The commander of the navy says there's no reason — in circumstances outside of war — to arm Canada's fleet of coast guard ships. Minister of National Defence David McGuinty gave a speech formally welcoming the Coast Guard into his department last October. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)Pelletier said the general expectation is that the coast guard would be defended by the navy if it came under attack. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe most intense incidents involved the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), with multiple collisions reported in March, June and August 2024. "I'd like to underscore that the Canadian Coast Guard remains a civilian special operating agency.