NAC News – Edition 618 (Somers Isles/Bermuda)
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of May 23rd, 2025
Edition: 618 HMCS Somers Isles/RCN Training Base Bermuda
Quote: “The deployment of HMCS William Hall to Operation CARIBBE demonstrates Canada’s unwavering commitment to international security and our dedication to combating illicit trafficking in the Caribbean. The strong partnerships we maintain with our allies, particularly the United States and the US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked in HMCS William Hall, are crucial in ensuring the success of these operations and in keeping our communities safe.” Rear-Admiral Josée Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic, 14 May 2025
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)
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NOTICES
The Memory Project (Editor – I was contacted recently and asked to canvas the NAC membership. The Memory Project is a volunteer speakers bureau that arranges for veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members to share their stories of military service at school and community events across the country. This is such a natural fit for our membership and goals of NAC. Please Become a Speaker)
NEW CANSEC 2025 28-29 May 2025, EY Centre, Ottawa
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.
21 June 2025 Noon Ottawa time. NAC AGM For review here is the 2025 AGM webpage (note – info is good, but the documents at this site haven’t been populated yet) and last year’s 2024 AGM Link.
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
By the numbers: Who contributed, and sacrificed, the most in WW II? (Editor – well worth the read)
CDAI: The Future of the Five Eyes (FVEY) and Canada’s Role in it (Editor – 38:07 min podcast)
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CANADA
Message du nouveau ministre de la Défense nationale & Message from the new Minister of National Defence
The Honourable Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence & L’honorable Jill McKnight, Ministre des Anciens Combattants et ministre associée de la Défense nationale
Eyes of the Fleet – Inside the Operations Room of HMCS Fredericton (Editor – CAF 2:00 min video)
CMSN: The “Fourth Battle” for the Atlantic- Russia’s capabilities, strategic thinking, and gameplan
Christyn Cianfarani, President & CEO of CADSI, gave an exclusive preview of what to expect at CANSEC 2025 in a 11:12 min podcast, with Hanwha to Showcase Integrated Defence Solutions for Canada at CANSEC 2025
Maneuvering this GIANT Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel isn’t easy! (Editor – RCN 2:51 min video) & La manœuvre de ce GRAND navire de patrouille extracôtier de l’Arctique n’est pas une mince affaire!
Canadian Armed Forces: “It’s a Mess!” (Editor – rehash in Esprit de Corps 5:33 min video)
My Case for Conscription in Canada
Après Sept-Îles-Uashat samedi, l’entraînement militaire conjoint Canada-France se poursuit à Québec
Exercice Lion Mistral | Sept-Îles accueille un rare partenariat militaire Canada-France
La marine française débarque au port de Québec
Diver found WWII Royal Canadian Navy ship bell – missing for 80 years (Editor – HMCS Trentonian (K368, Flower Class corvette) was torpedoed and sunk 22 Feb 1945. Trentonian is a war grave; six RCN sailors remain with her. As the Canadian government has not passed legislation protecting our naval war graves abroad or in home waters, souvenir hunting is rampant. That said, the British diver who retrieved the bell has “graciously” turned it over to the RCN Naval Attaché in London. The bell will be returned to Canada aboard HMCS Montreal upon her return from her current European deployment. Parks Canada will provide the necessary conservation at their facilities in Dartmouth, the same facility used for Erubus and Terror artifacts. The bell will eventually be placed in the Naval Museum of Halifax.)
China emerging as top customer for Canadian oil shipped via Trans Mountain Pipeline
Venture Association Newsletter The Signal May 2025 (Editor – Although the Association was officially dissolved on 31 March, it was decided to continue publishing the newsletter twice a year for five years. Note the article by Harry Harsch, NAC member, the Chief of Staff Commissionaires, and the Chair of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Education Foundation)
Lookout: 20 May 2025 Volume 70 Issue 10 (English) (Française)
Trident: 19 May 2025 Volume 59 Issue 10 (Bilingue)
NAC Naval Affairs Harbouring Talent – Investigating the Recruitment and Retention Dynamics of Technicians in the RCN, Mai Guo, April 2025 (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: May 19, 2025 (Editor – always great pictures!)
2 killed, others injured after Mexican navy ship sails into Brooklyn Bridge stern first in a better quality video included here Watch: Mexican Navy Tall Ship Dismasted After Striking Brooklyn Bridge and the human side Mexico mourns Navy cadets killed in Brooklyn Bridge ship crash eventually Why did the Mexican Navy Training Ship Cuauhtémoc Strike the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17, 2025 (Editor – short video)
Adm. Kevin Lunday Set to Lead Coast Guard, Outline of New Force Design Released while USCG Ordered to Reduce Flag Rank by Quarter as Part of Force Design
Frigate Touted By Trump Is Among Navy’s ‘Least Performing’ Programs
Navy Sends Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston to Support Southern Border Mission
Former VCNO Burke Convicted of 4 Charges in Federal Bribery Trial (Editor – an ex-SSBN CO, what was he thinking)
GAO Report on Senate Holds on Flag, General Officers
Panama’s $1.6B Plan to Save Its Dying Canal (Editor – first-rate explanation in a 9:46 min video)
Port of Savannah Sets New Container Volume Record
Salvage Tug Reaches ‘Maersk Sana’ After More Than Two Weeks Adrift in Atlantic
Expect an above-average hurricane season, says NOAA
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INDO-PACIFIC
USS Nimitz Operating Near Malacca Strait, Chinese Amphibious Group in Philippine Sea
A Neglected Indo-Pacific Military Posture (Editor – Commander U.S. Indo-Pacific Command testimony in a 6:50 min WSJ video)
Can the Tariff WAR cause a REAL WAR with CHINA? (Editor – one perspective in a 11:31 min video)
Philippines says China Coast Guard fired water cannon, ‘sideswiped’ govt vessel
Kim Jong-un furious as North Korea warship partly ‘crushed’ in launch gone wrong
China’s Type 052D destroyer: backbone of the PLAN
PLA Navy unveils third 10,000-ton-class hospital ship (Editor – soft power tool or preparing for war. It’s a great deal of capacity for a nation with no recent history of expeditionary warfare.)
China’s bold amphibious drill near Taiwan sparks global alarm
Japan welcomes seventh Mogami-class frigate
U.S. Plans to Upgrade Philippine Military South China Sea Maritime Operations Hub
Exail to supply robotic mine countermeasure systems to Singapore Navy
Groundwork moves on AUKUS Pillar 1 supply chain
China Claims New Decoy Tech Creates ‘Ghost Fleet’ From Just One Warship
Why did the government sign the Chagos deal now?
Security or Safety: What is AIS Really For?
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EUROPE
Ukraine:
Ukraine and Russia take part in biggest prisoner swap since 2022 invasion
EU Likely to Propose to G7 Lowering Price Cap on Russian Oil to $50 per Barrel
EU targets 189 additional ships in ‘largest’ single G7 action against Russia’s shadow fleet
NEW Baltic:
Tripwire Forces Assigned To Defend The Baltics (Editor – good explanation in a 8:15 min video) and to the south Poland’s military spend packs a punch to face Russian aggression (Editor – “It has a plan” with serious steps explained in a 5:07 min video)
West’s actions pose direct threat to maritime security — Russian diplomat and Trend towards pressure on Russia’s civilian fleet is taking shape in Baltic — expert
Estonian PM Vows To Keep Up Checks On Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ with What Is Russia’s Shadow Fleet & Why Is Estonia’s Navy Being Criticized? (Editor – 7:08 min video) and Estonia-Russia ship standoff portends a harsher tone on the Baltic Sea of course Russia Vows to Defend Its Ships in Baltic Sea
Naval Group offers mine warfare vessels to Baltic countries
Poland Checking For Explosives Near Subsea Cable After Suspicious Russian Activity then Poland FORCES Russian ‘Shadow Ship’ to RETREAT Near NATO Cable! (Editor – 20:29 min video)
Baltic blitz for Navy’s small patrol craft on eight-week mission
General:
Trump Delivers Ultimatum: U.S. Troops to Begin Leaving Europe After NATO Summit Showdown! | TN World (Editor – the antithesis of “How to make friends and influence people”, Dale Carnagie, 1936, a book apparently not in the White House library)
Royal Navy escorts historic flotilla over to Dunkirk for 85th anniversary commemorations
USS Harry S. Truman Operating in Mediterranean Sea
Princess of Wales smashes bottle of whisky as she formally names HMS Glasgow in ceremony
MQ-9B considered for new carrier early warning aircraft and Could the UK operate MQ-9 drones from its aircraft carriers?
Royal Navy adds new uncrewed AI sub Excalibur to its arsenal (Editor – love the cake cutting in a 3:23 min video)
Virtual Warrior: Royal Navy training to fight modern threats before setting sail
Turkish Navy Achieves Breakthrough in Carrier-Based Drone Operations
Denmark allocates funds to purchase additional ESSMs for navy’s frigates (Editor – extra munitions have a substantial ripple effect on how they are stored and maintained.)
Watch: Deep inside a Norwegian mountain, Nato allies train for Arctic war (Editor – 1:24 min video)
Why the Type 31 Frigate Is Crucial to the Royal Navy’s Future (Editor – Historic ship names in a 16:09 min video)
Netherlands seemingly wants to procure German anti-torpedo torpedo
Royal Navy Reports HMS Dragon Downed First Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target
Engineering that defies the cold! (Editor – Russian icebreaker Ural in a short video)
Finnish Icebreaker Builders Make Push for North American Market With Merger of Two Major Players
Brussels imposes sanctions on Murmansk fishery industry
Plug and sail: A closer look at Norway’s electric maritime turn
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MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea:
Fight With Houthis Left a Dent in U.S. Navy’s Weapons Inventory
Yemen’s Houthis Announce ‘Maritime Blockade’ on Israel’s Haifa Port
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GLOBAL INTERESTS
The Mariner’s Mirror Seapower Past & Present 2: Critical National Infrastructure (Editor – second subject following one from last week in a 49:00 min podcast)
Building Security Through Cooperation: Exercise Obangame Express 2025 concludes in Cabo Verde
We finally cracked the code on ocean plastic (Editor – It’s not going away, a 8:33 min video)
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SCUTTLEBUTT
All the Little Ships High Quality 20 min version (Editor – thanks to NAC member Dave Mazur for posting this 20 min historical video of the RCN at sea during WW2)
Mae West and the 445th Bombardment Group (Editor – 45 sec video)
The Fritz-X – Wunderweapon or Wasted Potential? (Editor – note reference to HMS later HMCS Uganda (Quebec) in this 13:37 min video)
Royal Navy Introduction to Engineering | 1985 | RN | Military | Vintage (Editor – 17:50 min video)
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THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
24 May 1941 HMS Hood is sunk by the Bismarck in the Denmark Straits: three Canadian Midshipmen Christopher Norman (Victoria BC), Francis Jones (Revelstoke BC), Thomas Beard (Victoria BC), serving in the battle cruiser are killed. All three midshipman were sons of RCN or Canadian Army officers.
24 May 1963 41 Sea King helicopters designated the CH-124 entered service with the RCN. By the time it was retired from service 55 years later, in 2018, it had undergone a variety of modifications and role-changes. Throughout, it maintained its well-earned reputation as the workhorse of the fleet. While most other navies only operated such large helicopters from aircraft carriers, the RCN embarked the Sea Kings on their helicopter-carrying destroyers (DDH). To do so, Canada developed the “beartrap” hauldown system, which allowed the helicopter to land safely and quickly, even on a rolling deck. Sea King helicopters were a critical element in nearly every naval operation at home and abroad.
23 May 1941 The first seven corvettes for the Newfoundland Escort Force arrive in St. John’s. They secured to a rotting wooden wharf at the southern end of the harbour. Apart from fuel, shelter, food, water and encouragement, St. John’s offered little in 1941.
25 May 1945 HMCS Ontario was a Minotaur-class light cruiser built for the RN as HMS Minotaur but transferred to the RCN. HMS Minotaur was laid down on 20 November 1941 by Harland & Wolff of Belfast and launched on 29 July 1943. She was transferred to the RCN in July 1944 and completed and commissioned as HMCS Ontario on 25 May 1945 at Belfast.
28 May 1945 Signal sent from Admiralty, discontinuing all convoys on the north and south Atlantic, Arctic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and St. Lawrence. One by one, merchant ships began turning on navigation lights and then sailing in full illumination, causing the final convoys to shine like bright cities on the water.
28 May 2000 Dedication of Canada’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
29 May 1982 The National War Memorial in Ottawa is rededicated to include dates of the Second World War and Korean War.
30 May 1939 Presentation of the King’s Colour to the RCN in Victoria BC. The first occasion that the Colour was personally presented by the ruling sovereign to a naval force outside the British Isles. The Commanding Officer on the West Coast was Captain (later RAdm) Victor G. Brodeur, the Royal Guard was commanded by LCdr (later RAdm) E.P. Tisdall, and the Colour Officer was Lt. (later RAdm) J.C. Hibbard, DSC, RCN.
30 May 1952 While carrying out a shore bombardment near Chongin on the east coast of North Korea, both Nootka and the American destroyer USS John W. Thomason came under fire. The first shells fired by the radar-directed enemy guns fell close to both ships, which were some four kilometres from shore. These near misses inflicted only superficial damage on Nootka, as both ships quickly left the area to avoid more serious damage.
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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