- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 430
Monday, November 29, 2004
Study: build new warships now
By John Ward â “ The Canadian Press
OTTAWA â “ The government needs to start placing orders for new warships and plan updates on the existing vessels if it wants to maintain naval capabilities beyond the next decade or so, says a new study.
The document, to be released today by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, also says it's time to resurrect Canada's shipbuilding capability.
Peter Haydon, a retired naval officer and longtime naval analyst, argues in the paper that without immediate action, the navy faces serious rust-out problems, because lead times for building warships are so long.
The navy, he says, is needed as a vital, flexible tool in a troubled and uncertain world.
â Å“Over the years, there has been a political preference for using naval forces in making the initial response to crises,â ? he said. For Canada, that was true in the Korean War, the first Gulf War and the war on terror, when warships were the first to go.
â Å“Versatile naval forces, as opposed to specialized forces, will continue to be a sound investment in national security, no matter what happens in the future ...
â Å“But Canadian politicians do not seem to be convinced of this.â ?
Haydon argues the government should immediately order replacements for the existing Tribal-class destroyers â †which are used as task force leaders â †and new support ships and start a modernization program to bridge the gap until the new ships are ready.
The fleet now consists of a dozen patrol frigates, launched between 1992 and 1996, four Tribal-class destroyers dating back to the early 1970s, a pair of supply ships launched in the late 1960s, four used British subs which are a decade old and 12 small coastal defence ships.
One of the Tribals is essentially laid up out of service now, and a second is going into dry dock for a refit. All are soon to reach the end of their service life.
Haydon says they need to be replaced because they provide the command and control for small squadrons, as well as anti-aircraft capability.
He says four of the frigates should be converted as short-term replacements until new command-and-control ships can be built. And to bridge the gap until new support ships hit the water, he suggests leasing two or three commercial tankers.
â Å“The status quo needs to be extended to 2015 and beyond, pending the arrival of the new destroyers and fleet support ships by modernizing the remaining frigates, submarines and patrol vessels.â ?
And down the road, there should be orders for frigate replacements, new subs and new maritime patrol planes.
The Liberal government promised new support ships in the last election campaign, but nothing has been ordered, nor has there been any announcement of what sort of support ships are planned.
One of the problems with naval planning, Haydon says, is the length of time required to deliver new ships. The naval planning horizon stretches beyond the five-year time frame that occupies most politicians.
http://www.hfxnews.ca/news.aspx?storyID=25339
Study: build new warships now
By John Ward â “ The Canadian Press
OTTAWA â “ The government needs to start placing orders for new warships and plan updates on the existing vessels if it wants to maintain naval capabilities beyond the next decade or so, says a new study.
The document, to be released today by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, also says it's time to resurrect Canada's shipbuilding capability.
Peter Haydon, a retired naval officer and longtime naval analyst, argues in the paper that without immediate action, the navy faces serious rust-out problems, because lead times for building warships are so long.
The navy, he says, is needed as a vital, flexible tool in a troubled and uncertain world.
â Å“Over the years, there has been a political preference for using naval forces in making the initial response to crises,â ? he said. For Canada, that was true in the Korean War, the first Gulf War and the war on terror, when warships were the first to go.
â Å“Versatile naval forces, as opposed to specialized forces, will continue to be a sound investment in national security, no matter what happens in the future ...
â Å“But Canadian politicians do not seem to be convinced of this.â ?
Haydon argues the government should immediately order replacements for the existing Tribal-class destroyers â †which are used as task force leaders â †and new support ships and start a modernization program to bridge the gap until the new ships are ready.
The fleet now consists of a dozen patrol frigates, launched between 1992 and 1996, four Tribal-class destroyers dating back to the early 1970s, a pair of supply ships launched in the late 1960s, four used British subs which are a decade old and 12 small coastal defence ships.
One of the Tribals is essentially laid up out of service now, and a second is going into dry dock for a refit. All are soon to reach the end of their service life.
Haydon says they need to be replaced because they provide the command and control for small squadrons, as well as anti-aircraft capability.
He says four of the frigates should be converted as short-term replacements until new command-and-control ships can be built. And to bridge the gap until new support ships hit the water, he suggests leasing two or three commercial tankers.
â Å“The status quo needs to be extended to 2015 and beyond, pending the arrival of the new destroyers and fleet support ships by modernizing the remaining frigates, submarines and patrol vessels.â ?
And down the road, there should be orders for frigate replacements, new subs and new maritime patrol planes.
The Liberal government promised new support ships in the last election campaign, but nothing has been ordered, nor has there been any announcement of what sort of support ships are planned.
One of the problems with naval planning, Haydon says, is the length of time required to deliver new ships. The naval planning horizon stretches beyond the five-year time frame that occupies most politicians.
http://www.hfxnews.ca/news.aspx?storyID=25339
