All this week, reports have been coming out from the federal government about closures and reductions in federal service programs. Up until the various announcements, Defence Department spokespersons repeatedly declined to comment where the anticipated 1,000 jobs would be cut, citing the ‘rights’ of ‘Defence Team members’ to be advised […]
Afghanistan
20 posts
Dr. David Johnston, Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, published a fascinating vision statement in the form of an opinion article in the Globe and Mail on Friday, 17 February. He asserts that finding ways to coherently and effectively deal with the complex challenges of the […]
*Moderator's Note: This article was original published in The Nova Scotian on 11 September 2011. At approximately 9:00 am this morning, the United States Consul-General to Halifax will be joined by a small group of dignitaries at Halifax Stanfield International Airport for the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the […]
The following quote from Secretary Gates should make many in DND quite uncomfortable, particularly those who have turned their backs on a meaningful Canadian amphibious capability in favour of sending Leopard tanks on a COIN Mission: “The need for heavy armour and firepower to survive, close with, and destroy the enemy […]
Some of the issues in Professor Geoffrey Till’s recent paper found here (Naval War College Review, Winter 2010, pp. 33-60) may not apply to Canada, the strategic nuclear deterrent being a prime example. However, as well as being of interest in its own right, the work neatly summarises many key […]
*Moderators Note: This article is reprinted with permission from Seaways, Journal of the Nautical Institute, October 2009, pp. 25-26 After 16 months of careful preparation and stage managed partial disclosures, the orchestrated launch of “Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030” declared an apparent security paradigm for the […]
I would like to bring two important news items to the attention of our readers. First, a CBC report indicates that the Canadian government’s self-imposed deadline on a decision to replace the CP-140 Aurora aircraft has now been delayed from 20 November to 18 December, which is four days after […]
The size of Canada’s offshore areas of maritime responsibility and the vast distances of our airspace and sea approaches make a blue water navy fundamental to our security and sovereignty as a nation. Canada has the longest coastline of any country. The offshore Exclusive Economic Zone through which our (and […]
The U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps announced the first collective declaration of national maritime strategy on 17 October. To date, commentaries on the strategy are mixed. While much of the strategy’s main elements are recognizable (forward presence, deterrence, sea control and power projection), among the new features of […]
Airedale presents an argument heard all too often in Canada, not just in academic common rooms or their virtual equivalents such as this forum, where there is a certain expectation to set up false dichotomies for the purpose of debate, but also in places of political and military power where […]