Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala

It is the eve of the 2024 iteration of RIMPAC -- the Rim of the Pacific exercise -- which is hosted by the United States Navy.

RIMPAC is the biggest naval exercise in the world and it is held primarily in the waters around Hawaii. 

RIMPAC 2024 will see 29 nations, 40 ships and numerous aircraft participate. One of those ships is His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Max Bernays, the newest ship in Canada's Pacific Fleet.

HMCS Max Bernays is a Harry DeWolf class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV). These ships operate primarily in a constabulary role and have the ability to carry out a number of missions.

At approximately 6,500 tons, Canada's AOPVs have a lot of capability with their special spaces, large quarterback, large flight deck, and the ability to operate in first year sea ice. 

Being a new class of ship means that they are not without issues however, so we will discuss some of them in this episode.

What's not commonly known however are some of the operating limitations that exist due to the lengthy process to certify capabilities for the class.

Joining me to speak about the Royal Canadian Navy's participation in RIMPAC 2024 is Commodore David Mazur, the Commander of Canada's Pacific Fleet.

It is ships under his command that are participating in RIMPAC, They are: HMCS Max Bernays, HMCS Vancouver, and the Combat Support Ship MV Asterix.  

Our focus of this episode is to discuss the rationale for the Navy to deploy HMCS Max Bernays to RIMPAC 2024 -- it will be the first of Canada's new AOPVs to take part in the exercise -- and to discuss the process to configure the ship to best contribute to the exercise. 

You'll learn that there is a lot of forethought to this decision, and much effort to unlock capability in the ship. In doing so, the Canadian Pacific Fleet is unlocking capability for the entire Harry DeWolf class.

Our chat took place on 18 June 2024, the day that HMCS Max Bernays set sail for Hawaii. This episode is a fascinating discussion with candid perspective, so I'm confident you will come away from this episode with a better understanding of Canada's Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, and an appreciation for a senior military leader who I have great respect for.

My thanks to Commodore David Mazur for his time, insight and candor.

Go Bold!

This episode is a continuation of Episode 74, where were chatting with Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Kieley, G35, Section Head of Operational Plans for the Canadian Army. 

Our last episode provided amazing insight on Canada's growing mission in Latvia, which is in support of NATO efforts to strengthen the Eastern flank of the Alliance in the wake of Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. 

As one would expect, the mission centers on land forces, and Colonel Kieley did a wonderful job to help define the mission and how it is growing.

We spoke about the evolution of the Army's major training exercise, and reasons for pivoting that to Europe.

We pick up from our last episode with Lieutenant-Colonel Keiley speaking about Urgent Operational Requirements for the Army, which includes anti-armour weapon systems, ground-based air defence systems, counter-UAS systems, and so much more!

We also discuss the Army's combat vehicle fleet, which includes the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) 6.0, the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV), and Leopard tanks. In addition, we discuss the logistics fleet including mention of the Logistics Vehicle Modernization project and the resurrection of the Army's Armoured Heavy Support Vehicle Systems (AHSVS) fleet.

We also discuss how the Canadian Army is evolving with a view to embrace new capabilities and new concept of operations.

These two episodes (74 and 75) are some of the most detailed and forthright perspectives one will hear about the Canadian Army, and is a clear example of the wonderful, professional leader that LtCol Kieley is.

I am confident listeners will come come away from these two episodes with a much better understanding of the Canadian Army, and its focus for the immediate future.

I want to thank LtCol Kieley for his time and insight.

Go Bold!

I am thrilled to welcome back to the podcast, Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Kieley of the Canadian Army. 

We previously featured Colonel Keiley in Episode 65 where he was kind to share his memories and reflections on combat deployments in Afghanistan.

For this episode, Colonel Kieley is speaking in his position as the Army's G35, and that means he is the Section Head for Operational Plans for the Canadian Army.

In our wide-ranging discussion, we discuss the structure of the Army, its capabilities, signature training exercises, and we delve into the vehicles and weapon systems that the Army utilizes, and what it might need moving forward.

Our chat focuses heavily on the Army's plans for its growing presence in Latvia, which is its biggest commitment and therefore the most important driver of operational plans for the Army.

The mission in Latvia is in support of NATO's efforts to strengthen the Eastern flank of the Alliance in the wake of Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

We discuss the Canadian Armed Forces current posture in Latvia, and what is planned for its growth from a Canadian-led multinational Battlegroup to a Canadian-led multinational Brigade.

The Colonel also shares how the evolution of this mission is leading the Army to shift its major training event from Canada to Europe.

Our conversation provides some of the best insight into the Army of today and the immediate future so I can assure you that you will not find more detailed information, along with context, than you will here!

This is Part 1 of our 2 episode chat, so please look for our next episode where we continue our chat with Lieutenant-Colonel Kieley to discuss Operational Planning for the Canadian Army, including vehicles, weapon systems and Urgent Operational Requirements for the Army.

Our thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Kieley for his time and insight on the Canadian Army.

Go Bold!

The Canadian Coast Guard operates a fleet of vessels ranging from large ice breakers to small rescue boats. Arguably the most unique in the fleet are the hovercraft that the service operates.

There are four hovercraft in service with the Canadian Coast Guard. Two are based in Eastern Canada, and two are based in British Columbia.

Hovercraft are incredibly versatile platforms. In the military, the best known examples are the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), which are operated by the United States Navy. These hovercraft are used by well deck-equipped amphibious landing ships, Expeditionary Sea Base, and Expeditionary Transfer Docks to transport large vehicles and cargo to shore. 

The US Navy LCACs are being replaced by the Ship to Shore Connector, which is also known at the LCAC 100 class. These newer generation craft will offer a number of improvements including more powerful and efficient engines, and increased capacity to cope with the growing weight of equipment used by the United States Marine Corps, Navy and Army.

In Canada, I had the privilege to go aboard the Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft Moytel when it was in Victoria, British Columbia, and I had the pleasure to speak with Paul Tobin, the Officer in Command.

In this episode you will hear about the capabilities of the hovercraft Moytel, and future plans for the capability -- those plans are part of the Canadian Coast Guards fleet renewal plan, which in part calls for the acquisition of four new Air Cushion Vehicles (ACV), which are otherwise known as hovercraft. The new Canadian Coast Guard ACVs will be designed with fully modernized systems, and a propulsion system integrating green technologies to reduce carbon emissions.

The procurement of the four ACVs falls under the Small Vessels construction pillar of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy, and it is expected that all four ACVs will be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard starting in 2030.

I want to thank Paul Tobin of the Canadian Coast Guard for his time and kindness, and I want to thank him and his crew for the great tour of the hovercraft Moytel.

You can see the Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft Moytel on our YouTube channel -- search for "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" and please like and subscribe so you don't miss any of our great videos!

Go Bold!

Many of us who follow aerospace and defence pay a lot of attention to the war in Ukraine, and particularly new tactics and capabilities.

Our episode today is an effort to discuss the transformation that the Ukrainian Air Force is making from former Soviet Union or Russian aircraft to western fighter aircraft.

Ukraine has been defending themselves against Russian forces since they invaded Crimea in 2014, and then re-attacked in early 2022.

At the start of the war Ukraine had around 125 warplanes. Reports indicate that have lost around 80 jets, but numbers of aircraft have been bolstered by the donation of similar types of aircraft from some of the former Soviet states. 

There is no doubt that Ukrainian pilots have performed heroically against overwhelming odds. With that said, the Ukrainian Air Force has faced significant challenges with aging fleets of aircraft and sustainment issues which make their fleets increasingly difficult to field.

Ukraine has therefore spent many months lobbying for western combat aircraft, especially F-16's, which they believe will help them better defend their country.

A number of countries like Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands and Norway, have pledged F-16s to Ukraine; and Ukrainian Air Force pilots have been training in a number of countries to get proficient on flying the western jet, with Denmark being one of those countries.

For this episode, I thought it would be informative to get a sense of what Ukrainian pilots are experiencing as they transition to a new platform like the F-16.

To do this I am pleased to introduce a wonderful friend to me and to this podcast, fighter pilot Nick Graham, who flew the Tornado F3 and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the Royal Air Force (RAF), and also the F-16 when on exchange in Denmark.

I've asked Nick to participate in this chat because his experience of learning to fly the F-16 in Denmark provides excellent insight on what Ukrainian pilots are experiencing as they shift from MiG and Sukhoi aircraft to the F-16.

I am very thankful to Nick for taking the time to share his professional fighter pilot experience, and his insight and perspectives on this topic.

We wish Ukraine success in their fight to defend their country!

Go Bold!

2024 marks the 110th Anniversary of the Canadian Submarine Force, so I thought its appropriate to honor this milestone by talking about Canadian submarines and their amazing capabilities with my guest, Royal Canadian Navy Captain Alex Kooiman, the Commander of the Canadian Submarine Force.

Submarines are high-value strategic platforms. They are incredibly complex, and they utilize stealth and deceptive tactics to carry out their roles -- these include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, mine warfare, land attack, multi-spectrum intelligence operations, special forces support, and so much more. 

Getting to the point to employ these capabilities takes many years of training and specialization, which you will learn in this episode.

Canada operated the Oberon-class submarines from the 1960s to the 1990s, after which the service brought into service 4 Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines, which are former Upholder class subs from the Royal Navy. These submarines have been challenging to support, but they provide incredible capability to the Navy when deployed.

You can see inside Canada's Victoria-class submarines on our Go Bold YouTube channel, where we were privileged to visit with the crew of HMCS Corner Brook. We have two videos on there where you'll get an appreciation for what its like to be a submariner in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Canada has now begun the process to acquire new conventional submarines through the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, so we will highlight that program in future episodes of Go Bold.

For this episode you will get a sense of the process to become a submariner, and also a commanding officer of a front line attack submarine as Captain Kooiman shares his journey in the Royal Canadian Navy, and his experiences on exchange with allies.

I want to thank Captain Kooiman for his time and kindness, and we look forward to having him back on Go Bold in the near future.

Happy 110th Anniversary to the Canadian Submarine Force!

Go Bold!

In this episode I have the honor to speak with Major Brent Handy, of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Maj. Handy is fighter pilot and instructor pilot, and he is currently the Boss of 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, which is better known as the Snowbirds Air demonstration team.

The Snowbirds are truly ironic, and they are world renowned for the majestic 9 aircraft formation and aerobatic routines that they perform all over North America. 

The team is tasked with representing the Royal Canadian Air Force, and in fact the entirety of the Canadian Armed Forces, and 2024 is an extra special year as this is the 100th Anniversary of the RCAF!

I'm thrilled that we have Maj. Handy as a guest to speak about service, flying fighter jets, and leading the Snowbirds team for 2024. You'll hear us discuss the CT-114 Tutor aircraft that the Snowbirds fly, modernizing that aircraft, and the hurdles the team faces. We also discuss the future of the team.

It's a great chat with a leader who is kind, pragmatic and sincere, so I hope you enjoy our conversation. I guarantee you will find it interesting and you'll learn a lot.

Our thanks to Maj. Handy for the time he spent with us.

Go Bold!

It has been 10 years since Canada withdrew from Afghanistan, so to commemorate that milestone we invited senior leaders of the Canadian Armed Forces to reminisce on experiences and lessons learned from combat in Afghanistan.

In Episode 64 we had the privilege to speak with Major-General Mike St-Louis, and in Episode 65 with Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Kieley, both of whom are senior leaders in the Canadian Army. They were great conversations with wonderful perspectives, so I highly encourage you to listen to those discussions.

For this episode, I am very happy to welcome another great leader, and that is Colonel Chris Horner of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). 

Colonel Horner's experience in Afghanistan is from a different perspective from that of his Army colleagues because he was thousands of feet above the ground while on exchange with the United States Air Force (USAF), where he was serving as an Air Battle Manager on a E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft of the 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron.

It's a perspective one doesn't hear too often in the context of counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan, but it is significant because what he and his colleagues did in the air had very real significance to those on the ground.

You'll find the Colonels reflections forthright, informative and at times emotional, and our conversation delved into dealing with adversity and leadership lessons that ensued.

We also discuss the recent Defence Policy Update which was released by the Government of Canada, which outlines plans to acquire an airborne early warning capability. It's a wonderful perspective on that capability.

I want to recognize that Colonel Horner is serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which this year is celebrating its 100th Anniversary, so if you haven't heard Episode 67, you'll definitely want to hear that as well because we had the privilege to speak with Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny, the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was a great chat where we discussed all about the RCAF of today and the RCAF of the future! It's a great chat that you do not want to miss!

I'm very thankful to Colonel Horner for the time he spent with me, and for his candid reflections about serving during combat operations in Afghanistan. 

Go Bold!

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Operation Allied Force, the NATO aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999.

Joining for this episode is retired Lieutenant-Colonel Billie Flynn, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for 23 years.

In 1984 Flynn was selected to be a pipeliner for the RCAF's new CF-18 Hornet fighter, and ultimately rose in the ranks to become the Commanding Officer of 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron.

During his time as Commanding Officer, Colonel Flynn also served as the Commander of Task Force Aviano, the unit of the Canadian Armed Forces that implemented Operation Echo in support of Operation Allied Force; it was there that he led the formation of the "Balkan Rats" and flew combat missions over Kosovo and the former Republic of Yugoslavia.

The Task Force Aviano combat unit received Battle Honours from Queen Elizabeth II, the first such distinction for a Canadian fighting unit since World War II.

Flynn's 40+ year flying experience includes fighter and test pilot service with the RCAF, the United States Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and NASA. After retiring from the RCAF, Flynn flew as a civilian test pilot for the Eurofighter Typhoon, and later flew as a Senior Test Pilot for the F-35.

In this episode you will hear Colonel Flynn's first hand perspective about the RCAF's large fighter force (18 CF-18 jets) which conducted combat operations during Operation Allied Force. He describes the genesis of the "Balkan Rats" and how he and the RCAF fighter force executed on their taskings, and all told flew on 10% of all bombing missions.

Flynn also shares his memory of being in the Combined Air Operations Center during the rescue of Vega 31, the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter (actually an attack aircraft) that was shot down on 27 Match 1999.

It's a fascinating first-hand perspective on the RCAF's fighter force during Operation Allied Force. We publish this episode to commemorate and honor their service.

Go Bold!

It's 1 April, and this day marks 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force! To mark this occasion, I am proud to welcome our guest, Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny, the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

I am honored that the General spent time to speak about his motivation to serve, and speak about the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Centennial celebrations, and the seismic modernization that the Force has embarked on.

In this episode you will hear about the challenges faced by the RCAF, the threat vectors as seen by the General, and you will get a detailed appreciation for the new fleets of aircraft and capabilities the RCAF will soon induct into service.

We chat about how the Air Force needs to adapt to ever-changing threat environment and how the Force needs to adopt long-range and precision guided stand-off munitions to counter threats on land and at sea.

You'll also hear the General's thoughts on the future of the RCAF beyond 2035.

This is a must-hear, fascinating and wide-ranging discussion from the Commanding General that leads the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Our thanks to Lieutenant-General Kenny for the time he spent with us. Happy 100th Anniversary to the RCAF!

Go Bold!