This Week in Defence (9/1/25): Submarine update, Coast Guard news coming, First look at the Zetros, LRSS

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Happy Monday everyone. Apologies for the quiet weekend! Its back to school season so a lot of shopping and prepping for the kids. My youngest starts kindergarten this year which means all of mine are officially in school age! Feels weird, very weird.

Anyways I got some surprises coming up, and hopefully we should be getting a bit of a quieter week. The last few have been taxing on me to keep up!

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News

• Official: The Government of Canada takes the next step as part of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, downselects TKMS and Hanwha

• Canada strengthens ties with Latvia and renews key NATO mission, confirms renewal of Operation REASSURANCE for three years.

• Canadian Prime Minister Carney visits shipyard in Kiel – TKMS in final selection round with the 212CD Program

• STATEMENT BY HANWHA OCEAN REGARDING CANADIAN PATROL SUBMARINE PROJECT

• Seaspan welcomes selection of qualified bidders for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project

• H55 Accelerates North American Expansion with New Aircraft Battery Pack Manufacturing Facility in Canada

• Cellula Robotics Announces Guardian Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Sale

• Norway selects the Type 26 for its next frigate

• Ontario Defence and Security Export Business Mission to DSEI 2025 – London, U.K.

• Strengthening Ties in the Indo-Pacific: Canada and Indonesia Sign Defence Cooperation Agreement

• Addressing Weapons Systems Platform Acquisition Crises

• Fuhr: Canada, Europe, and NATO: a renewed commitment to shared security

• Joly asks Canada’s financial sector to lend to defence companies

• Defence procurement secretary and Lockheed Martin meet, discuss purchase of fighter jets (Side Note: Joly will also be visiting Lockheed facilities soon)

• Canada scrambles to fill equipment gaps as it extends Latvia mission

• Royal Canadian Navy sets up military training exercise in Yukon waters

• Canada joins allies for military drills off disputed South China Sea shoal

• Canadian car parts manufacturers hope military contracts open new doors amid Trump trade war

• CAF Senior Leadership Team Reflects on Achievements, Focuses on Future

• National Directory Showcases Canada’s Veteran Entrepreneurs

• National Honour Recipients Announced

• Canadian Special Operations Forces Command Accepting Applications

• Voluntary Occupation Transfer Campaign for Untrained Regular Force Officers and Non-Commissioned Members Announced

• Op CADENCE LTF secures G7 Summit through partnership and preparedness

• Halifax teams headed to soccer nationals after winning regional gold

• Minister McGuinty visits CFB Edmonton to learn about Army of the West operations

• Introducing the brand-new Occupant Portal: a streamlined hub for military housing needs

• First Winner Announced in the Inaugural Naval Innovation Challenge: Now It’s Your Turn to Vote

• DEFENCE TEAM NEWS | AUGUST 26, 2025

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Project Updates

• The RFI for the AIEDDD project has been updated with new documentation.

• The RFP for the Mid-Shore Multi-Mission (MSMM) design contract has been updated with new documentation

• The RFI for both CHER Bundle 1 (Armoured Dozers, Graders, Excavators, Compactors, and Loaders) has been updated with new Q&A and documents.

• Galvions contract for the supply of helmets for the DICE program has been amended

• C-CORE has been awarded a new contract as part of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) SPACE LOW EARTH ORBIT (SpaceLEO) program

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Lobbying Updates

• Dominion Dynamics has filed a new record with Alar Strategy Inc to promote its dual-use communication system for Canada's Arctic

• KNDS Canada has filed a new record for the first time in a while, aiming to present their solutions to half a dozen projects including LRPS, IFM, and B&GCM

• Draganfly Inc has filed a new record with Rubicon Strategy promoting their UAS solutions to the government and CAF

• Davie Canada Yard has filed a new record looking to discuss the National Shipbuilding Strategy and promote the development of an internationally competitive Canadian icebreaker and ferry technology and construction hub centered in the Province of Québec.

• Leonardo UK has filed a new record looking to promote unnamed aircraft to the Canadian government. Likely Proteus?

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Rumors & Speculation

• LRSS is dead. Like dead dead not just the dead we joke about.

• We should be getting Coast Guard news this week. No idea how detailed it will be, or if we will be getting new info. Theres a lot of work going on behind the scenes to iron things out and see where the CCG and RCN can align. Its gonna be a long process.

A look at the first pre-production Zetros coming off the line! The project is advancing ahead of schedule. The first Zetros should be coming into service ~Q2 2027 if all goes to plan.

Ive heard some complaints about the size. Apparently the MRT variant had to make some modifications thanks to the height of the Zetros. Goes to show a bit of the value in having a Class 5 or similar truck available for certain roles, however I still hear people are very excited for the capabilities they'll bring.

Marshall is currently working on developing the containerized payloads for the Zetros. Ill have to follow up with them about their development.