15 Nov – LATVIA – Latvian National Armed Forces drive Howitzers into position during a live-fire training exercise overseen by members of the Royal Canadian Artillery School.
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IN THE NEWS
Nov 21
Following the tabling of the Auditor General’s report on Canada’s fighter force, the defence minister has issued a statement saying that his department and the Canadian Armed Forces are taking several steps to address both the report’s recommendations, and the broader concerns around the fighter force.
Nov 21
The federal government has spent $11.8 million on legal fees relating to the Canadian Surface Combatant project over the past two years, some of that owing to a large number of amendments to the project’s request for proposals.
Nov 21
The European Union has unveiled a new batch of projects under its fledgling Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defense pact. The new activities cover areas such as training, capability development and operational readiness on land, at sea and in the air, as well as cyber-defense.
Nov 21
Three years after the Canadian Armed Forces announced a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault within its ranks, the federal Auditor-General says support for victims is fragmented and some members still do not feel safe in filing complaints.
Nov 20
Canada's auditor general has shot down the Liberal government's handling of the air force's aging CF-18s in a blistering report that raises questions about national security, and even long-term safety, regarding the viability of the country's frontline fighter jets.
Nov 20
A top uniformed NATO official warned Friday the European Union army concept endorsed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would be “duplicative” and “unwise.”
Nov 20
Six years after helping blow up the Harper government's plans to buy F-35 stealth fighters without a competition, auditor general Michael Ferguson is about to release a new report on Canada's tumultuous attempts to buy new fighter jets.
Nov 20
Former soldiers in crisis are being sent regularly to outside agencies for emergency assistance by case managers at Veterans Affairs Canada – even though the Liberal government has its own, modest relief fund.
Nov 20
Neither Canada’s top soldier nor the commander of the air force had or produced any records about a fighter jet “capability gap” in the year leading up to the Liberal government’s announcement that such a critical issue had to be dealt with by spending billions to buy aircraft.
Nov 19
Members of the Royal Canadian Air Force begin participation in CRUZEX FLIGHT 18, a multinational exercise hosted by the Brazilian Air Force.
Nov 19
The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, addressed NATO parliamentarians in Halifax today. Canada has been hosting the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's 64th Annual Session which kicked off on Friday 16th and wraps up today in Halifax.
Nov 19
New submarines won’t be part of the future mix for the Royal Canadian Navy, at least in the foreseeable future. In 2017, a Senate defence committee recommended the subs be replaced. The Commons defence committee also recently made a similar recommendation. But the Liberal government has rejected that recommendation.
Nov 19
The man who leads the Canadian Armed Forces says the military has failed to adequately integrate women and minorities, partly because it has for too long relied on an antiquated template for its recruits.
Nov 19
The greatest threats currently facing the NATO alliance are Russian aggression in and around the Ukraine and violent extremism in the Middle East, NATO deputy secretary general Rose Gottemoeller told Global News.
Nov 19
Canada's peacekeeping mission in Mali will end in July as planned, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has confirmed, saying that Canada will have fulfilled its year-long promise to head the Mali mission by July.
Nov 19
It can be a scary world out there. But Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance says there's no need to panic – at least, any more than we used to.
Nov 19
Canada;s deputy minister of defence held fast to the government's stance on defence spending on Saturday, despite some pointed questioning about Canada's commitment following her presentation before NATO's defence and security committee.
Nov 19
With a federal election less than a year away, Canada’s defence minister is warning voters they will be targeted by online cyber-attacks and fake news as Russia steps up its efforts to undermine western democracies.
Nov 16
North Korea’s state-run media announced on 16 November that the country recently conducted a test of what it described as a “newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon”: a move that comes amid stalled talks with the US over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
Nov 16
French defense officials said they will bring requirements to the future Franco-German combat aircraft that they believe are deeply connected to the country’s sovereignty: the ability to fire nuclear weapons and operate from aboard aircraft carriers.
Nov 16
A Conservative MP has apologized to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan for a Facebook post linking a critical news report of Sajjan to affirmative action.
Nov 16
The Trudeau government is resisting a United Nations request to extend Canada's peacekeeping mission in Mali so medical evacuations can continue while replacements for Canada's personnel arrive, according to multiple sources.
Nov 16
Veterans Affairs Canada says it will expand access to Halifax's Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital by making more than two dozen beds available for Allied and modern-day veterans. The decision comes in the wake of widespread outrage over news that a veteran was denied access because his wartime service wasn't with the Canadian military.
Nov 15
Canada will be hosting NATO's 64th Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly from 16-19 November 2018 at the Halifax Convention Centre. Parliamentarians from the 29 NATO member countries will debate and adopt resolutions on the High North, hybrid warfare, burden sharing, deterrence, trade, energy, the South, defence innovation, and Russian election meddling.
Nov 15
A survivors' group for those affected by sexual misconduct in the military says the voices of particularly vulnerable service members are being left out of a survey meant to see how prevalent inappropriate behaviour is in the ranks.
ISSUES & IDEAS
Nine-in-ten Cdns say ‘no’ to future arms deals with Saudi Arabia but are divided over cancelling the current one.
At ceremonies across the country, we shall soon hear the words from John McCrea’s “In Flanders Fields”. One line has particular meaning for me, and I fear our politicians have broken faith with those who died for freedom.
True story: it takes about 39 govt workers and 300 emails to buy a few TVs for ISED.
FEATURED ARTICLES 2018 |
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Camp Aftermath’s novel approach to the long-term management of PTSD has attracted the attention of mental health professionals and organizations.
Sep 26, 2018
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DND Ombudsman, Management & Program Consultants, L3 Technologies, Ultra Electronics, CAF/NATO.
Oct 12, 2018
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BY J. PAUL de B. TAILLON
In response to the ongoing political, financial and economic uncertainty and instability, strategists at Germany’s Ministry of Defence developed six possible scenarios and the potential cascading political consequences.
Sep 26, 2018
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BY FRONTLINE
The Canadian Surface Combatant program is the largest and most complex procurement to be undertaken by the Canadian Government to date. This program intends to replace the existing frigates and the now-retired destroyers with a fleet of 15 versatile new warships. Let’s look at each of the bidders, the proposed designs, and their teams.
Sep 30, 2018
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BY HUDSON ON THE HILL
Twitter is reshaping and redefining the rules and boundaries of what is, and what is not, ‘acceptable’ public discourse including by Government communicators faced with the challenge, the opportunity, and the risk of using such technology.
Oct 04, 2018
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BY CHRIS MACLEAN
The recent revelation of a decision by Correctional Service Canada begs the question, how many other murderers are being released to spiritual healing lodges rather than serving their full sentences?
Oct 11, 2018
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BY KEN POLE
Fully operational by mid-August, the Canadian task force is fully involved in logistical support, ferrying UN soldiers around the country in Chinook and Griffon helicopters for “presence projection” missions.
Oct 11, 2018
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BY NICOLA DAVIES
A recent survey revealed that 81% of first responders and military members suffer some form of mental distress. We look at how psychological flexibility can ease the psychological impact of frontline work.
Oct 11, 2018
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