NAC News – Edition 635 HMCS Champlain
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of September 19, 2025
Edition 635 HMCS Champlain Quote: “Cyber security is a major concern for the shipping industry, given how interconnected the world is. Shipping has been listed as one of the top 10 targets for cyber criminals globally,” he says. “The impact can be quite significant if cyber criminals manage to disrupt your operations or, for example, carry out a ransomware attack.” And the rate of attacks is rocketing. A research group at the Netherlands’ NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences compiled data on shipping cyber attacks over the last few years, and found that the number shot up from just 10 in 2021 to at least 64 last year. Many incidents, says Jeroen Pijpker of the university’s Maritime IT Security research group, are linked to the governments of four countries – Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.” Why hackers are targeting the world’s shipping, Emma Woollacott BBC Technology reporter 14 September 2025 (Editor – full article in Global Interests section)
Rod Hughes: Editor NAC News rhughes@shaw.ca (Comments welcome to help improve this service.) The content of this bulletin includes articles from entities not subject to the Official Languages Act. Consequently, these articles may be provided by the institution in only one official language, including the links, and we do not have the copyright to modify or translate them. Links to keep in touch with the NAC and RCN can be found at the bottom of this email. Contact naccoordinator@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
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. To register.
29 September 2025 HMCS Whitehorse, Saskatoon, and Brandon will be paid off at B Jetty, HMC Dockyard Esquimalt. A reception will follow at the wardroom. RSVP to MARPACevents@forces.gc.ca Dress Military 1A(Medals)/Civilian Business attire. Guests are asked to park at the Canteen Rd parking lot. A shuttle bus will begin transporting guests to the ceremony starting at 1000.
3 October 2025 HMC Ships Kingston, Glace Bay, Goose Bay, Shawinigan, and Summerside will be paid off at Jetty NB, HMC Dockyard Halifax. A reception will be held at HMCS Scotian. Registration is required at: MARLANTSOVP@FORCES.GC.CA
Dress Military 1A(Medals)/Civilian Business attire. 1300 Entry through HMCS Scotian for pre-ceremony tea/coffee, with guests to proceed to NB Jetty to be seated by 1345. Guests are asked to park in the Dockyard parking lot Zone located at the southern end of the lot accessible via the Barrington St Roundabout.
15 October 2025 (8:00 – 2:15 Halifax time) Chief Heads of Navy – Alliances and Partnerships in Shifting Geopolitical Landscapes, to be held at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Loyola Academic Complex 290. The Canadian Maritime Security Network is pleased to partner with the RCN to welcome the Chief of Heads of Navy of Germany, New Zealand, Norway, and Pakistan to Saint Mary’s University for a public event. VAdm Angus Topshee will provide a Keynote followed by two panels of the Chiefs of Heads of Navy. This event will focus on the challenges posed by rapidly shifting geopolitics and the growing importance of strengthening global partnerships. For more information email: rdean@stfx.ca
21–22 October 2025 ABCMI’s Business Opportunities Conference & Trade Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre, this flagship event brings together leading companies from across Canada in the marine and defence sectors. See the website for our draft Programme and list of Exhibitors. Tickets are selling quickly; exhibit spaces are sold out.
4 November 2025 7.30 – 18.30 Ottawa time Deep Blue Forum 6th Annual Conference. Theme: The Future of the Submarine Enterprise – People Harnessing Technology, in a System of Systems. The National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa Today is the last day that the Super Early Bird Registration is Open! Contact The ticket discount code for NAC members is DB25_NAC Keynote Speaker, Paula Folkes – Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement
NEW 25 November 2025 CMSN: Northern Maritime Security – Threats In, To, and Through the Arctic and North Atlantic. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa. Conference program coming soon
24 February 2026 ShipTech Forum 2026, The National Arts Centre, Ottawa. 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1 (Editor – NAC helps sponsor this event)
15 May 2026 HMCS Sackville – Re-commissioning. Details to follow!
THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES
German or South Korean subs? Ottawa’s pick will hinge on economic windfall with Hanwha Ocean and Babcock Canada Sign Teaming Agreement for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project
Not just the F-35: Canada’s many U.S. military deals will be a tough sell to boycott-minded Canadians (Editor – implications for the Fraser Class?)
CANADA
Canada reprimands Russian ambassador following incursion into Polish airspace
Messages du Bureau du Commissaire : Transition de la GCC à l’Équipe de la Défense – Étapes officielles & Notes from the Desk of the Commissioner: CCG’s transition to the Defence Team – Official steps more broadly Transition of the Canadian Coast Guard to National Defence & Transition de la Garde côtière canadienne à la Défense nationale
CDAI: Will the Coast Guard’s shift to DND & the Ice Pact Strengthen Canadian Security & Industry? (Editor – 39:39 min podcast
Salvage Master on Way to Cargo Ship Grounded in Remote Canadian Arctic however Inclement Weather Delays Salvage Efforts of Grounded Vessel ‘Thamesborg’ in the Canadian Arctic
Canadian Coast Guard College changes name
U.S. and Canadian forces conduct Arctic strike exercise
Arctic Icebreaker Ships in High Demand as Nations Vie for Power
DFO Pacific Region wraps up successful Operation Sea Dog 2025 & La Région du Pacifique du MPO conclut avec succès l’opération Sea Dog 2025
Finally! Here’s Canada’s Next-gen Super Attack-Submarines that Shocked the World (Editor – rehash but a few useful bits 8:02 min video)
Here’s Why Canada Chose The Type 26 Over The F-105, Fremm-ER, De Zeven Provincien (Editor – 9:02 min video)
Steerprop and Seaspan expand collaboration on Canada’s next-gen polar icebreaker
Herne: How UK–Canada Collaboration is Redefining Autonomous Submarine Warfare
Larus Technologies Awarded $2.5M RCN Contract to Advance Maritime Domain Awareness
United by Grief: Families Gather to Remember Soldiers Who Died By Suicide
Canada Approves Blackstone-Backed West Coast LNG Export Project
Canadian Navy’s first female flag officer commemorated in Calgary and Naval Museum of Alberta Society pays tribute to trailblazer Laraine Orthlieb by naming annex centre after her (Editor – 1:33 CTV video) ou Pionnière de la marine : le nom de Laraine Orthlieb gravé dans l’histoire
A ‘magnificent obsession’: Maritime Museum acquires virtual encyclopedia of nautical history
Does the Bay of Fundy have the highest tides in the world? People in Nunavik don’t think so
Canadian Military & Veteran Discount Guide: The Ultimate List
RCN: Our Navy Today Volume 8 Issue 6 & Actualité de Notre Marine Volume 8, Numéro 6
NAC Naval Affairs: Naval Affairs Program Bibliographies – The RCN and the Arctic (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)
USA & AMERICA
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Sept. 15, 2025
Carriers Shuffle Fleets Ahead of U.S. Port Fees on China-Built Ships
U.S. Coast Guard STRIKE Cartel Boat – Then THIS Happened… (Editor – interesting tech details in a 16:18 min video)
Trump says U.S. has struck another alleged drug boat from Venezuela and VIDEO: U.S. Military Strikes 2nd Narco Boat in Southern Command (Editor – 28 sec video) not sure where this is going How Trump’s Strikes on Venezuelan Boats Could Spark Armed Conflict | WSJ (Editor – 6:11 min video) while logically Pentagon Innovation Office Wants Nonlethal Weapon to Stop Smuggling Boats
Venezuela Accuses U.S. Destroyer of Illegally Boarding Fishing Vessel while US official says personnel from Navy ship inspected Venezuelan fishing boat for drugs (Editor – includes 3:03 min news video)
UNITAS 2025 Kicks off at Naval Station Mayport
Former VCNO Burke Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison Following Bribery Conviction
Defense Primer: Navy Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) Concept
Can Drones Replace Navy Destroyers? Yes and No
New US frigate program in trouble
Why Only Three Countries Bother Building Ships Anymore (Editor – worthwhile blunt reality explained in a 19:26 min video)
South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Eyes Acquisition of US Shipyard
U.S. Navy gives first look at P-8A carrying LRASM in-flight
INDO-PACIFIC
Australia To Invest $8 Billion In Nuclear Submarine Shipyard and US Will Have Access To Western Australia Nuclear Submarine Shipyard
PLA’s Fujian aircraft carrier heads to South China Sea. Is it about to enter service? (Editor – commissioned maybe, operational no, still I suspect much to be done)
Finally Japanese Warship Fires Railgun At Target Vessel For The First Time (Editor – 8:09 min video)
Japan Destroyer Chokai will be Tomahawk Missile-capable by March, Official says
JMSDF changes its largest ‘destroyer’ classification from ‘DDH’ to ‘CVM’
HD HHI Launches Aegis destroyer ‘Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’
China’s New Giant Underwater Drone Increases Naval Mine Threat Around Taiwan
North Korea’s Warship Disaster Shocks the World! (Editor -12:49 min video)
Sea control, not stockpiles, will secure Australia’s future
Warship transits in Strait ‘routine,’ US and UK say not surprisingly China tracks US, British warships on Taiwan Strait transit
Indonesia’s hospital ships are powerful tools of diplomacy
India Pledges to Support Mauritius in Surveillance of Chagos Islands with Dangers of the UK’s Surrender of the Chagos Islands Begin to Crystallize
Indian Navy welcomes first indigenously made diving support craft
Philippines Rejects Chinese Scarborough Shoal Nature Reserve Claim while VIDEO: Philippine Sailor Injured in Chinese Water Cannon Attack Near Scarborough Shoal
L&T targeting completion of its indigenous project -76 submarine design by 2027; commissioning by 2037 and Detailed analytical comparison of Project-76 with Project-75I and Project-75 Submarines
India steps up: Joins 40 Nation South China Sea drill with US, Japan
Indian Navy endorses DRDO’s jet-powered HALE UAV for Maritime Surveillance
Chinese navy barge fleet now in service as hull numbers on 3 confirm deployment: analyst
Recruitment folly: age and gender bias
Second Offshore Patrol Vessel accepted
Indian Navy gets anti-submarine warfare ship
Philippine Navy welcomes new warship BRP Diego Silang
EUROPE
Black Sea:
Russians Walled-In by Both East and West (Editor – not a maritime article, but there are many ways to pressure a nation)
Ukrainian Drones Hit Key Russian Oil Port for the First Time
Ukraine Waited for Iranian Cargo to Be Loaded onto Russian Ship—Then 40kg Bombs Meet Ship (Editor – fascinating details in a 15:30 min)
Exercise Sea Breeze 2025 wraps up in Romania
Romania becomes second Nato country to report Russian drone in its airspace
In Ukraine, the agonizing effort to identify the war dead overwhelms forensic workers
UK Blacklists 70 Russian Shadow Fleet Ships in Sweeping Sanctions Push
Belgium and the Netherlands to transfer 7 MCM vessels to Bulgaria
Baltic:
Minehunter Katanpää Joins NATO SNMCMG1
General:
Canadian CH-148 Cyclone Helicopter Strengthens NATO Anti-Submarine Warfare in Mediterranean
Rheinmetall steps into naval shipbuilding sector with planned NVL takeover
TKMS at DSEI UK 2025: New brand, F127, Type 212CD (Editor – 3:05 min video)
Americans died in WWII northern convoys because of future US allies — Medvedev
Cruise Missile Launchers Guarding the Russian Arctic Strike Simulated Adversaries During Exercises
Upgraded Hellenic Navy P-3B Orion Completes First Flight
Denmark inks towed array sonar contract with TKMS Atlas Elektronik
Royal Navy plans to revive sail training for junior officers and ratings
Harland and Wolff prepares to build the Fleet Solid Support ships but Navantia to Build First Fleet Solid Support Ship for RN in Spain, Not Belfast
Navantia launches first F-110 class frigate ‘Bonifaz’ for Spanish Navy
NAVANTIA will build two new ‘BAM’ OPVs for the Spanish Navy
Royal Navy greenlights two drone systems for front-line ops
Turkish-built AUSV completes live-firing tests in Marmara Sea
EU Plans to Phase Out Russian LNG More Quickly After US Push
MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea:
Israeli Military Strikes Yemen’s Red Sea Port of Hodeidah
General:
Navy Decommissioning Last Ships Before Fiscal Year’s End (Editor – USN)
Navy Relieves Bahrain-based Littoral Combat Ship Commander
GLOBAL INTERESTS
Scorpène Submarines: International Collaboration And Evolutionary Design (Editor – impressive boats in a 4:01 min video)
China’s Hold on Global Ports focus of Trump Administration
Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron calls at Maputo, strengthening maritime ties with Mozambique
Why hackers are targeting the world’s shipping
Shipping Industry Risks Missing 2030 Zero-Emission Fuel Target Despite Historic IMO Framework
SCUTTLEBUTT
The Submarine That Wasn’t Supposed to Be There (Editor – Cold war 27:13 min video)
Naval Pubs of London – History Preserved Tavern by Tavern (Editor – 35:06 min video)
Weapons, Engines & Armor: The Art of Naval Domination (Editor – 27:33 min video)
The Plane Built for Nothing That Did Everything (Editor – 28:49 min video)
THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
20 September 1917 The Borden government passed the Military Voters Act and Wartime Elections Act, giving the vote to soldiers and sailors under 21, and serving women; wives, widows, mothers, and sisters of servicemen also get the vote; the first women ever to be able to vote in Canadian federal elections
21 Sept 1943 In 24 hours, Canadian and British minesweepers cleared a lane through a minefield laid by U-boats off Halifax. No lives were lost.
22 September 1917 Flight Sub Lieutenant N.A. Magor (Royal Naval Air Service) a Canadian pilot of a Curtiss H12, a large American flying boat sank the UC 72 in the North Sea with direct hits by two 230 lb bombs. This was one of a few submarines destroyed by air action during WW1. The RNAS was formerly the Naval Wing of Britain’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC), with 936 Canadians serving in the RNAS and more than 100 dying.
23 September 1940 The second group of eight “overage” USN destroyers to be turned over to the RN in exchange for bases in the Western Hemisphere are transferred to RN crews at Halifax, Nova Scotia. USS Abbot (DD-184), commissioned as HMS Charlestown (I-21), USS Foote (DD-169), commissioned as HMS Roxborough (I-07), USS Hopewell (DD-181), commissioned as HMS Bath (I-17), and USS Doran (DD-185), commissioned as HMS St Marys ( I-12), USS Maddox (DD-168), commissioned as HMS Georgetown (I-40), USS Thomas (DD-182), commissioned as HMS St Albans (I-15), and USS Kalk (DD-170), commissioned as HMCS Hamilton (I-24), as part of the destroyers-for-bases deal.
24 September 1940 The third group of 6 overage USN destroyers exchanged for bases in the Western Hemisphere are turned over to the RCN at Halifax, Nova Scotia. USS Bancroft (DD-256), commissioned as HMCS St Francis (I-93) USS McCook (DD-252), commissioned as HMCS St Croix (I-81), and USS Haraden (DD-183), commissioned as HMCS Columbia (I-49), part of the destroyers-for-bases deal.
24 September 1941 Canada joins eight other allied governments in pledging support to the Atlantic Charter, an eight-point declaration issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
24 September 1955 HMCS Sioux returns to Esquimalt, the last ship of the RCN to return from the Korean conflict.
24 September 1965 RCN commissions HMCS Ojibwa, first of three 2000-ton RCN Oberon class submarines. Chatham, England
25 September 1940 Canadian armed merchantman Prince Robert captures German ship Weser off Mexican coast. The German freighter is taken into the Canadian merchant service, renamed SS Vancouver Island.
26 September 1940 USS Thatcher (DD-162), commissioned as HMCS Niagara (I-57), part of the destroyers-for-bases deal.
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)
Keep in touch with the NAC
If you are receiving NAC News, consider friends joining NAC – Membership and Renewal plus NAC Naval Affairs Papers, Briefing Notes, Niobe Papers, and much more.
Should you wish to donate or leave a memorial, consider donating to the NAC, its Branches (NAC member Login required) or the NAC Endowment Fund. Donations to the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Education Foundation should be made through its website.
NAC reference to assist veterans and/or seniors is located at Veteran’s Corner
Keep in touch with the RCN
Facebook – RoyalCanadianNavy | MarineRoyaleCanadienne;
Twitter – @RoyalCanNavy | @MarineRoyaleCan;
LinkedIn – RoyalCanadianNavy-MarineRoyaleCanadienne
Instagram – RoyalCanNavy | MarineRoyaleCan;
Flickr – RoyalCanadianNavy-MarineRoyaleCanadienne
YouTube – RoyalCanadianNavy | MarineRoyaleCanadienne
Vimeo – RoyalCanadianNavy-MarineRoyaleCanadienne
|
You are receiving this email because you are associated with NAC and have been receiving NAC News. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe by emailing the publisher: naccoordinator@navalassoc.ca
Copyright © 2025 Naval Association of Canada, all rights reserved.