Some Canadian press accounts of the HMCS Margaret Brooke’s visit , made it sound like our sailors were consorting with the enemy, taking the influence operations story in a new direction. Thankfully, Dr. Wark’s corrective account has me convinced that the event was an amazing training opportunity for the crew of our new boat!
It is unlikely the Margaret Brooke was tracking any Russian sub on sonar. It has no sonar. Nor any other military sensors. Nor any missiles, rockets, guns, or torpedoes. It does have three visually controlled marchine guns, one large and two small. It has a meditation room.
It all seems strange. What makes it even weirder was that CBC news reported that another Canadian naval vessel was engaged in patrols or exercises off Cuba, at the very same time.
/<i>The warship appears to have a talented crew in its complement of 65, including a trumpet player, caught on video leading a conga line during a diplomatic event organised by the Canadian embassy in Havana.</i>
Of course it does. The RCN is very talented and adaptable. Though from some WWII memoirs of Cdn navel officers, one should not leave scarce and needed equipment on a quai If an HMCS Ship is in port.
Given the number of Canadians who have vacationed in Cuba, this could well have been an "old home week". Canadian sailors meeting old girl friends and drinking buddies.
One does have to wonder what the ship was doing there this time of year. The RCN tradition is to hold Caribbean exercises in the winter, for some inexplicable reason.
Why would the Chinese need a spy base in Cuba? They have one right here in Canada :)
Thanks for this clarification of the likely motives. Deterrence and friend raising. Much more plausible than the speculative nonsense in the press.
Some Canadian press accounts of the HMCS Margaret Brooke’s visit , made it sound like our sailors were consorting with the enemy, taking the influence operations story in a new direction. Thankfully, Dr. Wark’s corrective account has me convinced that the event was an amazing training opportunity for the crew of our new boat!
It is unlikely the Margaret Brooke was tracking any Russian sub on sonar. It has no sonar. Nor any other military sensors. Nor any missiles, rockets, guns, or torpedoes. It does have three visually controlled marchine guns, one large and two small. It has a meditation room.
Thank you Dr. W for taking us ‘out beyond the fringe’ and keeping us briefed on foreign intelligence capabilities ( as well as our own).
It all seems strange. What makes it even weirder was that CBC news reported that another Canadian naval vessel was engaged in patrols or exercises off Cuba, at the very same time.
/<i>The warship appears to have a talented crew in its complement of 65, including a trumpet player, caught on video leading a conga line during a diplomatic event organised by the Canadian embassy in Havana.</i>
Of course it does. The RCN is very talented and adaptable. Though from some WWII memoirs of Cdn navel officers, one should not leave scarce and needed equipment on a quai If an HMCS Ship is in port.
Given the number of Canadians who have vacationed in Cuba, this could well have been an "old home week". Canadian sailors meeting old girl friends and drinking buddies.
One does have to wonder what the ship was doing there this time of year. The RCN tradition is to hold Caribbean exercises in the winter, for some inexplicable reason.