Vanguard Magazine

It's not a phrase heard often regarding defence procurement. In November, the Royal Canadian Navy announced that it is marking a "major mile- stone," since its multi-million dollar program to modernize and extend the life of Halifax-class frigates has come in "on time, and under budget." The Halifax-class Modernization (HCM) program represents an investment of $4.3 billion and al- lows the fleet of 12 frigates to serve the Navy until the early-to-mid-2030s. HMCS Toronto, the seventh and final frigate on the East Coast, completed the refit portion of its modernization by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. This means all 12 frigates, five on the West Coast and seven on the East Coast, have completed the refit portion of their modernization. The final step will be a period of tests and trials in the reactivation phase for HMCS Toronto and two other ships. A ceremony was held marking the completion of the Halifax-class Modernization/Frigate Life Exten- sion (HCM/FELEX) project, which provided state- of-the-art upgrades, allowing Canada's fleet of 12 Halifax-class frigates to meet 21st-century threats. Halifax program on time and under budget Canadian sailors, U.S. Coast Guard seize 2 tons of cocaine Armed Forces' Web site hacked HCM/FELEX falls under the larger HCM program. Member of Parliament for Halifax, N.S. Andy Fillmore attended on behalf of Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan, along with Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. 10 DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com s sIt REP "This project was delivered on time and un- der budget, and allows the Halifax-class frigates to continue to operate as the backbone of our Navy," a statement from Sajjan said. Crew members of Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Edmonton teamed up with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in the seizure of an estimated 2,120 kg of cocaine in the waters off the Pacific Coast of Central America. Seven suspected smugglers were arrested, a total of 32 bales of cocaine were recovered during three disruptions, weighing an estimated 1,510 kg, while an estimated 610 kg of cocaine were lost at sea, despite an extensive search during the joint operations which took place from November 15th to the 18th, according to reports released over the weekend. The Canadian Armed Forces involvement in anti-drug trafficking activities in the Carribean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean falls under the mili- tary's Operation Caribbe. The collaborative efforts of the Royal Cana- dian Navy, USCG Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET), USCG cutters, and USCG aircraft led to the disruption of drug smuggling operations in the area. USCG aircraft provided observation and vectoring information to teams deployed in rigid- hulled inflatable boats, and USCG cutters served to house and transport the suspected smugglers who were apprehended. "Edmonton's interceptions this week are the re- sult of the crew's focused training in advance of deployment and tireless effort while deployed," said Lieutenant-Commander Lucas Kenward, Com- manding Officer HMCS Edmonton." I am incredibly proud of their efforts to date. Edmonton has dem- onstrated the Canadian Armed Forces' ability to communicate, share information, and seamlessly integrate with the maritime patrol aircraft and sur- face units of our USCG and USN allies to combat nar- cotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific." The Canadian Armed Forces' recruitment Web site was taken down yesterday after it was hacked by still-unknown attackers in mid-November. Computer users who tried to enter forces.ca were surprised when they were immediately redirected to what appeared to be an official Chi- nese government site. Forces.ca is the landing page for people who want to enlist in the Cana- dian military. However, visitors to the site yes- terday were brought to a Web page that provided information about Chinese government officials and their activities in China. Neither the military nor Ottawa released an official explanation regarding what happened or who could be behind the attack. "We are aware of the situation and have since taken the site down," a Department of National Defence spokesperson, said in an email to Van- guard. "We are investigating further and, in the meantime, will not speculate on the motivations or point of origin of the redirection." A report from CBC News said that DND serv- ers were not compromised by the attack. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called the incident a "serious matter" and an investigation is under- way.

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