The current government posturing about a Pacific pivot is simply talk, with the exception of a trade agreement. As you mentioned the Pacific Ocean is vast and is the Arctic region. If they were serious they would seriously need to augment the RCN and RCAF with the necessary vessels and aircraft to do the job. As much as it pains me to say this, given the limited Defence budget, the Army would need to face cuts. In addition, there would need to rebuild the diplomatic and humanitarian aid capacity to establish strong political ties in the region, more comprehensive trade agreements like the CPTPP, secure logisitcal agreements, staging/base rights, and so forth to protect a very long and vulnerable strategic line of communications.
and where do your subs go when that base has been targeted, which it will. Shipyards are prime targets and both Korea and Japan will be ground zero.
Japan is getting a robust BMD and has lot's of harbours to use. The enemy could also load up a cargo ship with cruise missiles and take out Esquimalt as well. At some point you have to take operational risks. Plus the subs can be resupplied in a safe bay using a crane equipped Handymax freighter. This deployment can happen in peacetime for training and exclusion zone enforcement, which is what we did with the Victoria's. In fact if we get 6 subs, it will be good to have one permanently based over there. that can get support and servicing. It would certainly help with recruitment of crews to have a interesting mission set with a fixed rotation schedule so people can have a career and life.
How about Hawaii. Quality of life stipends with the weather and I bet that would help recruitment.
I suspect that would be a different mission set and mostly around training with the USN.
That mission may be the very thing that saves the Submarine capability in Canada. Tell me the Yanks would have a problem with clever and devious Canadian Sub commanders truncating American Captains careers? Get better or lose your command. BWAHAHA!!!!
Or reopen CFS Bermuda.The answer to Canadian Armed Forces retention problems.
Turks and Caicos: Canada's 11th Province?
History and timeline of the various proposed unions between Canada and the Turks and Caicos Islands, including recent developments.www.visittci.com
The Yanks can get pilots to man Elmendorf. We can't get pilots to man Cold Lake. Presumably the difference is that the Yanks will see California, Guam, Hawaii and Florida in their careers as well.
Canada needs some better bases, perhaps some bigger Operational Support Hubs. If not, maybe we should just buy a warmer province.
The difference is that the Americans have an actual reason to have bases in areas like California, Guam, Hawaii and Florida. I'm not even touching on the can of worms that admitting the Turks and Caicos Islands as a province would be but even if it was, what would be the point of putting a base there? The only purpose I can see is training and is it really worth all of the cost and hassle of building the base and operating it that far from Canada proper just for some better scenery? Seems like a vanity project.
They better be ready to pony up into CPP!
Nah....they'd obviously opt our for their own T&CPPThey better be ready to pony up into CPP!
I am not saying don't do it, the O-boats spent a lot of time playing mechanical mouse to the USN. However a SK/Japan posting still allows them to do that, but also do operational roles of surveillance, tracking Russian, Chinese and NK subs. Not to mention strengthening ties with the SK and Japanese navies.
Operational Support Hubs are simply logistical staging bases that are activated when required. With the exception of 1 or 2 hubs (that are at min manning), the majority of usually not manned.The answer to Canadian Armed Forces retention problems.
Turks and Caicos: Canada's 11th Province?
History and timeline of the various proposed unions between Canada and the Turks and Caicos Islands, including recent developments.
The Yanks can get pilots to man Elmendorf. We can't get pilots to man Cold Lake. Presumably the difference is that the Yanks will see California, Guam, Hawaii and Florida in their careers as well.
Canada needs some better bases, perhaps some bigger Operational Support Hubs. If not, maybe we should just buy a warmer province.
When confronted with the "you're recruiting whole gangs" statement a friend of mine who was in US Army recruiting replied.. "I know. The big green machine needs to be fed and it doesn't care what feeds it."
