Canada's Contribution to the WarRussell Moore, Rear-Admiral (Retired) Please note that this is the version that was submitted to the
National " is incomplete; the remainder is "Post . A heavily
edited version was printed on the 10th Oct. Monday's announcement that Canada is deploying 2,000 land, sea and air forces to join the war effort provides instant credibility to the government's assertion that Canada will carry its share of the burden. Both allies and foes are now informed beyond words that Canada will confront the threat not only with military forces, but on diplomatic,financial and whatever other fronts this war will be fought. It is no coincidence that the bulk of the first tranche of our contribution are maritime forces. The inherent capability of ships and maritime aircraft to deploy instantly in response to a crisis is once again demonstrated. HMCS Halifax, already deployed with the NATO Standing Force in the Atlantic, is already on her way. The other five ships with their Sea King helicopters and the Aurora Maritime Patrol aircraft will follow in a matter of days. Some military analysts are questioning the utility of maritime forces
in a
theatre against a land locked foe. Beyond the powerful political and
diplomatic messages of a Canadian presence, there are many important tasks
to be performed. Surveillance of ocean areas, search and rescue missions,
relief of strike capable ships from other tasks, interdiction of
potentially hostile shipping, co-ordination of support and re-supply
operations are all essential operations that our task group will be engaged
in. None of the military pundits can predict what operations in the region
the coming months will bring.
It is noteworthy that Canada's ability to deploy this force was a result of decisions made in the early 1980s to rebuild Canada's rusted out fleet with twelve Canadian Patrol Frigates and the modernization of the four Tribal Class Destroyers. Although that investment was made for Cold War reasons it has paid a handsome dividend ever since. The Navy has been able to respond in time of crisis and the ongoing support of UN resolutions in the Persian Gulf, the Former Yugoslavia, and East Timor. Other deployments have provided a Canadian diplomatic and trade presence globally. The current deployment also highlights serious shortfalls in operational capabilities and readiness. The Task Group's effectiveness will be diminished by the sorry saga of the Sea King helicopter. The Aurora patrol aircraft's effectiveness will likewise be hampered the obsolescence of its sensor systems. The reality that one destroyer is tied up because of funding and personnel shortages is a signal that the current deployment will stain personnel resources, particularly if the requirement extends beyond six months. While this is a time when Canadians can be proud of the young men and women that are once again being sent abroad, it is also a time to resolve that we will make the investments now that will ensure that young Canadians sent into harms way in the future will go with the equipment needed to do the job. The price of this insurance is not onerous; a defence budget that equates to the average spending of the other western democracies would fulfill this obligation to our position in the world and to our servicemen and women. Russell Moore, Rear-Admiral (Retired) © Copyright NOAC 2001 |