DefenceTalkCANADIAN FORCES BASE WAINWRIGHT, Canada: It is one of the few hours of darkness in Alberta, leaving the big grey brute in the sky without a shadow to cast. The C-130’s four turboprop engines cut through the clouds. When runway lights become visible on the horizon, he pitches his nose downward and descends. Cradled in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-uk-forces-join-canada-armys-largest-military-exercise-67579/

DefenceTalkMore than 1200 Soldiers from Canada, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United States participated in Exercise Hunter, May 9-19, at General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade, Lithuania. The exercise allowed commanders the opportunity to integrate allied troops into their units to complete joint tasks and various defensive operations. While integrated, allied Soldiers were […]https://www.defencetalk.com/allies-test-anti-tank-capabilities-in-lithuania-67496/

DefenceTalkCanada’s Liberal government refused to back down Wednesday in the face of growing criticism for having greenlit arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could help it wage war in Yemen. A previous Conservative administration announced the $12 billion sale of light armored vehicles in February 2014. However, the Conservatives are now raising alarms over the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canada-under-fire-over-saudi-arms-sale-67246/

DefenceTalkCanadian aviation giant Bombardier announced Wednesday it was cutting 10 percent of its global workforce as the company undergoes major restructuring through next year. The 7,000-job reduction “will be partially offset by hiring in certain growth areas,” such as in its nascent commercial aircraft division, Bombardier said as it released financial results. Bombardier also announced […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canadian-aircraft-builder-bombardier-cuts-7000-jobs-66789/

DefenceTalkOttawa: Canada’s prime minister-elect Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he told US President Barack Obama that Canadian fighter jets would withdraw from fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. But he gave no timeline. “About an hour ago I spoke with President Obama,” Trudeau told a press conference. While Canada remains “a strong member […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canada-withdrawing-fighter-jets-from-iraq-syria-trudeau-obama-65671/

DefenceTalkJason Kenney, Minister of National Defence, and Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced the awarding of two competitive contracts to Mack Defense, LLC, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, for the purchase of new trucks for the Canadian Armed Forces under the Medium Support Vehicle System project. Through these contracts, the Government will […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canada-awards-major-military-procurement-contracts-for-new-trucks-64896/

DefenceTalkGermany: Active on Baltic Patrols in support of NATO, and fresh from Exercise Red Flag in Nevada, the Eurofighter Typhoon Team have confirmed that a new suite of capabilities is delivering ‘spectacular results’ in 2015 as the 431 aircraft delivered to customers come close to accumulating 300,000 flying hours. Eurofighter CEO, Alberto Gutierrez, said: “We […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eurofighter-typhoon-now-an-even-stronger-force-multiplier-64358/

DefenceTalkUkraine has gained access to Canadian satellite images that Ottawa’s own military forces could hardly afford; it still remains unclear how much the agreement with the Kiev regime will cost Canadian taxpayers. Canadian authorities have announced they would provide Ukraine with satellite imagery from its Radarsat-2 satellite; however, Ottawa’s decision has sparked controversy among Canadian […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canada-grants-kiev-access-to-sophisticated-satellite-imagery-63810/

DefenceTalkThe Victoria-class submarine fleet is now operational with three out of four submarines available for operations. HMC Submarines Windsor, Victoria and Chicoutimi were all at sea in December 2014 and spent a cumulative total of approximately 260 days at sea in 2014. HMCS Corner Brook is currently docked at Victoria Shipyards to undergo its Extended […]https://www.defencetalk.com/victoria-class-submarines-reach-operational-steady-state-63335/

DefenceTalkFor the first time since they were purchased 17 years ago, 3 out of 4 Victoria-class subs are in the water Canada’s Navy is marking what it calls a milestone for its controversy-plagued submarine program. For the first time since Canada’s four Victoria-class subs were purchased almost two decades ago, the navy says the fleet […]https://www.defencetalk.com/navy-submarines-first-time-canadian-fleet-is-operational-63332/