This Week in Defence (05/20/26): Shuffling Positions, HDFM & MCAV Drop Their RFI, Naalak Nappaaluk Joins The Fleet, New VCDS, And Lots Of CANSEC!

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Happy Wednesday Everyone!

It's the latest edition of This Week in Defence, but not for bad reasons. Thank you everyone, including many of our sponsors for reaching out and reassuring me that a delay was okay and you understand why I might have to delay this week.

I am grateful for everyones understanding, and I promise, I will get something fully written about my experiences once I get some cute photos of me back! Here I was worried everyone would be upset about the delay, but turns out more of you were worried about me getting back in one piece!

Anyways, I won't vibe here too long. We got a big week this week. The week before CANSEC makes everything fun, and I have a feeling leading up to next week is gonna be even more fun…

Remember that you can always submit your media and press releases to us at media@truenorthstrategicreview.ca!

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• Read up on the latest edition of CanadaxEurope!

• Also CanadaxIndo-Pacific, which is a thing! How cool is that!

• The latest edition of Steffan Watkins RCN Media and Public Awareness Update is up!

• Let's Talk with Noah (05/14/26): CANSEC, RCA, CDC Export, LUSV, Mission Bays, More CANSEC

• Breaking: HDFM & MCAV RFI Released

• Noah In Korea Day 1: Seoul and Goeje

• United States Pauses Participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense

• The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk officially joins the Canadian Coast Guard fleet

• CANSEC 2026: Meet JSI at CANSEC 2026

• CANSEC: Ocean Open Robotics

• What Kontron Is Bringing to CANSEC: Defense Solutions Built in Canada

• CANSEC 2026: POLARIS Advantage

• CANSEC 2026: Telesat at CANSEC

• CANSEC 2026: Arcfield

• Vard Marine CANSEC 2026

• CANSEC 2026: Triode

• INKAS Successfully Completes Brake Trials in Spain for M1 MRAP

• Team Ontario United Behind Toronto’s Bid to Host the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank

• National Post: Vice-Admiral Topshee To Be Next Vice-Chief Of The Defence Staff, Rear-Admiral Charlebois To Take Over As CRCN

• HMCS Robert Hampton Gray Conducts Successful Aviation Trials With The Canadian Coast Guard

• PwC Canada launches CPCSC Readiness Service to help defence suppliers with new mandatory cyber certification

• First Canadian flight and paint reveal: CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135) advances FAcT program in Fort Erie, Ontario

• Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. Awarded Contracts by the Republic of Singapore Air Force for Mixed Reality Training Systems and Long-Term Support

• MDA SPACE INAUGURATES HIGH-VOLUME SATELLITE MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN MONTRÉAL

• UBC Sauder Launches New Scale Up Program during Web Summit Vancouver to Accelerate Canadian Defence and Dual-Use Innovation

• Minister McGuinty meets with the Minister of State for Defence Affairs of the United Arab Emirates

• RCAF Foundation and SkyAlyne announce Indigenous Scholarship program

• NEO Battery Enters Supply Intent Letter to Deliver High-Performance Batteries to Korean Drone Manufacturer for ROK Army Program

• Combined Space Operations Initiative Principals' Board meets to advance combined operations efforts

• Message from the MND: A year of progress in supporting the CAF

• Canada Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with the Philippines at Exercise BALIKATAN 41-26

• Canadian delegation gains firsthand insight into the CAF’s Indo-Pacific engagement

• Stephen Isaacs Appointed General Manager of Lockheed Martin Canada, Rotary and Mission Systems

• Government of Canada extends contract to maintain mission-critical equipment for Canadian Armed Forces

• De Havilland Canada Breaks Ground on De Havilland Field, Marking a New Era for Canadian Aerospace

• These Canadian cities could host the new international defence hub

• Canada looking beyond traditional allies to deepen Gulf ties, Defence Minister says

• Canada must ramp up military supply chain to prepare for threats, defence chief says

• The Philippines And Canada: Indo-Pacific Partners For Regional Security – Analysis

• Baykar's TB2 goes from sanctioned to sought as Canada eyes Ankara's arsenal

• RBC advising Ontario on $500-million ‘resilience bond’ to fund defence projects

• Toronto makes case to host new NATO-aligned defence bank

• Canada eyes Turkey as a fellow mid-power ally in weapons development

• ‘A new muscle’: Calian embracing partnerships to boost defence business

• Doug Ford says he won’t attack other bids in his push for Toronto as defence bank HQ

• FMF Cape Scott conducts Link 22 Testing with French Ship Bretagne

• Mariners Battle to Bronze at CAF basketball nationals

• Breaking down barriers: Joining the CAF as an Asian Canadian

• NCO Conference 2026: Leadership’s role in expansion and mobilization

• JTFP Concludes Ex CLEARWATER in Prince Rupert

• Capt Janes to become first graduate of Critical Care Nursing Officer–Certified Clinical Anesthesia Assistant program

• The quiet superpower of Canadian Armed Forces physiotherapy

• Update to the Occupation Transition

• Interoperability and readiness at the top of the world

• Equity and Allyship – Message from the Defence Team 2SLGBTQI+ Champion on the International day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia 2026

• Honouring the past, Supporting the present, Inspiring the future: New policy for CAF museums and historical collections

• From workshop to operation: Training the next generation of Biomedical Electronics Techs

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This Week in Defences Project and Lobbying Updates are supported by Dominion Dynamics Aurion platform. Aurion is an open data platform designed to increase transparency across Canada's defence procurement ecosystem.

• The RPF for the Vessel Life Extension (VLE) dry-docking, inspection, repair, maintenance and alterations of the CCGS Sir William Alexander has been updated with new documentation

• The SoO for Mini Uncrewed Ground Vehicle Systems (MUGVS) for explosive threats and assist with explosive ordnance disposal has been updated with new documentation

• After some delay we have a new RFP for Phase II of the Commercial Pattern Armoured Vehicle program. Some of you might remember phase I, which aimed to procure a number of Land Cruisers and Hilix for Latvia. This is essentially a followup, with those who qualified for Phase I returning for Phase II

• The RFI for Bridge and Gap Crossing Modernization has been uodated with new documentation

• The RFP for Short Support Bridge Systems has been updated with new documentation

• Telesat has received a new $7,062,500 amendment for the provision of Satellite Communication services.

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• Nunik Corporation has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on potential funding and to raise awareness onnthe proposed Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link project

• Motrec International has filed a new record with Bluesky Strategy Group looking to engage the Federal Government on the potential sale of vehicles for industrial, defence or other off-road logistical requirements

• Loomex Group has filed a new record with Summa Strategies looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including emergency preparedness, emergency management, evacuations, aviation and performance management, aerospace defence, airport management and infrastructure

• SkyCan Systems has filed a new record with Summa Strategies looking to engage the Federal Government on the companies capabilities and offerings

• Drakkar has filed a new record with Sandstone Group looking to engage the Federal Government on the companies capabilities and offerings

• J-Squared Technologies has filed a new record with Sandstone Group looking to engage the Federal Government on the companies capabilities and offerings as well as potential funding opportunities

• Canada Rocket Company has filed a new record with Sandstone Group looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including launch licences and export controls, Talent Retention and Acquisition, amd Canadian Launch strategy

• Aliter Technologies 3CIS has filed a new record with Global Public Affairs looking to engage the Federal Government on potential funding opportunities

• Sterling Energetics has filed a new record with Wellington Dupont Public Affairs to engage the Federal Government on their Iron Willow project, which seeks to establish a new nitrocellulose and propellants production facility in Alberta.

• Edmonton Region Defence Consortium has filed a new record with Global Public Affairs looking to engage the Federal Government on potential funding opportunities

• NordSpace Corporation has filed a new record with Prospectus Associates looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including funding, licensing, and permitting relating to the space industry and space launch systems

• Top Aces has filed a new record with Navigator looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including the companies capabilities and offerings, labour shortages in the aviation sector, and procurement opportunities through projects like Future Fighter Lead-in Training (FFLIT), Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) program, and Operational Training Infrastructure Enterprise Modernization (OTIEM)

• Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation has filed a new record with Crestview Strategy looking to engage the Federal Government on the companies capabilities and offerings

• J.D. Irving Limited has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including defence supply chain opportunities in Canada, Shortline Railways, and the National Shipbuilding Strategy

• Ocean Group has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the opportunies coming from it, and the companies capabilities and offerings

• Des Nedhe Development has filed a new record with Alar Strategy Group looking to engage the Federal Government on greater cooperation between government and Indigenous business ventures.

• Magellan Aerospace Corporation has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including the companies capabilities and offerings, procurement opportunities, the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative, the Munition Supply Program, and CF35 ISS

• MDA Space has filed a new record looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics. Many, many topics….

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It's shuffle season as some of you might know, and few key appointments have been confirmed in the last couple weeks that I believe should be noted. I usually don't do this stuff, dont like to be the one to do it, but given whats going on? I thought it appropriate. Plus because of the week I don'thave much else for here So here's the quick rundown for you:

• Commodore J.L. Murray will be promoted to Rear-Admiral and taking over now CRCN Rear-Admiral Charlebois role as Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.

• Brigadier-General L.W. Rutland will be promoted to Major-General and will be taking command of the 1st Canadian Division out of Edmonton.

• Commodore P.L Belhumeur will be promoted to Rear-Admiral and taking over as Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic from the retiring Rear-Admiral Kurtz

• Brigadier-General R.D.C. Schmidt has been promoted to Major-General and will be taking over as Chief of Force Development, replacing the gap left by Lieutenant-General Molstad.

• Captain(N) W.B. Brown will be promoted to Commodore and appointed Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific

• Captain(N) J.W. Dargavel will be promoted to Commodore and replace M.S.J. Lessard Director General Naval Strategic Readiness

• Colonel C.J. Marchetti will be promoted to Brigadier-General and appointed as the brand new Director General Joint Force Development

• Lieutenant-General D.A. Macaulay will be given a new role as Senior Military Representative- Indo-Pacific

• Major-General K.D. Brodie will be taking over as the new Deputy Commander Canadian Joint Forces Command

• Brigadier-General E.M.C. Harvey will be taking over as the new commander of the 2nd Canadian Division out of Montreal

There are more, mind you, but these are the major ones that I know of at this time. If you want me to look for specifics, let me know!

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