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
Dec 07
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan pledged Canada’s enduring support for Iraq and the war against Islamic State group on Thursday – but stopped short of extending Canada’s military mission in the region, most of which is set to expire next spring.
Dec 07
The federal government will create a new centre of excellence in Ottawa to support aircraft testing, but it will come at the cost of relocating staff and shutting down existing military facilities in Alberta.
Dec 07
The federal government has approved a five-year contract extension with Quebec-based firm L3 MAS for the continued maintenance of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of five CC-150 Polaris aircraft.
Dec 07
A junior procurement official named in the criminal case against the military's former second-in-command has been suspended from his federal government position, a House of Commons committee has been told.
Dec 07
New court documents have sketched out the Crown's case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, alleging the suspended military officer tried to undermine and influence the federal cabinet's decision-making on a shipbuilding project for more than a year by leaking government secrets.
Dec 06
Physicists from the University of New Brunswick are leading the development of communication technology that will help the Government of Canada monitor activity in the Arctic.
Dec 06
A recent Deloitte study found that Canadian companies will be hiring over 8,000 cybersecurity experts over the next two years. And this isn’t just a Canadian problem: the website Cyberseek reports that there are currently 313,000 open jobs in cybersecurity in the U.S.
Dec 06
The Canadian military is looking to contract out some maintenance work on the country’s aging CF-18 fighter jets as well as training to help address a shortage of experienced technicians.
Dec 06
Negotiations on the Canadian Surface Combatant project are still underway between the federal government and the government’s “preferred bidder” Lockheed Martin Canada.
Dec 05
DND says it’s not ruling out a recommendation in a Senate report for using the private sector to augment aerial search and rescue operations as its fleet of helicopters prepares to undergo significant upgrades. Though a private-sector solution seems to have enticed senators, the fishing industry – the largest users of SAR services – are wary.
Dec 05
Thanks to the recently filed court records by VAdm Norman’s lawyer, the public now knows that the Privy Council Office conducted its own internal investigation into the alleged leak of information. The investigation determined that 73 people knew about the outcome of the meeting of cabinet ministers about the naval supply ship.
Dec 05
The RCAF will be operating the first nine aircraft from its new fleet of fighter jets starting in 2026, DND officials say. But at least one member of parliament questions whether the federal government will be able to meet its timetable to replace the CF-18 fighter fleet with advanced aircraft.
Dec 05
Liberal MPs on the House defence committee voted not to call on the Russian ambassador to answer for Russia’s aggression toward its neighbours, but said they might do so in future.
Dec 05
The admiral overseeing U.S. naval operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia was found dead in Bahrain on Saturday, the U.S. Navy said. A U.S. defence official said that Vice Admiral Scott Stearney’s death will almost certainly be ruled a suicide and word on the cause of death is expected by mid-week.
Dec 05
The Defence department has acknowledged the government’s choice for a $60-billion warship program has a propulsion system that has been plagued by problems, at times shutting down entirely while at sea.
Dec 05
The Liberal government is unlikely to suspend already-approved arms export permits to Saudi Arabia, despite ongoing international pressure on the country to end its brutal military intervention in Yemen and to own up to the October murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, experts say.
Dec 04
There’s ‘extreme concern’ among allies about what China is up to, says Canada’s top soldier. ‘Is it painful for this country? Yes.’
Dec 04
Australia is preparing to receive its first operational Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The first two aircraft are due to arrive at Royal Australian Air Force Base Williamtown in New South Wales on December 10th.
Dec 04
The British Ministry of Defence will deliver a long-awaited report on the future of U.K. defence spending before the end of the year, the kingdom’s top defence official confirmed this weekend.
Dec 04
The Canadian military is looking to contract out some maintenance work on the country's aging CF-18 fighter jets as well as training to help address a shortage of experienced technicians.
Dec 04
The Liberal government has budgeted up to $20 million in this fiscal year to rejoin NATO's Airborne Early Warning and Control System program, reversing a Conservative-era budget cut in the name of alliance utility and solidarity.
Dec 03
After a fierce winter storm cut residents of Iles de la Madeleine off from the rest of the province, up to 250 CAF personnel are conducting health and welfare patrols and provide assistance to officials in the evacuation of residents if required, according to Public Safety Minister Goodale.
Dec 03
Canada's top general says the auditor general was right to flag gaps in the military's handling of sexual assault cases. Vance said he was happy that the AG's report and the military's internal analysis ended up with similar conclusions, and insisted he's not losing patience with Operation Honour just yet.
Dec 03
The Canadian Forces held a farewell for the CH-124 Sea King maritime helicopter marking its more than five decades of service, in a parade held Saturday in British Columbia.
Dec 03
New court documents show public servants discussing the risk to taxpayers as successive federal governments have turned to sole-source contracts to buy desperately needed equipment for the Canadian Forces and others.
ISSUES & IDEAS
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.
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.
FEATURED ARTICLES 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 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 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 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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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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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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DND Ombudsman, Management & Program Consultants, L3 Technologies, Ultra Electronics, CAF/NATO.
Oct 12, 2018
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