Airbus to lead NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability concept study

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  May 12, 2023 | International, Naval

  Canadian Coast Guard Ships Martha L. Black and Leonard J. Cowley’s Vessel Life Extension Contracts Awarded

  Ottawa, Ontario - Ensuring that Canadian Coast Guard personnel have reliable equipment to keep Canada’s waterways open and safe is a key priority for the Government of Canada. Today, the Canadian Coast Guard announced two contract awards for the vessel life extension of CCGS Martha L. Black and CCGS Leonard J. Cowley, respectively at the value of $31.5 million and $29.7 million. Both vessels will be dry-docked and enter an extended maintenance period designed to increase their operational life. Following an open competitive process, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, has awarded Verrault Navigation Inc. from Les Méchins, Quebec and Newdock from St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador for the contracts to complete vessel life extension work on the CCGS Martha L. Black and CCGS Leonard J. Cowley. A light multitasked icebreaker and buoy tender, the CCGS Martha L. Black  is primarily responsible for aids to navigation and buoy tending work in the St. Lawrence region during the warmer months of the year. During winter months, the vessel performs ice escorts and the St. Lawrence and Saguenay rivers, playing an integral role in keeping Canada’s major waterways navigable year round. The CCGS Leonard J. Cowley is an Offshore Patrol Vessel based in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador. While the vessel’s primary task is fisheries patrol and enforcement, the vessel also carries out search and rescue operations when needed. While the ships undergo vessel life extension from spring 2023 through summer 2024, the Canadian Coast Guard will reallocate its other maritime resources to ensure Canada’s waterways continue to be safe for all seafarers. These contract awards fall under the repair, refit and maintenance pillar of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which is helping to ensure that Canada has a safe and effective fleet of ships to serve and protect Canadians for years to come, while providing ongoing opportunities for shipyards and suppliers across Canada. Quotes "With the National Shipbuilding Strategy, we're making sure we invest in the right equipment so that members of the Canadian Coast Guard have the gear they need to keep us safe on the water and keep crucial trade routes open all year. This work is a win-win—it boosts the economy and helps us safeguard Canada's spectacular coastlines and waters." The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard “Our government is ensuring the Canadian Coast Guard has the equipment and tools it needs to carry out its crucial work from coast to coast to coast by way of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. These contracts will extend the life of the CCGS Martha L. Black and CCGS Leonard J. Cowley while providing economic opportunities for Canadian shipyards.” The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement “Keeping our vessels in good working order is critical to ensuring that our personnel can provide Canadians with the services they need throughout the year. We are pleased to be working with Verrault Navigation and Newdock to ensure that the CCGS Martha L. Black and CCGS Leonard J. Cowley will be serving Canadians for many more years to come.” Mario Pelletier, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard Quick facts The CCGS Martha L. Black is homeported in Quebec City, Quebec and was originally commissioned in 1986. The ship has been serving Canadians in the St. Lawrence region since its commissioning, ensuring that waterways remain open and navigable. The CCGS Leonard J. Cowley entered into service in 1984 and has been carrying out fisheries enforcement operations from its home port in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The vessel is equipped with a flight deck capable of operating a light helicopter. The vessel life extension work for CCGS Martha L. Black includes: Main engine replacement Helicopter hanger steel work renewal Main deck and boat deck steel replacement Internal communication system replacement Hazardous material removal Hull sandblasting and painting Wheelhouse window maintenance The vessel life extension work for CCGS Leonard J. Cowley includes: Deck equipment replacement and refurbishment Propulsion upgrades Steel work Accommodation refurbishment Hanger and flight operations refurbishments Ventilation system upgrades  Associated links National Shipbuilding Strategy Start Your Career With the Canadian Coast Guard https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-coast-guard/news/2023/05/canadian-coast-guard-ships-martha-l-black-and-leonard-j-cowleys-vessel-life-extension-contracts-awarded.html

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  June 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  The F-35 Lightning II can’t fly in lightning once again

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The most widely used variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is currently unable to fly in thunderstorms after the discovery of damage to one of the systems it uses to protect itself from lightning, its prime contractor Lockheed Martin said Wednesday. To safely fly in conditions where lightning is present, the F-35 relies on its Onboard Inert Gas Generation System, or OBIGGS, which pumps nitrogen-enriched air into the fuel tanks to inert them. Without this system, a jet could explode if struck by lightning. However, damage to one of the tubes that distributes inert gas into the fuel tank was discovered during routine depot maintenance of an F-35A at Hill Air Force Base's Ogden Logistics Complex in Utah, Lockheed said in a statement. Lockheed temporarily paused F-35 deliveries June 2-23 as the company validated whether it was properly installing OBIGGS systems. However, “it appears this anomaly is occurring in the field after aircraft delivery,” Lockheed said in a statement. Lockheed has since delivered two F-35s, company spokesman Brett Ashworth said. Because it cannot be confirmed that the OBIGGS system would function properly if the jet was hit by lightning, the F-35 Joint Program Office has opted to institute flight restrictions. “As a safety precaution, the JPO recommended to unit commanders that they implement a lightning flight restriction for the F-35A, which restricts flying within 25 miles of lightning or thunderstorms,” Lockheed said. “We are working with the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) on a root cause corrective action investigation to determine next steps.” The issue only seems to affect the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing variant, which is used by the U.S. Air Force and the majority of international customers. The OBIGGS design is slightly different on the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant due to the aircraft's lift fan, and the problem has not been observed on F-35C carrier-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, Ashworth said. Bloomberg, which obtained a JPO memo dated June 5, reported that flawed tubes were found in 14 of the 24 “A” models inspected. The JPO did not respond immediately to a request for comment. For a plane nicknamed “Lightning II,” the F-35′s lightning protection systems have, ironically, become an embarrassing problem issue for the jet at times throughout its development. The F-35 was prohibited from flying within 25 miles of lightning in the early 2010s after the Pentagon's weapons tester discovered deficiencies with the original OBIGGs system in getting enough inert gas into the fuel tanks. Those restrictions were rescinded after the OBIGGS was redesigned in 2014. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/06/24/the-f-35-lightning-ii-cant-fly-in-lightning-once-again/

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  February 18, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  What to expect at IDEX 2021 — a defense show held in person amid a pandemic

  The International Defence Exhibition and Conference is opening its doors to trade exhibitors and visitors Feb. 21-25, with more than 1,300 vendors as well as five countries participating for the first time.