Amazing Moment Florida Panthers Present President Trump with Golden Hockey Stick, “47” Jersey and Rings at White House to Celebrate Stanley Cup Win (VIDEO)

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/florida-panthers-present-president-trump-gold-hockey-stick/

President Trump on Thursday welcomed the Florida Panthers to the White House to celebrate their Stanley Cup win.

The Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

President Trump charmed the hockey players and made them laugh with witty jokes.

“You denied Canada the Stanley Cup for the 32nd straight year,” Trump said to applause and laughter.

“We have a little competition with Canada. They’re great people, though. We’re doing much better than Canada but that’s okay, right?” Trump said to laughs.

The team presented President Trump with a golden hockey stick, a custom ’47’ jersey and a Stanley Cup ring. Continue…

Mass Desertions, 2 Million Draft Dodgers… New Ukrainian Defense Minister Opens up About Kiev Military’s Dire Straits

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/mass-desertions-2-million-draft-dodgers-new-ukrainian/

Fedorov knows how big the problem is.

While Euro-Globalists still sell the world the idea that Ukraine can win the war, Kiev regime insiders know just how desperate things have become.

Besides a lack of money, ammunition, and military hardware, the most acute problem they face is the lack of troops.

Wide-scale desertions, 2 million draft dodgers…

The challenges facing Ukraine’s military seem insurmountable as Russia advances at the fastest rate since 2022. Continue…

More Christians Killed in Wave of Islamist Attacks in Nigeria That Began on Christmas Eve

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/more-christians-killed-wave-islamist-attacks-nigeria-that/

Fulani Islamic extremists killed at least 13 Christians in a series of attacks across Benue State, Nigeria, in early January 2026, according to local residents and officials. The killings were part of a broader wave of Islamist violence against Christians that began on Christmas Eve and continued into the New Year. Continue…

‘U-Turn’ Starmer Ditches Horrible Policies – Failing PM Abandons Mandatory Digital ID, Ending Jury Trial for Minor Offenses, Under-16 Social Media Ban and Attack on Pubs

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/u-turn-starmer-ditches-horrible-policies-failing-pm/

The ability to change one’s mind is a sign of intelligence – but to be always flip-flopping on issues is lame.

Britons are asking themselves: can the failing Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, hold on to ANY policies?

Labour MPs are bracing for more chaotic U-turns today, and now, even Cabinet ministers are making fun of his ‘inability to stick to policies’.

But here’s the kicker: since so many of his leftist government’s policies are so bad, some wavering ends up being a net positive for the country.

After Starmer abandoned a mandatory Digital ID, more U-turns are expected on ‘curbing jury trials, under-16 social media ban and business rates assault on hospitality’.

Daily Mail reported: Continue…

Hungary Reaffirms Its Global Strategy of National Sovereignty and Alliances Outside the Traditional Liberal Order Amid Internal Tensions and International Criticism (Videos)

https://gatewayhispanic.com/2026/01/hungary-reaffirms-its-global-strategy-national-sovereignty-alliances/

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has recently consolidated a political discourse that articulates a vision of a new world order based on sovereign nations, rejects the old liberal consensus, and seeks to redesign Hungary's international alliances according to what he defines as national interest and economic stability.

According to official statements made during an international press conference, Orbán that declared “the rules of the old liberal world order no longer apply, and the era of nations has begun,” insisting that Budapest must maintain a sovereign foreign policy without yielding to supranational pressures.

Hungary's strategy, strongly marked by the defense of national sovereignty, has translated into concrete decisions such as the initiative to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), an operational move already approved by the Hungarian Parliament in 2025, making Hungary the first EU state to undertake such a step.

Budapest has described this move as a reaffirmation of its right to decide on its international criminal jurisdiction, although critics warn that it undermines global judicial cooperation and transparency in serious crimes such as genocide and war crimes. Continue…

Verizon Reveals Reason For Latest Outage

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/verizon-outage/

Verizon said a software issue led to a massive out for users in the US on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Verizon customers in North Carolina, California, New York, and Florida said their phones were showing “SOS” and they were unable to make phone calls.

At least 180,000 customers were affected by the outage.

Some speculated that the outage was caused by a cyber attack but Verizon said it was a ‘software issue.’

“This was a software issue, not a cyber event, and we are conducting a full review of what happened,” a Verizon spokesperson told The New York Post.

Verizon also offered a $20 credit to customers affected by the outage.

The New York Post reported: Continue…

WHAT? Embattled EU Top Diplomat Kaja Kallas Says That the State of the World Means It May Be a ‘Good Moment to Start Drinking’

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/what-embattled-eu-top-diplomat-kaja-kallas-saya/

Kallas’ tenure as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs is a train wreck.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, is facing growing criticism for her perceived incompetence and aggressive diplomatic style – often described as acting like a national prime minister rather than a consensus-building diplomat.

She is rightfully as ‘overly hawkish’ on Russia, obsessing over Moscow at the expense of other pressing global issues.

Her overgrown Russian hatred is even more troublesome because of the scandal of her husband’s business ties to Russia during the war.

Illustration of a woman in a blue dress adorned with stars, symbolizing European unity, set against a backdrop of ruins, reflecting themes of freedom and political scandal.

More recently she has fielded calls for her replacement, notably from Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, who cited her as a liability in ongoing crises.

If all that wasn’t enough, now we have her privately telling EU lawmakers that the state of the world is such that ‘it might be a good moment to start drinking’.

Yes, it was a joke. But the problem is that it comes in the context where SHE is the joke. Continue…

Canada's PM Carney Praises "New World Order"; Opens Door To Chinese EVs

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/beijing-first-canadian-pm-carney-opens-canada-chinese-evs

The invasion of Chinese electric vehicles into North America is set to accelerate after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to roll back the triple-digit tariffs previously imposed on Chinese EVs. The move sharply diverges from President Trump's America First policy, which aims to revitalize the North American auto industry. While Chinese EVs remain effectively blocked from US import, there has been a noticeable increase in BYD Motor vehicles on highways in Mexico.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who appears to have deep ties with Beijing, was the first prime minister to visit China since 2017 and is seeking a major thaw in relations after years of tense diplomatic and trade ties.

Carney's move abandons the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs imposed by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2024, replacing them with a 6.1% rate capped at 49,000 Chinese EVs. In 2023, China exported 41,678 EVs to Canada. The shift in trade policy will certainly capture the Trump administration's attention.

"In order for Canada to build our own competitive EV sector, we need to learn from innovative partners, access their supply chains and increase local demand," Carney told reporters after talks with President Xi Jinping.

Carney may have given the wrong answer. Logically, if Canada wanted to build out an EV sector, it would turn to American expertise, such as Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, or even legacy Detroit automakers. Instead, that does not appear to be the case, raising questions about where Carney's allegiance truly lies, whether with the East or the West.

A recent report via The Bureau's Sam Cooper only suggests Carney's allegiance points towards Beijing…

Brookfield's Deep Ties To Chinese Land, Loans & Green Deals

And there it is…

“The world has changed much since that last visit, I believe the progress that we have made in the partnership sets us up well for the new world order,” declared the Prime Minister of Canada.

His face really says it all!

Watch as Scott Moe reacts to Mark Carney’s New World Order remark. pic.twitter.com/DyKZB62Rnh

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 15, 2026

Also during his Beijing trip, Carney told Zhao Leji, the third-highest ranking member of the CCP, “We’re heartened by the leadership of President Xi Jinping and the speed with which our relationship has progressed,” Reuters reported.

He added that recent trade friction forced Beijing to slap 100% duties on Canadian canola oil - also known as rapeseed oil - as well as other ag products, with 25% on pork and seafood.

"China used to be the largest market for Canadian canola seed," Carney said. "We want to not just return to those levels, but to surpass them."

It appears Carney has not learned the lesson from Europe, where flooding the market with Chinese EVs helped decimate automakers across the continent.

"Connection Timed Out": X Goes Dark

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/connection-timed-out-x-goes-dark

At around 10:10 ET, X went down, displaying a "connection timed out" message, suggesting an issue on the Cloudflare side.

Here's the error message, indicating a host-side failure.

Website tracker Downdetector is currently showing a spike in reported X outages.

The disruption appears to be nationwide.

Developing…

US Outraged Iranian Warships Are Docked At Cape Town: South Africa 'Cozying Up' To Tehran

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-embassy-outraged-iranian-warships-are-docked-cape-town-safrica-cozying-tehran

The United States is making its anger known to longtime but strained ally South Africa, charging the country's defense ministry of ignoring directives from its own government to send Iranian warships home after they took part in naval exercises in South African waters.

Washington's statement held nothing back: "South Africa can’t lecture the world on ‘justice’ while cozying up to Iran," the US embassy in South Africa posted on Facebook. Islamic Republic warships have been docked in Cape Town for some days now. "Iran is a destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises - in any capacity - undermines maritime security and regional stability," the US statement said.

"It is particularly unconscionable that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces as they were shooting, jailing, and torturing Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves," it continued. Continue…

UN Chief's Last Annual Speech Warns Global Cooperation 'On Deathwatch'

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/un-chiefs-last-annual-speech-warns-global-cooperation-deathwatch

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will step down as head of the UN in 2026, and on Thursday he issued a stark warning to world leaders upon the occasion of this last annual priorities speech.

He said that international cooperation is being pushed "onto deathwatch" by widening geopolitical rifts and increased and unpredictable violations of international law and sharp cuts to humanitarian aid. While not naming names, the United States under President Trump was probably high on the UN official's mind, and certainly the audience was thinking it in the wake of the Venezuela operation as well as threatened US strikes on Iran.

"At a time when we need international cooperation the most, we seem to be the least inclined to use it and invest in it," he said, decrying some governments are actively working to weaken the system, increasingly creating "self-defeating geopolitical divides". Continue…

Danish Intelligence Confirms The Russia-China Threat To Greenland

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/danish-intelligence-russia-china-threat-greenland

A 2025 Intelligence Assessment by the government of Denmark highlights the long term Russian and Chinese 'threat' in Arctic waters, at a moment Greenland officials have rejected the US assertion that the large resource-rich island and its waters are being gradually influenced and taken over by the Russia/China 'menace'.

Trump has recently stated, "We need that because if you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and, bigger, there are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not gonna have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t."

Greenlanders meanwhile are by and large rejecting this, though perhaps Trump was using hyperbole in a "see Alaska from my house" Sarah Palin moment. Continue…

First European Troops Arrive In Greenland In Dark Of Night

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/first-european-troops-arrive-greenland-dark-night

In a move that will further inflame already rising tensions over Greenland, the first European troops have quietly begun arriving on the island following President Trump's repeated provocative declarations on the need for Washington to take control of the territory, according to Germany’s Bild.

The newspaper reports that a Danish military transport aircraft landed overnight in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, carrying Danish soldiers alongside members of the French armed forces.

Soon on the first plane's heels, another Danish Hercules aircraft touched down at Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland. Both planes reportedly flew with their transponders switched off - a detail unlikely to go unnoticed in an already tense Arctic standoff.

The initial German contingent of 13 soldiers arrived in Nuuk on Thursday morning. Additionally the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden are also set to participate in the deployment.

While all of these countries are NATO members, the operation is being coordinated directly from Copenhagen rather than through NATO channels, underscoring the political sensitivity of the move.

Here's how Bild describes it, according to machine translation: Continue…

Carney aligns Canada with the CCP as 'New World Order' awaits

https://www.rebelnews.com/carney_aligns_canada_with_the_ccp_as_new_world_order_awaits

Prime Minister Mark Carney has traded Canada’s U.S. ties for Beijing's embrace, opening the door to transnational repression and risking Canadian sovereignty. Continue…

Sask. court tosses coal injunction, rules environmental policy belongs to elected governments — not judges

https://www.rebelnews.com/sask_court_tosses_coal_injunction_rules_environmental_policy_belongs_to_elected_governments_not_judges

“The question is not whether climate change is real,” Justice R.S. Smith wrote in the decision, emphasizing that balancing environmental concerns with electricity reliability, affordability, and energy security involves competing interests that must be weighed by elected governments, not judges.

A Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by environmental advocacy groups and private citizens seeking to block the province’s plan to extend the life of coal-fired power plants, ruling that courts are not the proper forum for deciding environmental or energy policy.

In a January 12 decision, Justice R.S. Smith struck the entire application filed by Citizens for Public Justice, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society, and several individual applicants, Kiké Dueck, a minor represented by litigation guardian Kris Dueck, along with Sherry Olson and Matthew Wiens, who asked the court to overturn the Saskatchewan government’s coal decision.

The application targeted a June 18, 2025, letter from Crown Investments Minister Jeremy Harrison to SaskPower employees announcing the government’s decision to life-extend two coal-powered generating stations.

The province says the move is necessary to maintain reliable and affordable electricity while Saskatchewan transitions toward nuclear baseload power through small modular reactors.

The applicants argued the decision increased greenhouse gas emissions and should be quashed through judicial review, claiming it was unreasonable, unlawful, and contrary to climate obligations.

Justice Smith rejected those arguments outright. Continue…

Canada’s global restructuring with China begins

https://www.rebelnews.com/canada_s_global_restructuring_with_china_begins

Prime Minister Mark Carney has opened the door to Chinese electric vehicles in a new trade swap, prompting fierce backlash from Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

After announcing a 'New World Order' and global trade restructuring yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Carney has secured a deal with Beijing that slashes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles while providing some relief for Canadian canola farmers.

Announced following high-level meetings in Beijing with President Xi Jinping earlier today, the agreement allows up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs to enter the Canadian market annually at a preferential tariff of just 6.1% — a steep reduction from the 100% duty imposed in 2024 in alignment with U.S. policy.

In exchange, China has committed to lowering its retaliatory tariffs on Canadian canola seed from a combined rate of approximately 85% to around 15% by March 1.

Additional relief includes the removal of duties on canola meal, lobster, crab, and peas through at least the end of the year, potentially unlocking billions in export opportunities for Canadian producers.

Carney hailed the arrangement as a pragmatic step toward diversifying trade away from over-reliance on the United States, describing it as part of a broader strategic partnership that reflects the “world as it is, not as we wish it to be.”

The announcement immediately drew criticism from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who warned that the concessions hand China an immediate foothold in Canada's auto market “at the expense of Canadian workers.” In a strongly worded statement, Ford decried the agreement as “lopsided,” arguing it invites a flood of cheap Chinese EVs without firm guarantees of reciprocal investment in Canada's economy, supply chains, or manufacturing base. Continue…

SPITEFUL: Feds fine B.C. ostrich farm $10K after killing entire flock without testing

https://www.rebelnews.com/spiteful_feds_fine_b_c_ostrich_farm_10k_after_killing_entire_flock_without_testing

A recent federal tribunal ruling siding with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is adding insult to injury for Universal Ostrich Farms.

The federal government has slapped a $10,000 fine on Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, British Columbia, closing out a months-long legal fight over an avian flu response that saw the entire ostrich flock killed without individual testing.

A federal tribunal upheld the penalty, siding with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which accused the farm of failing to comply with reporting and disease-control requirements under the Health of Animals Act.

The dispute began after avian influenza was detected on the property. Rather than test each bird, the CFIA ordered all remaining ostriches destroyed, nearly a year after the first signs of the flu, including birds the owners said showed no symptoms and posed no risk.

Courts repeatedly deferred to federal authority, and the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear a final appeal, clearing the way for both the cull and the fine.

Taxpayer-funded drag gig pays $5,000 for an hour-long virtual performance

https://www.rebelnews.com/taxpayer_funded_drag_gig_pays_5_000_for_an_hour_long_virtual_performance

While Canadians struggle to pay bills, Ottawa spends $5K/an hour on a virtual session that delivers little tangible benefit to the public. Continue…

>>24131598

BREAKING: Federal Court of Appeal upholds ruling finding Emergencies Act use unconstitutional

https://www.rebelnews.com/federal_court_of_appeal_upholds_ruling_finding_emergencies_act_use_unconstitutional

The Trudeau government's use of the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protest was unconstitutional, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled.

The Federal Court of Appeal has unanimously affirmed a lower court ruling that found Justin Trudeau's use of the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protest was an unconstitutional action.

The ruling ends a lengthy legal process that began in 2022 when protesters from across Canada descended on Ottawa to oppose vaccine mandates and lockdowns imposed on the public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a lengthy-but-peaceful demonstration in the nation's capital, Trudeau, then prime minister, used the country's most extreme legal measure as his government invoked the Emergencies Act to bring a violent, forceful end to the protest in February 2022.

This decision was ruled unconstitutional by Justice Richard Mosely in January 2024, who wrote that due to the “nature” and “broad powers” of the act, it should only be used as “a tool of last resort.”

The government, he said, “cannot invoke the Emergencies Act because it is convenient or because it may work better than other tools at their disposal or available to the provinces.”

The justice also said “threats to the security of Canada,” a significant requirement built into the act, were not met.

Rebel News previously reported how the Liberal government spent at least $2 million attempting to appeal Mosley's ruling.

“When consulted a few hours before the Act was invoked, most provinces expressed the view that provincial capacity and authority were not exceeded,” the Federal Court of Appeal ruling said, noting “the invocation of the Act would be divisive, unconstructive and unnecessary.”

Despite assertions from the government the Freedom Convoy posed a dire national security threat, “these concerns, as troubling as they might have been, were found in the preceding section of these reasons to be insufficient to ground a reasonable belief that a threat to national security existed at the time.”

The justices also weighed in on trade disruptions created by simultaneous demonstrations occurring in Alberta at the Coutts border crossing and in Ontario at the Ambassador Bridge in Niagara Falls.

“The trade-related impacts of the protests were not without repercussions for commerce,” the ruling noted, but suggested this did not create a risk to health and safety that necessitated using the Emergencies Act.

A key portion of the decision hinged on the right of peaceful protest laid out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The appeal court agreed with the initial ruling that found the government's use of the Emergencies Act was “overbroad” as it swept up peaceful protesters alongside those committing more serious infractions.

“Although such individuals would not likely have been the focus of enforcement efforts by the police, they could nevertheless have been subject to enforcement actions,” the appeal decision said.

“This led the Federal Court to find that the right to freedom of expression of individual protesters who did not participate in the disruption of the peace was thus infringed,” the justices acknowledged.

Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley's decision was upheld unanimously by three Federal Court of Appeal justices.

Stop Canada from joining the New World Order!

https://www.rebelnews.com/stop_canada_from_joining_the_new_world_order

Prime Minister Mark Carney has now openly positioned Canada alongside China in what he calls a “New World Order.” Continue…

Leaked classroom audio shows Alberta teacher launching political rant at students

https://www.rebelnews.com/leaked_classroom_audio_shows_alberta_teacher_launching_political_rant_at_students

Audio first released by independent journalist “'Berta Proud Dad” raises concerns about ideological activism in a publicly funded Catholic school.

A leaked audio recording allegedly captured inside an Alberta classroom is raising serious questions about political commentary being delivered to students during class time.

The audio, first released by independent journalist Lawrence McGee, who goes by the pseudonym “'Berta Proud Dad”, is said to have been recorded by a student at St. André Bessette Catholic School in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

The parent and student involved have not gone public and have requested anonymity due to concerns about backlash. Continue…

Pro-life Canadian MPs hosts nationwide rallies to protect religious rights

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-life-canadian-mps-hosts-nationwide-rallies-to-protect-religious-rights/

Conservative MP Andrew Lawton is leading town hall meetings from coast to coast in Canada to create awareness about a bill that is an 'attack' on people of faith.

One of Canada’s newest pro-life Conservative MPs is holding a series of “emergency town halls” nationwide to raise awareness over concerns about a new bill before Parliament that affects religious rights.

The first event was held a few days ago in Cambridge, Ontario, with the most recent event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, garnering great support.

In MP Andrew Lawton’s meeting with faith leaders in Saskatoon earlier this week, he noted, “We will ensure politicians aren’t deciding what can be preached from the pulpit.”

“Saskatoon is standing up for religious freedom! Over 350 people came out for our town hall on Bill C-9 last night,” Lawton posted on X.

Lawton will also visit Newfoundland, British Columbia, Alberta, and other parts of Ontario.

In a recent video post on X, Lawton said that the current Liberal federal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Bill C-9, or the Combating Hate Act, is an “attack” on people of faith.

“We need to act now and raise the stakes so much that the Liberals realize they cannot get away with attacking people of faith and all people in Canada who care about religious freedom in this way,” he said.

“I’m going to be holding a series of emergency town halls and roundtables with faith leaders and all Canadians concerned about this across the country over the next two weeks, between now and when the House of Commons comes back.” Continue…

Hundreds of Catholics attend reopening of Alberta church burnt to ground by arsonists

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/hundreds-of-catholics-attend-reopening-of-alberta-church-burnt-to-ground-by-arsonists/

St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Morinville, Alberta, reopened its newly rebuilt church in December, four years after it was destroyed by arson in 2021.

Parishioners are returning to an Edmonton-area church that has been rebuilt after being burned to the ground in 2021.

In December, St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Morinville, Alberta, welcomed over 300 Catholics for its official reopening ceremony led by Bishop Gary Franken, following four years of rebuilding after arsonists burned it down.

“It was a really joyful moment for our parish,” parish pastor Fr. Trini Pinca told the Catholic Register. “And of course, for me, especially as a pastor, after enduring four years and a half of not having a church, moving from one school to another, maybe sometimes in the rectory, and not being able to decorate and celebrate.”

The newly restored church includes vivid paintings of Christ’s life, including his Baptism at the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist. The new church also contains stain-glassed windows donated by a Sherwood Park and four bells from a church in Quebec City.

In an interview with CBC News, Pinca compared the rebuilding of the parish to a phoenix rising over the ashes, saying, “One message that I have received after the fire was a message from my bishop back in the Philippines, and he just mentioned about the image of the phoenix rising.”

“For me, that’s been the life here in our parish,” he declared.

The reopening of St. Jean Baptiste Parish comes after the parish was burned to the ground on June 30, 2021, in a series of attacks against Catholic churches across Canada. Continue…

LEAKED MEMO: CBC’s Coming for Independent Media and Alberta Sovereignty

https://breaking-news.ca/leaked-memo-cbcs-coming-for-independent-media-and-alberta-sovereignty/

Leaked Heritage memo: CBC is key to ‘social cohesion’ as segments stay disengaged. Days later? CBC announces $1.4B+ funded expansion—33 new journalists, 11 bureaus (many Western/Central Canada) to ‘counter’ independent voices.

Coincidence?

They’re coming for Alberta sovereignty & media like mine. Taxpayer propaganda exposed!

Special forces first to get new military helicopters expected to start arriving in 2033

https://nationalpost.com/public-service/defence-watch/new-canadian-forces-helicopters/wcm/3c0aa57a-0a00-4785-bda8-ea4197f74305

The new aircraft will replace the existing fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters currently used to support Joint Task Force Two and other special forces units

Canadian special forces will receive the first of a new fleet of helicopters starting in 2033, followed by other rotary aircraft to be ordered later for army units.

The federal government will start consultations with defence firms in the coming months on the new project, the Department of National Defence confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen.

The new aircraft will replace the existing fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters which are currently used to support the Joint Task Force Two special forces unit in Ottawa and special forces units in Petawawa and Trenton, Ont.

The Canadian Forces and DND declined to provide information on how many helicopters will be purchased in total.

“The first phase of the work is targeting the procurement of new helicopters to support the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command,” DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulintold the Ottawa Citizen. “The second and third phases would procure Attack Reconnaissance and Medium Lift capabilities to support the Canadian Army.”

The Canadian military hopes to have the first of a new fleet of helicopters operating by 2033, according to a briefing obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

The fleets will be fully operational by 2038.

The project, dubbed Next Tactical Aviation Capability Set or nTACS will see a “return to a balanced fleet concept,” according to the military briefing. More than $18 billion has been earmarked for the new helicopters.

The acquisition will address gaps in firepower, reconnaissance and surveillance as well as mobility, the document prepared for the aviation industry noted.

The Canadian Forces and DND declined to provide details on when a contract might be awarded. Continue…