Should the Chief of the Maritime Staff resign?/Update: VADM McFadden has no choice

Further to this post,

Budget crunch shrinking Navy

it seems to me that the Minister of National Defence has effectively contradicted, disavowed, repudiated Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden:

No decision made on docking navy ships: MacKay

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says no decision has been taken to dock some of the navy's warships and reduce the capabilities of other vessels.

"These operational decisions have not been taken," MacKay said Thursday in response to an Ottawa Citizen article about decisions to reduce the number of ships the navy has for operations.

"We are going to have increased naval capability in the future as a result of the historic investments that we're making in the Canadian navy."

But navy officers said privately Thursday that directions sent out by the head of the navy, Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, are being implemented as ordered.

Other sailors have contacted the Citizen to also say that they have received briefings from their officers about McFadden's directions.

McFadden sent out his "Readiness Direction to Formations" on April 23, outlining how budget issues have forced the navy to cut back on the number of ships it can send to sea. He then detailed what ships will be affected.

"This letter provides my direction, on a class-by-class basis, on specific capability reductions required this year to optimize operational capability both now and in the future," McFadden wrote in the document, released to the Ottawa Citizen on Wednesday.

The directive was sent to maritime forces on the west and east coasts, as well as to senior officers in charge of naval reservists. The letter also went to Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk and other officers as well as an assistant deputy minister at the Defence Department...

More:

...
On Thursday [May 13], the naval controversy landed on the floor of the House of Commons, where [Liberal MP Keith] Martin challenged Defence Minster Peter MacKay to justify the cutbacks during question period.

MacKay argued the Conservative government has increased investment in the navy compared to the previous Liberal government...

McFadden issued a statement to the Victoria Times Colonist Thursday that said the affected ships will not be decommissioned, only tied up alongside jettys in their respective home ports.

"No decision to let go of personnel as a result of national procurement constraints has been made," said McFadden.

"The capability reductions are for the (current) fiscal year and are not a long-term decision."..

What a blinking mess. Excerpts from a comment by E.R. Campbell at Milnet.ca:

This [refers to first story above]...does not speak well for “civilian control of the military” in Canada. It suggests that while commanders are taking military operational decisions that are, pretty clearly, within their proper area of responsibility, their political “master” is blowing smoke up Canadians arses...

Can the minister, Constitutionally, intrude into purely operational matters? Yes, Churchill did, regularly, with decidedly mixed results; ditto Roosevelt, usually to referee the strategic debates between King and Marshall on the one hand and Marshall and Churchill on the other. So yes he can intrude but he’s on dangerous political ground because, in this case, he is very likely to end up looking like a fool and having to make an inglorious retreat, too. Stockwell Day is unlikely to give DND enough money to manage the fleet properly and McFadden might well threaten to resign on an issue of political manipulation if he doesn't get either: his way or more money. Either sinks MacKay.

I cannot, for my part, see the prime minister making the minister walk the plank over the matter. And just before all this blew up, never never land words from Mr MacKay:

Navy renewal proceeding
...
Our defence blueprint is providing the navy what it needs to serve on our three coasts and internationally. We are modernizing our frigates and refitting our submarines, and are set to invest tens of billions in building a several large vessels.

The soon-to-be finalized National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy will set the way ahead for the fleet. On the personnel front, an increasing number of skilled and dedicated people are joining the navy...

An earlier post:

Video: Chief of the Maritime Staff Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden on TVO's The Agenda

Update: CDS General Natynczyk has cut the legs from under the Chief of the Maritime Staff who, in my view, has no choice but to resign:

The order to cut Canada's 12 coastal defence vessels by half has been rescinded — just one day after it was announced, according to the country's chief of defence staff.

"We're going to rescind the order and have a look at the resources that are being provided, not only the money … but also the crewing and what we can do to maximize the available personnel, not only in the navy but the rest of the Canadian Forces to ensure that the navy's next 100 years is as successful as the last," Gen. Walter Natynczyk told a press conference in Ottawa Friday.

On Thursday, a navy spokeswoman told CBC News that a shortage of money and sailors would force Canada's navy to mothball half its fleet of 12 coastal vessels used to patrol the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific coasts...

This certainly cannot be good for service relations; and the CDS is sadly taking on a bit of the appearance of a ministerial poodle. Which did not appear the case previously, see here and here.

Upperdate: The CDS'--very curt--statement follows (via milnews.ca at Milnet.ca). He does not sound a happy camper and did not appear so on television:

...

Recent media reports about the Navy are over-stated. In fact, in this Navy’s centennial year, the level of support is strong. We have not stood down a single ship.

I am very proud of the Navy’s significant role around the world. The Navy has projected leadership abroad in missions like Haiti and anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden. That role will continue.

La protection de la souveraineté du Canada est une priorité. Les patrouilles maritimes vont se poursuivre. Le rôle de leadership que joue la marine continuera.

As Chief of Defence Staff, I am very happy with the significant investments made by this government in recent years. The DND Budget Line continues to rise every year.

The instructions with respect to readiness levels of the fleet, for this fiscal year, which were issues by the Chief of Maritime Staff on April 23, 2010, are rescinded.

We will have to review the resource allocations across the CF and issue new instructions with the Minister’s endorsement [emphasis added, now that does seem rather like ministerial, er, operational intrusion].

More here, with video of the CDS.