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April 24, 2022 | Local, Aerospace

Achat de F-35 | Le Canada aura finalement évité les problèmes de rodage, selon un ex-pilote

Un ancien pilote d’essai de F-35 croit que le Canada aura probablement bénéficié de sa décision de ne pas acheter ce nouveau chasseur furtif il y a plus de dix ans. Mais il estime maintenant qu’Ottawa devait mettre fin à ses tergiversations et opter rapidement pour cet avion de chasse américain.

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/2022-04-18/achat-de-f-35/le-canada-aura-finalement-evite-les-problemes-de-rodage-selon-un-ex-pilote.php

On the same subject

  • MDA Joins Lockheed Martin & General Motors on Next Gen Lunar Rover
  • Why it is time for smart protectionism

    July 20, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Why it is time for smart protectionism

    Put simply, Canadian governments have a responsibility to practise smart protectionism where the risks to Canadians' personal security and national security are high. Free trade is good economics. Protectionism is bad. Global supply chains are efficient. Favouring domestic goods, services and industries is inefficient. Canada has long adhered to these orthodoxies. And most of the time it makes sense to do so. However, through the COVID-19 pandemic, both the public and private sectors have seen weaknesses associated with heavy or total reliance on foreign sources and global supply chains for essential goods, notably personal protective equipment (PPE). As of June 2, for example, the Government of Canada had ordered close to 122 million N95 masks from international suppliers, yet 12 million had been received and 9.8 million of those failed Canadian standards. We are learning the hard way that foreign sources cannot necessarily supply the products we need in the time, quantity or quality required during a national or global emergency. China, as the dominant global producer of many of these PPE supplies, has become the focal point for an emerging debate around domestic control over certain goods, technologies, and services. A recent report from the Henry Jackson Society in the U.K., for example, has argued the “Five Eyes”—the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand—are far too reliant on Chinese sources for all kinds of strategically important goods, and that this is a threat to the national security of those countries. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, too, has warned that Canadian companies that produce certain critical technologies are vulnerable to foreign takeovers by entities with agendas hostile to Canada's interests. This is not just an issue with China, though. In Canada, we like to believe that in national or global crises we can rely on the U.S. or other allies for help. Canada, in other words, would be at or near the front of the line with allies. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the behavior of the U.S. and European countries, suggests this is naive. Italy, a founding EU member, requested and was denied face masks from the EU's stockpile at the peak of their COVID-19 outbreak. In April, a presidential executive order gave the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency the power to “allocate to domestic use” several types of PPE that would otherwise be exported. U.S. produced masks bound for Germany, a close American ally, were reportedly diverted back while in transit. Ultimately, Canada was exempt from the U.S. order, but this episode should tell us that global emergencies can lead to “home front comes first” attitudes, even among our closest allies. Fundamentally, the issue comes down to one of efficiency versus necessity. Sometimes, in some areas of the economy, security of supply is more important than efficiency. While this thinking is new to most companies and governments in Canada, it is not new to Canadian companies working in defence and national security. The Canadian defence industry has long highlighted the need for focused sovereign production and control in key national security capabilities—in part to ensure security of supply—as our allies in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere have been doing for generations. The argument has fallen largely on deaf ears. There seems to be a greater aversion in Canada to any kind of protectionism than among our more pragmatic allies. There is also a belief that Canada can always rely on obtaining critical supplies from the U.S., owing to both our close trading relationship and bi-lateral defence agreements dating from the 1950s that purport to establish an integrated North American defence industrial base. Canada puts too much faith in these beliefs, to our peril. While we can still hold free trade and integrated global supply chains as the goal, we also need to recognize that this view of the economy does not always serve our national interests. Put simply, Canadian governments have a responsibility to practise smart protectionism where the risks to Canadians' personal security and national security are high. Christyn Cianfarani is president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). The Hill Times https://www.hilltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/072020_ht.pdf

  • Government of Canada marks the coming into force of the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act

    July 30, 2019 | Local, Naval

    Government of Canada marks the coming into force of the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act

    OTTAWA, July 30, 2019 /CNW/ - Coastal and waterway communities across Canada are affected by wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels. These problem vessels can pose hazards to the environment, public health and safety, and local industries such as fishing and tourism. Most vessel owners are responsible and maintain and dispose of their vessels properly. However, the small percentage who are not responsible can create significant impacts on our coastal communities, with the burden for costly clean-up often falling on Canadian taxpayers. That is why the Government of Canada, through its Oceans Protection Plan, is taking action to deter irresponsible vessel owner behaviour. The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, are pleased to mark the coming-into-force of the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act. The Act prohibits vessel abandonment and brings into Canadian law the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007. It increases owner responsibility and liability for their vessels, addresses irresponsible vessel management, and enables the Government of Canada to proactively intervene to address problem vessels that pose hazards. Not complying with the Act can result in an administrative monetary penalty of up to $50,000 for individuals and up to $250,000 for companies or corporations. Convictions of more serious offences could result in a maximum fine of $1 million for individuals and up to $6 million for companies or corporations. The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made to protect Canada's coasts and waterways. This national plan is creating a world-leading marine safety system that provides economic opportunities for Canadians today, while protecting our coastlines and clean water for generations to come. This work is being done in close collaboration with Indigenous peoples, local stakeholders and coastal communities. Quotes "This significant legislation is making vessel owners responsible under the law for the safe disposal of their vessels. Most owners are responsible, but for those few who are not, we now have the ability to hold them to account. Canada's coastal waters are home to many communities including indigenous communities who have lived by the water for countless generations. We are taking concrete actions to protect and restore these sensitive ecosystems." The Honourable Marc Garneau Minister of Transport "Wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels can pose risks to the environment, clutter our shorelines, affect sensitive marine habitats and species, and disrupt community activities and local economies. Our new strengthened law ensures these problems are addressed quickly, before they become more serious. With the Oceans Protection Plan, we are taking action so that our coasts and oceans will be safe, clean and healthy for future generations." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick Facts In addition to the new legislation, as part of the National Strategy to Address Canada's Wrecked and Abandoned Vessels, the Government of Canada launched two short-term funding programs in 2017 to support eligible recipients in removing and disposing of high-priority vessels: Transport Canada's Abandoned Boats Program, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program. Transport Canada's program also supports education and awareness activities and research on vessel recycling and design. Transport Canada's Abandoned Boats Program is investing $6.85 million for abandoned boat assessment, removal and disposal, and for research and education initiatives. Since May 31, 2017, the program has launched four calls for proposals for projects to be funded through grants and contributions, the most recent of which remains open until March 31, 2020. To date, funding has been approved to assess 102 boats for a total of $342,560, and to remove 78 boats for a total of $1,796,038. Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program is providing up to $1.325 million over five years to Harbour Authorities and other eligible recipients to remove and dispose of abandoned and wrecked vessels located in federal small craft harbours. To date, 23 vessels have been removed and disposed of across the country, and funding has been awarded to gain legal possession which could lead to the removal of an additional eight vessels, under the program. Other measures under development within the National Strategy include improving vessel owner identification, creating a national inventory of problem vessels and developing a risk assessment methodology to prioritize response, and establishing a polluter pays approach for vessel clean-up through creation of an owner-financed long-term fund. Since the Oceans Protection Plan started in November 2016, over 50 initiatives have been announced in the areas of marine safety, research and ecosystem protection that span coast-to-coast-to-coast https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-marks-the-coming-into-force-of-the-wrecked-abandoned-or-hazardous-vessels-act-872449738.html

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