Editorial: Possibilities and Pitfalls

By Dr. Ann Griffiths, 8 February 2026

[This is an excerpt of an article in Vol. 21, No. 3 of Canadian Naval Review. For the full article, click on the link below.]

[Note: Editorials represent the opinion of the author, not CNR, the Editorial Board or sponsors.]

[Note: Since this Editorial was written, the RCN has sent a ship – HMCS Yellowknife – to participate in Op Caribbe, pointedly noting “Operation Caribbe is a separate and distinct operation working with the United States Coast Guard to fulfill its law enforcement mandate to interdict illicit trafficking vessels and is unrelated to other US operations in the region.”]

It was difficult to decide what to write in this Editorial. Unlike past years, recently there have been too many changes relating to defence to discuss in one Editorial. A firehose of funding for defence has been opened in Canada, so should I discuss that? Should I discuss the new government agencies to streamline (hopefully) defence procurement and the adoption of new technology? The plan to procure new submarines, or the absorption of the Canadian Coast Guard into the Department of National Defence? The new joint forces command? Should I focus on events in the United States – i.e., the implication of the new US National Security Strategy for Canada (if any), the cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate program, the US strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the implications for Canadian naval operations? All of these things are important, or have the potential to be important, for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Here I will make a few comments, and mention a few concerns, about some of these topics.

As noted, the government has increased the budget for defence on a scale that hasn’t been seen since the 1950s. (Note that the massive increase in funding announced in the fall budget does not include funding for new submarines.) While details are still scant, the money is to support, among other things, equipment, recruitment, training, infrastructure, cyberdefence and a Canadian military industrial capability. Prime Minister Mark Carney has not only promised to meet the old NATO defence spending requirement of 2% of Gross Domestic Product within this fiscal year, but also to meet the new 5% target. Furthermore, it has vowed to make procurement more efficient by creating a Defence Procurement Agency, led by a Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, to oversee and (hopefully) untangle the painful processes that currently slow down military procurement. Also in the process of being developed is the Defence Investment Agency to be informed by the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

These are great. But I have some concerns. First, DND has not been able to spend the money it received before this big influx of funding. How will it manage this vast increase of funds? Second, this certainly isn’t the government’s first attempt to make the defence procurement process more efficient. Will this one succeed? We can hope that it will but, as the saying goes, hope isn’t a strategy.   

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Latest CNR: Vol. 21 No. 3 (2026)

The second article, “The Strategic Utility of Aircraft Carriers in China’s Ambitions in East Asia,” discusses the rapid growth of China’s aircraft carrier capability and how and where Beijing would likely use them in the case of war. The third article is “Why Does Canada have a Navy? Reflecting on the Canadian Leaders at Sea Program.” In this article, the author addresses a simple question that was asked while he was participating in the CLaS program, and considers what a navy represents and why Canada has one. The final essay, “SS Nerissa: A Tragic Footnote to History,” tells the little-known story of the last voyage of SS Nerissa that was sunk by a U-boat while transporting troops and civilians across the Atlantic in the Second World War.

If that isn’t enough to spark your interest, we have our usual Making Waves commentaries. We have a commentary about hydrography in the Arctic. Sound boring? It’s not. If Canada is getting submarines that are expected to operate in the Arctic, Ottawa needs to act now to map the seafloor there. We have a commentary about the many historic discussions about moving the Coast Guard into the defence department. We have a commentary about the unthinkable – i.e., having naval ships that can act as ‘tripwires’ in the event that the United States decides to blockade Canada. We have an account of a conference in Australia, Canadian interest in East Asia, and preparing for Russia in the Arctic.

And, of course, we have our regular columns. “A View from the West” looks at North Korea’s increasing focus on its navy. “Dollars and Sense” examines the defence-related parts of Budget 2025, and “Warship Developments” updates us on several interesting recent naval decisions.  

In addition to all this great information, we have our usual amazing photos!

Stay tuned. In a few weeks, the issue will be in the mailbox of people who are lucky enough to be subscribers! It’s not too late for you to subscribe. See here for the Table of Contents.

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