June 11, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Security

Bidding criteria for Canada's $19B fighter jet competition will emphasize strategic attack and ground-strike capabilities — seeming to favour the F-35

The criteria that will govern the selection of the winning bid to provide Canada's next fleet of fighter jets will prioritize strategic attack and foreign ground-strike capabilities, according to government documents obtained by Postmedia — guidelines that are seen to favour Lockheed Martin's controversial F-35.

In 2010 the Conservative government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper selected the F-35 to replace the Canadian Forces' aging CF-18s, but later abandoned the plan after concerns about the technology used for the plane and its growing cost. During the 2015 election campaign Justin Trudeau promised that a Liberal government would not purchase the F-35, at the same time vowing to hold an open competition for the purchase of the country's new jet. Once in office, however, the Liberals backed away from their promise to freeze out the F-35 and the aircraft is now seen as a front-runner in the upcoming competition, with many supporters in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Though the Liberal government has highlighted the need to buy new jets to protect Canadian airspace and meet the country's commitments to NORAD, the procurement criteria obtained by Postmedia, currently in draft form, indicate the bidding process will assign additional weight to aircraft that excel at ground attack for overseas operations.

Those criteria are seen to favour Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet, say industry representatives allied with Lockheed's rivals in the upcoming $19-billion competition. The evaluation criteria also place less emphasis on sustainability — something else that may play to the advantage of the F-35, which has been dogged by high maintenance bills.

But Pat Finn, the Department of National Defence's procurement chief, says there is such a wide variety of requirements to meet in the competition that while some aircraft might be seen to do well in some areas, they may not excel in others. “Somebody may be better in a high-end scenario but they're worst for cost,” Finn explained. “That's why we say it's the whole piece” that will be considered in the competition.

At this point four aircraft are expected to be considered: two U.S.-built aircraft, the F-35, and the Super Hornet, and two European planes, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Gripen.

Finn said bidding companies must meet mandatory requirements when it comes to long-term sustainment of the planes.

But industry representatives, both from Lockheed Martin rivals and those not directly involved in the competition, point out that beyond the mandatory requirements there is little emphasis on the important area of long-term maintenance and sutainability. So a company with an aircraft that costs relatively little to maintain won't get that recognition in the competition, they claimed.

Finn said discussions are still ongoing with various companies and their feedback is being assessed. The request for proposals, which will outlined the final requirements for the aircraft, is expected to be released around mid-July, he added.

Royal Canadian Air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger said key capabilities for a new plane are survivability and having an operational advantage. “We are very confident we are actually meeting the requirements of NATO and NORAD,” he said, pointing to the requirements for the new aircraft. “Both of those missions are well represented.”

Canada already changed some of the industrial benefits criteria of the competition in May to satisfy concerns from the U.S. government that the F-35 would be penalized or couldn't be considered because of how that program was set up.

U.S. officials had warned that the F-35 development agreement Canada signed years ago prohibits partner nations from imposing requirements for industrial benefits. Under the F-35 agreement, partner nations such as Canada are prohibited from demanding domestic companies receive contracts for work on the fighter jet, those companies instead having to compete for work. Over the last 12 years, Canadian firms have earned more than $1.3 billion in contracts to build F-35 parts.

The changes made in May would now allow some of those F-35 contracts to be considered when weighing the industrial benefits offered by the planes.

The winning bidder will build 88 jets for Canada, and the first delivery is expected in the mid-2020s with the full capability available in the early 2030s, according to documents produced by the Department of National Defence.

https://nationalpost.com/news/bidding-criteria-for-canadas-19b-fighter-jet-competition-will-emphasize-strategic-attack-and-ground-strike-capabilities-seeming-to-favour-the-f-35

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April 29, 2021 | Local, Naval

BNH's ADVISOR Enterprise Selected to Manage Training Requirements for the Canadian Surface Combatant Program
MONTREAL, QC -- April 28, 2021 -- BNH Expert Software Inc. proudly announced today their contribution to the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) design contract by Irving Shipbuilding. BNH flagship product ADVISOR Enterprise will support Irving Shipbuilding in managing the training requirements of the largest, most complex procurement project ever undertaken by the Government of Canada to-date. As the Prime Contractor for CSC, Irving Shipbuilding will bring their modern and innovative approach to the construction of 15 ships at Halifax Shipyard. These state-of-the-art vessels will replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-Class frigates and Iroquois-Class destroyers. BNH Training Management System ADVISOR Enterprise accelerates and simplifies Training Needs Analysis by continually realigning training courses and activities with operational requirements; and keep pace with changes to missions, systems, jobs, policies, and technologies. By quickly identifying gaps, duplications or inefficiencies, training for the Royal Canadian Navy can be streamlined while uncovering cost drivers, improving resource allocation, mitigating bottlenecks, and optimizing training delivery. ADVISOR conducts daily top-down and bottom-up analyses to examine training requirements and activities throughout the organization. The results are presented in clear, concise, and actionable Dashboards to quickly convey critical information to users. “ADVISOR Enterprise is the definitive Training Management System to support the Canadian Surface Combatant project,” said President of BNH Expert Software Inc. J. (Jay) Bahlis, Ph.D., P. Eng. “As the missions and systems for these multifaceted ships change over the course of the next thirty years, ADVISOR will continually realign training to operational requirements to forecast the impact of change and uncover areas of improvement.” ADVISOR preserves training integrity by quickly identifying how changes to missions, systems, policies, or guides can impact jobs, tasks, courses, lessons, and objectives. With its centralized database that can be accessed in real-time, ADVISOR simplifies data manipulation and report generation, reducing the time needed to conduct training needs analysis by up to 50%. About BNH Since 1987, hundreds of military, corporate and government agencies worldwide have relied on BNH to continually improve their training effectiveness and efficiency. By identifying and managing training requirements, along with forecasting training budgets, personnel, and resources, BNH seamlessly streamlines training needs analysis for any organization. For more information, visit www.bnhexpertsoft.com. Plan better... Achieve more! About ADVISOR Enterprise ADVISOR has a proven track record. It supports multiple military standards, is recognized by CFITES, and has been successfully implemented on multiple projects in Canada, US, UK, Australia, Netherlands, Singapore and Brazil, including: Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Tactical Airlift (C130J), Operational System Training Provider (OTSP), Medium Heavy Lift Helicopter (MHLH), Air Force Technical Training Renewal (ATTR), Polar Icebreaker (PIB), Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), Army Land Vehicle Crew (LVC) Training, Basic Wing Course (BWC), Military Flying Training System (MFTS), Defence Training Review (DTR), Maritime Helicopter (CH148), Blackhawk (H-60), King Stallion (CH-53K), Poseidon (P-8) and Future Pilot Training (FPT) Program (http://www.bnhexpertsoft.com/our-clients/). ADVISOR Enterprise is a web based platform that can be accessed through the Cloud or installed on a local Server, consists of 8 modules that can be used separately or in combination to meet various needs and can be customized in line with requirements (http://www.bnhexpertsoft.com/products/). Video with Dr. Jay Bahlis: https://youtu.be/6kBmrE_u4wQ Contact: Teresa Madigan 1-514-745-4010 x 1039 madigan@bnhexpertsoft.com Source: BNH Expert Software
March 27, 2023 | Local, Other Defence

Biden invokes Defense Production Act for printed circuit board production
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January 24, 2019 | Local, Naval

Davie souhaite une «grappe maritime»
JEAN-MICHEL GENOIS GAGNON Le Soleil En prévision du passage du premier ministre du Canada dans la capitale vendredi, deux joueurs de l'industrie maritime du Québec dressent leurs demandes à Justin Trudeau en lien avec la Stratégie nationale de construction navale. Si rien n'est fait, de l'expertise et des emplois sont en danger. Chantier Davie souhaite que le Québec s'inspire de l'Europe pour faire évoluer sa stratégie navale. L'entreprise demande au gouvernement provincial de mettre sur pied une grappe maritime qui «permettrait de générer des milliards de dollars en retombées économiques», a appris Le Soleil. Dans un document présenté à l'occasion des consultations prébudgétaires, Davie dresse le portrait de sa situation ainsi que ses prévisions pour les années à venir. Si rien n'est fait, le chantier maritime de Lévis pourrait connaître de nouveau des jours sombres entre 2019 et 2020. Période où le carnet de commandes est presque à sec. De 1331 travailleurs en 2017, Davie sert de gagne-pain aujourd'hui à environ 200 personnes. Rappelons qu'au moment où le groupe Inocea, nouveau propriétaire, a pris les commandes en 2012, il n'y avait qu'une poignée de salariés, notamment des agents de sécurité et des employés d'entretien. Pour éviter d'autres problèmes de santé, Davie propose de faire du Québec un centre d'excellence pour l'Arctique spécialisé dans une niche de technologies et de classes de navires. Davie lance comme idée la création d'une grappe maritime, comme on retrouve en Finlande, en Norvège, aux Pays-Bas, en France et en Italie. «L'avantage concurrentiel d'une grappe maritime réside dans son intégralité et ses connexions, dans ses connaissances et compétences avancées ainsi que dans sa spécialisation régionale», notent des responsables du chantier maritime. «Les fournisseurs qui font affaire avec l'industrie maritime, même s'ils ne sont pas traditionnellement liés à celle-ci, augmentent considérablement leurs opportunités d'exportation», ajoutent-ils. Ces derniers estiment que le Québec possède actuellement tous les ingrédients pour créer une grappe maritime prospère. «Davie a construit le premier traversier au GNL en Amérique du Nord, Chantier Forillon a construit le premier traversier à piles en Amérique du Nord et Terragon de Montréal est le leader mondial des technologies de déchets marins écologiques». Stratégie maritime Pour y parvenir, Davie demande toutefois au gouvernement provincial de faire davantage pression sur Ottawa afin que le Québec obtienne sa juste part des 100 milliards $ investis dans la Stratégie nationale de construction navale. L'organisation réitère que ses rivaux n'ont toujours pas livré la marchandise. L'entreprise de Lévis juge que 23 % de la cagnotte de 100 milliards $ aiderait à faire de la province un leader à l'international. Un montant qui générerait «50 milliards $» en retombées économiques pour le Québec sur une période de 20 ans et qui assurerait le maintien de 8000 à 12 000 emplois directs et indirects. «Munie d'une telle base, la chaîne de valeur de la construction navale au Québec pourrait rivaliser avec les grands pays constructeurs navals européens», fait valoir Davie. «En 2016, la grappe maritime norvégienne a rapporté plus de 9,7 milliards $, a atteint une création de valeur de 2,7 milliards $ et a employé 18 000 personnes.» En décembre dernier, l'Assemblée nationale a adopté à l'unanimité une motion visant à appuyer la croisade du chantier maritime. Québec, qui reconnaît ainsi l'expertise de l'entreprise, réclame qu'Ottawa ajuste sa Stratégie nationale de construction navale et octroie, à court terme, à Davie un contrat pour un second navire ravitailleur de la classe Resolve. Cet accord qui vise la construction du navire Obelix pour la Marine royale canadienne — son jumeau l'Asterix avait coûté 650 millions $ — pourrait agir comme bouée de sauvetage et assurer du boulot à 1500 travailleurs. Sans le feu vert pour la construction de ce nouveau navire, Davie ne cache pas que certaines périodes pourraient être plus difficiles, et ce, même si des contrats ont récemment été signés. Contrat mal présenté Dans son document, la direction du chantier maritime affirme que le contrat de 610 millions $ lui étant octroyé par Ottawa pour la construction de trois brise-glaces pour la Garde côtière a été «faussement présenté». «En réalité, la vaste majorité de ce montant a servi à l'achat des navires déjà construits à l'étranger, et non pas pour les travaux ni pour des emplois au chantier». Quant aux travaux annoncés pour l'entretien des 12 frégates de la classe Halifax de la Marine royale canadienne, des contrats de 7 milliards $, Davie rappelle que ces chantiers ne commenceront que vers la fin 2020 et que le travail sera réparti entre les trois grands joueurs au pays, Davie, Irving Shipyards (Halifax) et Seaspan Shipyards (Victoria). «Les intervalles entre les travaux pour chacun de ces trois navires peuvent atteindre jusqu'à 9 mois. Cette charge de travail sporadique n'est pas suffisante pour maintenir le plus grand chantier naval canadien ni pour assurer des emplois stables et de valeur aux travailleurs de près de 900 entreprises locales», prévient Davie. https://www.latribune.ca/actualites/le-fil-groupe-capitales-medias/davie-souhaite-une-grappe-maritime-afc7b5ef4a1d96e31263d006e57e7b8a

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Bidding criteria for Canada's $19B fighter jet competition will emphasize strategic attack and ground-strike capabilities — seeming to favour the F-35

On the same subject

Biden invokes Defense Production Act for printed circuit board production U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday invoked the Defense Production Act to spend $50 million on domestic and Canadian production of printed circuit boards, citing the technology's importance to national defense.

Biden invokes Defense Production Act for printed circuit board production
U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday invoked the Defense Production Act to spend $50 million on domestic and Canadian production of printed circuit boards, citing the technology's importance to national defense.