Auditor general to issue new fighter jet report in the fall

On the same subject

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  January 24, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  L3 MAS wins Flight Sciences Technical Investigation and Engineering Support contract

  L3 MAS announced on Jan. 24 that it was competitively awarded the Flight Sciences Technical Investigation and Engineering Support (FS TIES) contract from the Government of Canada for the provision of flight sciences engineering support to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) across all its fleets. The one-year contract includes four one-year option periods. “L3 MAS is honoured to be selected by the Royal Canadian Air Force to offer technically superior, innovative and cost-effective flight sciences solutions for its fleets of aircraft,” said Jacques Comtois, vice-president and general manager of L3 MAS. “For nearly 15 years, under this very specialized contract, L3 MAS has successfully provided the RCAF with FS TIES services that encompass numerous engineering disciplines.” L3 MAS has an exceptional range of engineering skills, strategic suppliers and experience managing complex projects that include FS TIES in a collaborative team environment. With over 200 engineers and technologists, L3 MAS provides innovative and cost-effective solutions for its customers. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/l3-mas-wins-flight-sciences-technical-investigation-and-engineering-support-contract

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  September 26, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  Transport Canada looking at used German drone to patrol Arctic

  Murray Brewster · CBC News A used German drone is one of a handful of aircraft under consideration by Transport Canada for its long-delayed Arctic surveillance program. A spokeswoman for the department said no decision has been made about the kind of remotely-piloted system the department will purchase. Marie-Anyk Cote said the plan is to buy an aircraft to detect and monitor oil spills, survey ice levels and marine habitats and keep track of shipping and ice movement in Canada's far northern waters. "As part of its technical assessment, the government sought information from suppliers to better understand the technology and the solutions available," Cote said in an email. The Associated Press reported on Monday that Canada was negotiating with Germany to purchase a secondhand Global Hawk surveillance drone, which originally cost the Germans $823 million. 'Premature' Cote said "it is still premature to speculate which remotely piloted aircraft system will be purchased" and that the evaluation is still underway. In a statement issued to AP, Germany's defence ministry said talks with Canada were planned, but declined to comment on a possible sale price or closure date. The news surfaced in a response to lawmakers tabled by the German government in the Bundestag, Germany's parliament. It stated that Germany has decided to "begin concrete negotiations with Canada for the sale of the Euro Hawk aircraft, two ground stations and possibly certain spare parts." Northrop Grumman, the maker of the Global Hawk, pitched the Canadian military on buying the high-altitude surveillance system a few years ago. New, the aircraft cost more than US $131 million each. National Defence has its own, separate drone program which is not expected to start delivering aircraft until 2021. That new fleet will not be fully operational until 2023. The drone under consideration by Transport Canada is a prototype that was purchased by the Germans in 2000, according the AP report. It has flown only a handful of times; the program was cancelled because of skyrocketing costs and the German government's inability to get it certified to fly in Europe. According to 2013 German media reports, the manufacturer had refused to share technical data with the German government and the drone lacked an anti-collision alarm required by European regulators. According to the German government's written response, the drone has now been "demilitarized" — meaning it has been stripped of its U.S.-made radio equipment, GPS receiver and flight control system. Drone or missile? There could be more complications ahead if Ottawa is successful in negotiations with the Germans. A year ago, CBC News reported the Arctic drone surveillance program had been delayed because of complex international arms control rules that would categorize the unmanned aircraft as a missile. The federal government approved $39.5 million for a technical assessment in 2015 — and the plan had been to have a small fleet airborne by last spring. Officials told CBC News last year that they were not expecting delivery of the drones until 2020. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), adopted by Canada and 34 other countries, was intended to prevent the spread of weapons systems that can deliver nuclear missiles. Drones were added to the list recently and the rules restrict missiles and drones from carrying a payload of more than 500 kilograms or travelling more than 300 kilometres. A fully loaded Global Hawk can carry a sensor suite payload weighing up to 540 kilograms. With files from the Associated Press https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/transport-canada-looking-at-used-german-drone-to-patrol-arctic-1.4838364

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  June 17, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  Modernization program for Snowbirds aircraft jumps in price

  David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen The cost of modernizing the planes used by the Snowbirds aerobatic team has more than doubled and could end up costing more than three times the original amount because of the needed upgrades. The Department of National Defence had budgeted $26 million to keep the Snowbirds aircraft operating until at least 2030, according to a briefing provided to aerospace industry representatives last year in Ottawa and obtained by this newspaper. DND officials couldn't explain Monday the difference in the cost estimates but when aerospace industry representatives were briefed last year the project at that point included modernizing aircraft avionics. The project details on the DND website have added a new ejection seat as well as modernized communications and navigation equipment for the Snowbirds CT-114 Tutor jets. Questions about the ejection seats in the Tutor aircraft fleet emerged after Capt. Jennifer Casey, the team's public affairs officer, died on May 17 when the Snowbirds aircraft she was a passenger in crashed in Kamloops, B.C. Video of the incident appears to show Casey and Capt. Richard MacDougall, the pilot of the CT-114 Tutor aircraft, eject from the plane shortly before it slammed into the ground. MacDougall survived with serious injuries. A Canadian Forces flight safety team has focused its investigation into the crash on a possible bird strike as well as on the performance of the aircraft's escape system, the team noted in a statement. A witness at the crash scene claimed that Casey's parachute did not open. The Canadian military knew in 2016 the ejection seat on Snowbirds aircraft needed to be upgraded but it acknowledged it is still only in the early stages of modernizing that system. The Royal Canadian Air Force has now started a project to upgrade the parachutes on the ejection seats. During the briefing last year, aerospace industry officials were told a request for bids to upgrade the Tutor jets would be issued next year. A contract would be awarded that same year, the briefing noted. The first of the upgraded CT-114 Tutors would be ready for the Snowbirds in 2022, according to the industry briefing. The project would be finished by 2025 with all upgraded planes delivered by then. “The project will life extend the CT-114 Tutor until the year 2030,” industry officials were told. The avionics upgrade is required if the planes are to continue flying in North American airspace. The Department of National Defence stated in an email to this newspaper that the analysis of what is needed for the aircraft modernization is almost complete. “The project is progressing into definition where design, engineering and prototyping will take place over the next 18 months,” the email noted. The cost to modernize the Tutors pales in comparison with the proposed price tag for replacing the aircraft. That project could cost between $500 million and $1.5 billion, according to the DND. The planes have been in the Canadian Forces inventory since 1963 and have been used by the Snowbirds since 1971. The Tutors were supposed to have been retired in 2010, but that date was then extended to 2020. The latest extension allows the aircraft to fly until at least 2030. The Royal Canadian Air Force, however, is facing a potential dilemma with replacing the aircraft. The federal government has indicated it wants the aerobatic team to continue operating and the Snowbirds are seen as a key public relations tool for the military. But some in the Canadian Forces have privately questioned spending money on the Snowbirds because they do not directly contribute combat capabilities to the air force. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/modernization-program-for-snowbirds-aircraft-jumps-in-price