Back to news

February 4, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Airbus veut croître en Amérique du Nord en visant la défense

DJALLAL MALTI
Agence France-Presse

Airbus veut profiter de son implantation industrielle croissante en Amérique du Nord pour accélérer dans la défense aux États-Unis et au Canada, avec comme argument clé d'être un acteur local qui investit et crée des emplois sur place.

« Pour n'importe quel acteur du secteur aéronautique et défense, jouer aux États-Unis, c'est aujourd'hui pratiquement incontournable », relève Philippe Plouvier, directeur associé au cabinet de conseil Boston Consulting Group. « Parce que dans la défense, les États-Unis, c'est 50 % des budgets mondiaux. »

Mais « jouer en Amérique du Nord, c'est avoir une base industrielle sur place. Il n'y a pas de grand acteur là-bas qui n'ait pas une base importante », souligne ce spécialiste de l'aéronautique et de la défense.

Airbus a renforcé son empreinte industrielle outre-Atlantique ces dernières années. Déjà présent aux États-Unis depuis 2004 avec une usine d'hélicoptères à Columbus, il a inauguré en 2015 une ligne d'assemblage finale (FAL) destinée à l'A320 à Mobile.

Mais avec la prise de contrôle du programme CSeries de Bombardier, il a encore accru cette présence. Au Canada, il a « hérité » de la ligne d'assemblage de l'A220 à Mirabel et aux États-Unis, il a décidé d'en implanter une seconde, à Mobile, ce qui fait du géant européen un acteur local.

Airbus se targue d'avoir dépensé 48 milliards de dollars aux États-Unis ces trois dernières années, ce qui se traduit par 275 000 emplois américains soutenus par l'avionneur.

« Lorsqu'un industriel de la défense veut vendre ses produits dans un autre pays que le sien, il y a généralement trois étapes à franchir », relève Stéphane Albernhe, du cabinet Archery Consulting. Les deux premières sont les compensations au transfert de technologies.

« La troisième, qui est particulièrement importante aux États-Unis, c'est la capacité à être perçu comme un actual good US citizen, qui consiste à mettre les conditions pour que l'industriel soit considéré par les Américains comme pleinement américain. »

« Pour réussir cela, beaucoup de leviers peuvent être activés », mais « ce qui compte pour remporter un contrat au-delà du respect des spécifications techniques et du prix, c'est véritablement de s'intégrer pleinement dans le paysage américain. »

« Le meilleur avion pour l'armée la plus puissante »

Huit ans après avoir perdu celui des avions ravitailleurs face à Boeing, Airbus s'est allié à Lockheed Martin pour répondre aux besoins de l'armée de l'air américaine en termes de ravitaillement en vol. Le géant européen propose son A330 MRTT, qu'il a déjà vendu à une douzaine de pays.

« Je ne comprends toujours pas pourquoi l'armée de l'air la plus puissante du monde ne volerait pas avec le meilleur avion ravitailleur sur le marché ? Parce que c'est clairement ce qu'est le MRTT », a lancé le président exécutif d'Airbus, Tom Enders, récemment à Mobile.

« Nous avons remporté toutes les compétitions à part les États-Unis », a-t-il poursuivi. « Alors tout ce que nous voulons faire est d'amener l'avion ravitailleur le plus performant à la plus grande armée de l'air du monde. Cela fait sens, non ? »

Airbus vise également un appel d'offres de la marine américaine pour 130 hélicoptères, alors qu'il fournit déjà l'armée américaine avec des UH-72A Lakota.

Au Canada, il est en lice avec l'Eurofighter Typhoon pour l'appel d'offres qu'Ottawa doit lancer en mai pour remplacer sa flotte d'avions de combats : 88 appareils à livrer en 2025, un contrat estimé à 19 milliards de dollars.

Tom Enders a laissé entendre qu'une partie de l'assemblage pourrait se faire sur place. « Quatre-vingt huit appareils, c'est important pour le Canada, ce serait important pour nous aussi », a-t-il l'ché.

À plus long terme, Airbus vise le remplacement des ravitailleurs de l'armée de l'air canadienne, à l'horizon 2021-2022.

Restent les enquêtes qui le visent : Airbus, qui coopère avec les autorités judiciaires en France, au Royaume-Uni et aux États-Unis, espère vite tourner cette page qui ternit son image.

« C'est généralement très long et dure plusieurs années », souligne Stéphane Albernhe. « Une fois que l'instruction a démarré, il y a deux objectifs pour l'industriel : faire en sorte de converger le plus rapidement possible pour réduire les impacts "réputationnels", et négocier afin que la sanction financière soit raisonnable. »

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/economie/transports/201902/01/01-5213165-airbus-veut-croitre-en-amerique-du-nord-en-visant-la-defense.php

On the same subject

  • Industry briefing questions Ottawa's choice of guns, defence systems for new frigates

    December 26, 2019 | Local, Naval

    Industry briefing questions Ottawa's choice of guns, defence systems for new frigates

    Murray Brewster The Department of National Defence has faced some tough, pointed questions about whether it has chosen the right radar, main gun and close air defence systems for the navy's new frigates, which will soon hit the drawing board. An unsolicited defence industry slide deck presentation, obtained by CBC News, questions each of those key components in the planned $60 billion modernization of the fleet. It was circulated earlier this year and put in front of the senior federal officials in charge of the program. The defence industry briefing presentation points out that the Lockheed Martin-built AN/SPY-7 radar system — an updated, more sophisticated version of an existing U.S. military system — has not been installed and certified on any warship. A land-based version of the system is being produced and fielded for the Japanese government. The briefing calls it "an unproven radar" system that will be "costly to support," and claims it comes at a total price tag of $1 billion for all of the new ships, which the undated presentation describes as "an unnecessary expenditure." Lockheed Martin Canada and British-based BAE Systems Inc. were chosen earlier this year by the Liberal government to design and help build 15 new warships to replace the country's existing patrol frigates — the backbone of the navy. Old guns, inadequate defence systems? The briefing raises concerns about DND's choice of a main gun for the frigates — a 127 millimetre MK 45 described by the briefing as 30-year-old technology that will soon be obsolete and cannot fire precision-guided shells. The briefing also singles out as inadequate the Sea Ceptor close air defence system, which is meant to shoot down incoming, ship-killing missiles. Given the Canadian government's past missteps with military procurement — buying used equipment or opting for developmental systems that take years to get into service — a defence expert said the caution being expressed by the industry now is legitimate, but in some respects it's coming years too late. "There's a risk anytime you try to do something new for the first time," said Dave Perry, an analyst who specializes in procurement at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. The navy struggled for years to get second-hand British submarines up to Canadian standards. The air force also sat on its hands while the manufacturer of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopters worked out all of the developmental bugs. The presentation, Perry said, essentially tries to re-litigate decisions made by federal officials over three years ago, when the government's request for proposals was mapped out. 'The ship has sailed' "This is calling into question whether the government set down [technical] markers in an appropriate spot or not," he said. "There is always the possibility that these issues can be revisited, but I think at this point the ship has sailed because a competition was run, it did produce a preferred bidder." The pressure to get the new frigate design right is enormous, given the enormous expense involved and the changing nature of warfare, Perry added. The briefing presentation apparently was circulated by a rival radar-maker which was not part of the bidding process. Federal officials declined to name the company. Raytheon Canada Ltd. and its U.S. parent are among the biggest electronics and radar manufacturers in the world. A request for comment sent to their international business division went unanswered last week. 'We did our homework' The concerns in the briefing were presented last summer to: Pat Finn, former head of materiel at DND; Andre Fillion, the assistant deputy minister of defence purchasing at Public Services and Procurement Canada; and Rear Admiral Casper Donovan, the navy's director general for "future ship capability." DND confirmed the existence of the briefing presentation but refused to say who received it or which defence contractor was pushing it. "It is not uncommon for companies to present unsolicited material to our department when they are unsuccessful in a competitive process," spokesman Andrew McKelvey said recently. "We do not comment on these unsolicited documents as they are provided outside the scope of our established procurement process." Both the department and the commander of the navy stand behind the decisions that were made and the systems chosen for the new frigate. "We did our homework. We talked to other navies. We engaged our allies," said Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, who added DND was aware of other options on the market. Delivering the warships on schedule and on budget in the mid-2020s is a constant preoccupation in the department, he said. He would not say whether the choice of radar system might mean a delay in delivery. A senior executive at Lockheed Martin Canada said the company's radar system is identical to one selected by the U.S. government and other countries. Much of the system's hardware, and some of its software, have been used on U.S. Aegis-type guided missile destroyers and cruisers. The difference between the radar system chosen for Canada's frigates and conventional systems is in its array: the Lockheed Martin system sweeps around and above the vessel, rather than only horizontally. "The work that remains is to integrate it into the ship and integrate it into the ship's combat system," said Gary Fudge, general manager and vice president of Lockheed Martin Canada. "We worked for two years with BAE during the proposal stage to optimize the ship design with this particular radar." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frigate-gun-radar-canadian-navy-1.5405054

  • Canada announces next step in future fighter competition

    July 23, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

    Canada announces next step in future fighter competition

    GATINEAU, QC, July 23, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is ensuring the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need to do their jobs. As part of its defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the government is acquiring 88 advanced fighter jets to provide the capability the Canadian Armed Forces needs to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and meet its international obligations. This is the most significant investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. With it, the government will deliver the aircraft that meet Canada's needs, while ensuring good value for Canadians. This investment will support the growth of Canada's highly skilled workforce in the aerospace and defence industries for decades to come, from coast to coast. Today, the government achieved a major milestone in the process. Following extensive engagement with industry and eligible suppliers over the past 18 months, the formal Request for Proposals has now been released to eligible suppliers. The following suppliers have until spring 2020 to submit initial proposals to Canada: Sweden—SAAB AB (publ)—Aeronautics United Kingdom and Northern Ireland—Airbus Defense and Space GmbH (with MBDA UK Limited, L3 Technologies MAS and CAE Canada) United States—Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company) (with Pratt and Whitney) United States—The Boeing Company (with Peraton Canada Corp., CAE Inc., L3 Technologies MAS Inc., GE Canada and Raytheon Canada Limited Services and Support Division) Canada will provide two opportunities for all bidders to demonstrate that they can present a plan to meet Canada'ssecurity and interoperability requirements. The security offer is due in fall 2019, and following feedback from Canada, bidders may revise and resubmit that offer as part of the initial proposal in spring 2020. Bidders will also have an opportunity to address deficiencies in their proposals related to mandatory criteria. Rather than being rejected immediately for not meeting mandatory requirements, bidders will receive feedback from Canadaso that they can address non-compliance. This approach has already been used for other large federal procurements and has proven to be successful in maintaining a high level of competition. All bidders will be subject to the same evaluation criteria, and proposals will be rigorously assessed on elements of technical merit (60%), cost (20%) and economic benefits (20%). This procurement attributes one of the highest weightings to economic benefits for Canada in its history. All suppliers will be required to provide a plan for economic benefits equal to the value of their proposed contract, with maximum points only being awarded to suppliers who provide contractual guarantees. This open and transparent competition is being monitored by an independent Fairness Monitor to ensure a level playing field for all potential bidders. The Fairness Monitor's interim report on the supplier qualification and engagement process found that activities were conducted in a fair manner. The Fairness Monitor provided the following statement to Public Services and Procurement Canada: "As the Fairness Monitor for the Future Fighter Capability Project, we have monitored the project throughout the qualification and engagement stage, including the development of the Request for Proposals, and we have identified no fairness deficiencies. It is our opinion that the process has been conducted in a fair manner. Decisions were made objectively and free from personal favouritism or improper influence, and the process encompassed the elements of openness, competitiveness, transparency and compliance." The evaluation of proposals, including any revised proposals, is expected to result in identifying the selected bidder in early 2022, with the first aircraft delivery starting as early as 2025. The Government of Canada will continue making progress on this significant project to ensure the safety and security of Canadians over the coming decades. Quotes "Our government is delivering on its promise to replace Canada's fighter jet fleet through an open and transparent competition. Today marks an important step in the process that will provide the women and men of the Royal Canadian Air Force with the aircraft they need to help ensure the safety and security of Canadians, at the right price and with the most economic benefit to Canada." The Honourable Carla Qualtrough Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility "The procurement of a fleet of 88 future fighter aircraft is an essential step forward that our government committed to in Strong, Secure, Engaged. This investment will mean that the Royal Canadian Air Force has what it needs to protect Canadians. It is essential that we get the right equipment that will serve our women and men in uniform for decades to come." The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan Minister of National Defence "Concrete, lasting economic benefits for Canadians are a priority for this project. This procurement is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to support the growth of Canada's highly skilled workforce in the aerospace and defence industries. We are confident Canadians will reap the full value of this procurement process through investments, research and development, and good jobs for decades to come." The Honourable Navdeep Bains Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Quick facts The Government of Canada has remained engaged with the Canadian aerospace and defence industries since the launch of this process in December 2017, to ensure they are well positioned to participate in this procurement. A contract award is anticipated in the early 2022 timeframe, and the first replacement aircraft is expected to be delivered as early as 2025. Transition to a new fighter fleet will require continuing operations with the existing CF-18s until the new fleet reaches its full operational capability. The integration of additional Australian fighters is helping ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces has the equipment it needs to continue to deliver its missions, and to meet its international obligations. Associated links Future fighter capability project Fighter jets Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada For further information: Marielle Hossack, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, 819-997-5421; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, media@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca Related Links www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canada-announces-next-step-in-future-fighter-competition-838355040.html

  • Ultra Electronics : awarded Canadian Surface Combatant subcontract to provide Variable Depth Sonar

    February 4, 2021 | Local, Naval

    Ultra Electronics : awarded Canadian Surface Combatant subcontract to provide Variable Depth Sonar

    02/03/2021 | 09:06am EST Ultra is delighted to announce a contract award to commence work on the key Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) system for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program - named the Towed Low Frequency Active Sonar (TLFAS). This subcontract moves the development of CSC's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability from the program definition phase into the full manufacture and delivery of the vessels suite of sonars. The TLFAS is a world-class towed sonar solution, optimized for the detection and tracking of stealthy submarines in challenging ocean environments. When delivered it will represent a step-change in Canada's anti-submarine warfare assets and will provide a level of sonar capability never before enjoyed by the Royal Canadian Navy. The TLFAS system is fully designed and manufactured by Ultra in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its design also includes components built by other Canadian companies, such that the industrial benefit of this system selection is spread across multiple Provinces. The selection of this system for CSC therefore means that Canadian industrial content is maximized in the delivery of the initial systems, and that the skillsets and facilities required to maintain the system through its operational life are also resident in Canada. More broadly, Ultra is proud that its work on the CSC program is proving to be an important vector for growth of Canadian jobs, innovation and investment. In the two years since having been originally awarded program definition studies for CSC, working in close partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Ultra's Canadian team has grown by over 150 employees, with another 80 high-tech roles expected to be made available in 2021 alone. The program is also triggering major Canadian investment decisions by Ultra in terms of facilities, inward technology transfer and research partnerships which will be announced through the course of 2021. Overall, Ultra's role on CSC is a very good example of the Industrial and Technological Benefits that the program is providing to Canada, and of the enduring impact that the program will have on sovereign naval capability for the nation. Bernard Mills, President of Ultra Maritime Sonar Systems commented: 'Ultra recognizes our responsibility to provide, through CSC, the highest possible level of ASW capability to the Royal Canadian Navy. We are therefore immensely proud of this contract award, especially because it is grounded in Canadian innovation and ingenuity, and because it will be an enduring driver of both operational capability and national industrial benefit. Most importantly, this is not just a success for Ultra but is one for the entire CSC enterprise, and I want to thank our strong partners in Lockheed Martin Canada, Irving Shipbuilding Inc., and all our peers on the CSC team who are as dedicated as we are to the delivery of a world-class naval capability to Canada, built by Canadians'. The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, noted: 'As we work to build the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy, we are pleased to see companies like Ultra stepping up to provide leading-edge technology for our shipbuilding projects. The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to provide opportunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes, from coast to coast to coast.' Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, highlighted the benefit of this contract award in his riding: 'I am delighted to see the positive economic impact of the National Shipbuilding Strategy across Nova Scotia. Companies like Ultra are playing an important role in the CSC program, while providing good quality jobs here in Dartmouth. Ultra's highly skilled employees will produce the technology needed to help ensure the capability of the Royal Canadian Navy's future fleet.' https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ULTRA-ELECTRONICS-9590141/news/Ultra-Electronics-awarded-Canadian-Surface-Combatant-subcontract-to-provide-Variable-Depth-Sonar-32347338/

All news