Canadian Navys own RMA?

Since WWII, the Korean War saw a shift from “The Train buster’s Club” style Canadian naval warships. The River Class frigates and St. Laurent Class destroyers were designed to provide incapacitating naval support fire for land forces. Since then the Navy has shifted to more discrete small caliber rapid fire turrets as found onboard the new Halifax Class frigates (CPF) and Iroquois Class destroyers (DDH) of the latter 20-30 years. With the advent of precision guided weapons, like the harpoon AGM-48 SSM (surface-to-surface missile) or SLAM ( Stand-off Land Attack Missile), the capability of ships to strike against surface targets of interest using conventional large caliber turrets has been in decline. As well, the more prominent Tomahawk cruise missile weapon of the American Naval fleet further extenuates this shift in popularity from gunnery NFS to self powered projectile warheads for use against land targets of interest. Presently, the Canadian Navy does not have the Tomahawk missile due to the vast cost and present lack of requirement for such a devastating weapon. On an interesting point, our navy still leases its Harpoon SSM missiles from the American Navy.

3. Canadian Department Of National Defense “ Defense Strategy 2020”

Although changes to doctrine, technology, organization, policy, have occurred in the Canadian Navy, the shift to interoperability or “jointness” alone does not constitute an RMA as a rapid change in doctrine alone stated by Sloan. It is true that Canadian doctrine, technology and the organization of the Navy has seen major developments in the post-Cold War era, but as stated, a ship is still a ship and seapower is still seapower. The possible threat from submarines against surface vessels is still as apparent as the days of WWII. Although technology has changed for the Navy, doctrine and organization for sea power still remains the same. Today, the RMA in Canada is non-existant due to the fiscal situation. This is not to say that the ‘means’ for innovation and technological change are not present in Canadian industry. Today, Canadian companies like CAE provide technical innovation specialized in ship C4I to navies across the globe. The Canadian Navy is considered the best specialized interdiction-role Navy on the planet. Perhaps, the specialization role of interdiction should be considered more closely for the Canadian Navy, it is what we do best today.

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