Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/439940
20 dECEMBER 2014/JanUaRy 2015 www.vanguardcanada.com m mARITImE industry and government to develop new technologies and ap- proaches to future ASW problems became increasingly limited. Canada's contribution to the new range of missions highlighted the remarkable adaptability and fl exibility that had been designed into fl eet with the Halifax-class. But it came at the cost of dimin- ishing capabilities in ASW. Now, with increasing global interest in underwater sensing gener- ally, burgeoning submarine production in the Asia-Pacifi c, and the emergence of new strategic vulnerabilities centered on global trade in the Western Pacifi c, Indian, and Arctic oceans, the time has come to recapture Canadian prominence in this vital defence sector. New opportunities In response to current and expected defence and security realities, the Canadian government has adopted a more aggressive defence procurement strategy that will enable the navy to protect Cana- dian sovereignty on all coasts. At the same time, the government expects defence procurement to enable economic development, create jobs, and increase exports of Canadian products worldwide. The government's National Ship Procurement Strategy (NSPS) and the Defence Procurement Strategy (DPS) have created a stra- tegic pivot point for naval recapitalization. The objective is a navy designed to address the needs of the future based on Halifax- Class Modernization, a Joint Support Ship, an Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship, and a Canadian Surface Combatant. To deliver on these programs, the Canadian defense industry and the navy are being asked to focus efforts on areas where Canada is truly the best in the world. Key players in government, industry, and the navy alike recog- nize that the realities of constrained budgets mean that not all ca- pabilities can (or should) be funded and developed indigenously. For example, reductions to the Science and Technology Program, which originally funded the collaboration that brought govern- ment, industry and the military together, will affect completion of some of the tasks intended under the new strategy. Technological change is also a factor, as there has been a shift away from designing and building technology products, to acquisition and development of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and military commercial off-the-shelf (MilCOTS) products. Even when there are signifi cant advancements, new technologies can lead to gaps in industry and government to develop new technologies and ap- understanding between suppliers and customers about where tech- nology is headed and what can be accomplished in-house. Nevertheless, with a sharpened focus on areas where Canada can bring world-leading technology and historical experience to bear, much is possible. DPS and NSPS have created an opportunity for Canada's expertise in ASW to re-emerge and allow Canadian in- novation to deliver outstanding, world class capabilities that will, once again, provide Canada with a greater voice in international naval affairs and operations. Canada must seize this opportunity to reclaim its acoustic intelligence capacity, undersea surveillance capabilities, and ASW expertise. In doing so, Canada will be positioning itself as a NATO and defence coalition partner that is strongly committed to anticipat- ing the security challenges of the future. In the Asia-Pacifi c, the need for advanced underwater sensing and ASW capabilities is only going to increase, mainly among countries that have no his- tory of sub-surface experience. And yet, this diffi cult battlespace will be where the evolving patterns of global seaborne trade will be determined – a maritime estate of vast importance and surpris- ing vulnerability, and one whose relative security will have a direct impact on our economy. At home, renewing Canada's ASW expertise will help to deal with the imminent collision of multiple interests in the Arctic. Control of our Arctic maritime estate will be based on how we are able to infl uence the maritime operations of other nations, as well as a new range of non-state actors, academics, and business groups. All of these entities will be using underwater technology to survey, map, and understand the region. Therefore, the same technologies we use to assert our independence and sovereignty will be in high-demand as we work to determine the resource im- plications of our vast maritime holdings in the North. Procedural and technological leadership in this area, therefore, furnishes dual benefi ts: enhancing international and domestic se- curity while giving us commercial and environmental insight into what is going on in our own backyard. A step forward The complexity, technology, governance, and security challenges that must be overcome to achieve this level of excellence cannot be addressed by the military alone. The domain no longer belongs