a Story of two futures
the last word
By CAPt(N) iAN PARkeR (Ret'd)
Future One
It was a dark January evening in 2030,
when the Chief of the Defence Staff
(CDS) took the secure call from the Com-
mander Canadian Joint Forces Command
(CJOC). The Commander CJOC advised
the CDS that Canadian Rangers were re-
porting several periscope sightings in the
vicinity of the Gulf of Boothia and Foxe
Channel. The Foxe Channel sighting was
confirmed by an Air Nunavut sighting.
The Commander RCN(CRCN) joined
the call and the CDS asked Commander
CJOC what resources were available to
search the two areas. CJOC had no re-
sources in the area. The CRCN indicated
that HMCS Margaret Brooke was transit-
ing the Strait of Bell Isle, in ice, and it
would take her at least a week, barring ice
delays, to arrive at the southern entrance
to Foxe Channel.
When pressed about Arctic sensors,
the CRCN reminded the CDS that the
original project was defunded in the late
1990s for budgetary reasons and that the
DRDC effort Northern Array Project
also died due to both funding issues and
a general lack of interest by both govern-
ment and the leadership of the CAF. The
CRCN also advised the CDS that ice-
penetrating sonobuoys had never been a
priority in the investment plan nor had
the long-range Unmanned Underwater
Vehicles (UUVs) equipped with strategic
sensors.
She also advised the CDS that the
one remaining Victoria-class submarine,
which could not operate under ice, could
be redeployed but would take at least
10 days to arrive at the ice edge. She re-
minded the CDS that regrettably there
had been no appetite either politically or
within the CAF to move forward with a
submarine replacement program based
on Canadian requirements.
Finally, the Commander of the RCN
opined that the threat from these lati-
tudes was a depressed SLBM and cruise
missile launch against North America
reducing flight time to mere minutes,
perhaps insufficient time to react. The
Commander of the RCAF chimed in to
remind the CDS that even if a ship was
able to get north the strategic Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that could be used
44 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 www.vanguardcanada.com
Artist's impression of the Harry
Dewolf-Class Arctic and Offshore
Patrol Vessel. Image: Irving
Shipbuilding Inc.
