What changes would strengthen the Royal Canadian Navy's surface-combatant building plan?
Short answerIncrease the plan from fifteen ships to at least sixteen, or preferably eighteen, to give Canada balanced Atlantic and Pacific forces.
NotesThe preference is for at least sixteen Type 26-based Canadian Surface Combatants, with eighteen as a stronger long-term choice. Fifteen ships would be divided seven and eight between the two ocean coasts. Eighteen would permit nine on each coast, reflecting a preference for equal Atlantic and Pacific strength. A longer-term possibility divides eighteen ships into six on each of Canada's three coasts.