S Shipbuilding
Ken Hansen is a Resident Research
Fellow with the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies
at Dalhousie University and a member of the
Science Advisory Committee for the Halifax
Marine Research Institute.
The French
Connection:
Is the Aquitaine a glimpse of the RCN's future?
W
hen the new French naval ship Aquitaine arrived in Halifax on April
18th, she created quite a buzz along the waterfront. Officially delivered
to the French Navy on 23 November 2012, her maiden voyage took her
first to Norfolk, where she underwent a task group exercise with the U.S. Navy,
before arriving in Halifax.
The French Ambassador to Canada, Philippe Zeller, was in town and a variety of
receptions, tours and media events took place. The media responded with extensive
coverage and it all generated a fair bit of "talk on the street."
Defence Minister Peter MacKay, accompanied by Rear-Admiral Pat Finn, Chief
of Staff for the Material Group, received a personalized tour of the ship. At the
media conference afterward, MacKay could hardly restrain his enthusiasm. "This
ship is what makes Canada envious [of France]," he said. "This is what we aspire
to build." He was obviously impressed.
He lauded Canada's "enduring strategic and operational relationship" between
Photos: French Navy, Jean-Jacques Lebail
36 JUNE/JULY 2013
www.vanguardcanada.com
