April 14, 2023 | Local, Land
Canada expects to have 21,000 assault rifles delivered to Ukraine within months
National Defence says Ukraine should receive by the end of the summer the 21,000 assault rifles being donated by Canada.
December 7, 2018 | Local, Aerospace
Airbus reports strong progress in generating FWSAR work in Canada
Airbus reports it is on track to provide Canadian industry with the required level of high-value work associated with the fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft replacement in-service support (ISS) program.
In its first FWSAR Value Proposition ISS annual report to the Government of Canada, submitted earlier this year and covering 2017, the company declared that more than 80 per cent of the ISS work was already being performed by Canadian industry in Canada. That data has now been validated and accepted by Canada.
The activity, led by Airbus and its Canadian ISS integration partner AirPro – a joint venture with PAL Aerospace – is rapidly generating work and employment at partners such as CAE and Accenture.
AirPro itself has already recruited nearly 20 highly qualified full-time staff to work on FWSAR ISS, and is adding resources in fields such as aeronautical engineering, architecture, construction, information technology and project management.
More than 125,000 Canadian labour hours of work were performed by five companies in 2017 and the figure will grow more rapidly as many other companies begin their supply roles further into the program. The AirPro activity in particular will markedly increase as the Airbus CC-295 aircraft enters service and day-to-day ISS activities such as maintenance begin.
Simon Jacques, president of Airbus Defence and Space in Canada, said: “We are proud of having made such a successful start to the development and transfer of capability to Canada with all the associated high value work that it brings. Ensuring an active role for AirPro in this set-up phase will ensure that it has a solid preparation for its ISS role in the operational phase. And this new expertise has the potential to be reused in other Canadian programs.”
Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy applies to the FWSAR contract and ensures that the total value of the contract is leveraged resulting in high-value jobs in the Canadian economy. The FWSAR program is supporting some $2.5 billion in Industrial and Technological Benefits to Canada, through high-value, long-term partnerships with Canadian industry.
“The work done in Canada as part of the fixed-wing search and rescue project demonstrates the tangible benefits of our Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy for Canadian industry,” said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “This project will provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment and services they need to keep Canada safe, and the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy ensures Canadians have access to middle-class jobs, growing our economy along the way.”
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September 26, 2018 | Local, Security
Artificial intelligence at border could infringe on human rights: report
By Anna Desmarais Using artificial intelligence at Canada's official points of entry can lead to serious human rights violations, according to a new report. Released Wednesday by the University of Toronto's International Human Rights Program (IHRP) and the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the report says the use of artificial intelligence (AI) at regular points of entry is “quite risky” without appropriate government oversight. “We know that, in other contexts, AI is not neutral,” report author Petra Molnar told iPolitics. “It's basically like a recipe. If your recipe is biased, then the result that is going to come out of the algorithm is also going to be biased.” What these technologies could do, according to the report, is decide whether a marriage is genuine, an application is complete, or whether someone entering the country is deemed “a risk” to public safety. If the government doesn't provide more oversight, such decisions could rely on appearance, religion, or travel patterns as “proxies” for more relevant data normally gathered by immigration officials. This could compromise some quintessential human rights for immigrants and refugees at the border, including the right to equality and to be protected from discrimination under the law. The report says AI machines could be taught algorithms for how to assess “red flags,” “risks,” and “frauds” based on pre-existing biases in some of the immigration and refugee system's current regulations. For example, the report said the Designated Country of Origin list, which classifies which countries are “safe” for refugee claimants, uses an “incomplete” definition of safety that does not take into account specific risks for minority groups, such as women or members of the LGBTQ community. The use of AI technologies could mean cases are likely to be determined only based on these types of guidelines and might not include the discretion and empathy employed by immigration officials when reviewing the details of a refugee claim. “Depending on how an algorithm is designed, it may result in indirect discrimination,” the report found. “The complexity of human migration is not easily reducible to an algorithm.” If someone is triaged or flagged for early deportation, it could also affect their ability to apply for a visa, appeal a negative immigration ruling, or continue to move between borders. AI technologies also bring up procedural-rights issues, such as how a potential immigrant or refugee claimant would challenge the outcome of his case at the border. “When you introduce AI, if you don't agree with the decision, where do you appeal? And what kind of appeal are you crafting?” Molnar said. “These are all new questions we have to ask ourselves.” The report found that the government has been experimenting with artificial intelligence since 2014. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirmed to the report's authors in June it was already using an automated response to “triage,” or separate, simple claims from complicated ones that need further review. This summer, the government sent out an RFI (a preliminary procurement document) seeking an “Artificial Intelligence Solution” to provide legal support for migrants entering at formal points of entry. These investments fit into the federal government's $125-million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to “develop global thought leadership on the economic, ethical, policy and legal implications” of AI research throughout the country. Molnar said she heard from government officials that their use of AI is “preliminary” at best. What the government is considering, she continued, is using AI technologies only for preliminary screening. After AI technologies have reviewed a case, Molnar said immigration officers should still be asked to review the decision and make any appropriate changes. Molnar said it's still too soon to tell what AI could look like at the borders, but noted the technological changes could be vast. “It can be as simple as an Excel sheet, all the way to totally autonomous robots in other sectors,” she continued. “In immigration, how this could manifest ... could include a triage system where a traveller might be designated a high risk or low risk, or streamed for high risk and low risk.” To solve these possible human-rights infringements, the report suggests installing an independent, arms-length government-oversight body to “engage in all aspects of oversight,” before the government continues to develop these technologies. This recommendation, Molnar said, is in line with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's review into responsible use of AI throughout government offices. Among other recommendations, the board suggests more transparency from government offices about when AI technologies will be used during a discretionary decision-making process. The report notes this suggestion “is promising, from a human-rights perspective,” but the document is non-binding and is still subject to change. Until the review body is created, the report suggests government freeze “all efforts to procure, develop or adopt” any new automated-decision-system technology before a government oversight process is in place. https://ipolitics.ca/2018/09/26/artificial-intelligence-at-border-could-infringe-on-human-rights-report/
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December 11, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
2021-22 Collaborative Networks / Réseaux de collaboration pour 2021-22
The MINDS Team is pleased to announce that the call for applications for the Collaborative Networks for FY 2021-22 is now open. Applications can be submitted until January 18 , 2021. If you are interested in presenting your research results to National Defence or the Canadian Armed Forces through the Expert Briefing Series, please contact MINDS@forces.gc.ca. Collaborative Networks Through the establishment of Collaborative Networks, MINDS is increasing and diversifying research on defence and security issues in Canada, with the aim to meet the Defence Team need for relevant and timely advice and broaden the spectrum of expert voices contributing to the conversation. Network Focus Collaborative Networks involve multi-disciplinary teams of experts from across Canada and abroad. They work together to research specific defence and security challenges in support of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Through these networks, the Defence Team will benefit from in-depth and nuanced analysis either to complement ongoing work or gain new insights in areas where there is interest and demand but limited expertise available. Who can apply This opportunity is open to multidisciplinary teams with interest in the domain of security and defence studies. We are looking for individuals or organizations that are engaged, dynamic, resourceful and interested in helping DND/CAF address key defence policy challenges. The primary affiliation of the network lead must be a Canadian institution. Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding under this program. Network Requirements Successful network applicants will receive $250,000 per year for three years. During these three years, the networks will be required to meet a number of deliverables including creative approaches to research, conferences and workshops, witten and oral briefings to a Defence Team audience, and student support. For a complete list of network criteria and deliverables, please consult the application form. Applicants must demonstrate: Relevance, through alignment with one to three defence policy challenges, and linkage to SSE How the project incorporates diverse perspectives, including through the use of Gender-based Analysis Plus Innovation, creativity, vision Plans to creatively leverage technology A detailed spending strategy is essential to a successful application, including an estimated budget for the project with anticipated expenditures. Successful applicants will be required to sign a contribution agreement with MINDS that will govern the administration of funding. See funding results for previous rounds. If you have any questions related to the Collaborative Networks, please contact the MINDS team at MINDS@forces.gc.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/minds/collaborative-networks.html