5 août 2022 | Local, Naval
Fire safety system problems on new Arctic ship delays deployment on northern exercise
HMCS Harry DeWolf was left out of a major northern exercise because its fire suppression system wasn’t working properly
16 décembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Defence minister says Canada 'very fortunate' to have Vance as defence chief
OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has come out in support of Canada's top military general, saying the country is "very fortunate" to have someone like Gen. Jonathan Vance leading the Canadian Armed Forces.
The comments come amid questions over whether the newly re-elected Liberal government plans to replace Vance, who was first appointed chief of the defence staff by Stephen Harper and is now in his fifth year in the position.
"When it comes to the chief of defence staff, this is a decision for the prime minister and so we'll reflect on that and make a decision accordingly," Sajjan told The Canadian Press during a wide-ranging interview last week.
However, he added, "Canada has been very fortunate to have somebody like Gen. Vance in this role at a very important time."
Vance is already one of the longest-serving defence chiefs in Canadian history, and his lengthy tenure has coincided with a number of significant decisions and developments for the Armed Forces - both positive and negative.
Those include significant new investments in the military through a new defence policy, the deployment of troops to Iraq, Mali and Latvia as well as efforts to crackdown on sexual misconduct and recruit more women.
Yet he has also faced his share of criticism over the years, including over his decision to suspend Mark Norman in 2017, more than a year before the now-retired vice-admiral was charged with breach of trust. The case was eventually dropped.
Vance also found himself under fire for the way he handled replacing Norman as the military's second-in-command last year, which saw significant upheaval and instability in the Armed Forces' senior ranks.
The defence chief has also been accused of being too supportive of controversial decisions by the Liberal government such as its plan to buy interim fighter jets while some in the Forces have grumbled about a domineering style.
While he wouldn't say whether the government planned to replace Vance any time soon, Sajjan said the general has brought important qualities and attributes to the high-profile and difficult position over the past four-plus years.
Those include Vance's experience having served in Afghanistan and elsewhere and the work that he put into helping the government develop its defence policy, which was released in June 2017.
"I'm very happy with the service that Gen. Vance has given," Sajjan said.
"There's only one four-star general in our Canadian Armed Forces. You don't get there easily and every single one brings a unique experience. And Gen. Vance has brought very important experience during a very important time."
Speculation about Vance's future has been mounting if for no other reason than the amount of time he has spent as Canada's top military general, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
Exactly who would replace him is an open question, however.
Norman's suspension and subsequent retirement contributed to a wider series of changes within the top ranks that have left many senior commanders relatively new in their positions.
The reality is that Vance and Sajjan, who has served as defence minister since the Liberals were first elected to power in fall 2015, have emerged as the "constants" at the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces, said Perry.
Given that and indications the Liberals do not have big plans to dramatically switch directions or roll out new initiatives for the military, "I think there's going to be a lot of continuity," he added.
Which on the surface would suggest no immediate changes at the top.
"Certainly the signals the government has sent to this point of time look a lot more like continuity and continuing to implement the policy and the framework that they set in place during the last Parliament."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 15, 2019.
Sur le même sujet
-
-
30 août 2018 | Local, Naval
Canada's first Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship expected in October
DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The first Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship is expected to be delivered the first week of October, according to Department of National Defence officials. The ship was originally supposed to be delivered this summer. The ship will undergo various tests in the months following delivery. The formal acceptance of the vessel by the Royal Canadian Navy won't take place until early next year. The first vessel, HMCS Harry DeWolf, is expected to be ready for operations starting in the summer of 2019, according to DND officials. Subsequent ships are to be delivered approximately every nine months, according to documents obtained by Postmedia using the Access to Information law. The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship project will deliver five ships, with an option for a sixth, if affordable. The ships are designated as the Harry DeWolf Class, after Canadian wartime naval hero Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf. The official RCN ship's class designation will be Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel or AOPV. The AOPV will be capable of armed sea-borne surveillance of Canada's waters, including the Arctic, providing government situational awareness of activities and events in these regions, and cooperating with other government departments to assert and enforce Canadian sovereignty, according to the DND. Construction of the first AOPV began in 2015 with HMCS Harry DeWolf. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/first-arctic-offshore-patrol-ship-expected-in-october
-
17 octobre 2019 | Local, Naval
Irving Shipbuilding Hands Over HMCS Montreal to Royal Canadian Navy
Irving Shipbuilding Inc. handed over Halifax-class frigate HMCS Montréal (FFH 336) to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) following the completion of a 53-week docking work period on August 22. The vessel arrived at Halifax Shipyard on Aug. 13 last year for the docking work period (DWP). The DWP was completed on schedule and included preventive and corrective maintenance, ship system upgrades including new diesel generators and chillers to name a few, as well as installation of new equipment providing enhanced combat capabilities to ensure the longevity of HMCS Montreal. More than 400 of Halifax Shipyard's 2,000 employees worked on HMCS Montreal's docking work period, including many shipbuilders who are members of Unifor Local 1. Dozens of Nova Scotia-based suppliers worked with ISI on the Montreal, including Maritime Pressure Works, MacKinnon & Olding, CMS Steel Pro, and Pro-Insul, among others. Since 2010, all seven of the Navy's east coast Halifax-class frigates– HMCS Halifax, HMCS Fredericton, HMCS Montreal, HMCS Charlottetown, HMCS St. John's, HMCS Ville de Quebec, and HMCS Toronto – have been consecutively modernized and maintained at Halifax Shipyard. Halifax Shipyard is continuing its legacy as the Halifax-class In-Service Support Centre of Excellence, with HMCS Charlottetown currently in the graving dock for a docking work period. In addition to its Halifax-class ship maintenance work, Halifax Shipyard is building six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) over the next 25 years as part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). The Halifax class underwent a modernization program, known as the Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) program, in order to update the frigates' capabilities in combatting modern smaller, faster and more mobile threats. This involved upgrading the command and control, radar, communications, electronic warfare and armament systems. Further improvements, such as modifying the vessel to accommodate the new Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and satellite links will be done separately from the main Frigate Equipment Life Extension (FELEX) program. https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2019/october/7593-irving-shipbuilding-hands-over-hmcs-montreal-to-royal-canadian-navy.html