CAE GmbH awarded subcontract to upgrade training capabilities for German Eurofighter

On the same subject

• 

  June 7, 2023 | Local, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Coming Soon: New funding and prizes for Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems challenge

  New funding and prizes will be available for innovators at all developmental stages of counter-drone technology through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) challenge, launching this summer. Do you have a creative concept for this challenge, but need some funding to kick-start or continue your development?   Do you have an innovative prototype that will soon be ready to demonstrate to the Canadian Armed Forces?   In summer 2023, the IDEaS program will seek submissions for:   New game-changing CUAS concepts that IDEaS will be funding for development with up to $2.5 million per innovator and up to $11 million in total available, and; CUAS prototypes that are ready to test and demonstrate at our 2024 CUAS Sandbox. May 27 to June 21, 2024, in Suffield, Alberta. Now with $2 million of total Sandbox prizes being awarded, with $1 million for first place, $500,000 for second place, and $250,000 for third place. Open to all CUAS technologies and concepts, with specific interest in kinetic, laser, microwave, and other hard-kill solutions.   This concurrent approach of both lower readiness level concept development and higher level Sandbox demonstrations permits innovative solutions at any stage of development to apply and be eligible for potential funding.   Further details and confirmation of funding amounts will be released with the call for applications in summer 2023.  Subject to confirmation, applications will close in early October 2023 with innovator selections in November 2023!   Visit the IDEaS website Sandboxes page to learn about our past 2019 CUAS and the 2022 CUAS Sandboxes.   The IDEaS team

• 

  November 29, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Vol 27-Iss 5

  Vol 27-Iss 5

• 

  December 8, 2017 | Local, Naval

  French and Italian governments endorse long-shot bid for 15 new ships for Canada's navy

  DANIEL LEBLANC OTTAWA PUBLISHED DECEMBER 8, 2017UPDATED 3 DAYS AGO The French and Italian governments are officially backing an unsolicited proposal to supply 15 military vessels to the Royal Canadian Navy outside of the ongoing competition for the $60-billion contract, documents show. The French and Italian ministers of defence submitted a letter last month to their Canadian counterpart, Harjit Sajjan, stating that they "fully support" the joint bid by Naval Group and Fincantieri to replace the RCN's existing frigates and retired destroyers. The support from the French and Italian governments could give additional weight to the long-shot proposal, which aims to bypass the official procurement process for new Canadian Surface Combatants. "Under the umbrella of an intergovernmental agreement, we will provide project management support so that the Royal Canadian Navy can operate the purchased warships, sustain their operational capabilities and manage their evolving capabilities throughout their entire lifecycle," said the letter from French Defence Minister Florence Parly and Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti. The submission from Naval and Fincantieri has shaken up the process put in place by the federal government to acquire 15 new vessels. Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is the government's prime contractor, with a competition under way to select a warship design. Defence-industry sources said the leading contender in the process is a joint bid by U.S.-based Lockheed Martin and British-based BAE Systems. The same sources said only three of the 12 prequalified bidders submitted a formal proposal by the Nov. 30 deadline, a number the federal government will not confirm. Under Canada's defence policy unveiled earlier this year, the federal government is planning to get its first Canadian Surface Combatant in 2026, with the entire project costing between $56-billion and $60-billion. Under the Franco-Italian proposal, the 15 vessels would also be built at the Irving shipyard. Based on production costs in Europe, the two companies said they could provide the vessels to the Canadian government for $20.9-billion (€13.8-billion), with construction starting in late 2019. The bid from Naval and Fincantieri was unsolicited, essentially relying on the possibility that none of the bidders under the existing process will be deemed compliant. The defence-industry sources described the offer as a "Hail Mary" that could succeed if the ongoing process unravels, like many previous military procurements. "Everything depends with what happens with the process that is under way right now," said David Perry, senior analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "If they can get two compliant bids or ideally all three ... I wouldn't see a need to go back and do a comparison with the [Naval/Fincantieri] bid." The federal government said this week that it will not even analyze the unsolicited bid. "To be clear, any proposals submitted outside of the established competitive process will not be considered," Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said in a statement. "The submission of an unsolicited proposal at the final hour undermines the fair and competitive nature of this procurement suggesting a sole-source contracting arrangement. Acceptance of such a proposal would break faith with the bidders who invested time and effort to participate in the competitive process, put at risk the government's ability to properly equip the Royal Canadian Navy and would establish a harmful precedent for future competitive procurements," the statement said. In addition, the government rejected the notion that the Franco-Italian bid could generate significant savings, stating that the acquisition of the ships accounts for only about half of the price tag. "It is important to note that a warship project budget must cover more than just delivering the ships. It must also include the costs associated with design and definition work, infrastructure, spare parts, training, ammunition, contingencies and project management," PSPC said. The Naval/Fincantieri proposal is based on the European multimission frigate program, under which the two firms are supplying 18 ships to the French and Italian navies. The two companies said their "off-the-shelf solution" is less risky than other projects still in development. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/french-and-italian-governments-endorse-long-shot-bid-for-15-new-military-ships/article37275099/ CSC