Canadian submarine interests are extremely relevant, and can be divided into three categories: the defence of Canada and North America; supporting Canadian expeditionary deployments; and supporting Canada’s interest in global maritime stability. If the Canadian government does not invest in a modern submarine capability, its navy will not be able […]
Canadian Marines and Amphibious Ships
8 posts
It has just recently come to my attention that Ken Hansen recycled here in 2011 much of his 2007 criticism in the Canadian Military Journal (CMJ) (see Link 1 below) of my 2006 CMJ article on building a Canadian amphibious capability (see Link 2 below). In his critique, Hansen did […]
When the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine flared up, a contract signed in 2010 for the French shipbuilder DCNS to build two French Mitral-class amphibious ships for the Russian navy was cancelled. David Pugliese, among others, commented that Canada was an interested buyer for the two ships. These comments, along with […]
Reports, all unsubstantiated so far, continue to surface about the possibility of Canada acquiring a ship or ships capable of amphibious operations. (See: “Big Honkin’ Ships” by Chris MacLean in issue 5/2010, pp. 14-15, of Frontline Defence here. See also: “A Mistral-class ship for Canada” by David Pugliese in the […]
Dave Shirlaw, Editor and Publisher of SeaWaves Magazine, reports that NDCC Almirante Sabóia (pictured above) of the Brazilian navy left for Haiti on February 1st. (Photo courtesy of SeaWaves.) This vessel was originally RFA Sir Bedivere (L3004), a member of the British Round Table-class Landing Ships – Logistic (LSL). She […]
Cdr. Ken Hansen has published a thoughtful analysis in Canadian Naval Review and followed it up with the most recent contribution to Broadsides. His analysis suggests that the 250 person Marine Commando Regiment is too small to field and sustain an infantry platoon size force of 32 people. I am […]
The report of the arrival of France's F.N. Tonnerre in Halifax should raise some issues for Canada. Tonnerre is a four-in-one vessel - helicopter carrier, hospital ship, command ship, and amphibious ship - that might have been a potential contender for the "Big Honking Ship" once touted by no less […]
Amidst the hoopla surrounding the leaked Conservative Canada First Defence Strategy and the subsequent series of articles by David Pugliese, one overlooked item was the proposed creation of a 250 member Marine Commando Regiment (MCR) based in Comox, BC. As described by Pugliese, the MCR will be a dedicated maritime […]