RCN takes delivery of the second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), HMCS Margaret Brooke.
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Oct 26
President Xi Jinping called on his country’s military today to “break new ground” on weapons and other equipment development. He told a Beijing audience that China’s strategic capabilities, already enhanced by “leapfrog development”, could be further improved by an “all-out” push to accelerated modernization.
Oct 26
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s extensive cabinet shuffle today saw B.C. MP Harjit Sajjan, an Army veteran who had held the National Defence portfolio for six years, moved to a portfolio covering international development with responsibility for the Pacific Economic Development Agency. He is replaced by Anita Anand, an Ontario MP and lawyer/acadmic who has been Minister of Public Services and Procurement since November 2019. Former astronaut and navy officer Marc Garneau, shuffled to Foreign Affairs last January after some five years at Transport, is out of the cabinet, replaced by fellow Montrealer Melanie Joly, a lawyer who had been Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages since November 2019. At 39 members, including the PM, it is one of the largest federal cabinet ministers in Canadian history.
Oct 26
Department of National Defence documents made public through an access-to-information request indicate that while DND played a critical role in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, its efforts likely were undermined by inadequate intelligence. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan repeatedly said the government’s response to the escalating problem was based “on sound intelligence,” which proved not to be the case.
Oct 26
The Canadian Armed Forces is some 7,500 shy of optimum personnel levels, a shortfall the acting Chief of the Defence Staff, Army Gen Wayne Eyre could take seven years to address. Particularly concerned about a decline in the number of experienced leaders, he called on them Oct. 26 to “put service before self, not to retreat into retirement.”
Oct 25
Canadian Armed Forces (reverse osmosis water purification units and support personnel are being deployed to Iqaluit at the request of the Nunavut government due to fuel contamination in the city's water supply. The city has been in a state of emergency since Oct. 12.
Oct 25
The Sudanese military has dissolved the government, arrested politicians and declared a state of emergency in a coup which its leader says is due to political infighting within a two-year-old transitional government. Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed, Khartoum international airport is closed and the Internet has been shut down.
Oct 25
Results of a newly-published U.S. Air Force study indicates that fighter pilots and weapons system operators are more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers than other aircrew. The study tracked every pilot and WSO who logged more than 100 hours between 1970 and 2004.
Oct 25
Korea Aerospace Industries has announced plans for a four-motor electrical basic trainer aircraft which is expected to eventually replace the South Korean Air Force’s single-engine KT-1 Woongbi turboprop also built by KAI.
Oct 25
A statement by President Joe Biden that the U.S. stands ready to defend Taiwan has brought a sharp rebuttal from China. “When it comes to issues related to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for China to compromise or make concessions,” a foreign ministry officials said.
Oct 22
A U.S. judge has ruled that an Afghan’s detention at the Guantánamo Bay detention camp is unlawful but Asadullah Haroon Gul’s release is by no means assured. His petition questioning the legality of his confinement was upheld but not a second claim that the end of the war in Afghanistan warranted his release.
Oct 22
Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said Oct. 21 that anyone who loses their job for not complying with employers’ COVID-19 vaccine policies likely would not be eligible for employment insurance benefits. “It's a condition of employment that hasn't been met,” she explained. “That's the advice I'm getting, and that's the advice I'll move forward with.”
Oct 22
NATO defence ministers have endorsed “significant improvements to our air and missile defenses,” the alliance’s Secretary General said Oct. 21. On the first day of a two-day summit, Jens Stoltenberg said the commitment is part of “a new overarching plan to defend our alliance in crisis and conflict.”
Oct 21
The U.S. and the U.K. have conducted an initial demonstration of new machine learning algorithms which would enable them to collaborate on deploying artificial intelligence for combat support. The program is part of a four-year Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Partnership Agreement signed last December in December 2020.
Oct 21
Aerospace companies in Israel and South Korea have agreed to expand their partnership on military drone technology. They signed an MoU Oct. 20 on a loitering munitions which combine drone and missile capabilities in a platform suited to attacking moving targets.
Oct 21
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today he is “very confident” that other countries will accept Canada’s federally-approved proof of COVID-19 vaccination issued by provincial or territorial governments. Officials are working with other countries to ensure acceptance. accepted.
Oct 21
A WWII Canadian Army Service Corps veteran has been awarded France’s highest order of merit. Yukon resident Joseph Novak, 98, was made a chevalier of the Legion of Honour Oct. 20 by Gen Benoît Puga, grand chancellor of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, who travelled from France for the occasion.
Oct 21
has concluded that the failure crosses several commands and leadership levels. “The total loss of a capital asset demands close examination of all personnel to produce fully-informed recommendations,” investigators say. “Our rigorous assessment must not be impacted by rank, paygrade, or level of a responsible person, entity, or organization.”
Oct 21
Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska’s interior has been chosen for installation of the first USAF nuclear microreactor. “Microreactors are a promising technology for ensuring energy resilience and reliability and are particularly well-suited for powering and heating remote domestic military bases,” says a senior official.
Oct 21
A U.S. Coast Guard training mission through the Northwest Passage this summer found no suitable ice to test the 420-foot icebreaker’s capabilities. “A lot of the floes had melt ponds with holes in them like Swiss cheese,” says the captain of the Seattle-based icebreaker. “We couldn’t get the right floe.”
Oct 21
A bipartisan group in the U.S. House of Representatives wants President Joe Biden’s administration to commit to ongoing full funding of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter procurement. Concern about maintenance issues have raised questions in the Senate about the program but the House. noting that the program employs 254,000 workers at more than 1,800 suppliers, says the Pentagon “continues to flat-line F-35 production investments . . . and underfund advanced capabilities.”
Oct 20
The Russian government used an Oct. 19 meeting with Taliban representatives in Moscow to call for more foreign aid for Afghanistan. Representatives from China, India, Iran, Pakistan and former Soviet states in Central Asia also attended the talks which were seen as part of a Russian effort to extend its influence in the region.
Oct 20
A fire which destroyed a $1.1-billion USN ship in July 2020 was started by a junior sailor but investigators have faulted the entire chain of command’s overall response. An official report has found that “repeated failures” at all levels left the ship “significantly degraded” when it came to heat detection, communications and shipboard firefighting systems during an extensive refit.
Oct 20
The head of the Pentagon's Office of Industrial Policy says the U.S. and its allies must produce more rare earths to ensure adequate strategic supplies. “We cannot resolve our shared exposure to supply chain risk without a close partnership with industry,” Danielle Miller said Oct. 19. “New primary production of strategic and critical minerals . . . is a necessity to increase resilience in global supply chains.”
Oct 20
The U.S. Army is delaying testing and fielding of an augmented-reality headset which would enable troops to see video or other networked data. Senior staff had said in May that the headset would be in service by year’s end but that now is not expected to happen until late 2022 because of issues with peripheral resolution.
Oct 20
A Russia-based hack against a key U.S. natural gas supplier last May is seen by senior Pentagon officials as a wakeup call that the military needs to better protect its logistics programs from future attacks. The hackers only needed one password for the attack against Colonial Pipeline, resulting in a gas shortage, higher prices and eventually costing the company $5 million in ransom money.
ISSUES & IDEAS
What are economists in Canada saying about efforts to guide a strong recovery? What are epidemiologists around the globe saying about the swing towards vaccine-resistant mutations that will render current vaccines ineffective?
As the Taliban sweeps across Afghanistan, it is important to appreciate how the dire situation faced by Afghan interpreters is re-traumatizing Canadian Veterans and causing distress to their families.
Afghans once put their lives and those of their families at risk to assist the Canadian Forces mission in Afghanistan in the hopes of a better future. While the Taliban threatens to make grisly examples of those left behind, our govt demands a lengthy documentation and validation process. Something is wrong with this picture.
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 PAUL MANSON
The history of military equipment acquisition in Canada includes some notable failures, but also some solid success stories. Can any of these lessons be applied effectively in the struggle to reverse the continuing decline in Canada’s defence procurement situation today?
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.
The art of deception and misdirection, particularly in the cyber domain, is being widely practiced and diligently perfected by others. The dangers of social media deception are real, but are we countering?
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...