NAC News – Edition 651 HMCS Queen
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of January 9, 2026
Photo: By Scotwood72 – Walking in Wascana, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91293355
Edition 651 HMCS Queen Quote: “President Donald Trump has called for US defence spending to be increased to $1.5tn (£1.1tn) in 2027 for what he called “these very troubled and dangerous times”. That would be more than 50% higher than this year’s $901bn budget, which was approved by Congress in December. “This will allow us to build the “Dream Military” that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe,” Trump said on social media on Wednesday. In separate posts, the president said he would crack down on payouts to bosses and shareholders of major US defence contractors unless the firms speed up deliveries of armaments and build new manufacturing plants.” Trump calls for US military spending to rise more than 50% to $1.5tn, Osmond Chia, BBC, 7 January 2026.
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.
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NOTICES
24 February 2026 ShipTech Forum 2026, The National Arts Centre. 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa. Not able to attend in person – all speaker sessions will be live streamed, to facilitate virtual attendance. (Editor – NAC helps sponsor this event. Early Bird Registration is Open! Discount code for NAC members to use for their tickets is STF26_NAC)
4/5 March 2026 CDAI 2026 Ottawa Conference, Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa (Editor – save the date, details to follow)
NEW 30 April 2026 Maritime Defence and Security Symposium and Battle of the Atlantic Gala, the Halifax Hotel, Halifax. The symposium will be co-hosted by NAC and the Canadian Maritime Security Network. The symposium theme “Canada in Alliance & Conflict: The Will of a Nation.” A reception will be held the evening of 29 April ahead of the symposium. The evening of 30 April NS NAC will host the National BOA Gala at the same venue. Details to follow in due course but mark your calendars and hold that date!
13-15 May 2026 NIBC 2026 Conference – Maritime Arctic Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour hotel, Victoria BC. (Editor – NAC-VI helps sponsor this event)
15 May 2026 The CNMT has indicated that to mark the 85th anniversary of the launch of HMCS Sackville (English) & (Française) that she will be ceremonially re-commissioning back into the RCN. Details to follow)
NEW 25-27 June 2026 RCN Historical Conference – CFB Esquimalt, venue possibly HMCS Venture. Details TBP.
THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE
Russia sends navy ships to guard oil tanker being pursued by US forces however provocatively Coast Guard Seizes Russian-flagged Tanker in North Atlantic, Second Tanker in Caribbean more details US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic and 2nd tanker (Editor – includes video. Other sanctioned ship details in US section)
CANADA
Feds’ promised Defence Industrial Strategy missing in action
CIGI Papers No. 346 — December 2025 Getting Serious About National Security
Bowen: Trump risks pushing world back to age of empires (Editor – this not a maritime article but the points raised are significant)
Seaspan, Bollinger, Rauma Team Up to Deliver MPI Design for U.S. Coast Guard (Editor – there is another article in the US section below)
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES: All Eyes on the Arctic…The RCN want a ‘Big Honkin’ Icebreaker! (Editor – Esprit de Corps 4:42 min video)
CDAI invites anyone to submit nominations for two awards that recognize excellence in Canadian defence and security: the Captain Nichola Goddard Leadership Award and the Ross Munro Award. By nominating someone whose work and sacrifices have inspired you it helps CDAI, which NAC is a member, to recognize individuals who contribute to Canada’s defence and security and deserve to be honoured for their dedication and service. Nomination deadline 31 January 2026.
Canadians gather at Beechwood to remember & Les Canadiens et Canadiennes se rassemblent à Beechwood pour se souvenir
Big, new ship to break the ice draws a crowd (Editor – 1:24 min video)
Apply for or manage a Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) & Demander ou gérer un permis d’embarcation de plaisance (PEP)
Princess Anne will be royal patron of Royal Victoria Yacht Club (Editor – how many other organizations have changed or dropped their royal patron?)
NAC Naval Affairs: Bibliography The Navy Ashore (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: Jan. 5, 2026
Caribbean Sea:
Russia Asks U.S. to Halt Pursuit of Tanker After Crew Claims Russian Flag, NY Times Reports (Editor – like a Matryoshka doll) then Second Shadow Tanker Off Venezuela Reflags to Russia, Testing U.S. Seizure Policy but then Sanctioned Tankers Sail from Venezuela and Run the US “Blockade” (Editor 14:43 min video)
From Caracas ‘fort’ to New York court: Maduro’s capture in pictures and maps
Cuba discloses names of 32 military officers killed in U.S. action in Venezuela
General:
After Raid on Venezuela, Pentagon Makes Case for Expansive Naval Power
U.S. is targeting sanctioned Venezuela oil, but more of Russia’s growing shadow fleet could be swept up, too but What Does UNCLOS Say About the U.S. Boarding of Bella 1? (Editor – the definition of what constitutes a Stateless vessel is interesting) and a significant wrinkle Russia deploys submarine to protect sanctioned oil tanker Marinera from US naval forces (Editor – open hopes the ROE are compatible)
Navy to begin constructing 2 ‘Trump class’ battleships
Canada confirms U.S. selection of its icebreaker for Arctic Security Cutter Program and
U.S. Icebreaker Build Plan Moves Forward at Warp Speed
Defense Primer: Emerging Technologies
Federal Law Could Limit Pentagon’s Punishment for Mark Kelly, Experts Say
US discussing options to acquire Greenland, including use of military, says White House
The Royal Navy’s future Large Uncrewed Surface Vessels and the cultural obstacles to autonomy
Report to Congress on the Navy’s Constellation, FF(X) Frigate Programs
U.S. Coast Guard Augments Border Surveillance with Monitoring Buoys
CIMSEC week articles of interest: 1. The Commanding Officer must be a fighting engineer — surface warfare and generalism
- SWO Specialization: Specialize by Platform Groups to Win the High-End Fight, Pt. 1 3. The Merchant Marine Specialized 100 years ago. The Navy should have then, and needs to now.
- No Time to Specialize
USNS Grasp: The Swiss Army Knife Of The US Navy (Editor – 45:51 min video documentary)
Why SeaRAM is a crucial defensive platform for US Navy ? (Editor – 8:24 min video)
Why Warships Cannot Reload Missiles at Sea (Editor – 14:50 min video)
U.S. Shatters LNG Export Record, Becomes First Nation to Top 100 Million Tons
INDO-PACIFIC
Pacific Ocean and adjoining seas:
China Deploys Bombers Armed with Anti-ship Missiles to Scarborough Shoal
Chinese Merchant Ship Sports Electromagnetic Drone Launcher, Vertical Launching Systems
Korean peninsula arms race is heating up. How will China react in 2026? and Chinese think tanks warn of Japan’s nuclear ambitions, capabilities, call for international vigilance
China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons
Indonesia’s waterways strength
Philippine Navy scrambles to shield vital undersea cables from spies
U.S. Navy Expands Maintenance and Repair Work with South Korea’s Shipyards
Indian Ocean and adjoining seas:
India Approves Two More MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drones to Strengthen Naval Surveillance
India to commission final Arihant-class nuclear-powered submarine INS Arisudan by 2027
Germany, India to Step Up Talks for $8B Submarine Program
Indian Navy Setting Up a New Base at Haldia, West Bengal to Increase Presence in The Bay of Bengal
EUROPE
Black and Caspian Seas:
Russian-Bound Tanker Hit by Drone in Black Sea, Maritime Sources Say
Coalition’s Ukraine security guarantees include deploying troops if ceasefire is reached however Coalition forces could secure Ukraine ‘on land, in the air, and at sea’
Shadow Fleet Tanker ‘Qendil’ Runs Aground in Turkey Following Ukrainian Drone Strike
Ukraine loses nearly 1,280 servicemen along engagement line over past day (Editor – TASS article)
Baltic Sea:
Finland Makes Progress in Cable Breach Investigation, Police Say with Finland Says Ship Dragged Anchor for ‘Tens of Kilometers’ Before Baltic Sea Cable Break and Timeline Of Suspected Underwater Sabotage In Baltic Sea
Latvia Police Board Vessel After Baltic Sea Telecom Cable Breach
General:
UK expects 75th F-35 delivery by end of 2033HMS Agamemnon Commissioned: What the Astute Class Can Really Do (Editor – 7:52 min video)
Design of floating dry docks for Royal Navy submarines underway
Rheinmetall and MBDA to establish German laser weapons joint venture
Russia’s New Baltic Patrol Ship Could be a Covert Yacht for Putin
Shom strengthens its hydrographic capabilities with Exail’s DriX H-9 USV
Man jailed for supplying gangs with thousands of Channel small boats
Man admits dressing as fake navy admiral at Remembrance event
MIDDLE EAST
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden:
U.A.E. pulls military forces out of Yemen following tensions with Saudi Arabia (Editor – Yemen, such a failed state) and UAE Withdrawal Underway from Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Positions
General:
GLOBAL INTERESTS
Researchers Say the Oceans Have Passed a Milestone for Acidification
UN Report Flags Growing Headwinds for Global Shipping as Trade Momentum Fades
West Africa must take the helm in the fight against piracy
CSIR successfully demonstrates broadband underwater communication system for Armscor
Who, what and where of Will for Peace naval exercise not clarified
SCUTTLEBUTT
The Mariner’s Mirror: The Naval Fiction Interviews: Patrick O’Brian, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin (Editor – 36 min podcast)
The Dismantling of US Navy’s Aircraft Carrier That Was Sold For a Penny (Editor – USS Kitty Hawk)
How 20 Sea Harriers Defeated 100+ Enemy Jets (Editor – 13:05 min video)
THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
11 January 1914 The Canadian Arctic Expedition ship Karluk sank north of Siberia. Captain Robert Bartlett embarked on a 1,000-kilometer dog-sled journey to find help. By the end of April, the two men reached East Cape (also known as Cape Dezhnev) on the Bering Strait, where Bartlett searched for a vessel that would take him to the closest wireless station at Alaska. Bartlett finally arrived at St. Michael, Alaska on 28 May and wired government officials in Ottawa of the Wrangel Island castaways. The Canadian schooner King and Winge rescued the survivors from Wrangel Island on 7 September 1914 – almost eight months after the Karluk sank.
11 January 1957 HMCS Magnificent arrives in Port Said with the main body of the Canadian contribution in troops and materiel to the United Nations Emergency Force controlling the Israeli-Egyptian border.
12 January 1910 The Naval Service Act was introduced by the Liberal federal government of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The initiation of this act was a direct response to the naval arms race that was happening between Britain and Germany.
12 January 1942 HMCS Red Deer rescues 93 survivors from the British SS Cyclops, torpedoed by U-123, 125 miles southeast of Cape Sable, killing 88 merchant sailors. Cyclops is the first victim of Operation Drumbeat, the un-restricted U-boat campaign off the coast of Canada and the US.
13 January 1943 RCN corvette HMCS Ville de Québec commanded by LCdr A.R.E. Coleman, RCNR sank the German submarine U-224 west of Oran Algeria.
14 January 1952 HMCS Uganda was renamed HMCS Quebec. Uganda was the only Canadian warship to fight the Japanese. Given Uganda’s controversial early departure from the western Pacific just before the end of WW2 the renaming was inevitable.
15 January 1888 Born in Victoria BC, later to become VAdm (RN) Harold Tom Baillie-Grohman, DSO, OBE, CB. Joined the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet, RN in HMS Britannia in 1903. He served in WW1 in the Grand Fleet, in Dover Patrol in destroyers and minesweepers. Commanding Officer of HMS Ramillies in 1939, part of 1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean. Promoted Vice-Admiral in 1943 and made Flag Officer-in-Command Harwich in 1945. He was Flag Officer-in-Command Schlesweig Holstein from 1945, retired in 1946, died on 23 September 1978.
15 January 1991 The UN security Council deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait passes and the Persian Gulf War begins.
Significant RCN Dates – If you notice any omissions or errors please inform me. Pointing out any more modern significant dates is encouraged. 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) Last and far from least Gary Weir’s For Prosperity’s Sake RCN historical project site.
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