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  November 3, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Security

  Cormorant mid-life upgrade project: less search, more rescue

  Posted on November 3, 2020; Leonardo Press Release The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has been operating the AW101/CH-149 Cormorant since 2001 undertaking thousands of lifesaving search and rescue (SAR) missions in the most extreme and harsh environmental conditions, from coast-to-coast. The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) Project is included in Canada's Strong, Secure and Engaged (SSE) Defence Policy as a key defence procurement program, and is currently in the “Definition Phase.” The CMLU Project will: Extend the life of the Cormorant helicopter until 2040 and beyond; Return the Cormorant fleet to Canadian Forces Base Trenton as the primary SAR helicopter; Provide enhanced aircraft flight management, communication and navigation systems, complying with latest regulations; Address existing and projected obsolescence while incorporating maintainability and reliability enhancements; Introduce modern SAR mission sensors; Ensure there is no disruption to Cormorant Rotary-Wing SAR capability during the Project; Deliver Industrial Technological Benefits to Canadian companies. The CMLU solution will leverage the existing design and development work undertaken by Leonardo on the latest generation of the AW101 – the Norwegian All Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) – which is currently being delivered to Norway. Dominic Howe, Head of International Campaigns – America and Canada at Leonardo Helicopters, said, “From the outset we have proposed a low risk upgrade solution utilizing an existing design which will provide the RCAF with much greater SAR capability and provide greater peace of mind to all Canadians across Canada.” The CMLU Project includes augmentation of the fleet with a minimum of two additional helicopters enabling the return of the Cormorant helicopter to the Trenton Main Operating Base which covers the Great Lakes region. The CMLU Project will include state-of-the-art avionics, a new glass cockpit, the addition of the latest SAR sensors including a surveillance radar, Electro Optical Infra-Red device, more powerful digitally-controlled engines, wireless in-cabin communications, LED lighting, rescue hoist upgrades, synthetic training solutions from CAE which include: a training centre, Full Mission Simulator and Rear Crew Trainer, among others. This isn't a development program – it's using Commercial Off-The-Shelf technology,” said Howe. “This is utilizing the design and development undertaken for the NAWSARH project which will provide Canada with a low risk, and value for money solution; it also provides long-term benefits with a drive towards a standardized common configuration across multiple AW101 operators.” Leonardo and its Team Cormorant partners: IMP Aerospace, CAE, GE Canada and Collins Aerospace will provide significant Industrial Technological Benefits with a strong Value Proposition and the provision of long-term Canadian employment – with Leonardo transferring knowledge and technology enabling the vast majority of the CMLU work to be performed in Canada by Canadians. Howe commented, “The significant capability the CMLU Project will deliver, through the introduction of the surveillance radar, EO/IR device, the Mobile Phone Detection and Localization System and other updated systems, will ensure less search and more rescue.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/cormorant-mid-life-upgrade-project-less-search-more-rescue

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  March 25, 2020 | Local, C4ISR

  Mid-Project Status Report published: Leonardo led “Canadian Weather Radar Replacement Project” fully on schedule

  Rome, March 23, 2020 - Leonardo, through its German subsidiary Leonardo Germany GmbH, is proud to inform on the successful results of the official “Mid-Project Status Report” for the “Canadian Weather Radar Replacement Project” published by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The “Mid-Project Status Report” is established and updated on a yearly basis and summarizes the verification of the conformity between project execution and scheduled targets by the end of each year under review. The “Canadian Weather Radar Replacement Project”, which was awarded to Leonardo in 2016, comprises the design, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning and training, as well as maintenance and technical support during the warranty phase, for twenty Klystron S-Band weather radars – plus thirteen additional radars in options - including infrastructure for existing and new radar sites running from Holyrood on the East Coast to Vancouver Island on the West Coast of Canada. Seven of the thirteen weather radars originally in options have meanwhile been placed as orders by ECCC. According to the “Mid-Project Status Report” recently published, project execution is fully in line with the scheduled time and cost frames. Twelve weather radars including infrastructure and agreed accessories were delivered. All radars were installed and put into operation precisely according to plan. Additional requirements for safety and increase in performance that had been set by ECCC during the design phase, were successfully implemented by Leonardo. Training and documentation were delivered, and maintenance works performed as scheduled. The cost-management proceeded within the frame of the agreed budget. Prior to the report, Leonardo's performance had been objectively assessed and evaluated according to ECCC's vendor performance evaluation system. The evaluation was conducted by the CWRRP/ECCC team in conjunction with PSPC Contracting Authority, including criteria Quality of Workmanship, Time, Project Management and Health and Safety. In the overall rating, Leonardo achieved a score of 83 of 100 possible points and with this result, one of the highest scores ever awarded in any Public Works and Government Services Canada contract up to now. The pleasantly positive overall results stated at Mid-Project term underpin Leonardo's strengths and excellence in contract execution even in most challenging weather radar projects. The “Canadian Weather Radar Replacement Project” is one of the largest and – especially in terms of technological complexity, infrastructure and environmental requirements - most demanding projects ever awarded to the weather radar industry. Canada is a key market for Leonardo, with interests and opportunities spanning from helicopters to airport solutions such as parcel handling systems and air traffic control systems. A major contract was signed in 2016 to replace the legacy Air Traffic Control (ATC) radars at 12 major Canadian airports including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary. LEONARDO Germany GmbH Leonardo Germany GmbH is the technology leader in weather radar systems worldwide, providing best-in-class systems in C-, S- and X-Band. Over the last 20 years, more than 500 high-end systems of the company's METEOR product line have been put into operation for leading meteorological service providers in over 80 Countries worldwide. Environment and Climate Change Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for coordinating environmental policies and programs as well as preserving and enhancing the natural environment and renewable resources. The Meteorological Service of Canada is a division of Environment and Climate Change Canada which primarily provides public meteorological information and weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather and other environmental hazards. View source version on Leonardo : https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/press-release-detail/-/detail/23-03-2020-mid-project-status-report-published-leonardo-led-canadian-weather-radar-replacement-project-fully-on-schedule

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  November 15, 2018 | Local, Security

  Ottawa to spend $90M to build, repair First Nations police stations

  Funding comes on top of $291M announced earlier this year to hire staff, buy equipment Kathleen Harris · CBC News The federal government will spend nearly $90 million to build and repair police stations in First Nation and Inuit communities. The money is meant to address "pressing needs" in policing infrastructure by repairing, renovating or replacing facilities, many of them in remote or fly-in communities. The program, which is cost-shared with the provinces and territories, will help ensure policing infrastructure complies with current building, policing facility and health and safety standards. The first two-year phase of the $88.6 million program will fund communities in need of urgent repairs, while a second phase will fund projects based on merit. The funding will roll out over seven years. The federal government will launch a bidding process to assess First Nation and Inuit police service facilities, which will help guide the selection of phase two infrastructure projects. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said the First Nations Policing Program serves about 400,000 people in 450 communities through "culturally relevant" policing. "Building on our government's major investments in new officers, salaries and equipment, we are making new investments in policing facilities so officers can do their jobs properly and keep their communities safe," he said in a statement. Indigenous forces complain of underfunding The money announced today comes on top of the $291 million over five years Goodale announced earlier this year for First Nations policing operations. That announcement came after years of complaints and legal challenges from Indigenous police forces that claim they've been chronically underfunded. At the time, Goodale said the figure nearly triples the basic amount earmarked in 2017, representing the largest federal financial commitment since 1991. The money will go toward improving salaries, hiring new officers and buying new equipment. Some underfunded forces had been struggling to replace expired bulletproof vests and update officer training. Kent Elson, a lawyer who has acted in cases involving policing in Indigenous communities, said the new funding represents "good progress" but doesn't go far enough to fix widespread problems. He said the funding ought to follow an essential service model based on need. Deadly conditions "If a police station is unsafe, then you have to replace it," he said. "You can't just put it on a waiting list and say, 'Sorry we're maxed out this year.' "People have died and more would die if the stations are not adequate." Elson said conditions have improved since a deadly fire at an isolated northern Ontario reserve's police station in 2006, but the inequities remain "stark." Ricardo Wesley, 22, and James Goodwin, 20, burned to death on Jan. 8, 2006, while being held for public intoxication at the Kashechewan First Nation police detachment. Community constable pilot The RCMP has a special pilot program to address gaps in policing, including Indigenous communities, but a recent evaluation of that program found that it is not focused on its mandate. The Community Constable pilot program currently has 19 armed, uniformed peace officers with local knowledge of the communities they serve, including their languages, cultures and geography. While the program's mandate was to prevent crime through community engagement, the evaluation found that most of the constables weren't clear on the mandate, and participated in more enforcement activities than prevention activities. RCMP Staff Sgt. Tania Vaughan said community constables are meant to enhance, not replace, existing RCMP services in a community. "At this time, the community constable program remains a pilot program, and no final decision on its future has been made," she said in an email. "The purpose of the evaluation was to provide senior management with a neutral, timely and evidence-based assessment of the pilot program to help inform decision-making on its permanency. The RCMP is now better informed in order to enhance the CC Program, and make changes to it that will better serve our communities." Vaughan said the RCMP is responding to the evaluation by responding to questions and concerns from the community constables and developing a clearly defined program mandate. It will also better track performance information and formalize the governance structure, roles and responsibilities. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/first-nations-policing-infrastructure-1.4566311