NAC News - Edition 470 - Naval Association of Canada

NAC News – Edition 470

Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of July 15th, 2022

Edition: 470 “Ever since the Seven Years’ War, Halifax has been the key to Canada’s defence on the North Atlantic. It was from Halifax that Amherst had sailed for Louisbourg, it was from Halifax that Wolfe and Saunders set out for Quebec, it was from Halifax that the Royal Nay had maintained a stiff blockade of the United States coast from 1812 to 1815.” Canada’s Soldiers 1604-1954 The Military History of An Unmilitary People, pg. 182, George F.G. Stanley, 1954

Rod Hughes

Editor NAC News rhughes@shaw.ca (Comments welcome to help improve this service.)

Links to keep in touch with the NAC and RCN can be found at the bottom of this email. Contact David Soule executivedirector-nac@outlook.com if you wish someone to be added to the NAC News email distribution. (Influencer or good candidates to become a NAC member, and note the first year’s NAC & Branch membership dues are waived)

NOTICES

Job Posting – Executive Director NAC

Naval Reserve 100th Anniversary 2023. Crow’s Nest Magazine Jan 1962 – Now it’s the RCNR. The UNTD Association of Canada has started a list. Please inform David Soule if you know of other events as they develop.

14-16 November 2022 Registration for Maritime Security Challenges 2022 in Victoria BC is open! The past two years have seen an explosion of major events and trends that are shaking the world: a once-in-a-century-pandemic; a land war in Europe; international energy and food crises; the rise of authoritarian political movements and governments; more dramatic weather; and decades-high inflation. Many of these issues are playing out at sea, as shipping costs soar, navies modernize to protect their national maritime claims, and state rivalries flourish in the maritime domain.

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THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES

Russian Navy Takes Delivery of World’s Longest Submarine and Russian Navy gets nuclear torpedo and then Russia looks into building four extra Borei, Yasen-class submarines – source

RIMPAC showcases resolve to ensure an open Indo-Pacific, Navy commander says and from this article note Canadian navy provides key leaders for month-long RIMPAC exercise

Canadian navy demotes high-ranking officer after ‘inappropriate comments’ at Esquimalt base

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CANADA

CDAI: Defence Procurement | The Elephant in the Room

Submarine Medicine training brings global allies to CFB Esquimalt

RCAF replacing planes used for prime minister’s travel, refuelling aircraft

New position focuses on respectful relationship building / Un nouveau poste se concentre sur l’établissement de relations respectueuses

Esquimalt’s Search and Rescue team conducts training

Canadian military breaks with tradition, changes dress codes

The Government of Canada Honours William H. Wilson and the late Paris K. Sahlen as Hometown Heroes(Editor – from last month)

Teen photographer from Saint John gets surprise assignment on history-making yacht

Lookout: Volume 67, Issue 27, July 11, 2022

VAC: Salute! – July 2022

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USA & AMERICAS

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: July 11, 2022

House Passes FY2023 Defense Bill Authorizing 13 Battle Force Ships, Saves 5 LCS

Navy’s Atlantic fleet mulling new, high-readiness force

CIMSEC: Sea Control 361 – Carrier Killers with Gerry Doyle and Blake Herzinger (Editor – 25:12 min podcast)

Boeing Delivers 150th P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Newport News shipyard hits milestone in construction of Navy’s new Ford-class carrier

US Navy’s newest San Antonio-class LPD soon to be commissioned

Several UAVs Under Development for Next-Generation Carrier Air Wing

USNI News Video: New Navy Helo Tech Taking Danger Out of Low Visibility Flying (Editor – includes 3:47 min video)

US Coast Guard calls for larger icebreaker fleet to compete in the Arctic

Austal Starts Construction On The First Steel Ship

EMALS and AAG reach 10,000 aircraft launches and recoveries

US Navy tests V-BAT 118 UAS on the destroyer USS Michael Monsoor

Securing US territorial rights in the Arctic: New actions to protect America’s continental shelf (Editor – ref the boundary on page 5 U.S. – Canada Dispute Over Offshore Territory

Brazil wants India’s help to maintain its fleet of 4 Scorpene Attack Submarines

U.S. Navy Relieves Attack-Sub CO, Extending a Run of Officer Removals

US Navy Hospital Ship XO Removed For Sexual Assault

Coast Guard Academy Welcomes Largest Number of New Female Cadets Ever

USS Fort Worth is saved, for now. Another ship to bear the city’s name wasn’t so lucky

U.S. Navy Demos MCM Equipment Prototype on MQ-8C

Authorities Mark 1 Million Gallons of Oil Contained from ‘Longest-Running Spill in U.S. History’

South Carolina Plans to Clean Up Historic Carrier USS Yorktown

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INDO-PACIFIC

U.S. Destroyer Performs South China Sea FONOP; China Says it Expelled Warship then China Says It ‘Drove’ U.S. Destroyer From Paracel Islands

Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group Now in South China Sea

Australia to Pick Nuclear Submarine Design in Early 2023, Says Official

RIMPAC 2022: Navy Teaming Warships with Unmanned Surface Vessels and Military Sealift Command Supporting Bi-Annual Rim of the Pacific Exercise

Coast Guard Delivers Water to Drought-Stricken Kiribati at Critical Juncture (Editor – real hearts and minds work)

Southwest Japan city to accept US military spy drones at MSDF base for 1 yr

China, Pakistan kick off joint naval drill off Shanghai, with China-built warship from Pakistan joining

Marcos flexing muscles in the South China Sea

India’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant Completes 4th Phase Of Sea Trial

Fleet Air Arm celebrates 75th anniversary (Editor – one of the unification changes that hasn’t been reversed in Canada…couldn’t resist)

First indigenous Taiwanese submarine to be launch in September (Editor – submarine programme start)

Yu Shan made to deter China’s invasion of Taiwan

China’s first large-scale patrol vessel in Taiwan Straits commissioned, ‘enhances emergency response to accidents in region’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Launch P17A Stealth Frigate on 15 July

South Korea’s HHI Working On KDDX Basic Design

Why Russia leases n-sub to India

Spare-Parts Shortage Puts New Icebreaker Nuyina Out of Service

Korean shipbuilding giant DSME enters crisis model

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EUROPE

Ukraine:

CDAI: The Ukraine War: Five Months On…Impact of Russia’s Invasion and Lessons Learned (Editor – Not a naval podcast but excellent insight into what has turned into a significant war in a 1:01:30 hr podcast. Opening quote “The war has revealed the degradation and lack of professionalism of the Russian military, as well as their willingness to harm civilians. Putin has displayed a great deal of ignorance and arrogance in his decision-making.”)

Ukraine Raises Flag on Snake Island, but Russia Quickly Attacks Black Sea Outpost

US air defense system delivery hopes to save Kiev (Editor – not naval but a piece of air defence)

Agreement in Sight for Ukraine’s Grain Exports

Russia’s First Modern Cruises Launch Sailing on Black Sea (Editor – this is weird)

General:

HMS Prince of Wales hosts behind-closed-doors maritime summit

Russia Developing Long-Range Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile: Report

Fourth F-35 squadron to come under Royal Navy – fifth ‘yet to be designated’

More Russian GPS jamming than ever across border to Norway

USS Truman Loses an F/A-18 Super Hornet Over the Side in a Storm and Navy Weighing Recovery of Super Hornet Lost in Mediterranean Sea

Change of Command for Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2

Navy experts blow up old torpedo during four-day operation in Scapa Flow

Third American sub visits Faslane in space of two weeks

The submarine rescue service for the Royal Navy

Integration of UAV aboard Submarines by Naval Group & Diodon (Editor – 4:16 min video)

German Navy commissions the fourth F125 frigate Rheinland Pfalz

German frigate Sachsen Anhalt tests for the first time laser weapon in Baltic Sea

German Navy Completes Acquisition of MV Werften Rostock Shipyard

TKMS delivers final Type F125 frigate to German Navy

DCT Gdansk Expansion Creates One of EU’s Largest Container Terminals

Europe on Edge as Nord Stream Gas Pipeline Enters Planned Shutdown (Editor – note Canadian involvement) then Trudeau defends decision to return turbines to Germany for Russian pipeline

Low River Levels May Deepen Europe’s Energy Crunch

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MIDDLE EAST

Chinese Navy’s destroyer Suzhou escorts merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden

Fincantieri delivers Qatar Navy’s second OPV Sheraouh

Anadolu Shipyard delivers 4 Landing Crafts to Qatar Navy

Lawsuit Filed Against Seismic Firm in Connection With Beirut Blast

Suez Canal Reports a Record $7B in Earnings for 2021-22

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GLOBAL INTERESTS

Containerships for First Time Are Largest Segment of Orderbook

Ultra-Large Containership APL Vanda Loses Boxes Overboard in Indian Ocean

RightShip: 8,800 Seafarers Have Been Abandoned in the Last 20 Years (Editor – sad story, interesting stats) and sadly Study: Suicide at Sea is Likely Underreported

IMB Reports Piracy and Robberies at Lowest Levels in Nearly 30 Years

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Drydocking: Its HARDER Than it Looks! (Editor – 6:20 min video)

Mulberry Harbours – Rhino’s, Whales, Beetles, Phoenix’s and Spud’s against the Axis (Editor – 35:33 min video…I wonder if the PLA(N) has watched this?)

Iconic Ships 17: Henry V’s Grace Dieu (Editor – 37 min podcast)

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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY

16 July 1914 First RNCVR seaman taken to sea in HMCS Rainbow to augment the RCN crew for a Bering Sea Fur Patrol; but diverted to assist her participation in the ‘Kamagata Maru Incident’ at Vancouver.

16 July 1943 The Canadian built (West Coast Shipbuilders, Vancouver) but British crewed SS Fort Franklin was torpedoed and sunk by U-181, about 170 nm west of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Four crew members were casualties, and another later died of injuries.

17 July 1940 HMCS Skeena rescues 64 crewmembers of a torpedoed merchant ship, the SS Manipor, in the waters north of Scotland.

19 July 1943 HMCS HURON (Destroyer) is commissioned at Newcastle on the Tyne, England.

20 July 1944 HMCS MATANE (frigate) is hit by a German glider bomb off Brest and badly damaged.

20 July 1943 The Canadian built (Yarrows, Esquimalt, BC) but British crewed SS Fort Pelly was bombed and sunk by German aircraft at Augusta, Sicily, Italy. Her ammunition cargo instantly exploded, and 40 men (including two Canadian crew members) were killed.

20 July 2017 Davie Shipbuilding unveiled Asterix in a public ceremony with the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne. The vessel arrived at Halifax on 27 December 2017 to embark naval complement to begin training in January 2018. The vessel completed sea trials and was formally accepted into service with the RCN in January 2018.

SIGNIFICANT RCN DATES – If you see any omissions or errors please inform me, and any more modern significant dates are also welcomed. The list draws primarily from the Directory of History and Heritage’s comprehensive “Significant Dates in Canadian Military History”, the now defunct “Canada Channel”, “Legion Magazine”, The Naval Service of Canada, Its Official History Vol 1-3, NAC member Roger Litwiller’s excellent web site, encyclopedic guidance from NAC member Fraser McKee, the Uboat.net site, and anywhere else I can find credible information. For the merchant ship history, I thank NAC member Bill Dziadyk for his able assistance and detailed work. The RCN lost 1,965 men and 24 ships during the War, most of them in the Atlantic. A comprehensive list of the staggering merchant losses – sunk, damaged, or lost – Canadian Merchant Ship Losses of the Second World War, 1939-1945 by Rob Fisher {Revised June 2001}, and for the loss of individual personnel RCN Ship Histories, Convoy Escort Movements, Casualty Lists 1939-1947)