Noah's Week in Defence (3/31/25): RCN ISTAR, Platforms, and not much else

Happy Monday everyone. This has been a slow week, at least project wise. There was only really one project this week even worth mentioning, so I apologize now.

Anyways, we do at least have some news to go through, yay!

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News

• Veterans Affairs Canada and DND released a joint statement today to mark the 15th anniversary of the end of Operation Hestia

• CAE was awarded two new contracts this week, first being awarded $180 to support the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE) and the 110th Aviation Brigade under the Advanced Helicopter Flight Training Support (AHFTS) program along with being awarded a Simulator Sustainment Contract from the New Zealand Defence Force

• Airbus and Canadian aerospace partners (academic and research organisations) have launched a project to measure non-CO2 emissions produced from different jet fuels, including 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

• Aéro Montréal, Quebec’s aerospace cluster, is hosting the Global Aerospace Supply Chain Summit at the Palais des congrès in Montréal. This must-attend event brings together nearly 400 industry leaders, government decision-makers, and supply chain experts. In the context of a tariff crisis and major disruptions across global value chains, this gathering aims to foster dialogue and propose concrete solutions to enhance the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.

• Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst (“the Catalyst”) at Toronto Metropolitan University and In-Sec-M have launched Buy Canadian Cyber — a national initiative to connect Canadian organizations with world-class, homegrown cybersecurity businesses, talent and solutions.

• HMCS Ottawa returns from Operations HORIZON and NEON

• HMCS Harry DeWolf returns from Operation CARIBBE

• Ultra Maritime has been awarded a significant $89 million contract by Lockheed Martin Canada, Inc. to provide three shipsets of Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD) systems for the River-class destroyer (RCD) program.

• Mr. Pugliese has spoken more about NTACS this week. Seems we're all in agreement that more is coming this summer. If you want to learn more, I spoke more on the initiative a few weeks ago

• New Arctic security institute encourages diplomacy with the U.S. on northern defence

• General Dynamics to Ottawa: We need more military orders or risk layoffs

• We have a new article on RCN ISTAR this week further confirming that a preferred supplier has been identified and a contract award is coming this year. This is in line with what I've been told the last year, and ends a decade long process. This is one of several UAS projects for the navy, whom will be procuring seperate unmanned systems for each vessel.

• NordSpace, a Canadian space technology company working to develop the nation's first orbital space launch vehicle and operational commercial spaceport, unveiled its SHARP (Supersonic and Hypersonic Applications Research Platform) program. The SHARP program consists of three key responsive products designed, manufactured and flown in Canada, derived from the company’s dual-use space systems powering its orbital class launch vehicles. The three products are SHARP Arrow, SHARP Sabre, and M2S-HyRock. The SHARP program is exploring partnerships with several secure sites across Canada for strategic and reliable operations, starting in the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.

• Both the New Democratic Party and Green Party have released their platforms for defence. I won't be speaking of them here, as I plan to do a bigger post on them, and the election, tomorrow.

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Project Updates

• The RFP for deployable masts has been updated with additional Q&A answers.

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Rumors & Speculation

I don't have much here either this week. I have a couple things in the pipeline, but not to much, and none I am ready to discuss. I apologize for the lack of stuff this week. The election makes sure things slow to the bare minimum, so expect this trend to continue the next month.

Many people have been asking me on restructuring, and yes, it is ongoing, but I am not privy to any real details on it, other than it is ongoing across multiple departments. I have been trying to dig on it, but sadly no one is really talking! Those whom remember last newsletter might recall that the current plan calls for Division-centered planning and focus. I have not gotten much else on this, other than some mentions of Artillery brigades apparently being in the plans? I'll keep trying to look into it.

Expect to see lots of policy documents and concepts this summer in relation to it. I know one policy document is ready to go and awaiting release that will outline the priority areas that CAF wants to focus on. That should be coming this summer.

Other things like reforms to the Navies training ecosystem, a new space-based trade, and further reforms to recruitment are also on the table, but I don't know much about them other than the concepts exist.

Hopefully I'll get more info in the next week or two to actually talk about these things beyond just some single-sentence rumors!