10 Dec - PO2 Timothy Brown (left) and PO2 Brittany Lohnes drive rigid hulled inflatable boat from HMCS Ville de Quebec during an underwater force protection training in the Mediterranean Sea, during Operation Reassurance.
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IN THE NEWS
Dec 18
Crown prosecutors have pushed back against suggestions of political interference in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's criminal case, saying there is no evidence to support such allegations.
Dec 18
Nothing will make the government reconsider its controversial plan to buy 25 second-hand, 30-year-old fighter jets as a temporary stopgap for its fleet, says Canada’s minister of National Defence.
Dec 18
Canada is looking for a way out of a $13 billion deal to export armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia – a move the company warns could leave the government liable for billions.
Dec 17
Italy’s Leonardo has announced a major shakeup of its management structure, which will see three of its seven divisions merged and entrusted to one of the firm’s top British managers, Norman Bone.
Dec 17
A Canadian military plan to boost the number of fighter pilots through a one-time push using allied training won’t be happening, and instead the number of aviators will be increased gradually over the next seven years using the existing domestic system.
Dec 17
Spy chiefs from the Five Eyes intelligence network briefed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on two occasions this year about the national-security risk from Chinese high-tech giant Huawei – meetings that took place months before Canada’s arrest of a top Huawei executive severely strained relations with Beijing.
Dec 17
The Trudeau government says it is trying to find a way to end shipments of armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh comes under mounting condemnation for the costly war it’s waging in neighbouring Yemen and the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Dec 14
The Brazilian Navy launched its first Brazilian-built Scorpène submarine today. The Riachuelo is the first submarine built in Brazil under the Brazil-French partnership.
Dec 14
Hungary becomes the 9th country to have selected the H225M helicopter. A member of the multi-role Super Puma family of helicopters, this military variant is designed for combat environments and crisis areas.
Dec 14
Canada’s military has thus far refused to pay the $34,000 for a prosthetic leg for one of its veterans, who lost a limb – and her son – in a devastating accident 12 years ago. So now, a resident of Oshawa, Ont. has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the veteran himself.
Dec 14
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer questioned the Liberal government why it was not moving ahead with having Davie provide a second supply ship – the Obelix – to the navy. But Prime Minister Trudeau responded that the CAF did an assessment and determined it doesn't need the Obelix.
Dec 14
As holiday mail pours into Canada’s largest air force base, fewer than 10 clerks of Canadian Forces Postal Service Trenton are on the job. Their mission: to sort, scan and prepare letters and parcels bound for 30 locations where about 2,150 troops are stationed.
Dec 13
A new Senate Standing Committee report, entitled "Responding to Russian aggression against Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in the Black Sea" has just been released.
Dec 13
Lockheed Martin Canada and L3 MAS announced they have joined forces to offer a military aircrew training solution for DND's Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) project.
Dec 13
A Canadian retailer that caters to military personnel and their families is warning its members to monitor their personal information closely after a "malicious attack" may have exposed credit card numbers and other personal information.
Dec 13
RCAF Capt. Kimberly Fawcett served her country, deploying twice to Afghanistan as a part of Canada’s war effort. Now Fawcett is fighting her own government, asking the military to pay for a prosthetic limb, after she lost her leg in an accident that wounded her critically and killed her nine-month-old son.
Dec 13
Canada’s air force is postponing a major exercise next year as it brings in improvements to its fighter jet base in Alberta. Exercise Maple Flag, which was to take place in Cold Lake, Alta., is the premier air force training event that allows pilots to test their skills with scenarios similar to “real-world” operations.
Dec 13
Federal officials have been collecting thousands of documents – including cabinet secrets – requested by suspended Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyers largely on their own, an Ottawa court heard Wednesday.
Dec 12
The crew of a Canadian warship in the Pacific had front-row seats to potential violations of UN sanctions against North Korea during a recent patrol in the East China Sea – but was under orders not to intercept any suspicious vessels, the ship's commander says.
Dec 12
Federal Conservatives stepped up their attack on Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan today, accusing him of "publicly shaming" a frequent critic of his department during recent testimony before a House of Commons committee.
Dec 12
The federal government can award a contract to design the country's $60-billion fleet of new warships after a trade tribunal reversed an earlier order not to finish the deal. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal ordered the government last month to postpone awarding the high-stakes design contract until it had a chance to determine whether the deal is kosher.
Dec 11
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of the Defence unveiled Monday its top three contenders for the planned Type 31e frigate, a scaled down frigate that it wants to be able to both export and buy in numbers to eventually grow the size of the fleet.
Dec 11
The federal government is asking the Canadian International Trade Tribunal to set aside its order to prevent it from awarding a contract on the Canadian Surface Combatant project.
Dec 11
The Canadian Army brought 20 pistols to an Arkansas shooting competition. But before events had even officially kicked off, 15 of those pistols had jammed so badly they couldn’t be used. However, the quest to replace the Browning is now held up in a years-long procurement limbo.
Dec 11
The Liberal Party of Canada has cancelled plans to host a fundraiser with Justin Trudeau at CFB Kingston, an event that might have run afoul of military rules around political events.The Liberal Party had planned to hold the Dec. 19 fundraiser at the Vimy Officers’ Mess, according to information posted on the party’s website.
ISSUES & IDEAS
The need to procure a replacement for our aging fighter fleet is becoming more dire with each passing year.
The RCAF fighter community is facing a personnel shortage and, although DND is aggressively moving to address the issue, Auditor General Michael Ferguson is not optimistic.
Nine-in-ten Cdns say ‘no’ to future arms deals with Saudi Arabia but are divided over cancelling the current one.
FEATURED ARTICLES 2018 |
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BY HUDSON ON THE HILL
Two years ago, VAdm Mark Norman was temporarily relieved as VCDS. His lawyer, Marie Henein, is revved up for a showdown in court, but may have difficulty getting access to classified documents needed to defend her client.
Dec 05, 2018
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BY CHRIS KILFORD
At first glance, Canada’s current overseas military deployments may appear rather haphazard with troops situated in relatively small numbers across thousands of miles. However, when the missions are collectively examined, a strategy becomes clear.
Dec 05, 2018
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BY KEN POLE
NATO has established defensive battle groups in the three Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) to protect them from potential Russian advances. How is Canada helping this effort?
Dec 05, 2018
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BY THERESA McGUIRE
The Arctic Ocean is so beautiful, but can be deathly cold & unpredictable. Having a well-prepared, self-sufficient team is critical for the Canadian Coast Guard when it comes to marine safety and emergency response.
Dec 05, 2018
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BY CHRIS MACLEAN
Instead of ‘getting on’ with a competition to replace Canada's aging fighter aircraft, a distraction in the form on "interim aircraft" was created to further delay the much-dreaded competition. And now even the Auditor General is crying foul.
Dec 06, 2018
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BY TONY WYVER
Can Canadian oil succeed globally? Canadians need answers from both Government and Industry.
Dec 05, 2018
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BY RICHARD BRAY
CAE-built flight training devices for ground school training are currently being upgraded by CAE to enable additional NFTC simulator training.
Dec 13, 2018
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BY KEN POLE
The Military Flying Training System (MFTS), a contract that facilitates the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in preparing aircrews for eventual assignment to frontline squadrons, is operated by Lockheed Martin and Babcock International, using Airbus helicopters.
Dec 13, 2018
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