By Moderator, 21 October 2026
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Canadian naval strategy … but were afraid to ask.
A useful new publication – “A Canadian Naval Strategy Reader: Concepts and Capstone Documents” – by Richard Gimblett examines Canadian naval strategy. Gimblett asks if it is time for the RCN to refresh its strategy, given changes in the world that have occurred since the last time a strategy was produced. He notes that many of the changes are outside Canada’s control, but there are some elements that, as he says, are within the RCN’s ability to manage, including: a new approach to foreign and defence policy, and willingness to increase defence spending; the revival of interest in the notion of Canada as a “middle power” which requires reflection on the RCN’s status ….; the amalgamation of the Canadian Coast Guard into the Department of National Defence (DND); and, the increased capabilities anticipated to be delivered. These all require a rethink of naval strategy.
Gimblett states that “It is not the intent of this monograph to suggest what a renewed Canadian naval strategy should look like or include. Rather, it aims to provide a framework for discussions surrounding any efforts to explore the issue.” His objective is to provide a monograph that “might serve as an educational instrument, establishing a shared foundation upon which staffs, politicians, academics, and the interested public can develop and assess any fresh strategy document. In this vein, it is not meant to be a definitive examination of the various aspects of the topic, but it instead aims to describe themes and point to sources to guide further research and analysis.”
Part 1 opens with a short discourse on the general nature of strategy. This is followed by Part 2 which is a summary review of the foundational strategic concepts pertinent to navies and naval warfare. Part 3 provides a study of naval strategic thinking in Canada over the centuries, and includes discussions of the context and details of the documents cited and reproduced in separate appendices. Gimblett teases out several themes, and hopes that “the renewed exploration of a Canadian naval strategy [can] begin with this offering of an informed baseline framework for discussion.” The monograph is well worth reading. You can find it at
https://www.cmsn.ca/_files/ugd/0bcbee_2dac1c40d7134d9d9ea5068d0e4b4b47.pdf
Image: Front cover of Richard Gimblett's Canadian Naval Strategy Reader. Credit: Canadian Maritime Security Network
