The Canadian Navy Moves Towards Acquiring Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships
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PATRON H.R.H. THE PRINCE PHILIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH OTTAWA BRANCH THE NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA Box 505, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5P6 “To make all levels of Government and the general public clearly aware of the vital need for, and value of adequate and effective Maritime security forces to protect and further the interests of Canada.” (Branch Constitution, Article III.) 43.02 “Trying the depth of the water and the quality of the bottom line.…” November, 2007 The Canadian Navy Moves Towards Acquiring Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships The primary task of the eight A/OPs ships will be to assert Canadian sovereignty and security in Canada’s approaches in all three oceans. Delivery of the first ship is expected in 2013. See the cover story starting on page 7. Soundings November 2007 1 special sea duty situation. From the President In This Issue: By Richard Gimblett Appreciating the logic of his position, I had no option It was a busy other than to thank Brett P.2 From the President summer, not least because on your behalf for a great of the several great job so far, and to wish him P.5 Guest Editorial developments for the Navy, all the best in his future P.7 Building the Navy including capital procure- endeavours. The process of finding a replacement ment items and Arctic, P.9 Nautical Notes African and Caribbean actually resulted in a rather deployments for the fleet. smooth transition, as Ian P.10 USN Future Parker quickly stepped up Neither was it slack and Combatants idle for our Branch, and I to the challenge. Many of would like to use this space you know Ian as a great P.12 Ottawa Key to City to bring you up to date on a student of history, and couple of significant when he retired from the P.13 Ottawa Report changes on issues first Navy two years ago he was brought before you at the serving here in Ottawa as P.15 Carleton Report chief of staff to the Chief of Annual General Meeting in P.16 High Seas Incident May. These have to do the Maritime Staff. As such, specifically with the he brings to the position of P.19 Remember Centennial Committee Centennial Director great and the investigation into personal interest and P.19 Manfield Plate Membership Renewal . organizing abilities. With You may recall that Richard Archer , our P.20 Stranraer Soundings editor, cont- at the AGM you confirmed P.23 Naval Aviation the appointment of Brett inuing in an assistant Johnson as Director for the capacity on the committee, Rendezvous we remain on course for Centennial -- he had P.23 Canadian Naval Air effectively been doing the great things in 2010. Fair task for most of the winds Brett, and welcome Group previous year, and had aboard Ian! P.24 Onondaga kick-started some really Turning to the other important events, including big change, those of you Memorial plans for the National Naval who were at the AGM will Ball on 04 May 2010. Well, recall the wide-ranging P.25 Salty Dips discussion on the whole hardly had the ink dried on P.25 Sea Cadet Bursary his ratification when Brett question of membership regrettably had to tender renewal - indeed, this is an P.26 Sub-Lieutenant on issue that has been of his withdrawal, due to his Down being assigned a leading increasing concern to your role on his company's Board for some time. But P.27 Seen in Passing bidding teams for the new recognizing it is an issue Navy construction projects I not unique to us at this P.28 Drydocking Fun alluded to in the opening Branch, we had sought paragraph. With the your endorsement to go to P.31 Officers & demands on his time, the National Executive with Directors especially travel, he felt he an initiative to engage a could not serve us with the consultant firm to under- P.32 Branch Info diligence needed, and it take a proper investigation, would be best to do a watch paid if necessary. Well once turnover before entering a again, the minutes of that 2 Soundings November 2007 AGM discussion barely had time to be posted will be doing this project for NOAC National before an exciting new development as the "client", with Ottawa Branch acting as transpired. Our Vice-President Bob Bush is a the "agent" to National, and Bob Bush taking recent graduate of the Masters of Business the lead as point of contact. Administration program at Royal Roads Finally, I mentioned in opening my University (the civilian successor to the piece that there had been many great former Royal Roads Military College), and he developments for the Navy over the summer. discovered that a local serving naval officer I make every attempt to pass along any news who is presently engaged in the MBA as I get it by means of e-mail (carefully trying program was looking for a subject for the to strike a balance between what I perceive major final term assignment known as an as your desire to learn against fear of "organizational consulting project (OCP)". The clogging your inbox). However, with every person in question is another busy chap, send I get a number of "address unknown" Commander Russ Fowler , whose day-job returns. With the busy-ness of my own position on the naval staff is project director summer, I have not had the chance to for the Halifax Class Modernization (HCM -- rationalize these against the membership funding for which was one of the major list, to discover who we have lost, mostly as government announcements this summer). folks change their provider. Because of his student status, we cannot pay Can I close with a pitch, please -- if Russ for his efforts, but we have assured him you were not plagued with a series of emails of our gratitude for his efforts, and I from me over the summer, drop me a note encourage you to extend your full ([email protected] ), so I can add cooperation if and when he comes around you to the fun! Yours aye, Rich. with his questionnaire early in the new year. I should note that National President Ray Zuliani is delighted with this development, Ahoy! and concurs with the arrangement that Russ Fall Reception - Crowsnest 1700-1930 Tuesday 27th November, 2007 NOAC National Awards Ottawa Branch Annual General Meeting 7 May 2007 Andy Geddes was awarded the NOAC Richard Archer was awarded the NOAC Bronze Medallion in recognition of his ongoing Bronze Medallion in recognition of his and highly valued work in support of the editorship of Soundings and his work on Ottawa Branch’s Salty Dips publications. revising the Ottawa Branch constitution. Soundings November 2007 3 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guest Editorial Why Does Canada Still Need a Navy? By Peter T. Haydon This is a shortened version of a more comprehensive analysis (under the same title) which is available as a Maritime Security Working Paper on the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies website http://centreforforeignpolicystudies.dal.ca/index.php . Peter T. Haydon is Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Naval Review and a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University. This guest editorial sets the scene for the article on the Canadian Navy re-capitalization program that follows. A person could be forgiven for thinking • as instruments of foreign policy; and that the Canadian Navy appears rudderless today. Major programs to modernize the fleet • to wage war. and to replace proven naval capabilities seem stalled, and basic naval policy has to run the The extent to which states maintain and gauntlet of public opinion any time the navy use navies in these tasks is determined by a makes the headlines. The Canadian Navy range of variables that include geography, has never been well-entrenched in the dependence on sea-borne trade, overseas national fabric, but until recently there has interests, national security and, of course, always been a politically-approved ‘core’ domestic politics. naval policy that provided the rationale for A state that decides to maintain a navy maintaining the fleet as the first response to for some or all of those tasks must not only crisis and for helping to ensure sovereignty develop the necessary operational at sea. Why have things changed? To answer capabilities but also maintain those forces in this, we need to go back to first principles. a way that ensures they are available when needed. There is absolutely no point in Why do States Maintain Navies? having naval forces if they are not readily available to do the bidding of their Navies have always been, and will government. To maintain the necessary doubtless remain, political instruments – to a operational capability, the naval force far greater extent than either armies or air structure is best managed as a single entity forces. This has more to do with the inherent under a concept whereby replacement ships operational flexibility of naval forces and the and support systems are routinely funded in fact that international law regards a warship a way that always retains operational as an extension of the sovereign state than integrity of the fleet. Ideally, the replacement with the view that sea power is merely of warships and auxiliaries should be done “continuation of policy by other means.” under a steady building program that allows Over the years, as the oceans became necessary industries and technical skills to increasingly and necessarily subject to be maintained. The entire process requires a political control, navies (and in some cases pre-existing and politically-endorsed naval coast guards) have become instruments of policy that serves as the rationale for state policy at sea in four ways: to enforce modernization and for the acquisition of new national and international laws governing the ships, aircraft, and other equipment.