Strategic Enhancement Proposal To Upgrade Next Generation Canadian Warships Armaments - Defiant Class Destroyer

Follow @SkillsGapTrain

@BillBlair We’re building the next generation of Canadian warships, right here in Canada. Thanks to the hard work of Halifax shipbuilders, 15 guided-missile destroyers will form the foundation of the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet.

@SkillsGapTrain

Dear Minister Blair,

I was truly inspired by your recent announcement regarding the next generation of Canadian warships, now proudly known as the River-Class Destroyers. The aggressive and modern aesthetics of these vessels, especially as exemplified by the side profile with the technical specifications in your latest post, vividly showcases the extraordinary effort and dedication of the Halifax shipbuilders. Congratulations on achieving this significant milestone in setting the foundation for the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet.

‘People before did not achieve this, but it happens under your watch.’

As we embark on this exciting new chapter in Canadian naval capabilities, it’s imperative to position these cutting-edge guided-missile destroyers within the global naval trends and the strategic imperatives they address.

Our enhancements are not just about maintaining pace, as was the case in the 20th century, and hanging out around near coastal areas of undeveloped nations, but ensuring that Canada leads in maritime defence and offence technology and with strong capability across the vast seas, particularly as naval capabilities expand dramatically across the Pacific region up until the 2050 time-frame, and beyond, that these are being built.

Canada’s geo-strategic needs across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans call for a fleet that is as versatile as it is robust, one with serious fangs to make its presence felt and understood wherever it goes, capable of ensuring sovereignty and engaging in global maritime security, at all levels, and against all adversaries, for any operations, and with unprecedented efficacy and continued fighting resolve.

Detailed Proposal for Enhancements

Optimized for Carrier Defense with Anti-Aircraft Missiles

The River Class Destroyers are meticulously designed to excel in carrier defence roles within NATO formations. By prioritizing anti-aircraft missile systems, such as the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) and the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), these ships provide a robust shield against aerial threats, ensuring the protection of aircraft carriers and high-value naval assets. This strategic focus enhances the fleet’s overall defensive posture, enabling it to neutralize incoming missiles and hostile aircraft with precision.

Strategic Dual Role Capabilities, with Armaments Upgrade Potential

Despite their specialization in anti-aircraft warfare, the River Class Destroyers have significant potential for offensive operations tailored to Canada’s unique maritime needs. With a few small and very inexpensive tweaks, these vessels can seamlessly transition to roles of not only basic anti-ship and basic anti-submarine warfare, but can be upgraded to achieve very advanced anti-ship and very advanced anti-submarine capabilities, for the price of a few extra missiles. This dual-role capability, with upgrade potential, ensures that the destroyers can serve both NATO’s collective defence requirements and Canada’s national security objectives.

Technical Feasibility of Modifications

Versatile VLS Cells: The vertical launch system (VLS) cells on the River Class Destroyers are inherently versatile, capable of accommodating a variety of missile types. By integrating additional software and hardware modifications, the VLS can be configured to launch both anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, such as the Naval Strike Missile (NSM).

Torpedo Tubes Expansion: The existing torpedo launch systems can be augmented to include more Mk 54 MAKO torpedoes. Structural assessments indicate that the hull design can support these enhancements without compromising stability or performance.

Advanced Combat Systems Integration: The ship’s combat systems are designed for modular upgrades. By incorporating advanced sensors and targeting systems, the destroyers can enhance their offensive capabilities while maintaining their primary defensive functions.

Rationale for Investigating Modifications

Enhanced Flexibility: Modifying the River Class Destroyers to support a broader range of missions increases their operational flexibility, allowing them to adapt to evolving threat landscapes.

Cost-Effective Defense: The marginal cost of integrating these modifications (of a few additional missiles and a few additional torpedoes) is significantly outweighed by the strategic benefits, offering a cost-effective solution to expanding the ship’s capabilities.

Future-Proofing: Ensuring that the destroyers can be easily upgraded for different combat scenarios future-proofs the fleet, making it adaptable to new technologies and emerging threats.

Operational Synergy: A multi-role destroyer can provide seamless support to both NATO operations and national defence missions, optimizing resource allocation and operational readiness.

‘It is far easier to add a few missiles and a few torpedoes, to almost double fleet effectiveness, then to simply build twice the number of ships.’

Advanced Offensive Capabilities

Long-Range Strike Capacity: Propose doubling the Naval Strike Missile count from 8 to 16 per destroyer, enhancing our strategic posture and ensuring that our forces can deter or neutralize threats before they impact Canadian or allied waters. This marginal increase in cost— merely the price of a few missiles — effectively doubles our firepower, allowing our forces to engage enemy navies or submarine forces of twice the size, enhancing our strategic posture and ensuring that threats can be neutralized before impacting Canadian or allied waters.

In addition, most navies will certainly be in trouble when they have destroyers with half the missiles or half of the torpedoes of our destroyers! And will automatically sail sideways and out of the way when they see our fully armed destroyers!

Anti-Submarine Warfare Dominance: Increase Mk 54 MAKO torpedoes from 4 to 8 per vessel, enhancing our ability to conduct covert surveillance and defence in contested waters.

Comprehensive Defensive Systems

Integrated Air and Missile Defense System: This goes beyond adding CIWS and RIM missiles by creating a network that includes on-board sensors and off-ship assets, providing a multi-layered defense capable of intercepting threats at various ranges and altitudes.

Phalanx CIWS Tactical Deployment: Strategically deploying multiple CIWS units enhances our ability to neutralize any barrage of missiles, significantly increasing protection for civilian ships through conflict zones or high-value units within a carrier strike group.

Technological Innovations and Strategic Partnerships

Innovations: Integration of AI and machine learning for predictive maintenance and enhanced threat identification.

Partnerships: Collaboration with Canadian universities and tech firms to foster domestic innovation and build a robust defence industrial base.

Implementation Roadmap

Phased Implementation Plan: Provide a timeline for the gradual integration of new systems, including testing phases, crew training, and final operational capability.

Budget Analysis: Offer a detailed forecast of the budget and funding strategies, potentially including cost-sharing with allies.

The spirit of innovation and resilience demonstrated by our Canadian workforce, combined with a proactive approach to defence, underlines the potential to take this bold step forward.

By expanding the capabilities of our River Class Destroyers, to Defiant Class Destroyer designation, with these strategic and cost-effective and ‘highly marginal’ enhancements, we not only safeguard our future but also affirm our position as a leader in global maritime security and as a combatant of supreme capability.

Mr. Bill Blair.. help our Navy launch Avro Arrow missiles that will be remembered when we are attacked or when humans are attacked around the world!

I look forward to your thoughts on this proposal, anywhere you have time to discuss it to media.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

SGT Team, Digital Defence Ally of Canada