April 1, 2021 | Local, Aerospace
Canada on track to pick new fighter jet next year despite COVID-19
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June 22, 2018 | Local, Aerospace
Aerospace firm drops lawsuit against DND as defence officials award it multibillion-dollar contract
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
An Italian aerospace firm dropped a lawsuit against Canada over what it claimed was a rigged aircraft purchase shortly before the federal government awarded it a new sole-source deal potentially worth billions of dollars.
But the Canadian Forces and officials with Italian defence company, Leonardo, say the ending of the legal action in May had nothing to do with the company being picked for a new project the same month.
Leonardo has been selected by the Royal Canadian Air Force to upgrade its Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters and provide seven additional aircraft.
It is estimated the project will cost taxpayers between $1 billion and $5 billion, a price tag that includes the purchase of simulators and support equipment.
Leonardo had been fighting the Canadian government in Federal Court over its 2016 decision to award its rival, Airbus, a contract to build fixed-wing search-and-rescue planes as part of a $4.7-billion program. The company was asking the court to overturn the contract to Airbus and instead award the lucrative deal to Leonardo and its Canadian partners. It alleged the Airbus aircraft failed to meet the government's basic criteria.
But that legal action was stopped in May just as the Canadian government was awarding Leonardo the new helicopter deal.
The Department of National Defence suggested the decision to drop the lawsuit was not related to its decision to select Leonardo for the sole-source deal. “The Government of Canada's priority is to select a best-value package for the Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade,” the DND noted in an email. “Decisions related to this procurement were made based on consultations with industry and our subject matter experts and follow standard procurement reviews.”
But the sole-source deal to Leonardo caught the aerospace industry by surprise. The RCAF had asked companies just last year for informal proposals on how Canada's future search and rescue helicopter needs could be met.
One firm, Sikorsky, went as far as launching a campaign to promote its civilian S-92 helicopter as a cost-effective solution. It proposed that it was cheaper to buy new helicopters than to upgrade the older Cormorants.
The federal government acknowledged that it has now received correspondence from aerospace firms raising issues about the sole-source deal with Leonardo.
“We have received some responses,” Pierre-Alain Bujold, a spokesman for Public Services and Procurement Canada, stated in an email. “PSPC officials are currently reviewing the responses, in collaboration with the Department of National Defence and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.”
“Once this review is complete, officials will determine appropriate next steps and inform respondents accordingly,” Bujold added.
But defence industry insiders say the review is simply for the sake of appearances and it is expected the deal with Leonardo will proceed.
Leonardo officials said their decision to drop the lawsuit was made in April but it took until the next month before that process could be completed.
The Cormorant fleet entered service in the year 2000 and the modernization would allow the helicopters to operate for another 25 years at least. One of Leonardo's subsidiaries was the original manufacturer of the Cormorants.
The decision to sole-source the deal moved through the federal system quickly. On April 20, RCAF spokesman Maj. Scott Spurr stated the air force was still examining options on how to proceed and that the next phase of the project wouldn't come until 2019.
But on May 24 the Canadian government announced it had decided to go with Leonardo on the exclusive deal.
Department of National Defence officials say it was determined that it was more cost effective to stay with the Cormorant fleet as it is a proven aircraft the RCAF knows well.
The upgrade program is expected to include the latest avionic and mission systems, advanced radars and sensors, vision enhancement and tracking systems.
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February 16, 2021 | Local, Land
SOUCY DEFENSE DIVISION AWARDED $7.5M CONTRACT TO INTEGRATE COMPOSITE RUBBER TRACK TO THE NORWEGIAN ARMOURED COMBAT SUPPORT VEHICLE
SOUCY INTERNATIONAL Inc. (DEFENSE DIVISION) AWARDED CONTRACT TO INTEGRATE SEGMENTED COMPOSITE RUBBER TRACK ON TO U.S ARMY OMFV TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR 11 February 2021 – Drummondville QC Canada, Soucy International Defense Division, has been awarded a contract to manufacture and deliver prototype Segmented Composite Rubber Track (SCRT) systems for the U.S Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) as part of the Platform Electrification and Mobility (PEM) project This project has been created to help develop, integrate and test essential electrification and mobility technologies necessary for soldier experimentation of manned and unmanned Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) platforms. Within the NGCV program, there is the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) and the Robotically Controlled Vehicle (RCV). Soucy will refine existing SCRT technology as part of the OMFV Demonstrator within the PEM program that is aimed to achieve its goal of silent mobility, reduce track system weight compared to conventional steel tracks, reduce rolling resistance, and ease maintenance and logistical burden. One of the major technical objectives of the PEM project is to provide silent mobility for a 50-ton tracked vehicle. Continuous composite rubber track (CRT) solutions provide significant noise and vibration reduction compared to a typical steel track. Soucy CRT has made great improvements over the last 15 years, with the continuous, single loop design providing significant reductions in weight; vibration; acoustic and thermal signature; increased fuel efficiency, and ease of maintenance, allowing for reduced logistical support. Segmentation of a composite rubber track could potentially further reduce soldier physical maintenance burden, vehicle installation time, and ease overall sustainment challenges in a contested operational environment. This prototype will allow the United States (US) Army and Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) to evaluate demonstrated options of different track systems for the OMFV program. -ends- Media Contacts: Angeline Heckel-Elies, Soucy Defense Division, +1 (819) 474 4522, Angeline.heckel-elies@soucy-group.com About CRT Tracks Increased durability over conventional steel tracks. Reduced vibration (up to 70%), noise (up to 13dB), thermal signature, braking distance, vehicle weight (up to 50%) and fuel consumption (up to 30%). Reduced vehicle crew fatigue. Significant reduction in life cycle costs and virtually maintenance free. Elimination of damage to infrastructure. About Soucy Soucy has been established for 50 years and specialize in the design, development, and manufacturing of CRT. Soucy supply a variety of components and parts for major manufacturers of power sport, industrial, agricultural and Defense vehicles around the world. Since entering the Defense market 26 years ago, the demand for Soucy's products has grown, and now being utilised in 12 counties worldwide. Soucy's expertise and knowledge of rubber track applications lie in compounding and track construction. The key elements in exceeding the specifications of traditional Steel Tracks and meeting customer requirements is the relationship between the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and rubber heat generation, this balance is critical in the design of CRT. www.soucy-defense.com
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July 7, 2023 | Local, Other Defence
Next defence policy must be achievable and fully funded
The last policy lacked the two key things necessary for implementation: it wasn't fully funded and lacked agile and timely decision-making processes. That these shortcomings exist is hardly a matter for debate.