Canada’s shrinking navy still valued by allies, analysts say
Published on Saturday July 14, 2012
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Canada’s navy isn’t exactly a juggernaut. According to Michael Hennessy, a professor of naval history at the Royal Military College in Kingston, the Canadian navy has 33 commissioned vessels but only 14 fighting ships.
“The ships Canada sent during the first Gulf War were immediately relegated to patrolling as far away from Iraq as possible so they didn’t get in harm’s way,” he said. “They are old.”
In 2008, the government promised to invest $490 billion in new equipment and upgrades, including new icebreakers and Arctic patrol ships.
Two years later, plans were announced to replace aging Canadian navy and coast guard vessels — including nine new ships at a cost of $194 million.
Hennessy said it’s unclear when new navy and coast guard vessels might be ready because formal contracts and design plans have not been finalized.
It is possible the new ships could be replaced by cheaper radar installations or a program that would give Canada underwater listening capabilities.
Still, the Canadian government appears determined to have an on-the-water presence in the North, particularly when countries are redefining international borders.
In the 1980s, the United Nations created the Law of the Sea treaty, which allowed countries to claim territory extending to the end of their continental shelf. Countries were given until 2014 to submit detailed maps with new proposed boundaries.
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Published on Saturday July 14, 2012
Article Link
Canada’s navy isn’t exactly a juggernaut. According to Michael Hennessy, a professor of naval history at the Royal Military College in Kingston, the Canadian navy has 33 commissioned vessels but only 14 fighting ships.
“The ships Canada sent during the first Gulf War were immediately relegated to patrolling as far away from Iraq as possible so they didn’t get in harm’s way,” he said. “They are old.”
In 2008, the government promised to invest $490 billion in new equipment and upgrades, including new icebreakers and Arctic patrol ships.
Two years later, plans were announced to replace aging Canadian navy and coast guard vessels — including nine new ships at a cost of $194 million.
Hennessy said it’s unclear when new navy and coast guard vessels might be ready because formal contracts and design plans have not been finalized.
It is possible the new ships could be replaced by cheaper radar installations or a program that would give Canada underwater listening capabilities.
Still, the Canadian government appears determined to have an on-the-water presence in the North, particularly when countries are redefining international borders.
In the 1980s, the United Nations created the Law of the Sea treaty, which allowed countries to claim territory extending to the end of their continental shelf. Countries were given until 2014 to submit detailed maps with new proposed boundaries.
More on link
