Canadian navy asks for new ships on 100th birthday

The head of Canada's naval forces says they need the ships promised by the Harper government under the Canada First Defence strategy to keep protecting Canada's coastline, including the emerging Arctic.

This year marks the Navy's 100th anniversary, a centennial that has seen the force take on counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, and the need for an increased Arctic presence as sea passages melt, increasing access to other nations.

Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden says Canada needs to upgrade its 12 warships, replace its destroyers and supply ships, and build new ships to operate in the Arctic, just as the Conservative government laid out in its 2008 Canada First Defence Strategy.

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