Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala

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!

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I am very proud to say that this episode is a global exclusive and is the first interview that my guest has given in his current role, so I'm thrilled that Go Bold is being recognized for the high profile guests that we feature, and the for the topics we discuss.

My guest for this episode is Captain Stephen Kane, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-18 Hornet fighter pilot who is currently on exchange with the United States Air Force (USAF).

Capt. Kane is the only active-duty Canadian fighter pilot currently flying the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, the most advanced and only air dominance fighter on the planet!

The F-22 is a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, and is designed to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances. The F-22 is a combination of stealth, super-cruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics that represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities when compared to previous generation fighter aircraft.

Capt. Kane is assigned to the 525th Fighter Squadron, also known as the Bulldogs, which is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

Capt. Kane is the second RCAF pilot to participate in the F-22 exchange program, making him one of a select few foreign pilots to fly the F-22 Raptor which is unique to the U.S. Air Force.

The U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fleet is currently based at Joint-Base Langley-Eustis, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Eglin AFB, Nellis AFB, and Edwards AFB. The type previously operated from Tyndall AFB and Holloman AFB.

The Raptor’s primary missions consist of Offensive Counter-Air (OCA), Defensive Counter-Air (DCA), and an air-to-ground capability.

As a mission qualified fighter pilot with the 525th Fighter Squadron, Capt. Kane can be deployed worldwide as required by the USAF.

We’ll dive deep into what it’s like to fly the F-22, and how 5th Generation capabilities are reshaping air combat.

We also delve into what that means for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s future as the service eyes cutting-edge advancements as it prepares to induct the 5th Generation F-35 into service.

This episode is packed with insights, and of course, we’ll also get a rare, inside look at the training and missions of an elite fighter pilot who’s pushing the boundaries of modern warfare.

My thanks to Capt. Kane, and to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), and the U.S. Air Force for enabling this conversation.

To get another perspective of the mighty F-22 Raptor, please visit our "Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala" YouTube channel for a video which features Capt. Samuel Larson, a U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter pilot and the demo pilot for the F-22 Raptor Demo Team! It's a great video which describes the Raptor, and the newly modified demo routine!

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I am happy to welcome Royal Canadian Navy Captain Colin Matthews, who I chat with while he was in Command of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150).

Captain Matthews was speaking to me from the CTF-150 headquarters at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, which is also the headquarters for the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational naval partnership of 46 nations that focuses on counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, maritime security, and regional cooperation. 

The Combined Maritime Forces is the world’s largest international naval partnership, and it's goal is to promote stability, security, and prosperity in international waters, including some of the world's most important shipping lanes. 

CTF-150 is one of five task forces under the Combined Maritime Forces, and its core staff consists of Australians, Bahrainis, Canadians, and New Zealanders.

In this episode you will hear about Canada's leadership of CTF-150, which began in January 2024.

Highlights during the nearly seven month tenure of Canada's leadership included seven successful drug interdiction's at sea, with more than 11,600 kg of illegal narcotics seized.

Notably, you will hear how CTF-150 used space-based intelligence from Canada's RADARSAT-2 satellite, a capability that will be an ongoing asset to the Combined Maritime Forces as appropriate.

The tenure of Canada's command of CTF-150 has been concurrent with the kinetic actions that are happening in the Red Sea, so I asked Captain Matthews how that combat action impacted CTF-150.

Other notable events you will hear about during Canada's command of CTF-150 was the interdiction of a ship transporting advanced conventional weapons.

You'll also hear how India participated for the first time, and how they conducted their largest ever drug interdiction to date.

This is a fascinating chat with a senior military leader, so I hope you enjoy this episode with Captain Colin Matthews, the Commander of CTF-150 (until July 22, 2024).

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We are proud to welcome back to the Go Bold podcast Colonel Chris Horner, a senior officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

We first featured Colonel Horner in Episode 69, where he shared his memories of serving in the Afghanistan theatre, and that was to honour the 10 year mark of Canada's withdrawal from that country. If you haven't heard it, you're missing out on a great chat, so I strongly recommend you tune in to Episode 69 for that discussion.

Our focus for this episode is the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre (CJWC) where Colonel Horner is the Commanding Officer.

The Canadian Joint Warfare Centre is a centre of excellence that assists the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in finding ways to operate as a Joint Force to face the ever-evolving operational environment by implementing best practices, novel concepts and accelerating the adoption of available and emerging tools and technologies.

Part of the reason of doing this is because the Canadian Armed Forces, and allied militaries for that matter, need to be able to quickly and efficiently absorb data, like that from Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, among others, and be able to process, exploit and disseminate it to the Joint Force.

If some of that sounds familiar, then you have likely heard our last 2 episodes (Episodes 77 and 78), where we had the great pleasure to speak with Brigadier-General Andy Clark, the Commanding General of NATO's ISR Force.

Those two episodes are some of the most informative you will hear about the capabilities of NATO's ISR Force, and they are a wonderful precursor to this episode about the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre, which works around a core of Command, Control and Intelligence.

Colonel Horner does a fantastic job to explain the multi-domain challenges faced by the Joint Force and how the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre has a number of initiatives which are focused on the goal of continually preparing the Canadian Armed Forces to be better able to achieve operational effects across the full spectrum of conflict.

You'll hear about Canadian Joint Warfare Center experimentation activities which includes collaboration with NATO and Allies. Examples include wargaming in the Space domain; and wargaming and modeling and simulation on the future of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

All said, the efforts of the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre are about evolving doctrine and enabling the Joint Force to make decisions faster than adversaries.

This is an incredibly fascinating discussion, so I want to thank Colonel Horner for his time and insight on CJWC's march towards decision superiority.

We also congratulate Colonel Horner on his recent promotion to Brigadier-General!

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In our last episode we introduced you to Brigadier-General Andy Clark, the Commanding General of the NATO ISR Force, which is headquartered in Sigonella, Sicily.

We spoke about the formation and makeup of the NATO ISR Force, which as one would understand with an active war in Europe, is experiencing tasking demand that is greater today than ever before.

In this episode we continue our exclusive chat with General Clark as we speak about the NATO ISR Force and its RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude long endurance uninhabited aerial vehicle, and its Synthetic Aperture Radar and Moving Target Indicator technology.

We talk about how the autonomous aircraft is operated and how it is tasked. We also discuss synergy with similar aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and the United States Navy.

We also talk about training, and the future of the NATO ISR Force, and we get some insight on what the General is thinking for the future of the capability that he is focused on.

The two episodes with General Clark are arguably some of the most detailed and insightful perspectives you will find on the NATO ISR Force, so we hope you enjoy these conversations and we hope you will come away with a true appreciation for the organization, its capabilities, and a sense of what the future may hold.

I want to thank Brigadier-General Clark for his time, kindness and insight.

Go Bold!