NAC News – Edition K662 HMCS Prestonian
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of March 27, 2026
Edition K662 HMCS Prestonian (River/Prestonian Class Frigate) Quote: “With an acceleration in kinetic conflicts around the world, the years since 2022 have seen a rush of countries seeking to rearm. For a lot of those countries though, a key question has been who do you buy from? With Russia fading from its previously dominant arms export position, transatlantic tensions and the rise of new suppliers, 2025 was a year where the impacts of 2022 invasion started to show through.” Global Arms Exports – Trends, Winners & losers of the Race to Rearm in 2025 (Editor – 51: 42 min video)
Editor NAC News: Rod Hughes (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
Editor – NAC regalia has been restocked with blazer badges at $30 and neckties at $50. Please visit the NAC Kit Shop Naval Association of Canada – Products
to order online. Email Nora at NACcoordinator@navalassoc.ca with any questions and for assistance. Thank you for wearing NAC items with pride!
21 – 22 April 2026 ABCMI & COAST Defence and Security Innovation Forum, Vancouver Convention Centre. The Forum there will be significant involvement of the RCN and the CCG as we learn of their interest in innovation and the adaptation of technologies and their intent to establish new capacities and capabilities. The Forum will also feature a wide-ranging set of panels that will be relevant to all companies working in the marine and defence sectors on Canada’s west coast.
28 April 2026 Vanguard Simulation & Training Forum, National Arts Centre
1 Elgin Street, Ottawa. Not able to attend in person – all speaker sessions will be live streamed to facilitate virtual participation. Super Early Bird open now.
UPDATED 29-30 April 2026 Naval Association of Canada Defence and Maritime Security Conference themed “Canada in Alliance: Maritime Security in a Changing World” (Editor – includes registration) & Battle of the Atlantic (BOA) Gala, the Halifax Hotel, Halifax. The symposium will be co-hosted by NAC and the Canadian Maritime Security Network. 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 and the details are now at the link.
CDAI: Graduate Student Conference 2026 – The Road to 5%: Next Generation Key Dates: April 8, 2026: Biography & 200 word statement of interest submission deadline. Successful applicants will be notified the following week. Key dates – 1 May 2026: Paper deadline, full paper submission, 3,000 words. 6 May 2026: Networking Reception 7 May 2026: Graduate Student Conference. The following awards: First place – $3,000, Second Place – $2,000, Third Place – $1,000, & Honourable Mentions (4) – $750 each. The highest-ranked papers will be considered for CDAI publication.
12 -14 May 2026 Mari-Tech 2026 ABCMI Co-hosting with CIMaRE & SNAME Venue: Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas Street’ Victoria, BC
13-15 May 2026 NIBC 2026 Conference – Maritime Arctic Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour hotel, Victoria BC. (Editor – NAC-VI helps financially sponsor this event)
15 May 2026 11:00 am at Sackville Landing. 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 into the RCN)
25-27 June 2026 RCN Historical Conference – CFB Esquimalt, venue possibly HMCS Venture. Details TBP.
13-16 July, 2026, Monday-Tuesday, Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety
Conference (MASS) St. John’s Convention Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Register early and receive 20% off conference passes. Offer available until April 1, 2026
THIS WEEK’S SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE
Canada clears NATO’s 2% bar — after years of lagging and a last-minute lift and full announcement PM Carney announces measures to strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces (Editor – impressive wide-ranging announcement in a CTV News 43:15 min video)
“There’s a sense that we are not a reliable security partner right now” (Editor – Voices are being raised in a 2:10 min video)
CANADA
Canadian Navy reveals latest modifications to River-Class Destroyer
Korean Submarine Begins 14,000-Kilometre Voyage to Canada and Korean sub makes unprecedented journey to Canada with key defense deal on the line (Editor – 3:53 min video)
Sinking of HMCS Otter in WW II Halifax remembered as ‘dramatic tale of tension and heroics’ (Editor – 6 of 8 of today’s Orca Class share names with WWII RCN Armed Yachts as does HMCS Otter)
Cyclone helicopters won’t be fully operational until 2029 — 25 years after contract was signed
Voices of the CDA: Seven Routes, One Problem: Commanding the Northwest Passage with Limited Power
3 Quebec maritime trainees return home after being stranded aboard ship in the Persian Gulf
Gripen EF Gets Rolls-Royce Power Boost, Eyes ITAR Freedom (Editor – not a maritime article but awareness of International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is worthwhile in a 10:06 min video)
Defence Investment Agency awards contract to replace current Canadian Armed Forces assault rifles & L’Agence de l’investissement pour la défense attribue un contrat pour remplacer les fusils d’assaut des Forces armées canadiennes and Canada’s NEW Rifle – the CMAR (Editor – 5:38 min video)
Government of Canada is taking action to protect the Southern Resident killer whale & Le gouvernement du Canada agit pour protéger l’épaulard résident du Sud
Trans Mountain pipeline will soon be at full capacity amid global energy crisis and LNG Canada ramping up production, exports amid Iran war, data suggests (Editor – incudes a useful 6:50 min Global News interview)
MoD slaps Controlled Site order on bell wreck (Editor – HMCS Trentonian & HMCS Regina)
Closure of Courtenay war museum a sign of larger trends, says UVic prof
NRAC/ARNC Mess Deck Connexions du Carre March/mars 2026 (English) & (Française)
Lookout: 23 March 2026, Volume 71, Issue 6 (English) & (Française) (Editor – Effective April 6, 2026, the Lookout Navy News will transition to a predominantly digital publication from its past paper format.)
Trident: Monday 23 March 2026 Volume 60, Issue 06 (Bilingue)
NAC Naval Affairs: Bibliography RCN and Peace Operations (Editor – NAC Naval Affairs Papers, Briefing Notes, Niobe Papers, and much more. Please share with people you think may benefit from the knowledge, after all, that’s what your naval affairs programme is all about; enlightening Canadians about maritime affairs and the need for the RCN.
USA & AMERICAS
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: March 23, 2026
U.S. attack on alleged drug boat kills 4 in Caribbean Sea, military says
Mattis: It could take 8 to 12 years to rebuild trust with America’s allies (Editor – frank and worthwhile assessment in a 2:16 min video)
60 Minutes Catches Up to America’s Shipbuilding Crisis Long Flagged by Maritime Industry
U.S. Coast Guard Announces Plans to Acquire Up to Seven New Light Icebreakers
Amphib USS Boxer Deploys to Join Naval Buildup in Mideast
U.S. Forces Strike Suspected Narco Boat in the Eastern Pacific
Venezuelan leader replaces senior military commanders
US Navy Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group Continues Caribbean Operations Targeting Drug Trafficking
What is a Marine Expeditionary Unit? | What Is A MEU? (Part 1) (Editor – given that they are on the move a 8:01 min video)
What is the Marine Expeditionary Unit: Episode 2 – Ground Combat Element | What is a MEU? (Editor 10:08 min video)
What is the Marine Expeditionary Unit: Episode 3 – Logistics Combat Element | What is a MEU? (Editor – 6:04 min video)
China Is Escalating Panama Port Dispute With Surge in Ship Detentions, U.S. Regulator Warns
INDO-PACIFIC
Pacific Ocean and adjoining seas:
Taiwanese Leadership Visits First Domestically-built Attack Boat, Highlights Deterrent Role
CIMSEC: Defending Global Order Against China’s Maritime Insurgency – part 1
CIMSEC: Defending Global Order Against China’s Maritime Insurgency, Part 2
Why ASEAN Can’t Secure the South China Sea Alone
Philippines Rejects China’s Claim Of Sovereignty Over Entire South China Sea
Philippines Accuses China of ‘Provocative’ Target Tracking on Ship
China Maps Strategic Seabed Routes With Potential Military Relevance: Report
Something just changed in Japan… (Editor – excellent explanation in a 14:14 min video) and Japan’s SDF reorganizes its major units as media claiming with China in mind; move shows clear offensive traits breaking post-WWII order: Chinese expert
‘No dispute about it’: Beijing defends construction on Paracel Islands in South China Sea with Antelope Reef could now be the largest island in the South China Sea
China’s Own Seawolf-class Submarine: The Type 095
Lockheed Martin completes live SPY-7 radar test for Japan’s ASEV
TKMS and ST Engineering to create submarine service ‘hub’ in Singapore
OPINION | Crisis in Middle East exposes Australia’s maritime vulnerability
Italian Senate approves free transfer of Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier to Indonesia
Historic Fleet Review launches Exercise Kakadu in Sydney Harbour (Editor – note pics)
Indian Ocean and adjoining seas:
Israel threatens surge in attacks as Iran fires missiles farther than ever (Editor – Diego Garcia airbase located about 4,000 kilometres from Iran)
India’s naval power surge: ₹40,000 crore plan for eight new generation corvettes
EUROPE
Black and Caspian Seas:
Ukraine Strikes Knock Out 40% of Russia’s Oil Export Capacity with Ukraine Just WIPED OUT Russia’s Entire BALTIC Port (Editor – 16:23 min video)
Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea with FACTBOX: What we know about attack on Turkish tanker Altura in Black Sea
Zelenskiy Urges Allies To Keep Up Pressure On Russia Ahead Of Talks With US
Russia launches 948 drones at Ukraine in largest attack over 24-hour period
Baltic Sea:
NATO drills mine warfare in Baltic exercise
Russian Baltic Port Halts Crude Loading as Drones Cause Fire
Ukraine Drone Strike Reportedly Damages Russian Arctic Patrol Icebreaker ‘Purga’ at Vyborg Shipyard
CIMSEC: Russia’s Irregular Maritime Statecraft in the Baltic Sea
Mediterranean Sea and 15 marginal seas:
UK’s destroyer, able to track hundreds of targets simultaneously, arrives in Eastern Med with Royal Navy to command Nato force from German flagship as HMS Dragon sent to Cyprus
French Navy Intercepts Suspected Russian Tanker in Western Mediterranean
Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Arrives in Souda Bay for Repairs After Laundry Room Fire
French carrier position exposed by fitness app
German navy: “Mosel” on its way to the Aegean Sea
Libya Contracts Salvage Firm to Secure Explosive LNG Carrier Drifting Towards Coast & Libya Secures Drifting Arctic Metagaz Tanker After Weeks Adrift in Central Mediterranean
General:
NATO: The Secretary General’s Aunnual Report 2025
How Russia’s threat has seen Germany become Europe’s most important army (Editor – times have changed with France, Poland, and indeed NATO cheering on German rearmament!)
Protection of Russian tankers, support from the Navy: Patrushev’s statements
UK Clears Military to Board Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers in Channel (Editor – The USCGC Munro in the photo is named after Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Douglas Albert Munro, Canadian born in Vancouver BC 11 October 1911.
$1 billion boost for AUKUS: US expands submarine support to UK
Russia to replace all nuclear attack submarines with new Yasen and Yasen M units by 2035
Irish Navy plans to upgrade OPVs with towed array sonar
Putin’s favourite submarine returns to service, fuelling Arctic nuclear buildup
Russia’s Ivan Rogov-class assault vessel nears completion in Crimea
Second Type 31 frigate, HMS Active afloat for the first time (Editor – she is the 13th HMS Active…a bit of history there) while Starmer pushes at high level for Danish Type 31 frigate deal
Thales launches portable autonomous mine clearance system
Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port
MIDDLE EAST
General:
Gulf States Did Something to END Iran’s TERROR… Even the U.S. SHOCKED! (Editor – game changing situation 16:57 min video)
QatarEnergy: Missile attacks spur $20 billion loss with drop in LNG exports
$25 billion price tag looms over Gulf energy infrastructure repairs, Rystad says
Hapag-Lloyd Faces $40 Million to $50 Million Weekly Costs Due to Middle East Conflict
More Iran War fallout: Maritime insurance industry shifts from London to China (Editor – 4:24 min video) and in contrast Trump Official Says Hormuz Ship Insurance Program to Launch ‘Soon’ as Tanker Traffic Struggles to Recover
Iran Drafting Law to Introduce Tolls for Hormuz Transit
Maersk Warns of Prolonged Hormuz Shutdown as Shipping Costs Surge
Iran Grants Malaysian Vessels Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz
How the Iran War will actually end (Editor – food for thought in a 17:31 min video) and It’s “very unlikely” that this Iranian regime falls right now (Editor – interview with Former US Secretary of Defence General Jim Mattis in a 2:45 min video)
Bahrain Pushes UN Vote to Authorize Force in Strait of Hormuz
Israel says it has killed Iran’s navy chief overseeing Strait of Hormuz blockade
US destroys 158 Iranian ships, Trump claims
Iran Demands Crew, Cargo Details to Send Ships Through Hormuz
Why boots on the ground is coming (Editor – 16:29 min video assessment)
As Vessel Casualties Mount in Gulf, IMO Endorses Safe-Passage Exit Route
Iran says cruise missiles fired at USS Abraham Lincoln however Trump: Iran fired 101 missiles at USS Abraham Lincoln
Report: Floating and Bottom Mines Detected in Strait of Hormuz
Why Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz matters (Editor – includes 2:18 min video)
Iranian Navy Guided Indian Tanker Through Hormuz, Crew Member Says and Iran Says Hormuz Open To All But ‘Enemy-Linked’ Ships (Editor – there are a myriad of “Marine Tracking” apps avail to download for free if you’d like to watch the fun. I watched a Chinese ship on its way thru the other day)
Britain signal readiness to help secure Hormuz shipping and The challenges of securing Hormuz as 6 nations issue joint statement with UK Nuclear Powered Submarine In Arabian Sea Amid Regional Tensions
U.S. SPACE FORCE Just Did Something UNBELIEVABLE To Iran (Editor – not maritime but a glimpse into modern warfare in a 15:23 min video)
Tiny submarines, big threat: Iran’s secret strategy in the Strait of Hormuz
Israeli army claims to have hit Iran’s only submarine development facility
A-10’s Ruthless Hunt in the Strait of Hormuz? (Editor – 13:05 min video; hunting fast boat with helicopters was the preferred choice…but the Warthog also works!)
Iran War Hits Natural Gas Harder than Oil
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden:
New MARAD Advisory Urges Ships to Disable AIS Tracking in Red Sea as Houthi Threat Lingers
Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues
Houthis Stand Ready to Join Iran War, Additional Shipping Risk
GLOBAL INTERESTS
Global Arms Exports – Trends, Winners & losers of the Race to Rearm in 2025 (Editor – 51: 42 min video)
CIMSEC: The unwitting fleet
Seabed mining talks show key issues remain unresolved with Trump Administration Quietly Expands Pacific Seabed Mining Area as Environmental Review Begins
UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms
SCUTTLEBUTT
HMCS Yukon Artificial Reef: A 20-Year Legacy of Marine Life and Citizen Science
They Built a Warship From Wood— The Engineering Decision That Haunted Japan ! (Editor 24:55 min video)
The Mariner’s Mirror: From Merchant Navy to Drug Kingpin: The Inventor of the Drug Mothership (Editor – 36:00 min podcast)
THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
28 March 1940 The Halifax Pilot Vessel Hebridean (wooden hulled motorized schooner) 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. Only two people on the Hebridean survived — pilots Roy Sullivan and Carl Himmelman were pulled from the icy water of the harbour. The bodies of the nine victims were never found. In recognition of this tragic event, the worst disaster in the 230-year history of the Halifax harbour pilot service, 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 (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 1921 The RCN commissioned two H-class submarines. American built for the RN they were on their way to Britain when WW1 ended. The boats were rerouted to Halifax for presentation to the RCN in February 1919, and after a lengthy time alongside were eventually commissioned as CC 14 and CC15.
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 others on the 9th, 12th, 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.
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. Recently “Guardians of the North” written by NAC members Rich Gimblett & Karl Gagnon. 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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