RCN takes delivery of the second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), HMCS Margaret Brooke.
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Jul 30
Britain has signed a £250 million contract with a group of companies to provide digital and physical infrastructure for its Future Combat Air System, part of a four-year investment of more than £2 billion on the next-generation fighter project. Team Tempest includes BAE Leonardo UK, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK.
Jul 30
Afghan interpreters and others who helped the Canadian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan “absolutely have the right to come to Canada,” says Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, but bureaucratic issues evidently persist. She was responding to criticism that the system proposed effectively made it difficult for prospective refugees, notably a 72-hour window for submitting paperwork, but the government now says that was a mistake and no applications would be rejected.
Jul 30
The first flight evacuating Afghans who worked with the U.S. in Afghanistan arrived early today at Dulles International Airport near Washington. Fleeing Taliban reprisals, the 221 evacuees included 57 children and 15 infants. President Joe Biden called the flight “an important milestone as we continue to fulfill our promise to the thousands of Afghan nationals who served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats over the last 20 years.”
Jul 29
A three-day deadline for Afghans who assisted Canadian forces to be brought Canada, coupled with complicated English-only online applications forms, are frustrating the humanitarian program. “The plan sounded good,” a CAF veteran said July 28. “As of this morning . . . the deadlines are completely unreasonable.”
Jul 28
In what’s seen as an attempt to restore relations generally, North and South Korea are reportedly considering reopening a liaison office that the North demolished last year. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un evidently have been corresponding since April.
Jul 27
President Joe Biden says U.S. forces will end their combat mission in Iraq by the end of this year but will continue to train and advise the Iraqi military. His announcement followed a meeting at the White House with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Jul 27
A wildfire in central Kenya which razed some 12,000 acres of a private conservancy is causing legal problems for the British Army. The “official” cause of the fire remains under investigation but nearly 1,000 local residents and a lobby group have filed a lawsuit against the Army, which has used the land for training for more than a decade.
Jul 27
A woman with dual Australian and New Zealand citizenship who is believed to have been involved with the Islamic State is being permitted to return to New Zealand with her two children after Australia refused to take her back. She had left for Syria on an Australian passport in 2014 and was caught entering Turkey from Syria with her children. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decision was not “taken lightly” and she accused the Australian government of “abdicating its responsibilities.”
Jul 27
All physicians and other medical staff at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are being required to have COVID-19 vaccinations. “It's the best way to keep veterans safe, especially as the Delta variant spreads,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough says. His department employs more than 367,200 full-time health professionals and support staff at 1,293 facilities.
Jul 27
Frank Kendall, former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, has been confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of the Air Force. The engineer/lawyer said during confirmation hearings that recruitment and retention are among his top priorities for the Air Force and the Space Force.
Jul 27
Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of attacks that "apparently amount to war crimes" during an 11-day war in May against Hamas militants in Gaza. The accusation July 26 flows from an investigation of three air strikes that it says killed 62 Palestinian civilians. It also accuses the militants of apparent war crimes for launching more that 4,000 unguided munitions against Israeli communities.
Jul 27
Last year's fatal crash of a Sikorsky CH-148 Canadian helicopter off Greece was caused by a control software which experts say must be fixed without delay. “It's very likely that another fatality is going to happen if they don't address this,” says a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot who reviewed the crash reports. Another says that if he was in the Canadian military, “I would stop everyone from using autopilot until I got this problem fixed.” A professor of industrial engineering at the University of Toronto agrees it is “a present safety issue that the Defence Department needs to immediately address with Sikorsky.”
Jul 27
The Taliban have taken control of more territory in Afghanistan in the last two months than at any time since they were ousted from power 20 years ago. Emboldened in recent weeks by the ongoing withdrawal of western forces, they now have a strong presence n many regions and are closing in on major cities.
Jul 27
An 84-yerold German war veteran is at the heart of a legal fight over his ownership of a WWII Panther tank, anti-aircraft gun and torpedo six years after they were removed from his house. Prosecutors have been pushing for a stiff fine and a suspended sentence for violating weapons control laws even though his lawyers argue that the equipment was no longer functional.
Jul 27
The government wants to have a legal complaint by MGen Dany Fortin, summarily dismissed as the head of its COVID-19 vaccine logistics in May, heard by a military tribunal instead of a civilian court. Accused of an incident of sexual misconduct three decades ago, Fortin has said in a Federal Court affidavit that “political interference” has ruined his reputation but the Crown insists that he should not be permitted to “bypass the military grievance process.”
Jul 26
Mary Simon, an Inuk from northern Quebec, was sworn in as Canada’s 30th Governor General, the first indigenous vice-regal appointee. In a ceremony held in the Senate chamber, she pledged to use her role to work against climate change, advocate for mental health and work toward reconciliation. “I have heard from Canadians who describe a renewed sense of possibility for our country and hope that I can bring people together," she said.
Jul 26
About 100 firefighters from Mexico have joined their British Columbia counterparts and elements of the Canadian Armed Forces in a concerted effort to contain 259 forest fires burning mainly in the province’s southern interior. A spokesperson for B.C. Wildfire Services says continued outbreaks suggest that “we are looking to definitely break some records this year.”
Jul 26
Up to $100 million from an emergency fund to meet “unexpected urgent” needs of Afghan refugees, including special immigration visas, was approved July 23 by U.S. President Joe Biden. He also has authorized the release of $200 million in services and articles from government agencies’ inventories as the U.S. prepares to prevent thousands of Afghan allies and their families from being captured and potentially executed by the Taliban.
Jul 26
During months of unending turmoil after their April coup d'état, Myanmar security forces have killed more than 900 people, including shooting protesters and detaining thousands. An already fragile health care system has collapsed and now physicians and other health care providers have become targets.
Jul 26
The U.S. House of Representatives have agreed nearly unanimously on the need to expedite visas for Afghan interpreters who fear Taliban reprisals for having worked with the U.S. military. The first group is expected to leave Kabul by the end of this week.
Jul 26
More than 83,000 CRV7 ground attack missiles developed by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg nearly a half-century ago, remain in their original shipping tubes at CFB Dundurn, Sas, but are finally beinf decommissioned. The weapon was retired from service a couple of decades ago but not after it had become a Cold War standard for several NATO allies. which became a stock munition aboard many NATO allies’ fighters.
Jul 22
The government announced today that “special immigration measures” to rescue Afghans who helped during Canada’s combat mission as well as those still assisting diplomatic staff even as the Taliban continue to gain ground. “Lives hang in the balance,” Citizenship and Immigration Minister Marco Mendocino said in a news conference with Defence Minister Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Minister Garneau, explaining that the initiative is not limited to interpreters. “Canada will do right by those who did right by us.”
Jul 22
Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet evidently believes that the defence industry should be involved in writing the U.S. military’s technical standards. “The only feasible way is to literally start connecting individual platforms together within a technology roadmap,” he says. That would involve planning “the best combinations of existing and new platforms to create a network effect and thereby, greater returns, capability, and also greater effectiveness, if deterrence is not successful.”
Jul 22
Western allies’ recent Sea Breeze exercise in the Black Sea encountered what has been described as an increasingly intense and aggressive Russian presence. Some NATO member ships were threatened and Russia also effectively closed off the western part of the sea. “There is a tactical risk,” explained U.S. Navy Adm Robert P. Burke, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples. “That tactical risk could turn into a strategic issue and that’s a big concern.”
Jul 22
An electric, fixed-wing drone recently set a certified world record for flight time in its category, operating at continuous thrust for 26 hours with a full-motion video payload and radios. Developed by Brooklyn-based Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, the aircraft’s sailplane profile also enables it to soar up to 20,000 feet, capabilities to be demonstrated at an upcoming U.S. Army exercise.
ISSUES & IDEAS
Even though Israeli border police and transportation officials strongly discourage travel to the West Bank, travelling in an around the area was an incredible cultural adventure.
An analysis federal plans and main estimates for the following: Public Safety Canada; RCMP; CBSA; CSC; Justice, CCG; Indigenous Services; Women and Gender Equality; GAC / International Development; Transport Canada; and DND.
Acting Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre, makes a public statement following the recent judgement calls by senior leaders.
FEATURED ARTICLES 2021 |
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BY FRONTLINE
FrontLine has gathered the key industry leaders in the defence and national security sectors. These are the project primes and specialized subcontractors that provide Top Quality solutions for the critical missions of the Canadian Armed Forces.
BY CHRIS MACLEAN
There are so many areas where disruptive change is long, long overdue. And there is a solution (probably the only truly workable one) to the deep-rooted problem of disrespect for all minorities – in government, in industry, and the in uniformed services.
As acting CDS, Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre has just announced additions to the 2021 list of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) General and Flag Officer senior appointments and promotions.
BY ROBBIN LAIRD
The North Atlantic is a core part of the global defence challenge. Under the leadership of U.S. Vice-Admiral Lewis and his Canadian Vice Commander, the "new" U.S. 2nd fleet is breaking the mold to create a reconfigurable force that can seamlessly integrate with other fleets. This includes forging strong relationships, utilizing new technologies, and building innovative concepts of operations.
BY PAUL CHURCH
When the Government awards contracts for defence-related projects, it is keen to see supply chain work done in Canada, as much as possible. In theory, this prioritizes economic investment within Canada as a quid pro quo for the large and lucrative defence contracts. But in practice...