NAC News – Edition 610 (Niobe II)
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of March 28th, 2025
Edition: 610 HMCS Niobe II Quotes: “The ship survived the onslaught of negative press and partisan criticism and its value has become apparent to both the (initially sceptical) Navy and the now governing Liberals. While its compromises are very real, the ship has fulfilled that fundamental requirement set by Navy planners in the project’s early days: it’s “good enough.” A superficially flippant description, what that really meant was that, while the ship may not be a high-end icebreaker, patrol craft, or combatant, it has all the capabilities needed to perform its assigned missions, without the added costs of capabilities that offer only a minimal return on investment. A versatile jack-of-all-trades, the AOPS gives Canada what it needs most in the Arctic and the offshore, providing new capabilities and preparing the country for a wide array of real, emerging, and potential threats.” Canada’s Arctic Offshore and Patrol Ships (AOPS): Their history and purpose, Maritime Policy, Adam Lajeunesse, undated
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.
19-22 June 2025 Halifax Fleet Week. Naval vessels from Canada and Allied nations will gather for public tours and demonstrations. The event features educational programmes, community activities, and a showcase of modern naval technologies, celebrating maritime heritage and international cooperation in Halifax Harbour.
26-27 September 2025 The Canadian Maritime Security Network (CMSN) will host a conference on the future Canadian Seapower 2025. Venue – University of Calgary. Today, Canada faces a more complex and dangerous security landscape than at any time since the Second World War. The country is at an inflection point, facing two great power competitors, a complicated ecosystem of malign non-state actors, persistent pressures eroding the rules based international order, and an uncertain partnership with the U.S. Registration opens 1 May 2025.
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THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES
National defence is often an afterthought in Canadian elections. Not this time
CDAI: Statement on 2025 Federal Elections: Call for a leaders’ debate on national security & defence with We’re calling on 10,000 Canadians to sign a petition urging the five major political parties to commit to a dedicated leaders’ debate on national security, defence, and foreign policy. (Editor – sign the petition, its easy and quick)
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CANADA
Five-month deployment a father-and-son experience for two HMCS Ottawa crew members and HMCS Ottawa returns from Operations HORIZON and NEON & Le NCSM Ottawa revient des opérations HORIZON et NEON plus HMCS Ottawa a Halifax class Navy Warship Returns Home after a Indo-Pacific Deployment (Editor – Go Bold coverage in a 7:17 min video)
HMCS Harry DeWolf returns from Operation CARIBBE & Le Navire canadien de Sa Majesté (NCSM) Harry DeWolf revient de l’opération CARIBBE
CDAI: NATO’s New Fault Lines: Where Does Canada Stand? (Editor – 45:59 min interview with Robert Baines, President and CEO of the NATO Association of Canada)
Science in steel boxes: how research teams hitched a ride with navy to Antarctica
Le Canada lance sa première expédition de recherche en Antarctique
Fuel removal begins on Grounded container ship MSC Baltic III (Editor – 4:18 min video)
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES: Reservists’ Uphill Battle (Editor – Esprit de Corps 5:20 min video)
Will Canada Cancel Its Order for American F-35 Fighter Jets? | Your Morning (Editor – CTV 6:03 min video)
Editor – the King Charles III Coronation Medal count is at 21, as three more NAC members, Ray Leveque, Edgar Williams and King Wan have joined those so honoured!
Lookout: Volume 70, Issue 6, March 24, 2025 English & French versions available
Trident: 24 March 2025 Volume 59, Issue 06 (Bilingual)
NAC Naval Affairs Canadian Maritime Aviation: Missions and Capabilities (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 24, 2025
USS Nimitz Arrives in San Diego Ahead of Deployment; USS Carl Vinson Stops in Guam on Way to Middle East then USS Nimitz Leaves San Diego on Final Deployment
Destroyer USS Spruance Deploying to Support NORTHCOM Border Mission
U.S. Coast Guard Offloads Over $500 Million in Cocaine, Marijuana from Eastern Pacific Seizures
USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) Departs for Maiden Deployment
Trump picks Boeing over Lockheed for major fighter jet contract (Editor – not a maritime article but one of interest as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme (6th Generation) to replace the F-22 ramps up)
HII Ingalls launches third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
US Navy to receive five more CMV-22B aircraft under $590 million contract
HII Reaches Over 700 Sales of REMUS Underwater Vehicle
Report to Congress on Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine
Trump Says Nations Buying Venezuela Oil, Gas Face 25% Charge
Report: Panama Poised to Purge Sanctioned Tankers from Registry
Colombian Drug Gang Bribed Navy Staff to Place GPS Devices on Navy Ships
First U.S. Offshore LNG Export Terminal Gets Green Light from Maritime Administration
Why Cruise Lines Are Buying Up Private Caribbean Islands | WSJ The Economics Of (Editor – game changing approach in a 5:50 min video)
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INDO-PACIFIC
Taiwan Navy Ship and Chinese Fishing Trawler Collide in Taiwan Strait
China Discloses Powerful Deep-Sea Cable Cutter, SCMP Reports but China’s cable cutting theatre
China’s Fujian aircraft carrier sets off on seventh sea trial (Editor – includes 9 min video) Aircraft carrier Fujian’s maritime tests normal arrangement during construction: Chinese Defense Ministry
Australia to Speed Up $1 billion in Defense Spending, Including AUKUS Submarine Base and Frigates
Japan establishes new Maritime Transport Group with Taiwan contingency in mind
FAZSOI – Coopération maritime renforcée entre la France et les Seychelles
China’s upgraded Jiaolong submersible sets new record for dive frequency
Chinese Nationals Arrested on Espionage Charges Tracked Philippine, U.S. Vessels at Subic Bay
Indonesia’s first PPA started sea trials in Italy
INS Nistar Diving Support Vessel in its final stages of completion
Australia Orders Mk 48 Heavy Torpedoes Under $200 Million Deal
Chinese vessels engaging in military work in Indian Ocean: Navy Chief
South Korea Bolsters Polar Capabilities Moving Ahead With Next-Generation Icebreaker
Iran Oil-Filled Tankers Build Up Off Malaysia as Sanctions Mount
L’Australie aura-t-elle les sous-marins nucléaires tant attendus ?
Chinese NewNew Shipping Line To Expand Arctic Container Service After Profitable 2024 Operation
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EUROPE
Ukraine:
US Delegation Aims For Maritime Ceasefire In The Black Sea then Russia and Ukraine agree naval ceasefire in Black Sea
General:
What is Putin up to off Estonia’s Baltic coast? | Focus on Europe (Editor – 5:04 min video)
NATO Naval Task Group increases presence and patrols in the GIUK Gap
In focus: the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine sentry – the Towed Array Patrol Ship
NATO warships assemble in Mediterranean Sea
Cette nouvelle arme de pointe capable de couler un patrouilleur de la Marine française
Swedish defence spending to rise by SEK 300 billion over the next decade
Can Britain’s Trident submarine destroy 40 Russian cities? (Editor – a disturbing “discussion” on many levels) but What we know about UK’s new Dreadnought-class nuclear attack submarine (Editor – 3:15 min video)
Russia’s Northern Fleet to Launch Multiple New Nuclear Submarines
DragonFire directed energy weapon to be fitted to four Royal Navy warships by 2027
Mid-winter Arctic sea ice reaches record-low
Now this pile of scrap metal will be a monument to the USSR (Editor – Typhoon SSBN!)
Germany Confiscates Tanker Belonging to Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’
How the world’s largest underwater tunnel is being built | BBC News (Editor – 3:39 min video)
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MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea:
Houthi Attack Pause Lets Europe Get More Fuel Via Suez for Now
Hegseth beefs up Middle East warship presence with 2 aircraft carriers
Houthis Claim “Hours-Long” Exchange of Fire With U.S. Carrier Strike Group
6 killed, 39 rescued after tourist submarine sinks off Egypt’s coast
General:
Russia Ships Arctic Oil to Syria for First Time then Second Sanctioned Tanker Offloads Russian Arctic Crude Oil in Syria
Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says
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GLOBAL INTERESTS
Argentine Navy Rescues Chilean Supply Vessel off Antarctica
Scientists thought this Antarctic sea floor would be barren. But it’s teeming with life
DÉCRYPTAGE. Missiles, avions… Quelle est la dépendance des marines européennes aux États-Unis ?
India to Hold Naval Drills With African Nations to Counter China
Car-Shipping Companies Plunge After Trump’s Latest Tariffs
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SCUTTLEBUTT
Type X – Guide 432 (Editor – minelayers in a 6:59 min video)
US Navy Logistics – From Small Beginnings… (1900-1942) (Editor – the challenges of the distances in the Pacific shows in a 33:53 min video)
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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
29 March 1940 The Halifax Pilot Vessel Hebridean tried to cross the bow of the British merchant ship Esmond inbound from St. John’s Newfoundland and was subsequently rammed and sank. Six pilots and three members of the crew drowned. In recognition of this tragic event, the Atlantic Pilotage Authority dedicated a commemorative plaque to the community of Herring Cove. The plaque was placed in a small park near the breakwater at the head of the cove and named “Hebridean Park”. [Perhaps Hebridean should be added to the list of merchant vessels sunk during WWII]
29 March 1945 HMCS Teme (River Class frigate) is torpedoed by U Boat 246 in the English Channel off Falmouth. She lost 60 feet of her stern, was towed to Falmouth where she was declared a total loss.
30 March 1972 The last “Up Spirits” was piped in HMC Ships ending the longstanding daily tot of rum issue.
31 March 1945 HMCS Conestoga, the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service training establishment, was paid off.
31 March 1991 The Gulf War between Iraq and the United Nations coalition ended.
1 April 1733 Canada’s First lighthouse lit for the first time, using coal from nearby Morien and Spanish River; the round 200 metre tower, made with cement from limestone burned in local kilns, is the first fireproof concrete structure in North America at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and the only other one on the entire eastern coast of North America is in Boston.
1 April 1873 Wreck of luxury liner SS Atlantic, sailing from Liverpool England to New York; the ship was turning into Halifax Harbour to get coal, but struck a reef in the foggy night near Mars Rock, Meagher’s Island, near Terrance Bay – 546 people drown in heavy seas, while local fishermen manage to save 300.
1 April 1941 RCN armed merchant cruiser Prince Henry intercepts two German ships off Peru. After a brief chase both German crews scuttled their ships rather than be taken.
1 April 1942 The Canadian registered SS Robert W. Pomeroy (Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co, Toronto), was a coal-fired Great Lakes freighter. With a cargo of lumber, her first (and only) wartime crossing was in convoy SC-3 (47 ships) which departed Sydney NS on 2 September 1940 bound for Liverpool. Four of the ships were sunk by U-boats. On arrival in the UK, the Pomeroy was “considered not suitable for Deep Sea Trading” and was “allocated” to be a local UK collier. During one of her voyages, she joined the unescorted coastal convoy FN-67 which was northbound for the Blyth and Tyne coal mining ports but she sank about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Norfolk England. She was “submerged, mast visible and [anti-aircraft barrage] balloon still flying”, but the records indicate some uncertainty regarding the cause. She might have hit a mine or broken her back in heavy seas. One casualty amongst the crew.
1 April 1959 New St. Lawrence Seaway opens for business; it will be officially dedicated June 26 by the Queen and US President Dwight Eisenhower.
2 April 1887 In an attempt to control seal hunting off the Alaskan coast, the United States in 1881 claimed authority over all the Bering Sea waters. Britain refused to recognize this claim. The U.S. government then ordered the seizure of all vessels found sealing in the Bering Sea and they seized the first Canadian sealing ship on the 2 April and other on the 9, 12, and 17th.
3 April 3, 1935 Lt(N) J. P. Connolly appointed Commanding Officer, charged to raise a RCNVR unit in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
3 April 1996 Members of the Canadian Forces ordered to spend the entire day searching for documents that may aid the Somalia inquiry.
3 April 2007 Royal Assent given to the Veterans’ Bill of Rights; PM Harper says Ottawa will establish an ombudsman for veterans, so the government can respond quickly and fairly to any concerns of veterans.
3 April 2010 PO2 Douglas “Craig” Blake, a member of Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic), was the RCN member killed in Afghanistan after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated about 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City in Panjwai district. Only two weeks into his first tour of the country as an explosive ordnance disposal operator, he was returning to camp after successfully disposing of another IED when the blast went off.
4 April 1949 Canada signs the Washington Treaty with Belgium, the U.K., Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the U.S.; and becomes a founding member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization; NATO members pledge to defend each other in event of Soviet attack. NATO is Canada’s first peacetime military alliance.
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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