Hostile Seas: A Mission in Pirate Waters

An insider's view of Canadian anti-piracy efforts casts doubt on Canadian Military relevance on the modern stage. In 2008, piracy off Somalia soared. In response to this, various nations dispatched military ships to the region; among them was the HCMS Ville de Quebec. Savidge, who served as intelligence officer on the Canadian ship as it escorted World Food Programme shipments, provides her account of the mission. Those looking for thrilling confrontations with Somali pirates should look elsewhere, as the lightly armed, fast pirate craft avoided encounters with armed vessels in favor of easier prey and Ville de Quebec was barred from confronting hijacked ships. Instead, the author's account focuses on issues of ship-board discipline problems and mission-threatening mechanical issues on the aging Halifax-class frigate. The narrative is an odd one, an account that crescendos in a quiet briefing session, a history framed by a court martial that highlights the current Canadian regime's steadfast determination to crush dissent. The author's prose is serviceable and her dedication to the mission and to the facts, no matter how unflattering, is laudable, but the impression the reader is left with is of a military organization starved of the resources needed for its current duties. (Nov.)