Abstract

Ottawa released its Indo-Pacific Strategy in November 2022, a pivotal document that placed much importance on advancing relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other partners across the larger region. Canada has since made notable strides in this regard, including the establishment of a Strategic Partnership with ASEAN in 2023 and observing the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Groups on Maritime Security as well as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response. The Royal Canadian Navy’s presence in the region and involvement with local partner navies long-precedes the Strategy but the document placed renewed emphasis on the maritime dimension of the security challenges in the region while committing the RCN to an even greater role. Vice-Admiral Topshee will outline Canada’s approach to defence and security issues within this context and the RCN’s renewed commitment to maintaining a credible, effective and enduring presence in the region while continuing to discharge the full spectrum of its responsibilities that extend from the North Atlantic theatre to the Artic to the Indo-Pacific.

About the Speaker

Angus Topshee, CMM, MSM, CD is the 38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). His diverse academic background includes military and civilian institutions on three continents. He has deployed in ships around the world and has accumulated countless sea stories involving pirates, sharks, terrorists, volcanoes, whales, fires, and all the other things which make life at sea a true adventure. The highlight of his time at sea was his far too brief command of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Algonquin in 2009-2010 and, a close second, his three years in command of Canada’s Pacific Fleet.

His shore postings include two tours in the Navy’s Strategy directorate as penance for all of his sea time, three years in command of Canadian Forces Base Halifax, and two years as the Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, and Plans at NORAD and United States Northern Command Headquarters in Colorado Springs.

He also deployed to Afghanistan for all of 2011 as the director of Afghan National Police Training within the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. Over the course of his career, he has somehow been involved in Arctic issues at every one of his shore postings (except Afghanistan). Before taking command of the RCN in May 2022, VAdm Topshee had the honour and the pleasure of commanding Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific, located in Esquimalt, B.C.

VAdm Topshee’s career is enabled by his fantastically supportive wife, Audrey, and four tremendous daughters, Amy, Zoë, Charlotte, and Iris.