NAC News – Edition 596
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of December 20th, 2024
Edition: 596 MERRY CHRISTMAS Quotes: “Today’s launch and naming ceremony of the new HMCS Protecteur is an example of how the National Shipbuilding Strategy is revitalizing Canada’s shipbuilding industry all while creating good middle-class jobs and supporting the Royal Canadian Navy. This is the longest naval vessel constructed in the country and it is a testament to both the federal government’s and Seaspan’s commitment to shipbuilding. With the rise of conflicts and uncertainty around the world it is crucial that our Navy has the equipment they need to defend and protect Canada.” The Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, 13 December 2024.
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@navalassoc.ca if you wish someone to be added to the NAC News email distribution. (Influencer, or good candidates to become an NAC member – note the first year’s NAC/Branch membership dues are waived)
Photo: Radio-Canada/Joseph Burd
NOTICES
25 February 2025 ShipTech Forum 2025 Super Early Bird registration is open! The National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON. Not Able to Attend in Person? All speaker sessions will be live streamed to allow for virtual attendance.
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THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES
New military vessel launched in B.C. bears illustrious naval name and Canada Names and Launches First of New Protecteur-class AOR Ships and more HMCS Protecteur, the longest naval vessel ever constructed in Canada, launched
Delivering a plan for continuous Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment in Australia
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CANADA
Editor – The 2024 Admirals’ Medal Award goes to Robert Allan of the renowned Robert Allan Ltd. naval architectural and marine services company in Vancouver, and recognizes his outstanding leadership, both nationally and internationally, in the design of commercial working vessels of all types, but with a particular focus on the specialized tugboat market. A formal announcement will be in the Winter STARSHELL and details of the award event to follow.
Canadian military plans to boost ranks to 86,000 personnel to overcome current shortage Canadian Armed Forces Ramping Up Recruiting Capabilities
Canadian Coast Guard concludes 2024 Arctic operational season
CDL Goes to Sea (Editor – Canadian Leaders at Sea programme)
Making the Case for the Soryu-Class as a Canadian Procurement Option (Editor – good article…but I don’t believe Japan responded to the RFI before the 18 November deadline) another older article Canada’s New Submarine Project and the Geopolitical Stakes of the Arctic and Indo-Pacific and from a 2023 link therein CDAI’s Canada’s Future Submarine Capability
What is the Future for the Canadian Navy? | FLEET UPGRADES ⚓ (Editor – eclectic image heavy summary in a 20:52 min video)
Polar play and Why North America is preparing for an Arctic battle | About That (Editor – CBC News 11:49 min video)
Canadian Clearance Diver (Editor – 3:38 min video)
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES: Living in Squalor (Editor – Esprit de Corps 5:08 min video)
Editor – The Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute are accepting applications for the Executive Director position. The successful candidate will act as Executive Director for both the CDA (www.defenceassociations.ca) and the CDA Institute (www.cdainstitute.ca). The ED is accountable to the CDA Executive Council and the Institute’s Board of Directors for delivering each organization’s programs. The application deadline is noon EST on Monday, January 20, 2025. Applications are requested in a single PDF document sent to execsearch@cdainstitute.ca.
Public Service Pension Fund surplus facts
Vancouver Island community wants government held liable for ship-breaking pollution
Watch: Male orca sighting in Victoria harbour Saturday
‘Canada’s beloved’ Theodore Too tugboat sinking in St. Catharines, Ont.
Le remorqueur Theodore partiellement submergé en Ontario
Lookout: Volume 69, Issue 41, December 16, 2024
Le Lookout: volume 69, numéro 41, 16 Décembre 2024
NAC Naval Affairs (NEW) Navigating the Perfect Storm – An Alternative Crewing & Ship Readiness Model (Editor – NAC Naval Affairs Papers, Briefing Notes, Niobe Papers, and much more. Please share with anyone you think may benefit from the knowledge, after all, that’s what our naval affairs programme is all about – enlightening Canadians)
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USA & AMERICA
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Dec. 16, 2024
New SHIPS Act Legislation Aims to Revamp U.S. Shipbuilding Industry
Update on US Ford Class aircraft carriers while The Ford-Class Might Be The Last U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers (Editor – Mark Twain however said “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Given the 50+ year planned service-life of these new potent and versatile elements of US power projection; only time will tell)
Navy: Constellation Frigate Design Will be Ready in May, Second Yard Could Come in FY 2027 with Navy Names Future Frigate USS Joy Bright Hancock
U.S. Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker Production Decision Expected This Week After Multi-Year Delay
GAO: Navy ‘Wasted’ $1.84 Billion in Repairs to Cruisers Cut from the Fleet
Nukes, Nubs And Coners: The Unique Social Hierarchy Aboard A Nuclear Submarine
Ensuring Maritime Superiority: Insights from Captain Jesse Black on Advanced Naval Research
US Navy Buys Textron Minesweeper System
Landing Ship Medium Program Stalled Over Price, Navy Cancels Industry RFP
Breaking the Naval Impasse on the U.S. Icebreaker Program
Brazil reportedly begins negotiations to acquire HMS Bulwark
Building Brazil’s Naval Power: Keel Laid for Macaé-class Patrol Ship Miramar
China’s new Latin American beachhead
The $1,000,000,000 Narco Cargo Ship (Editor – 16:00 min video)
Port of Long Beach on Track to Smash Cargo Record in 2024
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INDO-PACIFIC
Mauritius’ New Government Rejects Diego Garcia Deal
White House seeks to create Asian NATO in Asia-Pacific region — Russian top brass (Editor – Tom Clancy could write this stuff)
Tilting Mark 41 Launcher Emerges During Guam’s First Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test
Navy’s latest survey ship INS Nirdeshak to be commissioned at Vizag on Dec 18
Indonesia Fires Exocet At Land Target For The First Time
Australian Government Lists Collins Submarine As Product Of Concern
Next phase of AUKUS deal unlocked: Industry partners sign tasking statement
Confirmation Australia to fit British sonar to new frigates
US Warship Makes Rare Visit To Cambodia Base At Center Of Feud
Damen Delivers Second OPV 2600 To Pakistan Navy
Securing Maritime Region: Tapas and Drishti Drones take to the skies
New Zealand Launches Critical Salvage Operation for Sunken Navy Vessel in Samoa
Modi’s $6 Billion Submarine Plan Stalls Following Sea Tests
China Dominates Global Containership Construction as Korean Shipyards Face Decline
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EUROPE
Ukraine:
Ukraine claims credit for Moscow bombing that killed Russian general accused of chemical weapons attacks with General’s assassination pierces Moscow’s air of normality
Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker sinks, another runs aground in Kerch Strait then Third Tanker Sends Distress Call as Oil Washes Up on Russia’s Black Sea Coast
Norway to provide $242 mln to strengthen Ukrainian navy
General:
Massive explosions near Severomorsk, in Arctic Russia
Confrontation is unfolding in the Arctic, says Navy Commander and Increasing risk of escalation in Arctic says Danish defence intelligence service
Russian missile frigate wraps up Mediterranean deployment (Editor – long way home with few friendly harbours in sight)
Germany triples submarine order to six boats in joint buy with Norway
MOD reconfirms potentially ‘up to six’ new assault ships
Spain’s Navantia Rescues Historic Shipyard Harland & Wolff from the Brink
Chinese rig finds oil in Barents Sea (Editor – Worth a read to see just how convoluted the offshore petroleum industry can be)
Germany Formally Approves Type F127 Air-Defense Frigate Program
British aircraft carrier strike group heading to Australia
Se dirige-t-on vers un #MeToo des armées ?
Russia Now Primary Suspect in ‘Yi Peng 3’ Baltic Sea Cable Incident and Vortex: Stand-Off at Sea
Turkiye’s first indigenous Hisar-class OPV starts sea trials
New Combat Support Ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy arrives at Damen
French Navy Confirms F21 Torpedo’s Lethal Precision in Successful Test
Russia Deploys BAS-200 Drones to Support Arctic Icebreaker Operations
German Navy Tests Out Sub-Tracking Drone Submersible in the Baltic Sea
Portuguese Navy Awards Türkiye’s STM Contract To Build Multirole Logistics Support Ships
Finland Greenlights New Baltic Icebreaker
Portuguese Sub Home After NATO Exercises
French Navy Prepares for 2025 Delivery of Amiral Ronarc’h Frigate
EU Backs Sanctions Package, Includes 45 Additional Russian Oil Tankers and EU Imposes First-Ever Sanctions On Yamal Gas Project Targeting ‘Christophe de Margerie’ LNG Carrier
Finland bans cargo ships from releasing wastewater into the Baltic Sea
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MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea:
Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group In Middle East
U.S. Military Strikes Houthi Command Center in Yemen’s Capital and Israel launches deadly airstrikes on Houthi positions, energy facilities in Yemen
Houthis Plan Red Sea Security Webinar… Yes, Really
47th Chinese naval escort taskforce departs for Gulf of Aden (Editor – 44 sec video included)
EU Extends Naval Operation ATALANTA Until 2027 as Somali Piracy Surges in Indian Ocean (Editor – never sure which section to put this Op in) Somali Pirates Up Demand to $10 Million for Release of Chinese Fishing Boat
Stopping Flow of Weapons to Houthis Key to Halting Merchant Attacks, Says Fleet Forces Commander
General:
Israel name-checked a notorious WWII attack to justify sinking Syria’s navy
The Royal Navy’s fading presence in the Middle East
Israel locks in $780 million deal with Israel Shipyards for five Reshef-class corvettes
Iranian Oil Prices to China Hit New Multi-year Highs as Sanctions Hit Shipping
Iran’s new massive drone ship left home port last month – and went weeks without being spotted
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GLOBAL INTERESTS
Russian Tanker Yelnya docks in Algeria following strategic withdrawal from Tartus Naval Base
Shipyard Squeeze: Shipping’s $188B Ordering Spree is Overloading Global Capacity
Sudan Rejects Hosting Russian Naval Base Amid Geopolitical Struggles
World’s biggest iceberg heads north after escaping vortex
CIMSEC: Serious about building maritime capacity in the high latitudes? Look south and Building maritime capacity in polar regions
Polluting shipwrecks are the ticking time-bomb at the bottom of our oceans
International Chamber of Shipping selects next Secretary-General
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SCUTTLEBUTT
How to Survive 75 Hours Alone in the Ocean
The First Circumnavigation of the Earth by Magellan & Elcano – Summary on a Map (Editor – 9:50 min video)
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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
24 December 1944 HMCS Clayoquot is torpedoed by a U806 and sinks while taking station on convoy XB139, in the approaches to Halifax harbour. Eight of her crew were lost.
26 December 1954 HMCS ships Huron and Iroquois leave Korea for their home base in Halifax.
27 December 1942 HMC Ships St. Laurent commanded by LCdr Guy S. Windeyer, RCN, with HMCS Chilliwack, commanded by LCdr Clifton P. Coughlin, RCNVR, with HMCS Battleford commanded by Lt F.A. Beck, RCNVR, and HMCS Napanee commanded by Lt L.S. Henderson, RCNVR and other escorts in a melee sank the German submarine U-356 in the mid-Atlantic.
27 December 1944 HMCS St. Thomas commanded by LCdr Leslie P. Denny, RCNR in company with HMCS Sea Cliff commanded by LCdr J.E. Harrington, RCNVR directed St. Thomas onto her ASDIC contact and sank the German submarine U-877 in the North Atlantic.
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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