View from Canadian Forces Cormorant 442 Squadron helicopter following the final evacuation flight rescuing motorists stranded between landslides outside Agassiz, BC.
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Jan 21
It’s reported that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System sold to the United Arab Emirates by Lockheed Martin was an unqualified success in its first real-world tactical use this week. It was used to intercept a mid-range ballistic missile launched by Houthi militants against an oil facility near an air base in Abu Dhabi.
Jan 21
China Aerospace Science and Technology, ranked 11th in a list of global defence companies, is one of three Chinese firms barred from doing business in the U.S. for what Washington called “missile technology proliferation activities.” China’s foreign ministry dismissed it as “a typical hegemonic reaction” and calling on the U.S. to “revoke the relevant sanctions and stop suppressing Chinese enterprises and smearing China.”
Jan 21
China has responded to a U.S. Navy destroyer’s presence near disputed archipelago in the South China Sea this week by demanding an end to U.S. freedom-of-navigation patrols in the region. "We solemnly demand that the U.S. side immediately stop such provocative actions, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen events,” China’s Southern Theatre Command said Jan. 20. Vietnam and Taiwan also claim jurisdiction over the island chains.
Jan 21
A rookie North Carolina member of the House of Representatives “fiddled with his black pistol” during an online committee hearing this week about veterans’ illnesses related to exposure to toxic materials while they were in service. After one witness asked whether they were boring Madison Crawford, a 26-year-old with a far-right following, an aide said afterward: “what could possibly be more patriotic than guns and veterans?”
Jan 21
Yemeni officials say that a Saudi-led airstrike today killed at least 70 people at a prison and knocked out the country’s internet in a renewed escalation of the long-running conflict with Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Jan 21
Three diesel-electric submarines are to be built by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp for Israel at a cost of €3 billion. The Israeli defence ministry confirmed the contract Jan. 20, saying that delivery is expected within nine years.
Jan 20
A suggestion Jan. 19 by President Joe Biden that the U.S. might limit its response to any “minor incursion” into Ukraine has angered Ukraine President Volodymyr. “There are no minor incursions,” Zelensky said on social media today. “Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones.”
Jan 20
Six of a planned 24 Dassault Rafale fighters flew over Athens Jan. 19 before their official handover to Greece as part of a military modernization effort. “The arrival . . . signals an upgrade for our country operationally, technologically and geopolitically,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. The French aircraft were the first major delivery arising from a €2.5 billion arrangement last year for six new aircraft to be supplied by Dassault and the French air force.
Jan 20
A new request by Ukraine for defensive weapons to counter any Russian incursions has been rebuffed by the German government. It was reacting almost immediately to a statement by Ukraine’s ambassador that his country wants German warships which he described as “among the best in the world.”
Jan 20
The U.S. military is trying to assess whether the Jan. 19 rollout of 5G mobile services by the two largest telecommunications companies could be a problem for its aircraft. The main concern is whether transmissions on a frequency used by mobile phones could compromise radar altimeters.
Jan 20
The North Korean politburo is reported by state media to be considering “restarting all temporally suspended activities,” ostensibly referring to a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. The media reports that the “hostile policy and military threat by the U.S. have reached a danger line that cannot be overlooked any more.”
Jan 19
The head of the U.S. Coast Guard, Adm Karl Schultz, said today that the USCG is in the midst of its largest shipbuilding period since World War II. It will christen its 10th national security cutter in May. is building its first heavy icebreaker in decades and is awaiting delivery of the first of three offshore patrol cutters. The service commissioned its 45th of 64 fast response cutters late last and while most will be for domestic missions, six will be deployed for the USCG’s growing international role.
Jan 19
Russian troops normally stationed in the country’s far east are being deployed to Belarus as tensions continue to rise over Moscow’s focus on their mutual neighbour, Ukraine. Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the deployment would involved drills planned for February to simulate a joint response to external threats.
Jan 19
A contract worth some $3.5 billion will see the United Arab Emirates purchasing mid-range Cheongung II KM-SA surface-to-air missiles from South Korea. Signed this week in Dubai, it is South Korea’s largest export deal to date and was accompanied by a memorandum to collaborate on other weapons systems.
Jan 19
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has invited Russia to more talks on the Ukraine crisis as fears mount over a possible breakout of conflict, but Moscow continues to insist on security demands as a precondition. Stoltenberg did not give any dates for a potential resumption, saying only that it been suggested for the “near future.”
Jan 19
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted concerns about a Russian invasion of Ukraine today, HMCS Montreal left its Halifax homeport bound for the Black Sea. RAdm Brian Santarpia, Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, said the frigate’s deployment continues a Royal Canadian Navy rotation designed to deter Russian aggression in the region since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.
Jan 18
Increased Russian naval activity in the Baltic Sea has prompted Sweden to raise its level of preparedness. “"We have decided to reposition our troops,” says LGen Leif Michael Claesson, who oversees Swedish Armed Forces operations. “It does not have to mean an increased threat, but we always want to adapt.”
Jan 18
Having only unveiled upgraded enhanced night vision goggles last year, the U.S. military now wants to take the technology a significant step further. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has assembled 10 industry-academic teams to look into the possibility of making NVGs as light and compact as a pair of regular eyeglasses.
Jan 18
An additional contingent of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command personnel were deployed to Ukraine last week, apparently to coordinate the evacuation of diplomatic personnel in the event of a Russian invasion. CANSOFCOM points out that its other members have been involved in Canada’s broader support for Ukraine since 2020.
Jan 18
As concern continued to grow in Ukraine about Russian troop buildups along its borders, Russia began withdrawing dozens of diplomatic families from its embassy in Kyiv and a consulate in Lviv. The withdrawal earlier this month also saw personnel at two other consulates advised to be ready to return to Moscow.
Jan 17
Facing with delays and escalating costs of some National Shipbuilding Strategy projects, Public Services and Procurement Canada wants “influencers” to use their social media platforms to push out positive message about the program. “We are asking for your help in promoting the values, benefits and impacts of the Strategy by amplifying our campaign messages,” it says in a message to industry, analysts and academics who have been deemed supportive.
Jan 17
Responding to a request from 12 federal public service unions for clarity about working from home during the pandemic, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says that while a “one size fits all” policy isn’t practicable for 100 department and agencies, she says some work cannot be done from home. “Each department will have its own operational requirements . . . and as it has been the case throughout the pandemic, there are some public servants whose work cannot be done remotely.”
Jan 17
Houthi rebels are said to be responsible for a drone attack which killed at least three persons and sparked fuel tanker truck explosions near Abu Dhabi airport in the United Arab Emirates today. The Yemen-backed rebel group said it would be issuing a statement about “a special military operation that was carried out in the heart of the UAE.”
Jan 17
One of the U.S. Navy’s 14 secretive nuclear missile submarines, the USS Nevada, made a rare port call in Guam over the weekend. In what’s seen as a message to allies and foes amid growing Indo-Pacific tensions, it’s the first visit of a “boomer” to Guam since 2016 and only the second announced visit since the 1980s.
Jan 15
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported Jan. 14 that FedEx wants to operate aircraft fitted with lasers as a countermeasure against missiles. The proposed system “deflects infrared laser energy toward an incoming missile, in an effort to interrupt the missile's tracking of the aircraft's heat,” the regulator explained. “In recent years, in several incidents abroad, civilian aircraft were fired upon by man-portable air defense systems.”
ISSUES & IDEAS
As a general description of the Government’s intended policy agenda going forward, the following Throne Speech extracts are of potential relevance to Safety & Security readers.
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.
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.
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?
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...