This week both the American and Canadian governments released the details of a “Tri-Command Framework for Arctic Cooperation” that would more closely coordinate the work of the U.S. Northern Command, Canada’s Joint Operational Command and NORAD in the arctic. While noting that the arctic region is not an area of […]
arctic
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Lee Berthiaume’s Postmedia News article on 8 May, entitled “Armed Arctic vessels face delay in latest procurement setback,” reports a further three-year delay in procurement of these ships. If true – the NDHQ procurement website continues to quote an in-service date of 2016 for the first ship - that is […]
* Moderator’s Note: This article was original published in The Nova Scotian on 15 April 2012. Many of you are familiar with my role as the Commander of Naval Forces in the Atlantic Region. What you may not be aware of is that this is but one of four hats […]
The problem with the ships Senator Kenny wants 'axed' is that they are not just ice-capable ships: they are a hybrid design for both arctic and offshore patrol work. Arctic operations require high endurance: lots of capacity for supplies plus hauling all waste by-products out again. Fuel is an especially […]
Senator Colin Kenny’s remarks this week (as reported by Murray Brewster in the Toronto Star, “Tory Arctic ship plan should be sunk, replaced with real icebreakers: senator,” and Paul MacLeod in the Herald News, “Arctic patrol ships ‘dumb’,”) has raised a lot of interest in what capabilities are envisioned for […]
There appear to be few internationally contentious issues that Canada faces regarding its claims of sovereignty over its arctic landmasses, including its archipelago, aside from a minor challenge concerning Hans Island. The situation in the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining waters is less clear. While several minor maritime boundary challenges […]
Moderator’s Note: This article was original published in The Chronicle Herald on 12 February 2012. Many of you who have followed the National Ship Procurement Strategy (NSPS) announcements will no doubt have heard that the first contract to be negotiated will be for a new class of ship, the Arctic/Offshore […]
The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) has issued a new report, entitled “Paying the Price: The Economic Impacts of Climate Change for Canada.” The report estimates climate change could cost Canada $5B by 2020, and this will rise to between $21B and $43B annually by […]
The Royal Netherlands Navy will not be taking delivery two new Holland-class ocean-going patrol vessels, due to cutbacks in military spending. It would be interesting to read an expert opinion on Broadsides about these state of the art 3000-tonne ships and speculate on their fit in the Canadian navy. OPVs have been […]
The F-35 purchase and NSPS elicit the same question for me: "What is the government's concept for the employment of Canadian military force in a future conflict?" The F-35 contract suggests a front-line, high-risk combat role against a peer competitor. But, our history of procurement in peace and war suggests that we are […]