Meanwhile back at the "big honking ship"/A Canadian Marine Corps?

An exercise--to further move along the argument?

The military will launch an experiment next month with a borrowed American warship that can put troops ashore at hot spots around the world.

The USS Gunston Hall [sleek], a 186-metre amphibious assault ship, will pull into Halifax early next month. About 150 Canadian soldiers from CFB Valcartier, along with their light armoured vehicles and G-wagons, will board the vessel and start training to storm beaches in landing craft, much like troops did in the Second World War...

One of the amphibious assault ships would cost about $1 billion, said Eric Lerhe, a retired commodore living in Dartmouth.

"And buying one is crazy," said Mr. Lerhe, a research fellow with Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy Studies.

"Because it’s in refit, all of a sudden you have no national capability. That doesn’t wash. It’s two or nothing."

Many countries, including Holland, Spain, Japan, Germany [?] and Italy, are building amphibious assault ships, Mr. Lerhe said.

"Every major developed nation is building them except Canada," he said.

There is a range of amphibious ships available, he said.

"The high end is full assault, a la U.S. Marine Corps; you’re breaking down the doors to go in," Mr. Lerhe said...

"Most of the Europeans are going in the middle ground," Mr. Lerhe said.

More on the agenda of the CDS :

...General Hillier has affectionately styled a "Big Honking Ship" – an expeditionary support ship capable of carrying up to a battalion-sized formation of 500- 1000 troops and their vehicles and fighting stores – the key point being that it is distinct from the already defined Joint Support Ship (JSS) replacement for the Navy's aging replenishment ships...

On amphibious ships: the Dutch have a nifty example but there are several other possible sources (France, UK, US, Spain and Italy).

I think the only logical conclusion, given that the Army will be the main military implement of Canadian foreign policy for the forseeable future, and given that military threats to our homeland are small, is to transform the CF, in most respects, to a smaller version of the US Marine Corps. I suspect Gen. Hillier may have a similar view, though he dare not say it.