February 12, 2018 | Local, Aerospace
It will be 2022 before the Royal Canadian Air Force receives all of the used Australian fighter jets the Liberal government intends to purchase, says senior defence official.
The plan was rolled out with much fanfare at the end of last year because the air force has faced — in the words of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan — an "urgent capability gap" and is not able to meet its NATO and Norad commitments at the same time.
Pat Finn, who is in charge of the materiale branch of National Defence, told CBC News in a recent interview a final agreement is still months away.
He is confident, however, everything will come together.
Delivery is "staggered over three years," Finn said.
The Trudeau government announced in December it would buy 18 used Australian "classic" FA-18s as an interim measure to bolster the air force until the entire Canadian fleet of CF-18s is replaced, beginning in the mid-2020s.
It had wanted to buy brand new Boeing Super Hornets, the newer, bigger, more advanced version of the FA-18 and CF-18. The plan was scuttled when the manufacturer, Chicago-based Boeing, filed a trade complaint against Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier.
No price tag for the Australian deal was released at the time of the formal announcement, which was made by Sajjan and Public Works Minister Carla Qualtrough.
Finn said those details are still being worked out.
The Liberal government said in December the first used fighters, which were purchased by Australia around the same Canada bought its CF-18s, would arrive by January 2019.
Finn said the delivery schedule is being finalized, but he anticipates receiving the first two warplanes by the summer of that year.
Another one would follow by the end of the year, but much depends on the Royal Australian Air Force and how quickly it retires the fighters and the age of what's being offered.
"They, of course, release aircraft as they get aircraft," Finn said. "We do not necessarily want the oldest aircraft, so we would like to have an ongoing discussion."
He said there is some flexibility and if "summer '19 turns into" something a few months later because they can get a better jet, then it's something that can be negotiated.
The Australian government is in the process of seeking permission to sell the planes because they were originally manufactured in the U.S.
Once the Australian warplanes arrive in Canada, they will need to be given life-extension modifications that will bring them up to the standard of the CF-18s, which have been modified to continuing flying until 2025.
It stands in stark contrast to the urgency with which the Liberals initially painted the shortage of fighter aircraft.
"In 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap." said Sajjan in June 2016.
Finn said the air force is managing the capability gap by making more CF-18s available for operations on a daily basis.
"We're basically working right now to increase the availability of our current airplanes," he said.
Experts say that would mean pouring more than expected into the maintenance budget in order to keep fighters on the flight line.
One defence analyst said the government has a strange definition of urgent.
"Nothing about the handling of this file lines up with the identification of it as an urgent need, either the interim or the permanent purchase," said Dave Perry, an expert in procurement at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
He said he believes it will present a political headache for the Liberals come the next election.
"The fact that this government may, at best, have a couple of second-hand aircraft before the next election after having identified an urgent need to acquire new fighter aircraft is just incredible," he said.
When the Australian deal was announced, the government also laid out a timeline for the full replacement of the CF-18s, which were purchased in the 1980s, but extensively modified and upgraded in the early 2000s.
Public Works recently held a consultation day with defence contractors, but Perry says no one seems to understand why it will take until the early 2020s to launch the competition.
When the former Conservative government was struggling over whether to buy the F-35 stealth fighter, it conducted extensive research on the alternatives and possible types of warplanes Canada would need.
That research, which conceivable could move things along faster, was largely discarded by the Liberals and is gathering dust on a shelf, Perry says.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/aussie-fighter-jets-1.4530875
August 31, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
Associations representing defence and aerospace sectors are urging the government to develop a defence industrial strategy to foster long-term growth.
August 29, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
You're invited to attend the world's largest event to inspire female future leaders in aviation, aerospace, marine and defence, and other high-tech STEM fields. Everyone is welcome and events are always free for all participants to prevent barriers to participation. This is made possible by the generous support of agency, industry, community and education partners. You may be aware that the event has previously been held in March during the week of International Women's Day. For reasons outside of Achieve Anything Foundation's (AAF) control, it had to postpone the 2019 event to Oct. 5-6, coinciding with the week of the Canadian-driven International Day of the Girl. It plans to evaluate the success and feedback from the fall dates, and then evaluate whether this should become a permanent change. The Sky's No Limit – Girls Fly Too! (GF2) is not an air show and the event is not just for “girls”. In fact, it's the world's largest gender diversity outreach event of its kind in aviation, aerospace, marine and defence and everyone is welcome. This is an international, multi-agency event to which the Canadian Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, municipal police forces, local and international search and rescue organizations, first responders, civilian companies, educational institutions, the United States and Canadian Armed Forces are invited to participate and highlight the various aspects of aviation, aerospace, marine and defence. The combined represented assets of these agencies totalled over a billion dollars in 2018. This Canadian signature annual event showcases an unprecedented international partnership towards the improvement of gender and cultural diversity in high-tech STEM fields. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Canadian and U.S. citizens come to the completely free GF2 event to interact with military/civilian aircraft and tactical assets, hands on activities and interactive displays. Participants and major media representatives are present at the opening ceremony to listen to the leadership from Canada, United States, B.C. and other major government agencies, speaking to the importance of nurturing this international partnership toward improving gender and cultural diversity in high-tech fields. Entering its eighth year, its had over 67,300 in attendance at the GF2 events, with 9,172 girls and women given free first-time helicopter flights. With the successful conclusion of GF2 2019, AAF anticipates surpassing 100,000 participants and achieving 12,000 free flights. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/the-skys-no-limit-girls-fly-too-event-landing-in-abbotsford-in-october/
January 7, 2019 | Local, Naval, Security
THERESA McGUIRE, © 2018 FrontLine (Vol 15, No 6) The Arctic Ocean is so beautiful in the late summer and early fall, but can be deathly cold & unpredictable. Having a well-prepared, self-sufficient team is critical when it comes to marine safety and emergency response. We had sailed from the port of St John's, Newfoundland on August 21st, and were heading toward Resolute, Nunavut, on the six-deck, Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Henry Larsen, high-endurance, multi-tasked icebreaker. Onboard as the Health Officer, I was looking forward to another safe Arctic mission on the 100-metre-long ship. Henry Larsen is well equipped with additional transportation equipment and emergency vessels that included a Bell 429 helicopter, two new lifeboats, two hydrographic survey boats, a Zodiac Fast Rescue Craft, a metal barge for scientific technical work, and a variety of inflatable rafts. In addition to assisting in scientific research, the Canadian Coast Guard's expanded mandate includes marine SAR (search and rescue), icebreaking, supporting and maintaining marine communications and navigation, and even responding to environmental pollution. We are always ready for the wide range of search and rescue calls, which can come from vessels in distress or downed aircraft. If you're working on a Coast Guard vessel, you'd better be comfortable working in unusual environments and working independently – and that's also true for any health professionals on board. As a former army nurse and now occupational health nurse specializing in workplace health and safety, I enjoy these missions immensely with a full scope of nursing practice and a supportive crew to assist if needed. Sick bay on the Larsen is also well equipped, with oxygen, emergency airways and medications, sutures, defibrillator and ECG, and trauma and mass casualty kits all at the ready. Full article: https://defence.frontline.online/article/2018/6/10844-Sailing-into-the-Ice