The Minister of Defence announced on Monday that Canada will continue to contribute to Operation Artemis. This means that the Canadian Armed Forces can continue to deploy maritime assets to Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), in the attempt to enhance security in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf […]
Monthly archives: May 2017
There was an interesting article in The Globe and Mail last week that talks about Chantier Davie Shipyard in Quebec. The article is extremely unflattering. It describes how Davie is far behind schedule in producing car ferries for Quebec and how, despite its claims about producing jobs in the province, […]
As a candidate and as President, Donald Trump promised to build a 350-ship US Navy from the current 275-ship navy. Was that ever a realistic goal? Naval leaders called for a steady build to just over 300 ships in the next 20 years. But political declarations and naval aspirations eventually […]
The Australian government announced its much-anticipated Naval Shipbuilding Plan. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull characterized the plan as “…this is nation-building, it is unashamedly nationalistic.” The government says the plan will invest some $89 Billion (Aus) in the Royal Australian Navy over several decades, will create thousands of jobs, and will […]
The Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) has just published a very interesting policy paper by Dr. Andrea Charron and Dr. Jim Fergusson at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, University of Manitoba. The paper is called “Beyond NORAD and Modernization to North American Defence Evolution.” They suggest that while […]
Two Norwegian firms are building the world’s first fully electric, self-driving ship. The ship will be 100% electric and have zero emissions (according to the companies producing it). The ship, named Yara Birkeland, is expected to begin operations in late 2018. The firms claim that the boat will replace thousands […]
The recent completion by the Dalian shipyard in Liaoning Province, China, of a Type 001A aircraft carrier for the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China, underlines how even massive population and large land force countries believe the maritime capacity to be central to both their security and regional influence. The […]
The Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence has released a new report, Reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces: A Plan for the Future. This follows the report that was released in November 2016, entitled UN Deployment: Prioritizing Commitments at Home and Abroad, and a report released in April […]
In recent months Japan has revised its post-WW II constitution/national security laws to allow it to take more robust military actions, particularly in the maritime arena. This, Japan argues, is in response to increased aggression on the part of China, although China would explain it differently. On 1 May, Izumo, […]