FrontLine has learned that Spanish shipbuilder Navantia is out of the running for Canadian Navy's Joint Support Ships, leaving a choice between the German Berlin-class and a home-grown Canadian design. Whatever the choice, two and possibly three Joint Support Ships will be built at the Seaspan shipyards in Vancouver under a contract estimated at about $3 billion.
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(Feb. 8) Six-hundred Canadian Forces regular and reserve force soldiers from Ontario will be training later this month to respond to a simulated large aircraft crash and a smaller one in the isolated northern part of the province. Canadian Rangers and RCAF squadrons based in Ontario will participate to gain a better understanding of crash response operations in a wintery northern environment. “Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE 2012 is an important way to practice winter skills under difficult conditions while preparing for domestic operations in the north,” said Brig.-Gen. Fred Lewis, Commander JTFC. “The men and women of the Canadian Forces (CF) are ready to assist fellow Canadians with rapid response when needed.” more>>
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(Feb. 8) The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency is expected to maintain a large presence in Iraq and Afghanistan long after conventional forces have departed the countries as part of a plan by the Obama administration to rely on a combination of spies and Special Operations forces to protect American interests in the two nations. The CIA has huge stations in Kabul and Baghdad, which will probably remain the agency’s largest overseas outposts for years. The administration has been pursuing a revised strategy where smaller, flexible units are used in combination with unmanned vehicles such as armed drones, rather than employing large numbers of conventional forces like those that invaded Iraq nearly nine years ago and were subsequently battered by shadowy insurgents using small arms, RPGs, mortars, and ubiquitous IEDs. more>>
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(Feb. 8) Argentina will lodge a complaint with the United Nations Security Council protesting Britain’s “militarization” of the southern Atlantic Ocean around the Falkland Islands. Throughout Latin America, they are known as Las Malvinas. The two countries fought a war over the islands, which are situated much closer to Argentina than the U.K., in 1982. Britain has deployed one of its newest destroyers, HMS Dauntless, to the waters near the islands in advance of British companies drilling for oil around the archipelago. more>>
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(Feb. 7) Canadian military police have charged Capt. Daniel Moriarty, an instructor at the Cadet Instructors Cadre, with disgraceful conduct and sexual offences against two cadets in B.C. He is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl and sexually assaulting an underage teenage male. The alleged offences occurred between 2008 and 2011 at the LGen E.C. Ashton Armoury in Victoria and the Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre in Vernon. more>>
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(Feb. 7) Lt.-Col. Daniel Davis of the U.S. Army has deliberately broken ranks with the official portrayal of the Afghanistan War after spending a year in the country and accused the American military of painting a misleading picture of progress in the conflict. "What I saw bore no resemblance to rosy official statements by US military leaders about conditions on the ground," he wrote in an article published in Armed Forces Journal, a private newspaper not affiliated with the Pentagon. "Instead, I witnessed the absence of success on virtually every level," he wrote under the headline, "Truth, Lies And Afghanistan: How military leaders have let us down". For going so far 'off-message', Davis told The New York Times: "I'm going to get nuked." more>>
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(Feb. 7) After a record year in 2011 for civilian casualties in Afghanistan, 77% of them caused by Taliban attacks, NATO officials in the country say they will focus on reducing the number of Afghan civilians who are killed and injured this year. According to U.N. officials, nearly 12,000 Afghan civilians have been killed since 2007, most in roadside bombings and suicide bomb attacks. Various NATO air strikes were also responsible for civilian casualties. more>>
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(Feb. 6) A new report to be presented Tuesday to a Parliamentary committee alleges that Canadian taxpayers are on the hook for fixes to shoddy construction work at Dept. of National Defence buildings and private contractor overcharges. The Union of National Defence Employees, which represents DND construction engineering staff, has collected photographic evidence of crumbling foundations, sloping floors on new buildings, piping attached to a ceiling with a rope, and other examples of poor and unsafe workmanship performed by contractors hired by Defence Construction Canada, the Crown corporation responsible for work done on DND facilities. “We uncovered just a fraction of what we think is going on at all DND sites across the country,” said John MacLennan, the union’s national president. “We don’t know how much it is costing taxpayers but we’re asking for an audit.” more>>
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(Feb. 6) The U.S. and Israel are publicly disagreeing over when to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The governments of both nations believe that Iran is attempting to build a nuclear weapon, a charge with the regime in Tehran has repeatedly denied. Being a U.S. presidential year, the last thing that Pres. Obama wants is another war in the Middle East that would require American involvement. However, the Washington Post recently reported that U.S. SecDef Leon Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will attack Iran in April, May or June before the country's new nuclear enrichment facility, which is deeply underground, is completed. more>>
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(Feb. 5) Members of the family of 14-year-old Burton Winters, who was found dead off the northern coast of Labrador on Wednesday, are asking why the Canadian Forces waited to look for their son when a private helicopter landed at the scene in the same conditions that the military said were too poor for flight operations. The lad's father and stepmother issued a statement Saturday that sharply criticized the military's apparently slow response. "How is it that a civilian helicopter arrived on the scene, yet a Search and Rescue helicopter did not?" the family has asked, noting that "the civilian helicopter which had first arrived was neither equipped nor capable for a search and rescue situation" and that the civilian chopper crew "only offered to help because Search and Rescue had not yet arrived." A military investigation into the matter is underway. more>>
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(Feb. 5) Iran began ground military exercises Saturday and warned that it could cut off oil exports to "hostile" European nations as tensions increase between the Middle East nation and the U.S., Europe and Israel. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that U.S. or Israeli attacks against Tehran's nuclear facilities will result in counter-strikes. In a nationally broadcast speech Friday, he pledged to aid any nation or group that challenges Israel. Hezbollah in Lebanon is widely viewed as a militant proxy group supported by the Iranian regime and well-equipped to launch rocket attacks against Israel. The Jewish state will reportedly strike at Iran this year if Western sanctions due not cause a reversal in Tehran's position on uranium enrichment, which seems unlikely. more>>
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(Feb. 4) Rear Admiral Dave Gardam, commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic, said the weather was unsuitable when the military first received a call Monday morning to search for missing 14-year-old Burton Winters. However, a written chronology later provided by the military indicated that in addition to poor weather, aircraft were not serviceable to assist in the search. Newfoundland MP Jack Harris, who has been critical of the Harper government's decision to close a SAR centre in his province, said: "The timeline is very sketchy and raises more questions or as many questions as it answers in terms of why a helicopter or assets of the Canadian Forces weren't available more quickly. I'm not satisfied that we know the answer to that question yet and we want more information. And we want a fuller report and a fuller investigation." more>>
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(Feb. 4) Nearly 12,000 Canadian Forces personnel were deemed medically unfit for service between 2001 and November 2011, according to Dept. of National Defence. Annual incidences of medical releases increased dramatically after troops began deploying to Afghanistan. The numbers point to the stresses on support programs that were rushed into place by National Defence and Veterans Affairs as casualties mounted in the Afghanistan War. "When you make the decision to send the best and brightest overseas you have that obligation until that person hits the headstone," said NDP Veteran's Affairs critic Peter Stoffer. "We have 20-year old veterans now and some of them may need care all the way until their 80s and 90s. That’s the cost of going to war." more>>
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(April 26-29) NDHQ WOs’ & SGTs’ / C& Pos’ Mess is celebrating 20 years of history with fun events in April 2012. Celebrations will be spread over four days from Thurs April 26th thru to Sunday April 29th at the Mess. Past members of the Executive Committee are also encouraged to attend. Festivities will wrap up on Sunday with a Champagne & Orange Juice brunch. Contact the Mess Office at 613-995-1287 for ticket information. more>>
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(Feb. 3) Canada's chief of defence staff (CDS) is investigating why it took military aircraft nearly two days to join a search for a lost 14-year-old boy who died in winter conditions. He was reported missing Sunday from the Labrador community of Makkovik. NDP justice critic Jack Harris, who has urged the Harper government to speed up military SAR response times, raised the tragedy in the House of Commons Thursday. Julian Fantino, the associate defence minister, told MPs that the CDS "has commenced an investigation." more>>
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(Feb. 3) Dennis Ross, a veteran American diplomat with Middle East expertise, says that President Barack Obama's objections to Israel unilaterally attacking Iran may not be having much effect on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who believes that Iran poses an existential threat to his nation. Ross, who has high-level contacts with Israel, says that while the U.S. is willing to allow time for new, tougher sanctions on Iran to force the Islamist regime into compromise, Israel is operating on a shorter time frame. "They talk about nine to 12 months. There is a time frame from their end," he said. more>>
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(Feb. 3) The Philippine military says it has killed a Malaysian man who is on the FBI most-wanted terror list and two other senior militants in an airstrike on a remote southern island. The FBI was offering a $5M reward for the capture of Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir. Several militants died in the early morning airstrike on the island province of Sulu, part of the autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao. The Jemaah Islamiyah terror group carried out the 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia that killed 202 people and injured 240 and has close ties with al-Qaeda network.
, according to a spokesman for the Philippines armed forces.
The dead included two senior figures in Jemaah Islamiyah and members of the militant group Abu Sayyaf, said Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, the spokesman.
The Malaysian, also known as Marwan, was on the FBI most-wanted list for "providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists" and contributing "goods and services" to a global terror network.
Another Jemaah Islamiyah member Mohammad Ali, also known as Muawiyah, and Abu Sayyaf leader Gumbahali Jumdail were also among those killed, according to the spokesman.
The airstrike was a joint effort between the army, air force, the navy and the police and was "very brief but precise," Burgos said.
The Philippine police are at the scene helping identify the bodies, Burgos said, but added that he didn't think DNA tests had been conducted yet.
In the past, Philippine officials made premature announcements about the capture and deaths of Indonesian fugitives Dulmatin, who turned up in Indonesia in 2010, and Umar Patek, who was captured in Pakistan last year. Both had fled to the southern Philippines and were reported captured or killed in Mindanao.
The Mindanao group of islands includes a Muslim autonomous region set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the Philippines, a predominantly Christian country.
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(Feb. 2) Taliban fighters believe they are receiving support from Pakistan and that they will return to power after the international coalition led by the U.S. ends its combat role in Afghanistan in 2014, according to NATO officials. The Taliban view was repeatedly communicated to military personnel who interrogated thousands of insurgent prisoners. Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told reporters in Kabul: "This is old wine in an even older bottle. I don't think these claims are new. These claims have been made for many, many years." more>>
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(Feb. 2) Israel's chief of staff, Benny Gantz, said Wednesday that there was no doubt that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. Speaking at the annual Herzliya conference, which deals with security issues, Gantz said Israel should work to "disrupt the actions" of the Iranian nuclear development program and "exploit the full range of our capabilities." An intense and very public debate continues in Israel over what to do regarding Iran's alleged program to develop nuclear arms, with some officials advocating air strikes while other experts countering that attacking Iran would be suicidal due to that country's ability to counter-strike with ballistic missiles and via its paramilitary proxy in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah, which has many smaller, mobile rockets that can hit Israel. more>>
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(Feb. 2) Canada's military spent $2.4M last year on training provided by Xe Services, the controversial American private security company formerly known as Blackwater. The company now calls itself Academi. House of Commons documents show that the training involved precision shooting and defensive driving. Since 2005, 605 Canadian soldiers have trained at Blackwater or Xe. In 2007, company personnel allegedly shot and killed 17 Iraqis, and ten months ago a U.S. federal appeals court panel revived the Justice Department's prosecution of the accused Blackwater guards. more>>
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To counter threats from Argentina against the Falkland Islands, the United Kingdom is sending HMS Dauntless, a new Type 45 destroyer. Armed with Sea Viper missiles and advanced radars, the ship is considered well equipped to counter Argentine air attacks. Three decades ago, as British forces recaptured the Falklands from Argentina, air-launched Argentine Exocet missiles sank the HMS Sheffield and the container ship Atlantic Conveyor. The UK Ministry of Defence describes the seven-month deployment of Dauntless as 'routine'.
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(Feb, 1) The U.S. government may release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an inducement for the Taliban to join peace talks with the United States and Afghan government. The Obama administration is reportedly considering transferring five Taliban prisoners to a third country, likely Qatar, if the Karzai government agrees. more>>
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(Feb. 1) The Kremlin's plans to restore the army’s flagging power are meeting resistance in Russia. The country's purchase of two Mistral class French amphibious assault ships last year sent a message to Russia military-industrial complex: the government would buy foreign arms if homegrown suppliers could not make them for a reasonable price. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union 20 years ago, purchasing military equipment from a NATO country was unthinkable. This report explains how much things have changed in Russia in terms of defence contractors in the past two decades. more>>
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(Feb. 1) FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Tuesday that threats from cyber-espionage, computer crime, and attacks on critical infrastructure will surpass terrorism as the number one threat facing the United States. He said that China and Russia run robust intrusion operations against key U.S. industries and the government. "I do not think today it is necessarily [the] number one threat, but it will be tomorrow," Mueller said. "Counterterrorism — stopping terrorist attacks — with the FBI is the present number one priority. But down the road, the cyberthreat, which cuts across all [FBI] programs, will be the number one threat to the country." more>>
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In a lengthy ruling, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that Bell Helicopter intentionally infringed a patent for an innovative helicopter landing gear design that Eurocopter developed and implemented on its EC120 and EC130 models. The Court determined that Bell leased a Eurocopter EC120 helicopter equipped with the patented landing gear, studied the design of the gear, and created a “slavish copy” to be used on its new 429 model. Significantly, the Court determined that “Bell has misled and continues to mislead the public into believing that the Bell Model 429 is the first helicopter to use a sleigh type landing gear.” Ultimately, the Court concluded that “Bell’s overall conduct is highly reprehensible and constitutes a callous disregard for the rights of Eurocopter,” and awarded punitive damages and an injunction
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(Jan. 31) Damon Wilson, executive vice president of the Atlantic Council and a former White House official, France's decision to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan a year earlier than planned "upends a well-planned, well laid-out NATO strategy of transition in Afghanistan going through 2014." Wilson told reporters that an anxious U.S. will engage in a round of "damage control" to shore up the alliance's agreed upon timeline. Experts fear that France's move will trigger other NATO members who have contributed troops to the nation-building effort in Afghanistan to "rush to the exits." more>>
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(Jan. 31) U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed Monday that armed drones have regularly attacked suspected militants in Pakistan's tribal areas. He called the strikes a "targeted focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists" during an hour-long video "hangout" on Google's social network, Google+, which was also streamed live on YouTube. The strikes target "al-Qaeda suspects who are up in very tough terrain along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan," said the American leader. more>>
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(Jan. 31) U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday that the Pentagon will order 179 fewer F-35 Joint Strike Fighters over the next few years, a move that has forced Ottawa to review the government's planned purchase of up to 65 JSFs. F-35 production is being cut further because of the warplane's technical issues and concurrency. JSF development and testing is expected to last until 2017 now. Concurrency - building production F-35's while development and testing continue - has been a "miscalculation", quoting Pentagon JSF program chief Vice-Adm. David Venlet. Funding for the U.S. military is being cut by $479B over 10 years starting in 2013 and the Defense Dept. is reportedly looking to save money by shrinking concurrent F-35 production. more>>
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CF-18s fire AIM-7s (air intercept missiles) during Exercise Combat Archer, which was held in Tyndall, Florida. 425 Squadron of 3 Wing Bagotville regularly conducts joint exercises with the United States Air Force for the professional development of fighter pilots. This exercise was held to test and improve the effectiveness of the Canadian CF-18 pilots.
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(Jan. 30) Afghan officials are planning to meet Taliban representatives in Saudi Arabia in the near future in an attempt to put the government of President Hamid Karzai in a lead role in peace negotiations. Saudi Arabia remains "an important player" in negotiations and "has facilitated talks in the past and now," said an unnamed Afghan official. Kabul has long complained that the U.S. and Qatar have negotiated with the Taliban while leaving Karzai in the dark, allegation that Washington denies. more>>
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(Jan. 29) Canadian Forces soldiers have established a base camp outside of Yellowknife for Exercise Arctic Ram, which is scheduled to begin Feb. 14. About 1,500 military personnel will be in the region next month. “We're setting up the work areas for when the main group comes,” said Master Warrant Officer Douglas Pettie. “The main basis of this exercise is to test our men and equipment and our clothing in the north, because we're normally in a much more southern wintertime climate, and it’s definitely very cold here. It’s a good test for everybody, both our equipment and our men.” more>>
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(Jan. 29) Sandy Gall, a Briton, has been covering affairs in Afghanistan since 1981. His latest book, "War Against the Taliban", was partly prompted by his witnessing coffins containing the bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan returning to Britain. "It made me want to try to explain what these men had been fighting for. And why it had all gone wrong," says Gall in this thought-provoking interview.
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(Jan. 29) Rising tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, al-Qaeda in Yemen, and Somali pirates, have resulted in a rush order from the Pentagon to convert a 41-year-old U.S. Navy ship, the Ponce, into a large floating base for commando teams. Unofficially dubbed a "mothership", the base will accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs. more>>
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(Jan. 28) Seven Canadian soldiers were awarded the Medal of Military Valour Thursday: Capt. William Fielding, Master Bombardier Adam Holmes, Master Cpl. Gilles-Remi Mikkelson, Pte. Philip Millar, Master Cpl. Paul Mitchell, Pte. John Nelson and Sgt. Graham Verrier. "Each of you has shown great courage and determination in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds," said Governor General David Johnston at the ceremony at Rideau Hall. more>>
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(Jan. 28) The United States plans to expand its military presence in Asia in order to offset China`s growing armed services. The Philippines and other U.S. allies have asked for more American troops and other military resources in the region. Last month, Japan ordered 42 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the U.S. and Korea is reportedly taking a close look at the stealthy fighter jet. In Manila, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines was looking to conduct more joint exercises with American forces and have more U.S. troops rotate through his nation. more>>
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The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification anounced an investment of $5 million through the Western Diversification Program that will enable West Canitest R & D Inc. (WestCaRD) to broaden and advance the aerospace industry and manufacturing cluster in Manitoba by developing new aerospace technologies and industrial research capabilities. more>>
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(Jan. 27) An air force performance analysis has determined that the military's responses to search-and-rescue calls would be improved by moving two Hercules aircraft from Greenwood, N.S. to Stephenville, N.L. The study also found little reason for a dedicated Arctic rescue team. "This study will be used with many others to inform future decisions on SAR basing," said an RCAF spokesperson, Major Sonia Dumouchel Connock. more>>
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(Jan. 27) Sgt. Graham Verrier from Winnipeg has been honoured for holding his ground in a battle against insurgents in Afghanistan in 2010. He was among seven Canadian Forces members to receive the Medal of Military Valour from Gov. Gen. David Johnston at a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Thursday.
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(Jan. 27) The Pentagon unveiled its new budget plan for 2013, the first year of a decade-long process that involves cutting $487B in military spending, reducing ground troops by 100,000, mothballing ships, and trimming air squadrons in a bid to create a smaller yet agile force. "Make no mistake, the savings that we are proposing will impact all 50 states and many districts, congressional districts across America," said U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. "This will be a test of whether reducing the deficit is about talk or action." more>>
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(Jan. 26) Insurgent attacks in Afghanistan using improvised explosive devices or IEDs reached a record high of more than 16,000 in 2011, say military officials. By comparison, in 2010 there were 15,225 IED "events" and 9,304 in 2009. In excess of 85% of IED casualties last year were Afghan civilians. more>>
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(Jan. 26) Since coming to power three years ago, U.S. President Obama has ordered the use of special forces troops and armed drones for counter- and anti-terrorism operations. The recent rescue by U.S. special forces of a 32-year old American, Jessica Buchanan, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Hagen Thisted, both of whom worked in Somalia for a Danish aid agency and were kidnapped in the predominantly lawless Horn of Africa country last year, is yet more evidence of Obama's willingness to employ unconventional military resources. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Dept. of Defense plans a major expansion of its global network of pilotless aircraft and special ops. bases in a fundamental realignment of U.S. power projection around the world. more>>
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Due to a burst pipe at the Holiday Inn Waterfront in Dartmouth, the Nova Scotia OCEANS Research Connector meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 31 January 2012, will be held at the WESTIN NOVA SCOTIAN, 1181 Hollis Street, in Halifax.
The launch of the Nova Scotia Ocean Technology Council will immediately follow the Research Connector. Keynote speakers include NS Premier, the Hon. Darrell Dexter; and Dr. Douglas Wallace, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Ocean Science and Technology, Dalhousie University. For more info, contact Catherine MacDonald, ADIANS: catherine.macdonald@adians.ca
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(Jan. 25) A new Canada-U.S. military agreement that is in the final stages of negotiation will establish each country's roles and responsibilities should North America be attacked, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Tuesday. The Combined Defence Plan would further integrate cross-border military cooperation. "This agreement provides a framework for the combined defence of Canada and the U.S. during peace, contingencies, and war," MacKay told the Permanent Joint Board on Defence, which consists of senior Canadian and American military officers, government officials and diplomats. more>>
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(Jan. 25) French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said Tuesday that France won't accelerate removing its troops from Afghanistan, despite the recent killing of four French troops by an Afghan soldier recruited by the Taliban. "We will not give in to panic," said Juppé in remarks during parliamentary question time. He said there must not be confusion between "an organized withdrawal and a rushed withdrawal." more>>
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(Jan 25) A sculpture dedicated to the 40,000 members of the Canadian military who have served in the Balkans over the past 20 years will be unveiled in Ottawa on Feb. 9th. Like the peace those men and women fought for, the carving will be fragile. It will be made of ice, and part of this year's Winterlude celebrations. Dave Brown tells the story of retired Corporal Alfredo "Alfie" Bojalil, 42, of the Royal Canadian Regiment.
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(Jan. 24) Staff at the Halifax naval intelligence facility where accused Sub.-Lt. Jeffrey Delisle worked have been temporarily moved away from the navy's confidential communication centre, Trinity, while security sweeps are conducted. "The place is being investigated ... [for] software, hardware, bugs, the works," said an unnamed military official. "As part of a normal and prudent business contingency plan, personnel belonging to elements of HMCS Trinity have been relocated to 12 Wing Shearwater for an undetermined period of time as a security precaution," said Captain Karina Holder, spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, who commands the military police. more>>
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(Jan. 24) Hundreds of military personnel and vehicles are beginning a three-day journey from CFB Edmonton to Yellowknife to test themselves and their equipment in harsh winter conditions. The training exercise has been dubbed ARCTIC RAM 1 and is expected to be finished by Feb. 11.
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(Jan. 24) Pakistan's military has formally rejected the U.S. military's report of last month concerning the airstrikes in November that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and injured thirteen. The press office of the Pakistani armed services described the U.S. version as "factually not correct." It also accused the United States of failing to share information "at any level" and rejected any responsibility for the casualties. more>>
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(Jan. 23) The Taliban in Afghanistan said Saturday they had recruited the Afghan soldier who shot dead four French soldiers a day earlier. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [Taliban] has recruited people in important positions," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters. "Some of them have already accomplished their missions." After the shooting, France's president Nicolas Sarkozy ordered all military operations by French personnel on the ground to be suspended. Defense Minister Gerard Longuet left for Kabul on Saturday to review conditions. more>>
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(Jan. 23) Over the last two years, navy military planners have been drawing a "road map" to provide decision-makers and warships at sea with better information on possible threats to domestic waters and international shipping lanes. Neither the Harper government or National Defence is saying whether accused spy Sub.-Lt. Jeffery Delisle had access to the strategy - or early drafts of it. Delisle's career took him through some of the most senior and sensitive posts in the military, including the Chief of Defence Intelligence section, the Strategic Joint Staff and the naval intelligence centre known as Trinity. more>>
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Cassidian, the defence and security division of EADS, has developed a new-generation Vehicle Protection Jammer that significantly enhances the protection of military vehicles against attacks by Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RCIEDs). After passing extensive field trials, the series production ramp-up started in December 2011. 
Obzerv Technologies Inc. has received a contract from Bharat Electronics Ltd. to supply 46 ARGC-2400 cameras. Obzerv's electro-optic cameras will be integrated in a multi sensors Coastal Surveillance System. Each system to be supplied to Indian Coastguard will include: the ARGC-2400, a thermal imager, a radar station and meteorological sensors, all of which will be mounted on lighthouses and towers. 
Ultra Electronics, TCS, a world leader in tactical communications and electronic warfare (EW) systems, has orders for tactical communications equipment totaling $23 million. Ultra will supply shelter upgrade kits and additional AN/GRC-245 radios for the US Army's Warfighter Information Network — Tactical (WIN-T) program. 
