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I recently had an interview with Vice Admiral Mark Norman, head of the Royal Canadian Navy; the discussion touched on a number of issues. One, in particular, was how the Royal Canadian Navy – like all maritime forces – is usually out of the public eye.

Even though that is the case, Norman pointed out how the oceans are still key to Canada’s economy. And it follows that the need for a robust navy is directly linked to that economy, according to RCN officers. Here is some of what Norman had to say to Defence Watch:

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“Whether we like it or not, Canadians have a direct linkage to the sea, whether they live next to saltwater or don’t live next to saltwater. This is all about economics, and this is all about the importance of those sea lines of communication that were as vital to the war effort in 1943 as they are to the global economy in 2016. Ninety per cent of trade and goods still moves by sea; almost two-thirds of oil still moves by sea. Ninety-nine per cent of global telecommunications moves under the sea.