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IN THE NEWS
Jun 30
Earlier than originally planned, Commander (Cdr) Meghan Coates has now assumed command of HMCS Regina after the RCN lost confidence in LCdr Dallin's judgement during a recent training exercise.
Jun 30
A prototype contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate’s Simulation & Technology Assessment Branch has been awarded to CAE USA. The prototype is part of an initiative with the Space Technology Advanced Research – Fast-tracking Innovative Software and Hardware or STAR-FISH.
Jun 30
On Canada Day, 1 July 2022, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-18 Demonstration Jet will conduct a flypast over the National War Memorial as part of a ceremony to commemorate the 106th anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel during the First World War.
Jun 30
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid June 29, Defence Minister Anita Anand and her Latvian counterpart signed an important agreement committing Canada to upgrade the NATO battlegroup it leads in Latvia to a brigade – but the government says it’s premature to confirm whether that means more CAF personnel would deploy. Germany and Britain said recently that they are ready to lead larger combat units in Lithuania and Estonia.
Jun 30
After “two intense days of proximity talks” in Qatar about resuscitating Iran’s moribund multinational nuclear accord, the affair ended unproductively June 29. “We are disappointed that Iran has, yet again, failed to respond positively,” a U.S. official said. The EU, which brokered the meeting, said it would “keep working with even greater urgency to bring back on track a key deal for non-proliferation and regional stability.”
Jun 29
The day after it was dropping its opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, Turkey’s justice minister said today that he will press for the extradition of 33 Kurdish expatriates it considers “terror suspects” from the Nordic countries. Finland and Sweden have said they would “address Turkey's pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects expeditiously.”
Jun 29
Volatus Aerospace signed an agreement on 27 June 2022 to provide ongoing Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) technical skills training to Moose Cree First Nation members. The training activity will take place in the Moose Cree community and Volatus will mentor to develop critical skills and infrastructure for a robust RPAS business servicing the community.
Jun 29
The expansion of NATO's rapid reaction force marks a new phase of its response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and is intended to send a stronger message of deterrence to Russia.
Jun 28
The Sikorsky division of Lockheed Martin has secured a five-year contract to supply up to 255 H-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters for the U.S. Army and export customers. The initial part of the contract is for 120 aircraft at $2.3 billion with an option for 135 more which could bring the total value to $4.4 billion.
Jun 28
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today agreed to endorse NATO membership for Sweden and Finland in a trilateral deal to “support … each other's security.” The two Nordic states agreed not only to address concerns about their handling of Kurdish nationalists deemed terrorists by Turkey but also to lift restrictions on weapons sales to Turkey.
Jun 28
Every branch of the U.S. all-volunteer military is said to be falling short of 2022 recruiting goals as record low percentages of eligible individuals are either unwilling to serve or even to consider the idea. A former senior officer says the military has not had such a hard time signing recruits since the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam in 1973 and ended the draft.
Jun 28
Less than a month after being appointed Australia’s Minister for International Development & Pacific, Pat Conroy announced today that his country will set up a school to train Pacific island militaries amidst mounting competition for security ties in the region. He disclosed the plan ahead of a forum in Fiji at which regional leaders are expected to press for a trade and security pact with 10 countries which have diplomatic ties to China.
Jun 28
LIFT Airborne Technologies, headquartered in Los Angeles, has received USAF approval to develop a prototype helmet for all fixed-wing aircrew. Still facing additional research and testing, the new gear is expected to replace 1980s helmets which have become increasingly heavy with add-ons that cause neck-muscle strain compounded by G forces.
Jun 28
MGen Kevin Kennedy, nominated a month ago by President Joe Biden as head of the U.S. Air Force’s information warfare branch, has been confirmed by the Senate in the latest move in a shuffling of cybersecurity leadership. He commands the 16th Air Force, an amalgam of cyber, electronic warfare, intelligence and weather disciplines.
Jun 28
The French Army expects to start taking delivery next year of a medical evacuation version of Nexter Industries’ Griffon multi-role armored vehicle, which has been in production since 2019 by Nexter, Arquus, and Thales for other missions. France expects to procure 1,872 Griffons overall by 2030 as replacements for its legacy VAB carriers
Jun 27
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S., today pledged ongoing support for Ukraine. “We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” they said in a statement on the second day of their G7 summit in Germany which also included EU representatives.
Jun 27
A problem with the ejection parachute timer in the CT-114 Tutors flown by the RCAF’s iconic Snowbirds flight demonstration team has grounded the Moose Jaw-based fleet indefinitely. Routine maintenance disclosed the problem which requires retesting and repacking by a contractor with no timeline for resumption of operations.
Jun 27
Plans for a nearly eight-fold increase in NATO’s Rapid Reaction force nearly to 300,000 troops were disclosed today by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as aliance leaders prepared to a summit in Madrid. Canadian Defence Minister Anita Alliance confirmed in late March that Canada has up to 3,400 personnel ready to participate in an expanded RRF that Stoltenberg called “the biggest overhaul of collective defence and deterrence since the Cold War.”
Jun 27
U.S. Army Gen Christopher Cavoli will succeed USAF Gen Tod Wolters as NATO Supreme Allied Commander, effective July 1. After four years of leading U.S. Army Europe and Africa, he takes over as Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to undermine decades of security on the continent. Wolters also and welcomes potential NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, saying each would bring “quite a bit of capability and capacity to the alliance.”
Jun 27
The Royal Canadian Navy frigates Kingston and Summerside left Halifax June 26 on a three-month deployment to Op Reassurance, Canada’s long-standing commitment to NATO’s regional security operation in the Baltic region. “They will participate in exercises and mine countermeasure removal and destruction,” said Capt Julian Elbourne, calling it “probably one of the most important missions we have right now." HMCS Halifax and Montreal are currently deployed.
Jun 27
The French Army wants to buy U.S. loitering munitions, specifically the Switchblade developed by Virginia-based AeroVironment, within six months as part as part of a long-term push to field remotely operated weapon. The U.S. had already announced plans to supply Ukraine with the munition as part of military aid in response to Russia’s invasion.
Jun 27
South Korea’s Hanwha Corp. and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on developing an infantry fighting vehicle and a long-range precision fires system. The companies, including Hanwha’s division in Australia, which have already fulfilled several Australian procurements, are responding to similar Norwegian Defence Material Agency plans.
Jun 27
Without offering any potential solutions and continuing to avoid criticizing Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “has again sounded the alarm for humanity” in that countries which place” blind faith in their positions of strength, expand military alliances, and seek their own safety at the expense of others” will face ongoing “security hardships.”
Jun 27
The European Union’s top diplomat says a “long and positive” weekend meeting with Iran’s foreign minister has set the stage for a resumption of stall nuclear negotiations. Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Nuclear Policy, said new talks would focus on “resolving the last outstanding issues” which include U.S. sanctions.
Jun 24
A €2 billion deal signed at the Berlin Air Show will see Spain acquire 2 0 Eurofighter Typhoons to replace some of its legacy fleet of Boeing F-18 Hornets. The June 23 deal with Airbus Defence and Space will boost the country’s Eurofighter fleet to 90.
ISSUES & IDEAS
Keeping Russia "at bay" is not a solution to the carnage happening in Ukraine. With Russia firing 10 times the amount of ammunition than Ukraine, Putin knows he will win, unless something changes.
It is now 11 years since I served in Afghanistan, and almost a year since those who helped us were abandoned to the increasing brutality of Taliban rule, it's time the govt cut the red tape and made good on its promises.
Allowing Russia to have global dominance in oil and gas was a strategic mistake. Resilience will only come if western countries don’t allow a geographic concentration of mineral production in countries that can’t be trusted, says Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.
FEATURED ARTICLES 2022 |
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30 May – In Halifax today, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee assumed the duties of Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy from VAdm Craig Baines in a change of command ceremony presided over by General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff.
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.
Two books are reviewed this month. One is a foundational review of the CAF and Canadian peacekeeping of interest to politicians and strategists alike. The other, a strong-worded narrative of American history, will be of particular interest to soldiers and officers of any Western military.
Hidden in the background of its many competing priorities is the exponential capability gap in the digital domain, an area where the rest of the world is adapting faster every year but the Canadian Armed Forces is struggling to keep up – a Digital Insurgency is needed.
BY ARIE EGOZI
Does Russia prefer cruise missiles over ballistic when targeting Ukrainian air force and ground based air defence assets? Israeli missile expert comments on Russia's targeting tactics in Ukraine. One thing is clear, either equal destruction of Ukraine assets, infrastructure, and lives.
BY MICHEL MAISONNEUVE
Although the West hopes not to have to put boots on the ground, hope is not an effective strategy. The U.S. is now fully engaged and will not let Ukraine lose.
BY ALEXANDER LANDRY
As repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to grow, we recognize that these tensions are, ironically, dangerously intertwined with energy security, and further complicated by climate change.