Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2025/JANUARY 2026 23 D E E P B L U E F O R U M the way of the future. She highlighted the need to prioritize in-country capability and deep industrial alignment and independent supportability. All of this is only achievable with trained and educated people, and she challenged industry and academia to create these people. The afternoon continued with the third panel discussion of the day on technical tools to operate in the Arctic. Moderated by retired Commodore Larry Hickey who started with an excellent precis of the gen- eral surveillance perspective of the Arctic. He was followed by retired Rear Admiral Nigel Greenwood's eye-opening presenta- tion on the actual environment, painting a sobering picture as to the challenge with operations in the Canadian Arctic Archi- pelago. DRDC's Brian May and Ultra I&C's Denis Couillard highlighted chal- lenges with operating autonomous systems and, most notably, communications North of 60. The panel then discussed the limita- tions on submarine operations with under- water navigation in poorly charted areas, salinity changes, ice keels and currents. The final event of the forum was a fireside chat on infrastructure for the Canadian Pa- trol Submarine Project with retired Com- modore Keith Coffen, retired Captain(N) David Hudock and retired Commander Darcy Byrtus. Coffen started the chat with the importance of getting the supporting infrastructure, people and process, and ad- equate resources right from the beginning. David Hudock, from PCL Construction, underscored that construction takes time and there is not a lot of time before the first submarine will arrive under the CPSP. He made a compelling argument as to en- gaging industry as soon as possible and to consider fully the project delivery method for a timely process – noting that any con- struction North of 60 is fundamentally different. That said, timely government support will be required for environmental issues and approvals. Byrtus noted that the level of engage- ment is unprecedented for the CPSP and that there are important lessons to draw from the National Shipbuilding Strategy— particularly around in-service support, supply-chain integration, and the role of the submarine manufacturer. Above all, he emphasized the need for maximum col- laboration. Capability Sustainment (CCS) moderated by Patrice Miron from DND. The panel representing Thales Canada, L3 Harris and Babcock Canada discussed transfor- mational initiatives to address the "speed of relevance", with low-risk, low-complex- ity solutions through an incremental life cycle. Historically, platforms degrade in performance until a mid-life upgrade. To resolve systems obsolescence, government and industry must work together, proac- tively, to maintain the platform at its stated capability. This is notably easier in combat systems than platform systems, as power and cooling upgrades must fit within the hull. Moreover, technical insertions must be thoroughly planned to minimize the time in maintenance by conducting more pre-installation testing, ideally in dedicat- ed land-based test facilities (LBTFs). Following a luncheon break, the af- ternoon keynote address was given by Paula Folkes, the PSPC Associate Assis- tant Deputy Minister, Defence & Marine Procurement. In a forcefully presented address, she underscored that domes- tic sustainment was critical to Canadian sovereignty otherwise you risk having a hollow force. This is a multi-generational investment and data, cyber and CCS is Le to right: LCdr Doug Renken RCN (Ret'd), Program Manager, MDA Space; Cdr Éric Isabelle, Project Director: CPSP; LCdr William (Bill) Smallman RCN (Ret'd); Cmdre James Clarke RCN (Ret'd) Le to right: J Richard Jones, Vanguard Radio host and Shaun Stiles, EllisDon Luncheon Keynote: Paula Folkes, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement Branch

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