further, she argues that system. However, he makes clear that national shipbuild- Canada’s successful Halifax-class Modernization Project ing is an immense task involving billions of dollars spread must be followed with an anti-submarine warfare upgrade over decades, and all of this requires the most intensive in the frigates, as the number of submarines continues to cooperation among government, the navy and industry. grow in the Indo-Pacifi c region. In addition, she argues Th is was a key lesson and one we will see repeated. that two Joint Support Ships are inadequate and at least one more must be added, Canada should start consider- In the next article, Tom Ring, former Assistant Deputy ing a specifi c humanitarian assistance/disaster response Minister Acquisitions for Public Services and Procurement ship, and Canada should build capacity to operate in the Canada, provides insights on the origins of the National increasingly important littoral regions.