NAC News – Edition 547
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of January 12th, 2024
Edition: 547 Quote: “By December 1939, arrangements regarding the first corvette and Bangor programmes had reached the stage where orders could soon be placed; and on December 7 the Naval Service asked the newly formed War Supply Board to investigate the capacity of the Canadian industry for building these two classes of ships. The board reported, after careful survey, that corvettes and Bangors require the same facilities, and that thirty of either or both types could be constructed in Canadian yards during the calendar year 1940, and another sixty during 1941.” The Naval Service of Canada, Its Official History Vol 2, Activities on shore during the second world war, pg. 36. Gilbert Norman Tucker, PH.D. Director of Naval History Section 1952
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 Kevin Goheen 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
27 February 2024 7:30 – 18:00 Ottawa time, ShipTech Forum 2024. This year’s theme is “Pushing Fleets Beyond Designed Life”. NAC is an official supporter of the organizer VANGUARD, Canada’s leading trade media that serves the Canadian defence and security industries. Vanguard expects 300+ attendees and 12 exhibitors. As such there is a $50 discount for NAC members who wish to purchase a ticket and the promo code is STF24_NAC. All CAF, CCG, & government personnel can register for FREE. Not Able to Attend in Person: all speaker sessions will be live streamed, to allow for virtual attendance.
LAST CALL Editor – NAC is a member of the Conference of Defence Association, and their Institute (CDAI). Established in 1932, CDAI is an umbrella organization for 36 member associations who represent over 400,000 active and retired members of the CAF. CDAI has requested to know if any NAC members would like to get involved with either their youth mentorship programme, or to be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and speak to the media on naval matters. NAC sees this as a first-rate opportunity to bringing naval affairs to the forefront. If you are interested in the youth mentorship programme please contact the NAC ED Kevin Goheen, and for the potential maritime SMEs contact either our President Bruce Belliveau or our Naval Affairs Director Tim Addison.
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THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES
Blunt talk on military challenges is a ‘good thing,’ retired defence chief says
UN Security Council demands Yemen’s Houthis stop Red Sea ship attacks then US and UK carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and What we know about strikes on Houthis and strategy behind them
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CANADA
Canada’s Defence Policy, The Update to Strong. Secure. Engaged is Long Overdue
We Are Navy (Editor – RCN recruiting 1:26 min video)
The Naval Experience Program: Sailor Third Class Max Lodin (Editor – 3:01 min RCN video)
Air force worried about keeping new maritime helicopters’ weapons systems operational and Air force worried ‘new’ helicopter’s weapons systems will be obsolete (Editor – CBC 2:44 min news video on the subject)
Petition of the House of Commons – e-4686 (Veterans’ affairs) (Editor – an extract; “We, the undersigned, RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces Veterans, call upon the House of Commons and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to commit to resolving these deficiencies without delay [deficiencies listed in petition])
The HMCS Chicoutimi Disaster: Exploring a Tragic Submarine Incident (Editor – not sure of the accuracy or who produced this but it’s an informative 8:43 min video)
Navy firefighting facility at CFB Halifax undergoes key lifecycle upgrades
Davie Shipyard suing Ottawa to prevent any disclosure of shipbuilding strategy deal
National Defence vows to get better at helping men who report military sexual misconduct
Heddle Shipyards re-brands into Ontario Shipyards and Ontario Marine Transportation Strategy
Special delivery: Helicopters and internet bring creature comforts to lighthouse keepers
Military police threaten to charge sex worker who offers discounts to Canadian soldiers (Editor – I just couldn’t resist including this article)
‘Floatel’ ship arrives in B.C. to house LNG workers, but local permit still needed supporting A look back at Woodfibre LNG’s 2023
Lookout: Volume 69, Issue 1, January 8, 2024
Trident: Monday 8 January 2024, Volume 58, Issue 1
NAC Naval Affairs Programme Briefing Note #41 Naval Training & Exercises
(Editor – Please share to anyone you think may benefit from the knowledge, after all, that’s what our naval affairs programme is all about – educating Canadians)
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USA & AMERICAS
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Jan. 11, 2023
New SWOBOSS Wants More Directed Energy Weapons on Warships as Low-Cost Threats Expand (Editor – threat vs countermeasure conundrum continues)
Raytheon Completes Technical Review of US Navy’s HALO Hypersonic Missile Prototype
Navy Helicopter Crashes Into San Diego Bay During Training
Lockheed Martin upgrades EW systems for US Navy submarines
First Constellation Frigate Delayed At Least a Year, Schedule Assessment ‘Ongoing’
Leonardo DRS Awarded Contracts Valued at Over $3B for US Navy’s Columbia-Class Submarine Program
USCG On Polar Star And Polar Security Cutter Heavy Icebreakers
At-Sea Billet Gaps Rise to 22,000 for E1-E4 Sailors, CNP Says
Decorated Battleship New Jersey Set for $10M Repairs During Dry Docking
Report to Congress on Foreign Arms Sales (Editor – the dry bureaucracy behind it all)
US Navy sailor jailed for passing military blueprints, plans to China
SECNAV Del Toro Names Next-Generation Hospital Ship Bethesda
US Merchant Marine Series (Episode 2) – Matson Navigation Company (Editor – interesting and historical look at how a US shipping company works in a 15:26 min video)
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INDO-PACIFIC
Seoul declares maritime buffer zone with North ineffective
U.S., China Resume Regular Military Meetings Stalled Since 2021
UK to deploy naval groups to Indian Ocean in 2024 and 2025
Two China aircraft carriers perform exercises simultaneously
Chinese shipyard launches Thailand Navy Type 071 LPD Chang (Editor – yet another country with a honking big ship)
China Builds Missile Targets Shaped Like U.S. Aircraft Carrier, Destroyers in Remote Desert
Navy Moves Hawaii Fuel Storage To Philippines
PLA Navy’s large destroyer honored after fending off foreign military provocation during drills (Editor – rhetoric abounds)
Chinese Warships Eavesdrop on Joint U.S., Philippine Naval Drills in South China Sea
Japan to Expand Fleet of Aegis Destroyers Amid Tensions With China
Kongsberg has signed a Naval Strike Missile contract with Australia
Australia – General Tomahawk Weapons System Support Services Uplift
BAE Systems to upgrade Mk 45 guns on Australia’s Anzac-class frigates
South Korea Is Slowly Becoming a Submarine Superpower (Editor – a likely contender for Canada’s submarine programme?)
Former DSME Employee Allegedly Leaked Submarine Secrets to Taiwan
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EUROPE
Ukraine:
Kiev concedes Russian forces learned how to counter Ukrainian sea drones
Washington Post Opinion: How the best chance to win the Ukraine war was lost and
On the defensive: Why Ukraine is ‘in a bind’ as war with Russia grinds on (Editor – not maritime articles but included for perspective) as is The Numbers Suggest Ukraine Can Sustain the Fight
Zircon: The hypersonic missile Putin hopes will turn the tide against Ukraine
General:
Swedes must mentally prepare for war, says military top brass (Editor – another senior officer sounding the alarm)
What is the strength of the Royal Navy?
Shapps rumoured to be scrapping UK’s assault ships
Royal Navy Forced To Retire frigates HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster Due To Personnel Shortages
Plasan to provide armour for UK RN’s Type 26 Batch 2 frigates
Russia’s president Putin examines new aircraft carrier Lamantin (Editor – Project 23000E)
Sweden’s Insane Powerboat Submarine (Editor – 40 sec video)
Germany: Ship caught using banned high sulphur fuel in SECA
Spain pollution: Millions of plastic pellets wash up on coast
Norwegian government approves deep-sea mining: “Devastating” say eco-activists
Russia’s Arctic research vessel Severny Polyus drifting towards Franz Josef Land
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MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea:
Drewry: One-Third of Global Container Shipping Capacity Impacted by Red Sea Crisis more detailed explanation What Impact Have the Houthi on Shipping & the Economy? | The Red Sea Attacks in 10 Charts (Editor – An arresting 12:48 min video explanation) and an example Red Sea Disruption Forces Tesla to Suspend Production in Germany
Iran Vows To Target More Enemy Ships in Global Waters
Hard choices for the West in Red Sea stand-off
US and UK navies repel largest Houthi attack on Red Sea shipping
International Coalition Forces Stop Two New Attacks from Yemen
Royal Navy Dispatches a Third Warship to Red Sea
Indian Navy To Escort Indian Merchant Ships In Red Sea
USS Laboon Downs Houthi Attack Drone Over Red Sea
Sri Lanka to deploy Naval Vessels in Red Sea to fight Houthi Attacks
China’s COSCO Puts Israel Routes on Hold
General:
Iran IRGC special forces seize US civilian tanker Suez Rajan in Oman Sea (Editor – planned escalation or just IRGC idiots?) and US calls to immediately release St. Nikolas tanker, crew — Department of State and then another one that was planned Iran Seizes Oil Tanker in Retaliation Against U.S. Oil Confiscation
Iranian Navy introduces new Shahid Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis class of missile catamarans
UAE bans Cameroon-flagged ships: Is this a clampdown on illegal activities of Russia’s ghost fleet?
Iranian Economy Buoyed By ‘Dark Fleet’ Oil Shipments To China
U.S. Coast Guard Seizes $11M Worth of Cocaine, Heroin and Meth
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GLOBAL INTERESTS
Arctic Council report analyzes flag states and legal obligations in Arctic shipping
‘Astounding’ ocean temperatures in 2023 intensified extreme weather, data shows
ICCT: Liquified gas tankers to blame for 82% of shipping’s methane emissions in 2021
Marine Scientists Surprised by Toxicity of Plastic and Rubber Products (Editor – sobering)
1,000 Feet Below the Surface: The Extraordinary World of Saturation Diving
Methanol Overtakes LNG as Top Alternative Fuel Choice for Newbuilds in 2023
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SCUTTLEBUTT
How Do Icebreakers Work? (Editor – surprisingly educational 12:47 min video)
The Battle of the Falkland Islands, 1914 ⚓ Major Naval Clash in the South Atlantic (Editor – 20:30 min video)
RC Aircraft Carrier 1/144 (Editor – a little USS Ronald Reagan in a 59 sec video)
History of hockey and the Canadian military
The largest warship sinking in history by a submarine (Editor – lengthy but fascinating details in a 36:16 min video) and The Yokosuka-built Aircraft Carrier Shinano
The Wreck of Cruiser Murmansk – A Soviet Relic off Norway’s Coast (Editor – Sverdlov-class cruisers in a 12:13 min video)
CB-Class Midget Submarines: The Little Wolves of WWII (Editor – 4:24 min video)
The Damning Dönitz U-Boat Legacy (Editor – 11:07 min video)
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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
13 January 1943 RCN corvette HMCS Ville de Québec commanded by LCdr A.R.E. Coleman, RCNR sank the German submarine U-224 west of Oran Algeria.
14 January 1952 HMCS Uganda is renamed Quebec.
15 January 1991 The UN security Council deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait passes and the Persian Gulf War begins.
17 January 1957 HMCS Bonaventure is commissioned at Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is the first aircraft carrier to be owned outright by Canada and incorporates several post-war technical developments: an angled deck, mirror landing aid, and steam catapult.
19 January 1911 The Royal Naval College of Canada opens in Halifax.
19 January 1942 The unescorted RMS Lady Hawkins was hit by two stern torpedoes from U-66 and sank after 30 minutes about 150 miles east of Cape Hatteras. The master, 86 crew members, one gunner and 163 passengers (including four DBS) were lost. The chief officer, 20 crew members and 50 passengers were picked up after five days by the Coamo and landed at San Juan, Puerto Rico on 28 January.
19 January 1943 HMCS Port Arthur commanded by Lt Edward T. Simmons, RCNVR sank the Italian Submarine Tritone in the Mediterranean Sea.
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, a special thanks to 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)
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