The HMCS Fredericton, guided by tugs, returns to Halifax, after completing a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
OTTAWA – The Liberal government’s new Indo-Pacific strategy represents a marked shift for the Canadian Armed Forces, and in particular the Royal Canadian Navy.
One expert says it will also put more pressure on the navy at a time when it is already dealing with a shortage of sailors and warships.
While Canada has deployed frigates to the Indo-Pacific for several years, the navy will now be expected to keep a semi-permanent presence in the region.
It will do so by sending two ships from Canada’s West Coast and one from the East Coast for anywhere between four and seven months at a time each.
Adam MacDonald of Dalhousie University says that represents a significant change for the military and navy, with the government now requiring them to focus on the region.
He says it could be tough for the navy to make good on the promise over the long term, given that it is short about 1,300 sailors and has a number of other commitments to meet with a limited number of aging ships.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2022.
