The navy chief states there is no rationale—outside of wartime circumstances—for outfitting Canada's coast guard vessels with weapons.

Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee informed CBC News that should a conflict arise, there are feasible methods for promptly supplying the civilian ships with the necessary armament for self-defense.

The issue of whether incorporating the coast guard into national defense has put a target on the civilian service has occupied Parliament for an extended period.

"In a wartime situation, where we suspect an impending attack on Canada, I think we evaluate every option and determine how best to protect ourselves," Topshee remarked in a recent interview.

Canada won't equip the Coast Guard 'unless there's a significant rationale to do so,' senior naval officer states

"I don't perceive any substantial justification to fundamentally alter the nature of the coast guard and arm it, unless there's a significant rationale to do so."

The Liberal government declared the merger last spring, and it has predominantly been considered through the financial perspective of aiding Canada in fulfilling its NATO defense spending requirements.

Parliament is also engaged in deliberating legislation that will grant the coast guard an enhanced role in monitoring the nation's coastline and increased authority to exchange intelligence with the military. Bill C-12 has successfully navigated the House of Commons and is currently before the Senate.

Canada stands as the only Arctic country that doesn't equip its coast guard fleet.

During testimony before the Commons defense committee last fall, coast guard commissioner Mario Pelletier stated his vessels and crews are not seeking conflict and do not plan to be in areas where confrontation may occur.

"At this moment, we're not focused on defending [ourselves], because we're not anticipating being in a situation with potential hostilities," Pelletier testified last October.

"Our aim is to occupy areas that can be occupied, where we can gather information and relay it to our colleagues at [the Department of National Defence] DND."

Pelletier noted that the general expectation is for the navy to protect the coast guard in the event of an attack.

Monitoring and intelligence gathering is, nonetheless, perilous. The federal government and NATO allies are undergoing substantial militarization in the Arctic, citing challenges from Russia and China.

Rob Huebert, a defense analyst at the University of Calgary, indicated that it's not only the United States, Russia, and China that arm their coast guards. New Zealand, Norway, Finland, and Sweden do so as well.

If an adversary wished harm, he remarked, they might not distinguish between a Canadian vessel marked in red and white and one painted in battleship gray.

"Just observe the South China Sea. Notice how the Chinese utilize their coast guard alongside the [People's Liberation Army Navy] boats. They use them interchangeably," Huebert said.

Over the past two years, there has been a noticeable rise in high-seas confrontations involving coast guard vessels from various nations, particularly in the South China Sea.

The most severe incidents involved the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), with several collisions reported in March, June, and August 2024.

"If your adversary employs their weaponry in a particular manner, they will automatically assume you do the same," added Huebert.

Conservative MP Jeff Kibble publicly challenged the coast guard commissioner regarding the present policy on two occasions during committee sessions last fall.

In the existing global climate, he argued that this policy did not seem logical.

"You’re identifying a threat in your role of surveillance and security, yet you lack the capacity to respond, then you would merely leave and pass that responsibility to the navy, even if they are not present," Kibble stated.

"What value are you adding to military surveillance and security efforts if you're planning to withdraw in response to a threat?"

Footage from the Philippine coast guard appears to document collisions with a Chinese vessel.

Huebert noted that the coast guard has consistently protected its civilian function and that there has been little inclination—then or now—within the federal government to consider modifications.

"There has never been a political will to engage in discussions about what the coast guard does," Huebert remarked. "The coast guard performs its duties exceptionally well, and then we overlook it. Political conversations occur sporadically during crises."

This appears to be the manner in which Canada will continue to address this issue.

During World War II, Topshee mentioned, Canada armed merchant vessels, but in a careful, selective manner where the military retained control over the weapons.

In today’s context, he suggested the approach would not differ significantly.

"If we ever believed they required a defensive capability, there are ways to provision that capability by utilizing naval personnel," Topshee noted.

"The navy has a track record of being able to install weaponry on ships, which allows us to remain the specialists in weapon handling and management, instead of the coast guard developing that capability. Ultimately, these decisions reside with the government."

One possible approach during a crisis, Topshee noted, would be to add a modular defense system to coast guard ships, similar to those employed by the navy's lightly armed Arctic offshore patrol vessels. This essentially involves placing a container with a sonar system and perhaps other defensive mechanisms on a ship's deck.

Both Canada’s military operations commander and the senior U.S. general overseeing the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in separate interviews with CBC News, expressed satisfaction with the integration of the Canadian Coast Guard within the Department of National Defence, particularly in the Arctic.

"It's going to enhance our situational awareness," Lt.-Gen. Steve Boivin remarked late last year.

"We currently possess good awareness across various domains. When we consider maritime, air, land, space, and cyber—our challenge lies in integrating that information. Having the Canadian Coast Guard integrated within the Department of National Defence will provide us with additional sources of information to form a complete understanding."

Separately, U.S. Gen. Gregory Guillot characterized the Canadian government's decision as "beneficial" to NORAD.

"It enhances our maritime presence. It increases our maritime alerts. More is always preferable," Guillot commented in a recent interview with CBC News.

During testimony last fall before the Commons defense committee, senior Canadian defense officials emphasized that the coast guard will remain outside the military chain of command—despite the merger.

"There are also no intentions to militarize the coast guard or assign it an enforcement function," stated Natasha Kim, an associate deputy minister of national defense.

"I want to emphasize that the Canadian Coast Guard remains a civilian special operating agency. Importantly, the coast guard reports to the deputy minister and not to the chief of the defense staff."

The coast guard and military are now navigating the process of determining how to equip the civilian vessels with secure communications technology to enable them to report their observations.