In this compelling episode of Go Bold, we welcome Commodore David Mazur, Commander of Canada's Pacific Naval Fleet, to discuss two pivotal exercises that underscore the Royal Canadian Navy’s evolving strategic capabilities.

Commodore Mazur begins by unpacking a landmark event: the forward re-arm of a Halifax-class warship in Australia with Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles. This marks the first time Canada’s Navy has demonstrated the ability to re-arm a major warship in a remote or non-traditional location. With clarity and insight, Commodore Mazur explains why this capability is a game-changer. From operational flexibility in distant theaters to real-world readiness in uncertain environments, this exercise highlights the Navy’s ability to project power and sustain operations far from home waters.

Next, we dive into the Joint Littoral Targeting Exercise (JoLTEX) — a major milestone in Canadian naval operations. For the first time, a Halifax-class warship not only launched Harpoon missiles but did so by executing the full targeting chain, including real-time command, control, and targeting directives from higher headquarters. Commodore Mazur guides us through the complexity and significance of this breakthrough, which signals a new era in dynamic targeting and land attack capabilities. As the Royal Canadian Navy looks ahead to the future River-class destroyers, this exercise lays essential groundwork for greater operational reach and lethality.

This episode of Go Bold offers a rare inside look at the strategic decisions shaping the Navy’s future. Commodore Mazur’s leadership and vision shine through as he explains how these exercises are not just tactical achievements — they are steps toward a more agile, capable, and forward-thinking maritime force.

Listen in for a masterclass in maritime strategy and capability development, straight from the front lines of naval innovation.

Our thanks to Commodore Mazur for his time, kindness and professional insight.

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**Don't forget to like and subscribe to the "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" YouTube channel for exclusive videos!

Our guest for this episode is Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Faith of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Lieutenant-Colonel Faith is a CF-18 Hornet fighter pilot and a true subject matter expert in Fighter Lead-In Training (FLIT), so our episode today is a front-row seat to what it’s really like to train and fly as a fighter pilot in today’s Royal Canadian Air Force.

LtCol Faith shares his motivation to serve, and he describes highlights of his career flying fighter jets in Canada as part of NORAD, and in combat over Libya.

We then dive into the world of advanced pilot training, including Canada’s involvement in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) which takes place at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Faith takes us into the cockpit, sharing his perspective on new technologies like Virtual Reality which is facilitating modern pilot training, and he provides his insight on the Hawk jet trainer that was used by the RCAF, and the T-38 Talon supersonic trainer that is used at ENJJPT.

This is more than just an interview - it’s a masterclass from someone who is passionate about training the next generation of fighter pilots.

Our thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Faith for the time he shared with us, and for his expert perspective.

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In this episode we have the privilege to speak with Commander Tyler Smith of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Commander Smith is the Chief Operations Officer for Maritime Forces Pacific, and he shares insight into a recent landmark exercise called the Joint Littoral Targeting Exercise 2024 (JoLTEX 24).

For this exercise, the Royal Canadian Navy for the first time successfully executed the entire strategic planning and targeting chain to project power from the sea to the shore, which ultimately led to the launch of Harpoon Block II Missiles from HMCS Regina, a Halifax class surface combatant warship which was operating in the United States Navy's Point Mugu Sea Range off the coast of California.

JoLTEX developed and tested targeting processes, including firing a surface-to-surface missile against a simulated surface combatant. The exercise supported the Royal Canadian Navy’s ability to employ sea-based weapons against targets on or near land.

JoLTEX 24 progressed several capabilities, including synchronizing communication pathways with a deployed warship, the development of targets in the maritime domain, and certifying that the tasked asset was able to successfully engage its onboard Harpoon Block II missile system.

This episode dives into details of the exercise, offering you an unparalleled look into how the Navy is honing its capabilities.

These are the kinds of insights you won’t find anywhere else, making this a must-listen for anyone wanting to understand the cutting edge of naval operations.

Our thanks to Commander Smith for his time and insight.

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For this episode of Go Bold we are proud to welcome back Royal Canadian Navy Commodore David Mazur, the Commander of Canada's Pacific Fleet.

Our topic is Exercise Kakadu, which is a biennial exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and is supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Exercise Kakadu is the RAN’s flagship regional international engagement activity and has grown in size and complexity since its inception in 1993.

Exercise Kakadu provides an opportunity for regional partners to undertake multinational maritime activities through a broad spectrum of activities, from constabulary and humanitarian operations, to high-end maritime warfare in a combined environment.

For those that are interested for more context, please listen to Episode 45 of Go Bold, where we spoke with Australian Navy Captain Pete Bartlett about the previous iteration of Exercise Kakadu.  

For this year, Exercise Kakadu took place from September 9 to 20, and was the largest and most diverse iteration of the exercise yet.

Nearly 3,000 personnel from over 30 countries, ships from 10 countries, and aircraft from five nations all gathered at the North Australian exercise area which was centered at Darwin.

Canada was one of the participants with HMCS Vancouver taking part, and Commodore Mazur had the privilege to lead a Task Group at sea during the exercise.

You will hear Commodore Mazur's reflections on the exercise, which started with a large Fleet Commanders Conference.

You'll hear about the ships that participated and the type of warfare they exercised, including serials against a submarine and 5th Generation fighter jets.

The Commodore shares lessons from the exercise and how he will leverage them for Canada's upcoming Exercise Trident Fury in 2025.

This wide-ranging discussion offers a rare glimpse into the intricacies of one of the world’s most complex maritime exercises so it is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in the strategic importance of maritime operations and the leadership behind large-scale multinational exercises.

This is a conversation that you will only find here on Go Bold, the platform that is uniquely known to feature the voices of senior military leaders from Allied Forces.

Our thanks to Commodore Mazur for his time and kindness.

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This is another special episode of the "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" podcast as we are coming to you from Camp Adazi in Latvia.

Camp Adazi is a major military installation of the Latvian National Armed Forces, and it is also the main base for the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia.

Joining me for this episode is Lieutenant-Colonel Philippe Tremblay, a Canadian Army Officer who is serving as the Chief of Staff for the NATO Multinational Brigade.

As Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-Colonel Tremblay has detailed institutional knowledge about the makeup and activities of the Brigade. You will hear context on how it is evolving, and some of the intricacies that Canada faces in leading this critical defensive force on the Eastern flank of the NATO Alliance.

It's a fascinating perspective from a senior leader in the Brigade, and one that will give insight on how land warfare is evolving.

I want to thank LtCol Tremblay for his time and kindness to help explain how Canada is leading the NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia.

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We are honored to be joined by Commodore Kristjan Monaghan, a Flag Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy who served as the Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) for the 2024 iteration of the RIMPAC exercise.

For those who are unfamiliar with RIMPAC, it is the largest military exercise in the world in the maritime domain, and is hosted by the United States Navy 3rd Fleet. RIMPAC brings together forces from multiple nations to enhance interoperability and readiness in complex maritime operations.

During RIMPAC 2024, Commodore Monaghan had the responsibility of commanding and controlling a multinational force comprised of several Task Forces, including 40 ships and 3 submarines, as they executed a series of challenging scenarios.

In this episode, Commodore Monaghan will walk us through some of the major aspects of the 2024 RIMPAC exercise, including a large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) serial, the innovative use of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and the SinkEx serials that showcased the US Air Force’s QUICKSINK weapon capability.

Additionally, Commodore Monaghan will share insights on the significant contributions made by Royal Canadian Navy ships; including the first-ever participation of a Harry DeWolf class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, new records set by the Combat Support Ship Asterix, and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile firings by HMCS Vancouver.

This wide-ranging discussion offers a rare glimpse into the intricacies of one of the world’s most complex military exercises and the advanced capabilities of Allied Forces.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in the strategic importance of maritime operations and the leadership behind such large-scale multinational exercises.

Tune in to this episode for exclusive insights from a senior military leader in the Royal Canadian Navy, which you only will find here on Go Bold, the platform that is trusted to feature the voices of senior military leaders from Allied Forces.

Our thanks to Commodore Monaghan for his time and kindness.

Also, don't forget to like and subscribe to the "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" YouTube channel which has unique and exclusive videos!

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Welcome to a special episode of the "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" podcast! For this episode, we are coming to you straight from the front lines at Camp Adazi in Latvia, where we had an exclusive opportunity to sit down with Canadian Army Colonel Cedric Aspirault, the Brigade Commander of the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade.

Our visit coincided with Exercise Silver Arrow, a major combat readiness evaluation, which gave us an inside look at NATO's efforts to reinforce its Eastern flank.

Colonel Aspirault takes us through NATO’s strategic importance in the region, and highlights Canada's leadership role as the framework nation for the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia.

We’ll dive into how the Brigade has evolved from a Battlegroup, and how Canada is expanding its presence in Latvia with a new camp and Brigade headquarters, and new air detachment facilities.

Plus, you’ll hear how Canada is taking its renowned Maple Resolve high-end training exercise and moving it to Latvia and is rebranding it as Exercise Oak Resolve so the entire NATO Multinational Brigade can train together.

This is an important conversation with a senior leader, straight from the heart of NATO's mission in Latvia!

Note: If you haven't already listened to them, I encourage you to listen to Episodes 74 & 75 where we spoke with Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Kieley, who discussed Operational Planning for the Canadian Army. Those were wonderfully detailed and insightful episodes which will help add context to this episode.

I also want to share that this episode is accompanied by exclusive videos that you can find on the "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" YouTube channel, where we’ve posted videos of the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade in action at Camp Adazi!

Please make sure to subscribe to the "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" YouTube channel so you don’t miss out!

Our thanks to Colonel Aspirault for his time, and to the men and women who helped facilitate our visit to Camp Adazi in Latvia.

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Today, we have the incredible privilege of sitting down with Major-General Sylvain Menard, a distinguished fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

With a career built on flying fighter jets, including flying in combat, the General is now leading critical modernization efforts for Canada's fighter force. General Menard's position at the time of our interview was the Chief of Fighter Capability and Chief of NORAD Capability for the RCAF.

General Menard is uniquely positioned to offer an insider's perspective on the modernization of the CF-18 Hornet and all that entails, including the introduction of new weapons for the fighter force, while also being focused on the future of Canada’s fighter capability.

In this episode you will hear the General take us through his personal journey of flying the CF-18 Hornet, the evolution of Canada's fighter force, and the complex efforts that are shaping the transition to the 5th Generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The General also shares details about NORAD Modernization.

Having leaders of the caliber of Major-General Menard as guests on Go Bold is what sets us apart from all other podcasts — Go Bold is the GO-TO platform where senior military leaders come to discuss their work and their vision in ways that you won't hear anywhere else. 

We want to thank Major-General Menard for his time and kindness, and for his service to the Nation.

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For this episode we are honored to be joined by Royal Canadian Air Force Major-General Darcy Molstad, a distinguished fighter pilot who is serving as the Deputy Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC).

As one of the leaders responsible for employing Canadian Armed Forces members on domestic and international operations, Major-General Molstad brings a wealth of insight from the front lines of global security.

In this episode, he’ll take us through his personal journey flying CF-18 Hornet fighter jets, and he'll offer his perspective on the global security environment which is more tenuous today than it has been in decades.

The General will discuss Canada's defence posture, the challenges of coordinating operations across the globe, and how the Canadian Armed Forces are rising to meet those challenges.

Having leaders like Major-General Molstad as a guest reinforces what makes Go Bold stand out: this is the GO-TO podcast where senior military leaders come to discuss their work and vision in ways you won't hear anywhere else!

If you want an in-depth understanding of Canada’s role on the world stage, and the men and women behind its military operations, this episode is for you!

Please make sure to subscribe and follow us, because the insights shared here on Go Bold are truly one-of-a-kind.

Our thanks to Major-General Molstad for his professionalism, and for the time he shared with us.

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For this episode I thought we would continue on the wonderful momentum of our last episode where we featured Capt. Stephen Kane, the only Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot currently flying a 5th Generation fighter jet -- and that is the mighty United States Air Force F-22 Raptor!

That chat was a wonderful insight into flying and fighting the F-22 Raptor, so if you haven't heard it, you're definitely missing out!

For this episode, I thought we would continue the theme of employing military platforms, so the topic of this episode is fighting the Halifax Class warship, which is a surface combatant frigate that is operated by the Royal Canadian Navy.

My guest is Commander Sam Patchell, the Commanding Officer of His Majesty's Canadian Ship Ottawa (FFH 341). We visited with Commander Patchell in his Captains quarters on HMCS Ottawa, and we also chat with him on the bridge of the ship. We also had the very rare opportunity to visit the Operations Room of the warship -- an area that is often restricted to military personnel only!

Commander Patchell was kind to share his motivation to serve, and he does a wonderful job explaining the weapons capabilities of the Halifax class frigates, and how the Navy would fight the ship in combat.

It's a fascinating and informative discussion which I really hope you will enjoy.

If you want to see our discussion and the ship, please check out our YouTube channel which is the same name as this podcast: Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala, and look for Go Bold Season 2 Episode 1. I think you'll really enjoy it, and I hope you will like and subscribe to the channel which has a lot of great videos, so please subscribe so you don't miss any of our great guests and topics!

My thanks to Commander Patchell, and to the sailors of HMCS Ottawa for making our visit a great one!

Go Bold!