Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/1510478
www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 13 E N D U R A N C E and return home undetected. 1 A substan- tial requirement that heretofore has been the domain of nuclear power. To achieve this capability, in a non-nuclear powered submarine, demands the submarine have the ability to conduct a 'snort transit' to and from its patrol area, as submarines simply cannot carry enough fuel for the fitted AIP system, particularly liquid oxy- gen, to conduct a deployment of this mag- nitude. 2 Range, Endurance, Persistence The definition of range is relatively easy to calculate, however, it is the definition of overall endurance, as it applies to sub- marine operations, that warrants a closer look. • Range can be defined as: "the distance that can be covered by a vehicle without refuelling". • Endurance can be defined as: "the abil- ity to continue doing something difficult for a long period of time". • Persistence can be defined as: "con- tinuing to try to do something despite difficulties, especially when others are against you". These definitions neatly sum up the es- sence of a future Canadian submarine ca- pability: a submarine that can transit long distances, which are defined by geography and mission, then operate covertly, in a potentially hostile environment, for a pro- tracted period of time, and then return home without external replenishment or support. One may ask why endurance is so im- portant to Canada, and why is it different, compared with many other allied subma- rine navies? Simply put it is all about geog- raphy and the threat, specifically: • In the defence of Canada, it is the enor- mous distances from support bases, in Halifax and Esquimalt, to future defen- sive patrol areas – especially the Arctic. • In support of allies, it is the vast ocean expanses which are defined by future ad- versaries – notably in the Asia-Pacific. As Canada has been continuously operat- ing submarines for over sixty years, one may ask what has changed? The short an- swer is the international situation - with the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century and the rise of an increas- ing disruptive and aggressive China in the 21st century, the geo-political threat has HMCS Victoria. Photo Jacek Szymanski, Navy Public Affairs, © 2012 DND-MDN Canada HMCS Windsor Photo: Corporal Kenneth Galbraith, DND.