959 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

This story is jaw dropping in terms of the depth and breadth of Canadian ineptitude; its Coast Guard as opposed to RCN-CAF-related but at that the mind numbing futility of the thing really lies at the door step of my favorite whipping boys, the fine folks at the federal procurement department, since it was they who awarded this slack jawed yokel, moron-laced contract......

 

Read the following report on this Hero-class CCG ship that was intentionally cut adrift from its Nova Scotia moorings last November, by culprits as yet still unknown.

 

https://globalnews.c...0jL1bo5C2Ib3Juo

 

And then consider, as I did, a thought process roughly along the lines of the following - 

 

Well that report certainly says it all: Canada the "sieve" of Western Security. How in the hell does the DND Procurement bureaucracy award a federal contract to a firm in the middle of Nowheresville, NS with absolutely ZERO security measures for a ship that among other things communicates on presumably classified NATO-RCN radio channels?

 

No fence, no proper lighting, no reliable CCTV's - not even one aging, out of shape, overweight, poorly paid semi-retired commissionaire to patrol the dock every other hour with a pocket flashlight purchased from the dollar store?!? 

 

Good God we really are a joke. No wonder years ago a Brit colleague who in another life worked exclusively on foreign soil for an unnamed UK government agency, referred to Canada as "the bargain basement bin of the Keystone Kops division of NATO".....This s*** would almost be comical if it didn't involve things like oh, I dunno, marine safety, sovereignty, potentially national security and....um....common f****** sense. 

 

Oh and here's a picture of one Canada's finest and newest marine guardians of our coastline after assailant(s) unknown were allowed to waltz right in and literally cut the steel mooring lines - "Canadian Security" an oxymoron if there ever was one, lol.....

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Edited by AllseeingEye, 16 April 2019 - 09:15 PM.

[spanky123]

^ The only thing I find jaw dropping is that the public found out about it. Must have been a whistle blower that tipped the media as DND would never let on that anything happened.

[jonny]

^ but they were built in Canada so all is not lost! Also hearing lots of issues on the West coast with the Protecteur replacements.

 

Community benefits!

[AllseeingEye]

^ The only thing I find jaw dropping is that the public found out about it. Must have been a whistle blower that tipped the media as DND would never let on that anything happened.

Bear in mind the CCG is a non-military org unlike other CG's of major powers like the US; our CG sits under the jurisdiction of DFO. Unfortunately.

[laconic]

USS Anchorage coming for a visit.

 

https://en.wikipedia...horage_(LPD-23)

 

 

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Edited by laconic, 04 June 2019 - 09:16 AM.

[AllseeingEye]

USS Mobile Bay is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser which arrived in Esquimalt last week.

 

She is armed with an array of guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, and is capable of detecting and defeating air and seaborne threats as well as those on shore and undersea. She carries the Tomahawk cruise missiles as well as two Seahawk LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters, mainly for anti-submarine warfare. 

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[AllseeingEye]

Gee whiz.....what a shocker. Not - 

 

https://www.timescol...cial-1.24009204

 

My cousin is/was a construction superintendent in Halifax at the HMC Dockyard there in the early days of the NSP and recounted stories of highly experienced British and German naval marine engineers contracted to assist the CAF/RCN at that time.

 

At least two of them threw up their hands and resigned their ridiculously high paying contracting positions and returned to Europe citing, primarily, Canadian incompetence on everything from the design to the procurement and ultimately construction of new base facilities and the ships themselves. Above all they were PO'ed at the level of utter futility at the federal political level, i.e. as described in the story linked above. 

 

Whether its aircraft or ships we should just bite the bullet and purchase COTS equipment and be done with it. The degree of stupidity not to mention political malfeasance in this country re: things military is beyond comprehension IMO.

Edited by AllseeingEye, 15 November 2019 - 10:55 AM.

[AllseeingEye]

New Dazzle paint job sported by HMCS Regina and she prepares to participate in events next year such as RIMPAC, honoring the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic in 2020. HMCS Moncton on the east coast is similarly decked out. Both ships will wear the new paint schemes until the end of next year, in honor of the 33 Canadian warships that were sunk throughout the duration of the battle, which incidentally was the longest of the Second World War - 

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Edited by AllseeingEye, 17 November 2019 - 10:24 PM.

[G-Man]

That looks really slick!

[todd]

Dazzling.

[Victoria Watcher]

Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle (in the U.S.) or dazzle painting, was a family of ship camouflage used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, though with a rejected prior claim by the zoologist John Graham Kerr, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours, interrupting and intersecting each other.

Unlike other forms of camouflage, the intention of dazzle is not to conceal but to make it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed, and heading. Norman Wilkinson explained in 1919 that he had intended dazzle primarily to mislead the enemy about a ship's course and so cause them to take up a poor firing position.^[a]

Dazzle was adopted by the Admiralty in the UK, and then by the United States Navy. Each ship's dazzle pattern was unique to avoid making classes of ships instantly recognisable to the enemy. The result was that a profusion of dazzle schemes was tried, and the evidence for their success was at best mixed. So many factors were involved that it was impossible to determine which were important, and whether any of the colour schemes were effective.

Dazzle attracted the notice of artists such as Picasso, who claimed that Cubists like himself had invented it.^[3] Edward Wadsworth, who supervised the camouflaging of over 2,000 ships during the First World War, painted a series of canvases of dazzle ships^{[b][4][5][6][7]} after the war, based on his wartime work. Arthur Lismer similarly painted a series of dazzle ship canvases.

 

https://en.wikipedia...zzle_camouflage

[LJ]

Car makers still do this when they are testing new models in public.

[AllseeingEye]

Although the article is a shade under two years old the point is well made and I've often given much thought to it as well, especially as the date for these new AOPS is rapidly approaching; it really is typical of the Canadian mind-set when it comes to matters military-related.

 

When comparable ships from Denmark outclass and out-gun you you really have to wonder what the heck the poor Canadian crews are supposed to do in the event that something nasty happens in the Arctic - I mean what is the point of mounting a single light machine gun? As they say either go big, or go home. Its better than nothing.......but not by much:

 

https://ipolitics.ca...ecurity-guards/

[Mattjvd]

Although the article is a shade under two years old the point is well made and I've often given much thought to it as well, especially as the date for these new AOPS is rapidly approaching; it really is typical of the Canadian mind-set when it comes to matters military-related.

When comparable ships from Denmark outclass and out-gun you you really have to wonder what the heck the poor Canadian crews are supposed to do in the event that something nasty happens in the Arctic - I mean what is the point of mounting a single light machine gun? As they say either go big, or go home. Its better than nothing.......but not by much:

https://ipolitics.ca...ecurity-guards/

Those ships need to be relegated to the coast guard and have the Navy start over. No need for 6 or 8 of them either. 3 well armed, capable ice breakers would be immeasurably better 8 of whatever these boats are supposed to be.

[Bernard]

We have never asked what we expect of the navy or the coast guard, we just sort of go along without a vision.    We underfund the navy and are now left with one that may as well be mothballed.   

 

Why not be bold?   Move the Pacific fleet to Prince Rupert - the US has no navy bases in Alaska.  Offer to buy several used LHDs.  We should have bought the two Mistral LHDs the French had available but instead Egypt bought them.   The US Wasp class LHDs will be coming up for retirement soon.  I suspect they would be available for under $500,000,00  Or offer to buy two of the new America class LHDs.   I am sure Australia and Navantia would love to build two more Canberra class LHDs.  

 

Lets have a serious naval presence in the arctic.   

 

Given how the feds like to overspend, an extra $10,000,000,000 a year in capital purchases by the military is nothing.

 

(Here endeth the rant)

[Mattjvd]

We have never asked what we expect of the navy or the coast guard, we just sort of go along without a vision. We underfund the navy and are now left with one that may as well be mothballed.

Why not be bold? Move the Pacific fleet to Prince Rupert - the US has no navy bases in Alaska. Offer to buy several used LHDs. We should have bought the two Mistral LHDs the French had available but instead Egypt bought them. The US Wasp class LHDs will be coming up for retirement soon. I suspect they would be available for under $500,000,00 Or offer to buy two of the new America class LHDs. I am sure Australia and Navantia would love to build two more Canberra class LHDs.

Lets have a serious naval presence in the arctic.

Given how the feds like to overspend, an extra $10,000,000,000 a year in capital purchases by the military is nothing.

(Here endeth the rant)

The Navy's role is somewhay defined. It needs to conduct security, interdiction, and presence patrols in all 3 Oceans. Have wide-area air defence, anti-ship, and anti-submarine capability. Provide blue water support and fleet escort for international missions. And have the numbers to do all of these missions simultaniously, while allowing for fleet maintenence and crew training.

Providing overseas anphibious attack platforms is not identified as a priority for the RCN, so getting LHDs anytime soon is unlikely. Fortunately, that is actually one of the few things those new icebreakers are good at. Their modular internal mission bays can carry nearly a whole infantry company and embark them directly onto the ice.

[AllseeingEye]

Not exactly navy-related but close enough since DND procurement is equally the s*** show that the CCG is: so now the latest update on our "new" icebreakers - first ordered over a decade ago by the Harper government (and actually first conceived by the Mulroney administration in the 1980's), with the intent of being in service in 2017 - is that the whole program now needs to go to tender AGAIN! - with a 'revised' anticipated delivery date of 2029. Sure. And I'll be a first team Raptors NBA All Star in 2029 at age 68....

 

Meanwhile the poor old decrepit and aging CG hulks that perform what passes for sovereignty patrols in this country will continue to age and rust even more, become even more antiquated and incapable of asserting anything close to actual sovereignty in the North, particularly in the event something *bad* happens like a challenge from Russian or Chinese naval forces.

 

And why you ask? Aside from the fact the procurement process in this country is utterly broken - if I were in charge I'd order an immediate audit of the entire process, for both DND and CG - pretty clearly this is as usual driven by political considerations. You can bet your mortgage payment "+" that since the Fiberals are in charge, and they desperately need to shore up their Quebec support, the Davie shipyard will "win" this competition hands down, and it won't even be close.

 

I predict Seaspan has precisely two chances of winning this bid. Zero, and None.

 

https://www.timescol...tles-1.24086463

Edited by AllseeingEye, 29 February 2020 - 03:23 PM.

[Mike K.]

Brutal, isn’t it? And you’re probably right about Quebec winning the bid. Must protect Quebec.

[AllseeingEye]

Oh look - yet more evidence that this nation's unwillingness to spend more than the absolute bare minimum on anything yucky like "defence" is, decade over decade, making it virtually impossible to maintain anything remotely resembling creditable Armed Forces:

 

https://www.timescol...port-1.24092291

 

Surface warships, main battle tanks and front line fighters - all designed in the 1970's - a half century ago; submarines that spend 99% of their time dockside - because they have faulty hull welds (oops!). A diesel electric "hunter killer" submarine that spends its life tied to a dock is about as useful as a eunuch at an orgy. But Canada being Canada no doubt we'll soldier on (pun intended) and plow even more billions of scarce military dollars into these creaking dinosaurs. Its the Canadian Way!

 

Moreover there is also our brave new frontier in the Arctic that is being massively re-armed on the Russian side, with Chinese warships now intending to transit Canada's northern and most vulnerable coast and where we have exactly.....Zero navy presence other than a euphemistically named "refueling depot". Which is to say a metal grate that stands in for a dock and a couple of barrels of marine fuel I think "protected" by a barbed wire enclosure. Zero Army presence. Zero air force presence - other than the very occasional 'sovereignty overflight' every couple of months by the single fighter we can actually afford to gas up and send aloft from time to time...

 

But hey gang we do have a couple of thousand Canadian Rangers roaming around up there - unfortunately unlike US Rangers who are professional soldiers that undergo some of the toughest training anywhere, ours are basically a bunch of ill trained (12 days a year - count 'em!), middle aged Inuk people spread out over a million square miles or so, armed with WWII vintage bolt action Lee-Enfield rifles with orders to "report anything unusual they see" up there.

 

But on the bright side they did just recently get spanking new RED sweatshirts and baseball caps from Ottawa - Hoo boy! I bet the Russians are quaking in their boots at the thought. Um...red sweatshirts for wear against an Arctic background? Hm. Must be a Canadian thing....

 

- seriously in the event any or all of those "resources" ever had to go into action - what could possibly go wrong? LOL. Woe Canada!

Edited by AllseeingEye, 06 March 2020 - 10:01 PM.

[Mattjvd]

Oh look - yet more evidence that this nation's unwillingness to spend more than the absolute bare minimum on anything yucky like "defence" is, decade over decade, making it virtually impossible to maintain anything remotely resembling creditable Armed Forces:

https://www.timescol...port-1.24092291

Surface warships, main battle tanks and front line fighters - all designed in the 1970's - a half century ago; submarines that spend 99% of their time dockside - because they have faulty hull welds (oops!). A diesel electric "hunter killer" submarine that spends its life tied to a dock is about as useful as a eunuch at an orgy. But Canada being Canada no doubt we'll soldier on (pun intended) and plow even more billions of scarce military dollars into these creaking dinosaurs. Its the Canadian Way!

Moreover there is also our brave new frontier in the Arctic that is being massively re-armed on the Russian side, with Chinese warships now intending to transit Canada's northern and most vulnerable coast and where we have exactly.....Zero navy presence other than a euphemistically named "refueling depot". Which is to say a metal grate that stands in for a dock and a couple of barrels of marine fuel I think "protected" by a barbed wire enclosure. Zero Army presence. Zero air force presence - other than the very occasional 'sovereignty overflight' every couple of months by the single fighter we can actually afford to gas up and send aloft from time to time...

But hey gang we do have a couple of thousand Canadian Rangers roaming around up there - unfortunately unlike US Rangers who are professional soldiers that undergo some of the toughest training anywhere, ours are basically a bunch of ill trained (12 days a year - count 'em!), middle aged Inuk people spread out over a million square miles or so, armed with WWII vintage bolt action Lee-Enfield rifles with orders to "report anything unusual they see" up there.

But on the bright side they did just recently get spanking new RED sweatshirts and baseball caps from Ottawa - Hoo boy! I bet the Russians are quaking in their boots at the thought. Um...red sweatshirts for wear against an Arctic background? Hm. Must be a Canadian thing....

- seriously in the event any or all of those "resources" ever had to go into action - what could possibly go wrong? LOL. Woe Canada!

Our surphace warships are 1990s designs and our main battle tanks are top notch, 21st century Leapord 2A4 and 2A6 models.