The Later Cold War
A Changing Fleet

Canada's navy changed and shrank in the latter part of the Cold War, but continued to face threats and meet alliance obligations. Despite the addition of some newer vessels, by the late 1970s it faced "rust-out" due to the gradual deterioration of ships and equipment.

Baltic Patrol

In this Canadian Forces publicity photograph from the mid-1970s, three Canadian warships pose for the camera on the sunlit Baltic Sea.

Canada's navy has often operated in conjunction with its counterparts from other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. HMCS Margaree (left), HMCS Athabaskan (centre), and HMCS Ottawa (right) are on patrol as part of a NATO presence in the Baltic Sea. Bounded during the Cold War by member countries from NATO and the opposing Warsaw Pact, as well as neutral Sweden and Finland, the Baltic Sea was of tremendous strategic importance.

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CWM 19770548-041