This Week in Defence (9/15/25): Hanwha, Irving meets everyone, SAFE, and restructuring

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Happy Monday everyone. This week has been fun, and will be very busy for me, so I am busy preparing. Expect some fun new things to drop this week from me! I am debating covering committee meetings. Is that something y'all would like?

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News

• Hanwha for Canada: Hanwhas Package to rebuild the Canadian Armed Forces

• TNSRxHANWHA: Announcing a week of coverage on Canada's hottest defence company.

• Canadian Coast Guard begins new chapter of marine training excellence as it celebrates the institution’s 60th Anniversary

• CANADIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE VISITS HANWHA OCEAN SHIPYARD

• Successful trial of UK’s first autonomous military submarine spurs extended collaboration between BAE & Cellula

• Minister McGuinty attends 30th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group

• Canada and Spain sign General Security of Information Agreement, protecting sensitive information and promoting economic prosperity

• Let's talk with Noah (9/10/25): Tanks, Cyclones, Churchill

• Kongsberg: Contracts for supplying propulsion systems for the River Class Destroyer program

• Glamox’s MARL International teams with Apex Industries to light three new Royal Canadian Navy destroyers

• SkyAlyne signs EllisDon for design of FAcT infrastructure buildings

• Hanwha Ocean and Babcock Canada Sign Teaming Agreement for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project

• Royal Canadian Air Force Welcomes first two Future Aircrew Training Program Aircraft

• Lets give a quick update on Canada and SAFE

• Queen's University receives $100k from Canadian National Defence

• Bombardier CEO urges Canada to think long-term with defence strategy

• U.S. warns Canada of potential negative consequences if it dumps F-35 fighter jet

• From Reliance to Resilience: Mark Carney’s Foreign Policy

• Why quantum technology matters for defence

• Parent of Canadian shipbuilder Davie to create new U.S. entity, plans to overhaul Texas shipyards

• No explosives or adversaries allowed: Arctic Training Centre launches in Yukon

• Handgun widely used by Canadian military at centre of RCMP accidental shooting investigation

• Exclusive: Canada’s new military helmet undergoes blast testing

• Fighter jets and helicopter to soar over Colwood's Hatley Castle

• Ukraine receives Canada’s first ACSV armored vehicles: Details

• Ville de Québec joins training exercise with Australian and Philippine navies

• Vanderhoof Canadian Ranger Patrol returns old spearhead to Cheslatta Carrier Nation

• A summer to remember: Life with the Strathcona Mounted Troop and the King's Life Guard

• Celebrate Official Languages Day on September 11

• Stories of support: How CFMWS strengthened the military community

• CAFCYBERCOM joins Cyber Summit Korea and APEX 2025 to boost international cyber partnerships

• Understanding Conflict of Interest: A shared responsibility across the Defence Team

• Honouring the military relationship between France and Canada

• Defence Team Word Puzzle | September 15

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Project Updates

• The RFP for the RCMP Next Generation - Police Coastal Patrol Vessels project has been updated with new documentation

• The RFP for CCG Mamilossas Vessel Life Extension has been updated with new documentation

• The RFIs for CHER bundles 1 and 6 have been updated with new Q&A

• The RFP for the Mid-Shore Multi-Mission (MSMM) design contract has been updated with more documentation. As if it needed more.

• Industries Océan contract for Naval Tugs has been amended at a value of $241,021.42

• Mack Defences contract to provide In-Service Support for the SMP fleet has been amended at a value of $60,950,000.00

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Lobbying Updates

• Volatus Aerospace has filed a new record with David Pratt & Associates looking to promote how their existing infrastructure and aircraft fleets can be used in support of Border Security and National Defence

• CAE Inc has filed a new record looking at promoting it servixes and capabilities to the federal government across multiple fields.

• Qikiqtaaluk Horizon Arctic Services Limited Partnership has filed a new record with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP looking for support and funding for their plan to acquire multiple PC2 Icebreakers in support of Arctic sovereignty.

• NeesStaNan has filed a new.record with Quinn Public Affairs looking at securing financial support from the Government of Canada for the continued development of the NeeStaNan project.

• Kepler Communications has filed a new record with StrategyCorp Inc looking to promote their satellite services for National Defence, specifically the Arctic

• Accipiter Radar Technology has filed a new record with Policy Concepts Inc looking to promote their radar technology for use in Border Security and National Defence

• De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited has filed a new record with StrategyCorp Inc looking for federal support for the companies CL-515 platform

• Arctic Gateway Group has filed a new communication detailing meetings with Jean-Marc Doucet, Robert Thompson, Alexandre Fenwick, Philip de Grasse, Gwendolyn Culver, and Quinn Rinke

• General Motors has filed new communications detailing meetings with Commander of the Canadian Army Michael Wright

• Lockheed Martin has filed nnew communications detailing meetings with Radey Barrack, Renee Filiatrault, and Cory Pike (I refuse to believe Radey Barrack isnt some obscure Star Wars character from 1997)

• Saab Canada has filed a new communication detailing meetings with Stephen Kelsey.

• Dominion Dynamics has filed a new communication detailing meetings with Radey Barrack

• Irving Shipbuilding has filed new communications detailing meetings with everyone, including you, and me, and your dog. More specifically they detailed meetings with *Breath in* Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Angus Topshee, Alice Hanson, Danielle Racanelli, Allie Chalke, Shannon Miedema, Joël Lightbound, Lena Metlege Diab, David McGuinty, Alexa Kalsatos, and Jason Armstrong

• Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems GmbH has filed new communications detailing meetings with Natasha Kim and Nancy Tremblay

• Roshel has filed a new communication detailing meetings with Scott Millar

• MDA Space has filed new communications detailing meetings with Ross Ermel, Natasha Kim, and Renee Filiatrault

• Volatus Aerospace has filed new communications detailing meetings with David McGuinty, Stephen Fuhr, Paul Moen, Mary-Rose Brown, Mélanie Joly, Stefanie Beck, Natasha Kim, Wendy Hadwen, and Corey Pike

• Telesat Canada has filed a new communication detailing meetings with Radey Barrack

• Raytheon Company has filed a new communication de5ailing meetings with Peter Saunders

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Rumors & Speculation

We should be hearing soon about Army restructuring. Very soon. I get a lot of questions about it, like two or three a day. Info on this front isnt necessarily hard to get, however for thr safety of people, and their jobs, I havent really been comfortable sharing.

My first job is to protect people, and my friends. That means some things are not allowed to be shared around. Now that info is more out there now though, I feel more comfortable sharing stuff.

You won't get the full plans from me, sorry. That puts people and their security at risk. I can give some random tidbits though:

• The Sixth and Seventh divisions remain basically the same as we discussed before with the Seventh taking a Domestic role and the Sixth being Expeditionary.

This means the Seventh will take over roles like Domestic HADR, ALEA, Aid to the Civil Powers, A2/AD in the Arctic, and protection of Critical Assets. They will also be responsible for supporting mobilization.

The Sixth will be responsible for maintaining an expeditionary Division able to partake in Major Combat Operations. There will also be some sort of Rapid Response force able to respond to threats on short notice. They will also support the Seventh in DOMOPS.

• Total strength being listed is reportedly 52,000. No idea timelines or if there are goals beyond that. We will see.

• 1 CMBG will be getting a second Heavy Cavalry regiment. This will be a new unit. Everyone else gets the new Medium Cavalry concept

• The Sixth will also reportedly include an Aviation Brigade, similar, but not exact to the U.S. Army CAB.

• Curent timelines for MCAV is ~3032. IFM reportedly sticks to their 2030/2031 timeline.

• 1 RCHA takes HIMARS, 38 ATG will reroll as HIMARS units. 3 RCHA is to return and be stood up in Edmonton.

• 20th Field Regiment is to be moved out of 41 CBG and directly under division command. They will also absorb 20IFB.

We will hear more soon, and as always consider these little rumors and not anything confirmed. Just a few things to keep the conversation active ahead of the official announcement.