NAC News – Edition K663 HMCS CAP DE LA MADELEINE
Your weekly national and international naval news for the week of April 3, 2026
Edition K663 HMCS CAP DE LA MADELEINE (River/Prestonian Class Frigate)
Quote: “On Friday, March 20, Iran launched two intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBM) toward Diego Garcia, a US-UK base in the Indian Ocean over 3000 kilometers off its shore. One missile malfunctioned and the other was intercepted by a United States SM-3 system. However, the fact that no damage was done risks obscuring the more important reality — Iran has demonstrated an ability to threaten one of the most remote and strategically important military installations in the Western defense network…A system capable of reaching Diego Garcia is not designed for short-range regional contingencies against Israel but for depth, bringing parts of Europe and critical infrastructure across areas of Asia into clearer focus. If current estimates hold, much of Europe falls within potential reach, with Western Europe increasingly exposed. For Canada, this shift is not abstract.” MLI Foreign Affairs, National Security, latest News: Diego Garcia was the warning shot Canada cannot afford to ignore: Joe Varner in Geopolitical Monitor, 24 March 2026
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.
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NOTICES
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.
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
The latest STARSHELL (Winter 2026) is now available on the NAC National Website under Naval Affairs at https://www.navalassoc.ca/naval-affairs/starshell/
EU leaders say ‘no’ to Trump on Iran war | DW News (Editor – 2:33 min video)
EU Tells Members to Prepare for ‘Prolonged Disruption’ to Energy Markets From Iran War plus Lagarde: markets may be “overly optimistic” about the oil shock | The Economist (Editor- 1:53 min video)
CANADA
Construction begins on Canada’s next-gen polar icebreaker with Construction of the Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker advances with production start ceremony at Chantier Davie in Lévis, Québec & Une cérémonie de début de production marque l’avancement de la construction du brise-glace de la Garde côtière canadienne au Chantier Davie à Lévis, au Québec
Canada Coast Guard – Cdr Webber on HMCS William Hall (Editor – 1:52 min video) & Garde côtière canadienne – Commandant Webber à bord du NCSM William Hall
To meet next NATO spending target, Canada needs a credible fiscal plan, think-tank says
People Must Be at the Core of Canada’s New Defence Ecosystem
Canada unveils first new jetty in $1.1B upgrade at CFB Esquimalt with Canada continues to invest in defence to strengthen national security & Le Canada continue d’investir dans la défense pour renforcer la sécurité nationale
Canadian Coast Guard welcomes aviation services to Defence Team & La Garde côtière canadienne accueille les services d’aviation au sein de l’Équipe de la Défense
RCN: Our Navy Today Volume 9 Issue 3
CMSN: China’s Arctic Tool Kit – Icebreakers, Drones, and Polar Capabilities (Editor – excellent details from author Adam Lajeunesse)
Canadian Army overhaul looms as DND finalizes mobilization plans (Editor – not a maritime story but one of interest)
Canadian Armed Forces: F35 and the Politics of Procurement (Editor – 6:33 min video)
MSC Baltic III Response: Progress so far (Editor – CCG great summary in a 2:34 min video)
Técnicas Reunidas tasked with work for second phase of Canadian natural gas pipeline
‘Guardians of the North’: Sailors and their Ships (Editor – Policy Magazine glowing review)
Estate planning for Federal Retirees members: A practical overview
Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan – Information notices & Régime de services dentaires pour les pensionnés – Avis d’information
NAC Naval Affairs: Bibliography RCN Personnel Studies (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 30, 2026
Hegseth asks US Army’s top general to step down (Editor – not a maritime event, but indicative of these unpredictable times)
USS George H.W. Bush Departs for Deployment, USS Gerald Ford Could Be Extended to 11 Months and USS George H.W. Bush deploys amid Iran war with US Navy deploys another aircraft carrier (Editor – apparently destined for the Middle East)
Two Former Navy Fighter Pilots Lead NASA’s Artemis II Mission (Editor – and RCAF Colonel Jeremy Hansen)
Committee on Armed Service – United States Senate – to receive testimony on low-cost munitions (Editor – pages 8-11 of naval interest) dovetailed into Iran war is burning through US weapons stockpiles. Will they run out? | DW News (Editor – 2:57 min video)
USS Gerald R. Ford will likely notch record-setting deployment, Caudle says
US Navy Awards Lockheed $1.35B to Field Hypersonics on USS Zumwalt
Navy Commissions New Virginia-class Attack Boat USS Massachusetts in Boston Ceremony
HII Launches Flight III Destroyer George M. Neal (DDG 131)
US Navy Speeds Up ‘Golden Fleet’ Push, Axes MUSV Prototype Effort
Cellula’s ‘Guardian’ Emerges as US Navy Choice for Long-Range AUV
US tests new Bulwark Caravel autonomous vessel to transform how troops get supplies in future wars
Royal Navy in talks to sell Batch I offshore patrol vessels to Uruguay
Can Anyone Stop a US Carrier Strike Group? (Complete Arsenal) (Editor – misnomer title, good look at USN submarines)
US LNG Exports Break Record High as Middle East War Disrupts Global Supply and U.S. Offshore Oil Hits Record 714M Barrels as Gulf Deepwater Leads Surge (Editor – somebody is making serious mney)
Russian oil tanker reaches Cuba after Trump appears to loosen blockade
INDO-PACIFIC
Pacific Ocean and adjoining seas:
New Super-Battleship Under Construction in China (Editor – a behemoth!)
Second ASEV Missile Cruiser Laid Down in Japan
Jaan Deploys New Hypersonic, Anti-ship Missiles
Mitsubishi Delivers Japan’s Fifth Taigei Attack Submarine
North Korea expands its nuclear arsenal after witnessing Iran’s vulnerability (Editor – it seems global events are spiraling downwards)
Japanese Aegis Destroyer Completes Modifications to Operate U.S.-made Tomahawk Missiles
Seoul Expands Sub Warfare Force with U.S. Helos, Patrol Aircraft
Russian, Chinese Surveillance Aircraft and Ships Operate near Japan, Officials Say
Japan Demands Chinese Research Vessel Stop Unauthorized Activity in EEZ
Taiwan Orders Jailed Chinese Captain to Pay $560,000 for Damages to Cable
CIMSEC: Defending Global Order Against China’s Maritime Insurgency – Part 2
As the US Navy just demonstrated, war at sea is global
CIMSEC: Asymmetry Rising: How Autonomous Systems Enforce Sea Denial
Australia will be left with no submarines if it abandons Aukus, senior defence official warns
Video: Philippines Calls “Close Encounter” With Chinese Navy an Escalation
PLAN hospital ship Silk Road Ark makes technical stop in Fiji
Panama-Flagged Ships Dominate China Detentions in Sudden March Spike
South Korean shipyard holds naming ceremony for US player’s new FSRU (Editor – intended to be operated in Iraq)
China’s Mega Shipyard Where the World’s Largest Ships are Built (Editor – Impressive stats in a 12:19 min video)
Indian Ocean and adjoining seas:
Diego Garcia is Proving its Value and is Key to Future Operations
Island Fortress: Tri-Service Might on Display in Latest Integrated Drills
Russian Navy ships conduct joint maneuvers with Indonesian corvettes
Amphibious Warship USS Rushmore Sailing Through Strait of Malacca
Indra Takes Aim at Submarine Connectivity Limits With New Satellite Link
EUROPE
Black and Caspian Seas:
Why Vladimir Putin won’t end the war | The Economist (Editor – 2:34 min video)
Baltic Sea:
Huge fires at Russian oil facilities following Ukraine strikes, satellite images show and Russia’s Ust-Luga Port Takes New Damage In Ukraine Drone Attack
VESSEL REVIEW | Gavia – Compact multi-mission autonomous submarines for Swedish Armed Forces
Mediterranean Sea and its 15 marginal seas:
US Supercarrier Ford on the Move After Four Days of Repairs then US Carrier Ford Arrives In Croatia For Repairs
Twenty-two migrants die off Greek coast after six days at sea
French, Italian Carrier Strike Groups Wrap NATO’s Neptune Strike Drills
Libya Abandons ‘Arctic Metagaz’ Salvage At Edge of Malta SAR Zone
General:
UK to Host Talks With 35 Countries on Reopening Strait of Hormuz
Spain closes airspace to US aircraft involved in Iran war
A dormant threat: The evolution of naval sea mines and underwater warfare
What Happened to the Royal Navy? Benign Neglect.
Royal Navy’s Top Officer Needs Four Years to Restore Readiness
Type 45 destroyers to remain in service until 2038
In focus: MSI-DS sovereign UK medium calibre gun mount development
Britain confirms plan to put laser weapons on warships
Royal Navy turns RFA Lyme Bay into drone mothership for mine warfare
Royal Navy accelerates shift to uncrewed ocean data gathering
Russian vessels have sought shelter in Norwegian fjords more than 230 times since 2022
Russia eyes record cargo volumes on Northern Sea Route this year
MIDDLE EAST
General:
Report: White House Considers Ending War Without Opening Strait of Hormuz and Proposals to End Gulf Conflict Align with Iranian Control of Hormuz and then Trump Says U.S. May Exit Iran War Soon and Threatens to Quit NATO, as Oil Crisis Escalates
Is the U.S. about to make a major military mistake? | About That (Editor – 12:17 min CBC News video)
Comment: Don’t forget about mariners in Strait of Hormuz and Industry Groups Urge Gulf States to Act as 20,000 Seafarers Remain Stranded by Hormuz Crisis
USNI: Iran War Update: VADM John Miller on the Strait of Hormuz (Editor – 51:21min podcast)
Tanker Hit Off Qatar in Renewed Wave of Gulf Attacks After 9-Day Lull
Drone Strike Hits Laden Supertanker Off Dubai as Gulf Shipping Incidents Flare Again
Why Kharg Island is key for the U.S., Iran and the world’s economy
‘A million things could go wrong’ – why seizing Iran’s uranium would be so risky for the US
Thousands of U.S. marines arrive in Middle East as Yemen’s Houthis join war against Israel and Trump says he is considering seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, but deal could be made ‘very quickly’ with Thousands of US Army Paratroopers Arrive in Middle East As Buildup Intensifies
Tehran strikes military base in Saudi Arabia after Israel hits Iranian nuclear facilities
A Playbook to Clear the Strait of Hormuz
Red Sea Lessons Haunt Western Effort to Reopen Strait of Hormuz (Editor – “The Hormuz Quagmire”)
How Iran can stop shipping with mines – in the strait, the whole Gulf and even the Red Sea
U.S. Navy Deploys LCS Mine Warfare System to Secure Strait of Hormuz After Avenger Retirement
Minesweeping technology in the Middle East is ‘a very good package,’ Caudle says
How some ships are still getting through the Strait of Hormuz as Iran war drags on with How Indian Navy is guiding ships through danger across Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s IRGC is Charging Millions in Cryptocurrency for Hormuz Transits
Chinese Boxships Abort First Hormuz Exit Attempt, Undermining Iran ‘Safe Passage’ Claims then Iran Signals New ‘Permission-to-Transit’ Regime in Hormuz After Blocking COSCO Vessels eventually Two Chinese Container Ships From Cosco Attempt Hormuz Exit Again
Stricken Bulk Carrier Mayuree Naree Runs Aground on Iran’s Qeshm Island
Can the USA and Israel Win? (Editor – useful summary 20:54 min video)
Aluminum Shortages Coming Soon || Peter Zeihan (Editor – 7:57 min video. Not maritime articles but examples of the consequences of the Hormuz closure) The world needs all the EVs it can get, and only China can build them (Editor – 4:43 mi video)
Exclusive: US deploys uncrewed drone boats in conflict with Iran
QatarEnergy’s U.S. LNG Plant Achieves First Production at Critical Time
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden:
EU expands naval ops in Red Sea and Indian Ocean
Houthis Threaten Red Sea Escalation as Iran War Risks Spreading to Second Shipping Chokepoint and Potential Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping could further damage global economy
Houthis Attack on Israel Threatens Red Sea Ceasefire
GLOBAL INTERESTS
How ports are hardening against grey-zone threats at sea
Canadian activist’s ship collides with krill trawler near Antarctica
SCUTTLEBUTT
Every Royal Canadian Navy Warship Class Ever Built (Editor – first-rate 21:57 min video)
The Dreadnought Arms Race – Who had the biggest numbers (ships, guns and shells)? (Editor – 23:22 min video. It would be interesting to do this for modern missile systems)
A Copper Disc Killed More U Boats Than Depth Charges Ever Did (Editor – 10:32 min video)
THIS WEEK IN RCN/MARITIME HISTORY
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.
5 April 1958 Ripple Rock blown up with 1.2 tons of Nitramex, one of the world’s largest non-nuclear explosions to date, removed a shipping hazard just below the surface of Seymour Narrows near Campbell River that had sunk or damaged 119 vessels and caused the death of over 100 people. Captain George Vancouver called the narrows “one of the vilest stretches of water in the world.” Campbell River, BC
7 April 1941 The Canadian registered SS Portadoc (Paterson Steamships Ltd., Fort William, Ontario), was a coal-fired Great Lakes freighter. The attack was about 225 nautical miles west of the destination Freetown. The submerged U-boat, at a range of only 270 meters, fired a single torpedo which slammed into the engine room. Even though the torpedo failed to detonate, the resulting flooding caused the ship’s bow to quickly rise vertically. The ship would not sink because of the buoyant cargo. U-124 surfaced and shelled her with 5 rounds incendiary and 16 rounds explosive from the deck gun, followed by several shots close range with the anti-aircraft 2 cm MG C/30 gun. The master and 19 crew members had abandoned ship in two lifeboats and the U-boat provided them with water, after being questioned. The survivors made landfall six days later at Benty, French Guinea and were interned by the Vichy French authorities. One of the crew later died in captivity.
7 April 1991 HMC Ships Athabaskan, Terra Nova, and Protecteur arrive home from Gulf War; ships left in early August; Huron leaves for the Gulf to help enforce the embargo against Iraq.
7 April 1995 HMCS Nipigon, HMCS Gatineau, and HMCS Onondaga supported Fisheries and Oceans and Coast Guard ships during a dispute with Spain over illegal overfishing of Greenland turbot on the Grand Banks.
8 April 1945 The cruiser HMCS Uganda joins British Pacific Fleet in Hong Kong.
9 April 1929 Canadian Ambassador Vincent Massey protests the U.S. sinking of Canadian schooner I’m Alone; crew released; case of rumrunner to go to arbitration.
10 April 1836 Hudson’s Bay Company steamship Beaver arrives at Fort Vancouver and has her boilers and paddles connected; left London August 29, 1835 under the command of Captain David Home under sail alone; rounded Cape Horn and called at Juan Fernandez and Honolulu on route; SS Beaver will be used to service trading posts between the Columbia River and Russian America (Alaska); 1862 chartered by the Royal Navy to survey and chart the coast of the Colony of British Columbia.
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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