NAC News – Edition 609 (Dominion/Niobe)
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of March 21st, 2025
Edition: 609 HMCS Dominion/HMCS Niobe Quotes: “One of the great ironies of Trump is that he turns out to be the great unifier of Europe. It is impossible to overstate how shocked Europeans are by what’s happening.” 12 March 2025, Constanze Stelzenmüller, The New York Times
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 a NAC member – note, the first year’s NAC/Branch membership dues are waived)
NOTICES
15 – 16 April ABCMI & COAST Innovation Forum, Vancouver Convention Centre – NAC members (individuals) can attend the Innovation Forum using the ABCMI Member rate – Registration can be done at ABCMI & COAST Innovation Forum
3 May 2025 Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary Gala, London ON. The Gala will be hosted at the beautiful Hellenic Centre (133 Southdale Rd, London, ON) on Sat 03 May and the unveiling of the Wall of Honour at the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial will be held the next afternoon (Sun 04 May) at HMCS Prevost, during their annual Battle of the Atlantic Parade. Gala Tickets are sold online through “Ticket Tailor” and can only be purchased through that site by clicking the link below (you cannot “search” for the event on Ticket Tailor, or “Google it”, you can only get to the purchase point through these two links.) https://buytickets.at/boagala2025 The BOAM Website under the “event page”
15–18 May 2025 CNMT has graciously extended the invitation to all NAC members who may not be CNMT trustees to join them for the 80th Anniversary of VE Day & Battle of the Atlantic Commemoration at Londonderry. There are events and activities planned for each day. If you plan to attend, please reach out to Gary Reddy at co@cnmt.ca. He will point you in the right direction for further details. The City Hotel Derry is offering special rates for attendees: Double/Twin B&B: £159 per night or Single B&B: £149 per night. To book your room, please call the hotel.
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THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES
As Europe rearms, Canada has what it needs. That can be the basis of a post-NATO alliance
Editor – two new NAC papers for your edification. Please share the links as you desire!
The Future is Uncrewed…The Multi-Mission Corvette Project Visions & Options Series
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CANADA
Antarctic security a concern for Canada, says top naval commander (Editor – includes three short videos) broader content Why is Canada’s Navy in Antarctica? in a 7:39 min video)
G7 Foreign Ministers’ Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity & Déclaration des ministres des Affaires étrangères du G7 sur la sécurité et la prospérité maritimes
Le NCSM Harry DeWolf quitte le port pour participer à des opérations de lutte contre les stupéfiants avec les forces américaines & HMCS Harry DeWolf departs for counter-narcotics operations with US forces
All-Canadian Antarctic mission brings home samples for climate science (Editor – HMCS Margaret Brooke efforts acknowledged)
Commander says Esquimalt navy base brings economic firepower
Return to the deep: Navy submarine sets sail after 14 years in Victoria dock (Editor – Better late than never!)
CDR: NSS Update – National Shipbuilding Strategy and 2024 year in review: National Shipbuilding Strategy & Bilan de l’année 2024 : Stratégie nationale de construction navale with Delivering the National Shipbuilding Strategy (Editor – great Irving 4:58 min video)
CDAI Expert Series: Can Canada Reduce its Dependence on the U.S? (Editor – 27:02 min podcast)
Editor – The King Charles III Coronation medal recipients keep coming, with John David Nosotti, and Bob Campbell (Fleet Chief Petty Officer, Naval Reserve). Of the 30,000 medals awarded in Canada NAC members were awarded 18 for their various exploits and achievements! BZ to all.
Bad News! Canada’s Victoria-Class Submarine Must Be Replaced
Why is the naval destroyer program wrapped in secrecy? The F-35 saga offers insights while CANADIAN ARMED FORCES: Shipbuilding Procurement Project FUBAR (Editor – Esprit de Corps Magazine in a 4:47 min video. Included so that you are aware that this sort of negative spin is out there) River Class Fact Sheet (Bilingual)
Why is Canada’s Type 26 a destroyer and not a frigate?
Canada’s River-class destroyers to feature Ultra Maritime’s torpedo defense systems
Trump’s card – Just what impact will incoming U.S. President Donald Trump have on Canada’s military?
Carney orders review of F-35 fighter jet purchase from U.S.’s Lockheed Martin against the background of Only 40% of air force inventory ready for action as Canada rethinks its F-35 contract unbiased opinion Saab Gripen vs F-35A – Opinion From Pilot Who Flew Both – Interview 6/12 (Editor – 37 sec video)
In Antarctica, Canadian scientists have a ‘momentous’ chance to learn more about climate change and Whaling settlement site in Antarctica helps map climate change (Editor – CBC 2:32 min video)
‘A dangerous game’: Alaskan senator proposes retaliation by cutting B.C. cruise stops (Editor – amending or repealing the protectionist US Jones Act or the 1886 Passenger Vessel Services Act seems nonsensical for the US when they are trying to kickstart their shipbuilding and boost the shipping industry)
Meet the WWII veteran hoping to receive 100 birthday cards in time for his 100th
Shipwrecks litter the N.S. coast. Now we can see some in 3D (Editor – spot two “steamers” and HMCS Esquimalt mentioned in a 3:52 min video)
Port of Vancouver hosts Canada’s ‘inaugural’ LNG bunkering for a boxship
40 milliards en jeu : le sous-marin Barracuda, bientôt le contrat du siècle ?
CDAI: for ongoing writing Write For Us and for the 27th Annual Graduate Student Conference
The NRAC/ARNC March 2025 Edition is now available. & L’édition de mars 2025 est maintenant disponible.
NAC Naval Affairs Marine Security Operations Centres (MSOCs) (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: March 17, 2025
FMC Launches Investigation into Global Maritime Chokepoints Amid Rising Shipping Disruptions and Salvors Board Stena Immaculate and Solong Following North Sea Collision
U.S. Navy Destroyer Joins Coast Guard’s Maritime Border Security Mission
Military Sealift Marks Milestone with First Ship of New Class
Bollinger Hands 59th Sentinel Cutter to US Coast Guard
Inside Submarine Construction (Editor – USNI impresive 26:05 min podcast)
US Navy’s ship completes seven-month ROH at Hanwha Ocean
Polar Icebreakers May Be Key to Jumpstarting American Shipbuilding New Report Finds
US Navy Invests in Underwater Robotics with BlueHalo to Enhance Mine Detection and Naval Operations
Korean Giant Hanwha Acquires Austal Stake in Latest Push to Reshape U.S. Shipbuilding
The U.S. Navy Wants a Subsea Crawler to Defeat Sea Mines
Pentagon Could Reduce Workforce by 60,000 Through Buyouts, Attrition, Says Official
Fisherman rescued after 95 days adrift eating turtles
Beijing Slams CK Hutchison’s $22.8 Billion Port Sale to BlackRock as ‘Betrayal’ to China
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INDO-PACIFIC
China’s military spending rises should prompt regional budget responses (Editor – 7.2% increase again)
First Sighting Of China’s Huge Invasion Barges – Quick Analysis (Editor – this will get your attention! A 6:31 min video) and China holds landing exercise with ‘invasion barges’ in South China Sea
Taiwan holds combat-readiness drills in response to PLA ‘grey-zone provocations’
USS Ohio nuclear submarine returns to the Pacific with more firepower than all bombs in World War II combined (Editor – “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”)
French, Indian Navies Begin Dual Carrier Strike Group Drills
Chinese Naval Forces Showcase Power in the Pacific Ocean
Is the Royal Navy Indo-Pacific ready, or should the carrier strike group stay closer to home?
N-subs: let’s move to Plan B (Editor – I feel for the Australians, uncertainty reigns) but AUKUS: Why Australia should stay the course but All or Nothing – Australia and its AUKUS submarine dilemma (Editor – includes a useful summary of alternative boats available to them)
Defence Connect SPOTLIGHT: Training – the key to success in joint operations (Editor – 29:36 min podcast)
U.S. Marines to Stage Equipment at Subic Bay Under New Prepositioning Plan
Pakistan Navy’s second Hangor-class submarine launched in China
Tough negotiations result in big savings from Scorpene Submarine deal with France
Chinese Fishermen “Spontaneously” Raise $18M for Deep-Sea Research Ship
China Halts US LNG Imports as Trade War Reroutes Deliveries and opportunities Australia’s Woodside Secures 15-Year LNG Supply Agreement with China
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EUROPE
Ukraine:
Reassurance, not peacekeeping: What Ukraine coalition force will and won’t do
Russia and US to Discuss Black Sea Shipping on Monday
General:
Germany votes for historic boost to defence spending (Editor – not a maritime article, but it’s been ages since anyone applauded German rearmament! The %GDP of aid to Ukraine graph that is included is attention-grabbing. BZ to those smaller European nations!) and European Rearmament – The ReArm Europe Plan & the Future of U.S. Weapon Sales (Editor – 1:05:08 hr Perun video)
Russian Captain Charged with Manslaughter Following Fatal North Sea Vessel Collision
(Editor – not sure what will happen of this proves deliberate versus incompetence) and an update Stena Immaculate and Solong Allision & Salvage Update | One Tank Ruptured | Master Charged (Editor – 16:57 min video)
Royal Navy Vanguard-class submarine comes home after breaking the record for the longest patrol perhaps a connection Rented Missiles & Worn Out Submarines: The Shocking State of Britain’s Nuclear Deterrent (Editor – something to ponder in a 13:49 min video)
France, Italy and the UK order more than 200 additional Aster missiles from MBDA
La Marine nationale aura trois frégates de plus… Mais seront-elles mieux armées ?
Royal Navy takes delivery of autonomous mine hunter
Danish consortium ready to build new Arctic patrol vessels and frigates
Fleet Solid Support Ships on track for 2032 delivery
Thales to provide high-performance sonar suite for future Orka-class submarines in the Netherlands
France’s seabed warfare strategy includes offensive means
Russia accuses Norway of militarizing Svalbard Arctic islands
Photos: Royal Navy Shadows Russian Task Force Carrying Cargo from Syria
Russian Oil Cargo Transferred From Sanctioned Tankers Discharged Into China, Data Shows
With 22,318 ships, Europe controls 35% of the world fleet
NCLH, Fincantieri roll out the red carpet for latest Prima-class cruise ship (Gallery)
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MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea: (Editor – sadly, I guess this section stays for a while longer)
Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Ends, Heightening Maritime Security Risks in Red Sea and Gulf Regions
Yemen’s Houthis to Continue Attacks on Isreal-Linked Shipping in Red Sea
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen’s Houthis
UPDATED: Houthis Attempt Attack on Carrier Harry S. Truman After U.S. Strikes in Yemen
Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran Over Houthi Attacks, Threatens ‘Dire Consequences’
Breaking News: US Fighter Jet Destroys Houthi Drones in Red Sea Using Advanced Laser-Guided Rockets
General:
India, France to kick off high-voltage Naval Exercise in Arabian Sea
Navy Deploys First Operational LCS Mine Countermeasures Packages (Editor – to Middle East and Japan)
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Chinese ‘Teapot’ Refinery and Shadow Fleet in Major Iranian Oil Crackdown
Iraq Makes Rare Seizure of Ship Suspected of Fuel Smuggling in Gulf
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GLOBAL INTERESTS
Navigating the Complexities of Maritime Sanctions: A February 2025 Overview
‘Unexpected’ rate of sea level rise in 2024: NASA
Shots Fired as Pirates Board Tanker off Central African Coast and Unmanned surface vessels and their role in African maritime security
Somali Pirates Hijack Yemeni Fishing Vessel Off Puntland Coast, Latest in String of Attacks
Russia Agrees to Help Landlocked Ethiopia Rebuild its Navy
Plus de six tonnes de cocaïne saisies par la Marine française sur un bateau en provenance du Guyana
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SCUTTLEBUTT
Type IX – Guide 431 (Editor – not so well-known boats is 8:32 min video)
The Ship That Changed Shipbuilding: ss Fullagar (Editor – Mariner’s Mirror 24 min podcast about the first all welded ship)
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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
22 March 1944 SS Watuka (Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Company, New Glasgow, NS) with a cargo of 1998 tons of coal, was one of five ships transiting from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Halifax in an unescorted convoy SH-125. The five ships departed Sydney on 21 March. The ships were approaching Halifax when U-802 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the overlapping ships and an acoustic torpedo was fired at one of the ships. Three detonations were heard but only Watuka was hit, and she sank 15 nautical miles SE of Halifax. Two crew members were killed. However, the master, 22 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the trawler HMCS Anticosti.
23 March 1965 Fifteen RCAF aviators and a Scientific Advisor were killed when their CP-170 Argus patrol plane went down in a nightime ASW training exercise off Puerto Rico.
24 March 1941 The Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817, which restricted the number of naval vessels allowed on the Great Lakes, is modified to allow both American and Canadian naval vessels to operate on the Great Lakes in greater numbers.
26 March 1941 HMCS Otter was a civilian, steel-hulled yacht named Conseco that was converted for naval service and commissioned in Oct 1940. The ship was used as a training vessel and for anti-submarine patrols as part of the Halifax Local Defence Force. Otter was tasked to escort HMS Talisman into port and was await the submarine’s arrival near the Sambro Light Vessel when a fire broke out. While fighting the fire, the engines and electric pumps failed, and the Captain gave the order to abandon ship after the code books had been destroyed and the magazines had been flooded. The crew faced heavy seas and one lifeboat capsized while awaiting rescue. Two officers and seventeen ratings died in the incident, all were RCNVR/RCNR, and six Mentions in Despatches were awarded, three posthumously.
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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