Canadian Navy Research Articles

Derivations of transfer functions for estimating ship underwater radiated noise from onboard vibrations

The adverse impacts of underwater radiated noise (URN) from marine vessels on marine life are increasingly recognized. URN estimation and subsequent monitoring could be used to track URN and take measures to reduce it in sensitive environments (e.g., a marine life protected area). Two common analytical radiated noise power approximations and two empirical methods are assessed for URN estimation. The assessments were carried out by testing the methods on data from acoustic range measurements of an ORCA-class training vessel of the Royal Canadian Navy, named Patrol Craft Training (PCT) Moose and a DAMEN Combi Freighter 3850, named Heinz G. The analytical approximations are called equivalent radiated power and power from volume velocity; both are used to estimate URN directly from the onboard ship vibration measurements. The empirical methods are based on the correlations of onboard vibrations with measured URN, from which the derived transfer functions. The analytical and empirical transfer functions are compared. A statistical energy analysis model of PCT Moose is also used to estimate onboard vibrations from the ship’s engine, generator, and propeller specifications for URN estimation at the design stage.

Feeling the Strain: Understanding the Relationship between Stress and Physical Activity in Members of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Research finds that experiencing psychological stress can be associated with engaging in less physical activity, a critical contributor to operational readiness and overall health and well-being. As navy personnel tend to engage in lower levels of physical activity than other military personnel, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stress and physical activity in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and identify moderators of this relationship. Data for this study were obtained from an electronic workplace well-being survey administered to a stratified random sample of 930 members in hard sea occupations managed by the RCN. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the associations between indicators of stress (e.g., job stress, burnout, work-life conflict, and psychological distress) and physical activity engagement; the moderating effects of demographic/military characteristics and health status (e.g., rank, gender, sailing status, general health status, and body mass index [BMI]) were examined. Navy personnel who were married or in common-law relationships and those who reported poorer overall health were less likely to be physically active. Navy personnel with lower psychological distress were more likely be active (P = .03); however, direct associations with other indicators of stress were not significant. BMI was the only significant moderator of the relationship between stress and physical activity. Specifically, for members classified as obese, higher levels of burnout and work-life conflict were associated with being more physically active. Conversely, nonobese members with elevated burnout reported less physical activity. The findings of this study support a complex relationship between experiencing stress and engaging in physical activity, which showed varying patterns based on BMI classification. Although the cross-sectional nature of the data precludes any inferences about the direction of these effects, the results suggest that some members of the RCN are more at risk of experiencing decrements in physical activity. Future research should examine the types of physical activity supports and incentives that are needed to ensure that navy personnel derive the benefits of an active lifestyle, especially in times of stress.

ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY STRATEGY IN THE ARCTIC - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

On November 15, 2023, Captain Doug Layton, Deputy Commander Joint Task Force (North), Canadian Armed Forces (Navy), presented Royal Canadian Navy Strategy in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities for this year’s West Coast Security Conference. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The key points discussed were the effects of climate change in the Arctic Region, the Canadian Armed Forces' roles and policies in the North and the Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic objectives.
 
 Received: 01-04-2024
 Revised: 01-26-2024

Canadian Armed Forces Assistance to Law Enforcement and Civil Authorities

On November 24, 2022, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Heidi Straarup, Deputy Judge Advocate, Maritime Fleet Pacific, Royal Canadian Navy presented on Canadian Armed Forces Assistance to Law Enforcement and Civil Authorities. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The key points discussed were the matters and processes in which the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will provide assistance to law enforcement, as well as the statutory authority to provide such assistance. Received: 2023-01-27 Revised: 2023-03-09

Comparing cybersickness in virtual reality and mixed reality head-mounted displays

Introduction: Defence Research and Development Canada is developing guidance on the use of Mixed Reality head-mounted displays for naval operations in the Royal Canadian Navy. Virtual reality head-mounted displays display graphics to the user in 3D and completely occlude the user’s view of the real world. Mixed Reality head-mounted displays overlay and integrate graphics onto the real world allowing the user to perceive the real world and rich 3D graphic elements simultaneously. Nausea and other debilitating symptoms caused by the use of head-mounted displays, known as ‘cybersickness’, is well documented during Virtual reality head-mounted display exposure and can be quite severe. However, it is not yet clear from the literature on Mixed Reality head-mounted displays whether CS differs in Virtual reality vs. Mixed Reality head-mounted displays. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of MR HMDs on CS.Method: This was done by modulating the quantity of graphics in two Mixed Reality conditions and one Virtual reality condition. Only foreground objects were graphically rendered in the first Mixed Reality condition (called ‘Mixed Reality’ condition), while the entire scene was graphically rendered in the second Mixed Reality condition (called ‘Mixed Reality +’ condition). The Virtual reality condition simulated the Mixed Reality + condition but was displayed in a Virtual reality head-mounted display. Participants observed the virtually rendered scene in one of the three conditions and reported their CS with the simulator sickness questionnaire six times throughout the 30-min experiment. We hypothesized that CS severity would increase as quantity of graphics in the display increased.Results and Discussion: Findings indicated that CS was significantly greater in the ‘Mixed Reality +’ condition compared to the ‘Mixed Reality’ and ‘Virtual reality’ conditions, providing partial evidence for our main hypothesis. Moreover, CS increased significantly and meaningfully after 25 min in the ‘Mixed Reality +’ condition. These findings indicate safe use of Mixed Reality head-mounted displays by the RCN for shore-based applications provided quantity of graphics is limited.

DIVERSITY DISCUSSION: INTENTIONALITY AND BLINDSPOTS

On November 22, 2022, Dr. Michael Peters, Director of the Naval Reserve Professional Development and Mentorship Program for the Royal Canadian Navy presented Diversity Discussion: Intentionality and Blindspots. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The key points discussed were the benefits and challenges surrounding Diversity and Inclusion programs, the need for intentionality and accountability in the creation and implementation of the programs, and the ways in which role modelling and mentorship from those in leadership positions helps to foster and sustain an environment conducive to diversity and inclusion. Received: 2022-12-30Revised: 2023-01-05

Measuring sleep parameters of naval sailors: A comparison between subjective self-report and wrist actigraphy

Wrist actigraph and self-report activity logs were used in a Royal Canadian Navy's at-sea exercise to track sleep patterns of naval personnel. In this study, we compared sleep parameters obtained from two measurement methods and investigated their intrinsic biases. The results revealed a strong agreement between two methods for recording sleep offset times, but a relatively poor agreement for parameters that include substantial periods of transition between sleep and wake states. Overall, self-reported sleep durations were substantially longer than actigraphic estimates (mean bias of −30.6 min; limits of agreement −95.9 to 34.8 min), and the discrepancy was mainly caused by differences in two methods to track sleep onset latency and Wake-up After Sleep Onset (WASO). Based on a customised activity log, a strong positive correlation (rho = 0.75, p < .001) between self-report and actigraphy was observed for sleep duration estimates, which confirmed the effectiveness of the activity log in field studies. Between two participant groups with different work schedules, the agreement between self-report and actigraphy was consistently better for day workers than watch keepers. The findings inform future sleep research planning that involves naval personnel in field settings.

Authenticity, Adversity and Accountability in the Context of Uniformed Leadership

On November 26, 2021, Commander Jonathan A. Kouwenberg from the Royal Canadian Navy, presented Authenticity, Adversity and Accountability in the Context of Uniformed Leadership at the 2021 CASIS West Coast Security Conference. The presentation depicted the overarching characteristics of what comprises strong leadership, primarily the presence that leaders bring; methods of communication; and creating a culture of resiliency, accountability, and trust. Commander Kouwenberg’s presentation was followed by a question and answer period to allow conference attendees the opportunity to engage directly with panelists.

Ship noise management and the ORCA class of ships

To support Transport Canada’s projects to reduce underwater noise from shipping, Defence Research and Development Canada performed a series of experiments based on the Royal Canadian Navy's ORCA-Class training vessels. Sea trials measured onboard vibrations and underwater noise to support the development of a real-time prediction of propeller cavitation inception and underwater noise using only onboard sensors and to develop a database for assessing numerical predictions of underwater noise at the design stage. Based on these trials, it was noted that the noise impact of the vessel could be significantly reduced if the propeller cavitation inception speed could be increased. A series of numerical optimizations were conducted and a low-noise design was selected. Scale models of the ship and propellers were constructed and tested in a towing tank and cavitation tunnel. While the numerical predictions (done at full scale) were very promising, the model-scale tests did not bear them out.

“The Army Origin of the Royal Canadian Navy”: Canada’s Maritime Defences, 1855-1918

In 1954 army historian George Stanley claimed that naval initiatives from the eighteenth century to the 1870s by the French and British armies in Canada and the local land militia were the true roots of the Royal Canadian Navy. He privately admitted that he was being intentionally provocative. The present article, however, reviews subsequent scholarship and offers new research that strengthens Stanley’s findings, and shows that the Canadian army continued to promote the organization of naval forces after the 1870s. The army, moreover, lobbied for the founding of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1910, and supported the new service in its troubled early years. En 1954, l’historien de l’armée George Stanley a affirmé que les initiatives navales entreprises du 18e siècle aux années 1870 par les armées française et britannique au Canada et par la milice terrestre locale étaient les véritables racines de la Marine royale canadienne. Par contre, il a aussi admis en privé qu’il avait été délibérément provocateur. Le présent article passe en revue les études ultérieures et propose de nouvelles recherches qui viennent renforcer les conclusions de Stanley et indiquent que l’armée canadienne a continué de promouvoir l’organisation des forces navales après les années 1870. De plus, l’armée a fait pression en faveur de la fondation de la Marine royale canadienne en 1910, puis elle a appuyé le nouveau service au cours de ses premières années tumultueuses.

Organizational and non-organizational risk and resilience factors associated with mental health and well-being in the Royal Canadian Navy

Organizational and non-organizational risk and resilience factors associated with mental health and well-being in the Royal Canadian Navy

Running Aground: Reflections on Belief, Organizational Culture, Strategy, and Performance

A Canadian Navy destroyer ran aground more than 45 years ago. I have been thinking about it ever since, while in the Navy, and during my career as a management educator. I also have discussed it with my coauthors. Here is what we believe we can learn from that grounding.

Comparison of Royal Canadian Navy Watchstanding Schedules.

Life on board a naval vessel is exceptionally demanding. Workdays for naval sailors can quite easily become 18+ hours long when watch schedules, training, and drills/evolutions are taken into account. Rotating watches and short off-watch periods can force sailors into a biphasic sleep pattern that is not sufficiently restful or a rotating pattern that is impossible to adapt to. Six different watch systems were evaluated over four separate at-sea trials. Engineering and tactical/combat departments have had different watch systems in the past because of constraints related to the specific environment in which they work. Therefore, two of the watch systems were engineering-specific watch evaluations, three of the systems were specific to tactical/combat departments, and one watch system was evaluated with the entire company of the naval vessel. Both two-section (1-in-2) watch systems and three-section (1-in-3) watch systems were evaluated, which involve two or three shifts of sailors rotating through a full continuous 24-h day, respectively. Moving beyond three rotations of sailors is impossible on Canadian naval vessels due to bunk space and other limitations. The best watch system that we evaluated with respect to fatigue and quality of life at sea was the 1-in-3 straight 8-h shift system that was tested for the entire ships' company. The system has a single 8-h daily watch obligation (red watch, 4:00 am-12:00 pm; white watch 12:00 pm-8:00 pm; and blue watch, 8:00 pm-4:00 am). The best 1-in-2 system was the 8-4-4-8 system in which sailors are on-watch for 8 h, off-watch for 4 h, on-watch for 4 h, and then rest for 8 h. Both of these two systems have the advantage of equitably sharing the Window of Circadian Low (from about midnight to about 8:00 am), especially when melatonin concentration in the body is usually at its peak, between 2:00 am and 6:00 am. The goal of this work was to comprehensively evaluate both submarine and surface fleet watch systems. We were able to develop alternative watch systems that increased Royal Canadian Navy operational readiness and improved the quality of life of our sailors at sea.

Материальное обеспечение членов семей канадских добровольцев в годы Первой мировой войны

The article analyzes the Canadian government policy of social protection and support for soldiers’ dependents during World War I. The description of events begins when Canada entered the war (August 4, 1914) and ends when the North American Dominion switched to the system of compulsory military service (conscription) (August 29, 1917). The reconstruction of the details of the material support for soldiers’ dependents during the war helps reveal the details of the functioning of the Canadian government’s social policy in the early 20th century. The article is based on the legislative acts of the Dominion Government, official records of the debates in the Canadian parliament, and the Provincial press publications. It examines the institutional foundations of providing financial assistance to soldiers’ dependents using the example of the creation and activities of special state and non-state institutions (the Canadian Patriotic Fund, the Board of Pension Commissioners, and the Separation Allowance Board). It studies the process of forming the legislative base of social security for dependents of soldiers serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces and the Canadian Navy. The author traces the assignment and payment of social benefits to wives, children, parents and other dependents. The Canadian laws enacted during the war provided social assistance to military dependents in the form of state maintenance benefits and survivor’s pensions. The low rate of government benefits was offset by donations raised by charities. The process of creating special state bodies was very slow, and their activities were not always effective. Against this background, the work of the Canadian Patriotic Fund looked more fruitful.

Canada’s Arctic Offshore and Patrol Ships (AOPS): Their history and purpose

In 2020 the first Canadian Arctic and Offshore Patrol ship joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the first of six such vessels being built to sustain RCN operations in the country’s Arctic Archipelago. These ships were announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2007 and, since then, have been the subject of considerable debate. Unlike anything designed for the Navy before, the ships fit awkwardly into traditional warfighting, provision, patrol, or icebreaking roles, with the result being criticism of their speed, range, and armament – culminating in widespread disagreement over their purpose and utility. This disagreement stemmed in part from uncertainty over what Arctic maritime security really looked like, and what an appropriate response might be. From armed-icebreakers to whole-of-government support ships, the AOPS evolved in lockstep with Canada’s developing Arctic policy and the military’s understanding of its role in the North. Thirteen years on from the government’s official announcement of their construction, and with the first ship finally delivered, it is easier to look back at the AOPS development and the evolution of the Arctic security dynamic underpinning it. This article is a close examination of that programme: its origins and purpose and the capabilities that the ships now provide.

Cervical cancer screening in the Canadian armed forces: An estimation of screening participation rates using the CF-HERO surveillance system

BackgroundMilitary women are faced with unique circumstances, including frequent relocation and occupational factors that may influence their participation in routine cervical cancer screening. No data on programmatic participation in cervical cancer screening in Canadian Armed Forces women has been synthesized to date. ObjectiveTo estimate cervical cancer screening rates in Canadian military women using clinical and administrative data sources. MethodsActively serving Regular Force females who were >25 years of age between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2017 were included in the study. Scanned documents containing Papanicolaou (Pap) test results were extracted from electronic health records and further linked to demographic data sources. Screening coverage rates were calculated over the three-year study period, and results were stratified by both military command and rank. ResultsThe study period yielded over 23,000 person-years of data. The average screening rate over this period was 77.7 %, and was highest in the 45−60 year age group. Variations in rates were observed by rank and command, with higher screening rates observed in Officers and Royal Canadian Navy staff. Overall, screening rates showed a declining trend for all groups across the study period. ConclusionsCervical cancer screening rates amongst CAF members are currently below recommended guidelines and appear to be declining. These trends mirror those observed more widely in the general Canadian population, and may be a consequence of recent changes to guidelines for both cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) screening.

A re-assessment of the Royal Canadian Navy’s 1948 northern voyages into Hudson Bay and its place in oceanographic research

This article analyses multiple, intertwining and layered motivations for the Royal Canadian Navy’s 1948 northern voyages into Hudson Bay. Drawing upon scientific papers, it adds to the existing historical literature about this voyage, showing how some officials and scientists attempted to utilize the voyage for humanitarian, social, economic and other purposes beyond security and defence. It also critically examines how a westernized masculine faith in science and technology drove Cold War anxieties and developments, justifying military and naval invasions of the sparsely populated northern areas. The article, moreover, exposes how the bipolar dynamic influenced decision-making, taking attention away from a vital consideration of local peoples, their lifestyles and the conservation of natural resources.

Maritime Command Pacific: The Royal Canadian Navy’s West Coast Fleet in the Early Cold War

<i>Maritime Command Pacific: The Royal Canadian Navy’s West Coast Fleet in the Early Cold War</i>

Review: Maritime Command Pacific: The Royal Canadian Navy’s West Coast Fleet in the Early Cold War by David Zimmerman

Review: Maritime Command Pacific: The Royal Canadian Navy’s West Coast Fleet in the Early Cold War by David Zimmerman

Book Review: Maritime Command Pacific: The Royal Canadian Navy’s West Coast Fleet in the Early Cold War

Book Review: Maritime Command Pacific: The Royal Canadian Navy’s West Coast Fleet in the Early Cold War