A history of the Asterix in service of the Royal Canadian Navy
Federal Fleet is on a campaign to renew the contract to provide for its Asterix to continue to serve the Royal Canadian Navy. I wrote about this for the Ottawa Citizen on June 8, 2026: Company calling on Canadian government to keep Asterix resupply ship. The lease for MV Asterix, now known as Combat Support […]
New military drones will have ‘limited’ capabilities at first
The Canadian military still expects the first of its large drones to be operational in 2028, but the systems will be limited initially in what they can do, according to internal documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen. Department of National Defence spokesperson Kened Sadiku said the delivery of the first of 11 MQ-9 drones was […]
Canada’s F-35 purchase – so-called competition was a sham
National Post columnist Jon Ivison has written a piece that outlines how Canada’s fighter jet competition was rigged right from the beginning to select the Lockheed Martin F-35. Behind the scenes, defence insiders in Ottawa have always maintained that this was the case. Ivison lays it out for all to see in a column dated […]
Drones donated by Canada expected in Ukraine in May or June
Drones promised by Canada to Ukraine will arrive in that country as early as May, says Natasha Kim, Associate Deputy Minister at the Department of National Defence. In response to questions from the Senate defence committee on April 8, Kim pointed to the impending deliveries of equipment. “We are looking to have the drones that […]
Canada donates more than $40M in gear to Ukraine
Defence Minister Bill Blair announced March 19 that Canada will contribute $40 million to Czechia’s initiative to purchase large-calibre ammunition rounds for Ukraine. This will enable the delivery of several thousand rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine, according to Canada’s Department of National Defence. In February, Canada and Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic) […]
Royal Canadian Navy to replace Victoria-class subs
The Royal Canadian Navy has started the long process to replace its Victoria-class submarines by the late 2030s. The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), part of the RCN’s Naval Force Development establishment, is actively analyzing the future operating environment to better understand the key capabilities and technologies that will be required of Canada’s next generation […]
Leopard tanks to get major upgrades – market boosted by Ukraine War
The year 2023 is turning out to be the heyday for the Leopard tank. The war in Ukraine has focused the attention of western nations on the value of the tank, in particular the Leopard. That armoured vehicle is becoming the symbol of NATO support for the besieged country as allied nations prepare to donate […]
Canada to spend more than $6B on new weapons for F-35
The Canadian government plans to spend more than $6 billion on new weapons for the stealth fighters it has ordered from the U.S. The purchases are separate from the $19 billion the Liberal government has committed for buying 88 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. The $6.3 billion will be for new advanced air-to-air missiles […]