On November 1st, 2021, the Commander of the RCN, VAdm Craig Baines, spoke virtually to NAC-Ottawa and the broader NAC membership, as well as a wide range of other interested individuals across Canada, on the current state of the Navy. He introduced his talk by grouping the present-day challenges under the acronym “S3C”, representing: Sailors and Public Servants; Ships and Submarines; Service; and Culture.
Under the “Sailors and Public Servants” heading, the principal challenge the Admiral sees these days is sailor recruitment, especially in light of the way that the Navy is introducing new ships to the fleet. One aspect in meeting this challenge is to make most if not all decisions through a “people” lens, where the personnel ramifications are treated first. Another is to improve employment opportunities for reservists.
Under “Ships and Submarines”, he noted that the AOPS, CSC and JSS projects are on track, and that the RCN has stood up a small team to lay the groundwork for a Canadian Patrol Submarine Project to replace the Victoria class submarines, which are operating from both coasts and currently about to undergo some modernization. The new submarines will be non-nuclear-powered with technologies like air-independent propulsion being given serious consideration. The AOPS are proving to be great ships, with HMCS Harry DeWolf having just completed the first Canadian naval North-West Passage transit since Labrador’s in 1954. CSC is being designed with the future threat environment in mind. The leased replenishment vessel MV Asterix is under contract until 2023.
The “Service” of the sailors of today and the near future will be crucial to meeting the military threats in a world quite different from the old bipolar Cold War situation that led to the current Navy. In addition to land, sea and air threats, the future Navy must be able to address things like Arctic operations, cyber, information warfare and space. A big element in the new way of perceiving and executing service at sea will be the ability to manage, exploit and maintain huge amounts of data, in support of both force protection and taking the fight to the enemy. Interestingly, among the eight major missions tasked to the Canadian Armed Forces, six have significant Navy involvement. The Navy expects that it will be ever more involved in Asia-Pacific diplomacy and operations; however, the Admiral sees no need to rationalize the coastal distribution of ships and submarines, as any ocean in the world is accessible from both Halifax and Esquimalt. The deployment of Navy ships, in particular Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, to the Caribbean in conjunction with the USCG continues to be successful and productive in prosecuting the war on drugs.
Under “Culture”, the Admiral was very forthright in addressing the present-day crisis in confidence in the Canadian Armed Forces arising from sexual misconduct allegations: a serious problem that is systemic. Significant change is required, starting with recognition of the situation. But the Navy should actively use the crisis as an opportunity to make itself better. The Navy can no longer take refuge in policy and process but must provide the day-to-day leadership that will engage all serving members in meeting the problem head on.
In conclusion, VAdm Baines stated that the Navy will need to do a better job in communicating with the Canadian population, with such communication expected to be decisive if the full value of the Navy in meeting Canada’s ambitions is to be realized.
