October 12, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, C4ISR
The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of three King Air 350ER aircraft to meet a Canadian requirement for a manned airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (MAISR) platform.
Airborne ISR systems were one of five investments specifically identified in the government's 2017 defence policy for Canadian special operations forces. The foreign military sale would provide a capability that special forces' command (CANSOFCOM) has been seeking for several years, but it could come with a high price tag.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on Oct. 4 approval for the sale of three extended range King Air 350 twin-turboprops from Wichita, Kansas-based Beechcraft, part of Textron Aviation. With Canadian modifications for some of the ISR systems, the estimated cost was pegged at $300 million, the agency said.
A spokesperson for National Defence noted in an email that the cited cost “is not the final price; it is the full and all-inclusive value of every aspect of the aircraft, their supporting systems, and all potentially related costs, including contingency and risk. The final cost is anticipated to be much lower.”
Ashley Lemire said the Canadian and U.S. governments would work to more clearly define the requirements in the coming months and “negotiate an acceptable price.”
According to DSCA, the proposed sale would include the three aircraft fitted with WESCAM MX-15D electro-optical and infrared imaging sensors, AN/AAR-47B(V)2 missile and laser warning systems, AN/ALE-47 countermeasure dispenser systems, KIV-77 Mode 4/5 crypto applique computers for friend and foe identification, plus various advanced receivers and transponders and network encryptors.
It would also include mission equipment, communication and navigation equipment, special tools and test equipment, ground support equipment, airframe and engine spare parts, as well as training.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the military capability of Canada,” DSCA said in a statement. “The proposed sale improves Canada's capability to meet current and future threats; strengthen its homeland defence and the combined defence of North America; and supports coalition partners overseas. This proposed sale will improve interoperability with U.S. forces and other regional allies.”
Though CANSOFCOM had been looking at options from a number of potential suppliers, including Canadian manufacturers, a DND spokesperson told ***Skies*** in May that the U.S. government was “identified as the only source of supply capable of providing the fully-integrated solution.”
“Aircraft such as these will help enhance the ability of our Special Operations Forces to improve their understanding of the operational environment,” said Jessica Lamirande. “MAISR will have the capacity to be deployed on short notice and will provide the [Canadian Armed Forces] with better situational awareness on the ground and thus positively affecting the ability of CAF leaders to make decisions leading to mission success.”
Though the aircraft will be a special forces asset, the King Airs will be operated and maintained by the Royal Canadian Air Force. “The RCAF is the lead force generator for the actual capability,” BGen Michel Lalumiere, director general of Air Force Development, told ***Skies***. “This is a sophisticated system, so there's a lot of integration” for near-real data transfer and ensuring interoperability with allies.
“We will be in contested areas with this aircraft and sometimes adversaries have a vote,” he said. “This aircraft needs to bring, definitely, a set of capabilities to be able to operate in those types of environments.”
In addition to modifying the aircraft with ISR equipment, the Canadian government will also seek to procure in-service support (ISS) through a competitive process.
On Oct. 4, Public Services and Procurement Canada issued a letter of interest inviting industry to attend a presentation from CANSOFCOM and procurement officials on the sustainment requirements, which have national security implications.
A letter of interest for feedback on MAISR in-service support was issued in April and over 15 companies registered to attend an ISS industry day in June. Further industry engagement activities are expected to continue until the spring of 2019.
Delivery of the first King Air is expected by 2020.
https://www.skiesmag.com/news/canada-gets-green-light-to-buy-king-air-surveillance-aircraft
January 14, 2021 | Local, Aerospace
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a ajouté à la mi-décembre à son équipe canadienne de lobbyistes Jon Mack, Senior Partner du... https://www.intelligenceonline.fr/renseignement-d-affaires/2021/01/13/iai-veut-voir-ses-drones-se-poser-a-ottawa,109633787-art
November 28, 2018 | Local, Naval
Andrea Gunn (agunn@herald.ca) The federal government has spent $11.8 million on legal fees relating to the Canadian Surface Combatant project over the past two years, some of that owing to a large number of amendments to the project's request for proposals. In an answer to a written question posed last month by a Calgary Conservative MP, Public Services and Procurement Canada confirmed that 88 amendments had been made between July 1, 2016, and Oct. 2, 2018 to the request for proposals for the massive, multibillion-dollar project that aims to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's fleet of frigates. The request for proposals — the document that interested consortiums would have crafted their bids around — was released to 12 companies that had been pre-qualified to participate in the procurement by Irving Shipbuilding in October 2016. Irving is the prime contractor for the combat portion of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which includes the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships and the Canadian Surface Combatant, and is tasked with building the 15 warships at its Halifax shipyard. At a projected cost of between $56 and $60 billion, it's the largest and most complex procurement in Canadian history. There were a number of delays in the closing date for the request for proposals. Originally set for April 2017, the first bids weren't received until last November. In its many technical briefings and media releases from that period, PSPC said the delays were partially as a result of the back-and-forth between industry, government and Irving — feedback which resulted in a number of amendments to the RFP. “A total of 88 amendments were issued by Irving Shipbuilding between November 1, 2016 and August 13 2018,” the order paper question response reads. “These amendments were developed and issued to address inquiries from the 12 pre-qualified bidders, and to incorporate process improvements to the competitive RFP so as to maximize the opportunities for bidders to demonstrate the value of their solutions to Canada.” The response goes on to say the $11.8 million was spent by the government of Canada on project legal fees during the amendment period, but that PSPC is not able to provide a breakdown on how much was spent on the amendments themselves. PSPC also noted that because Irving issued the RFP, they would have also incurred legal fees. In the end, three firms submitted bids for the Canadian Surface Combatant and last month the federal government chose a consortium of Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE Systems offering the UK navy's Type 26 global combat ship as the preferred bidder. Full article: https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/feds-legal-bill-nearly-12m-for-warship-work-261231/
June 12, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
News release May 7, 2020 – Ottawa – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces Canadians can trust that, in times of need, their Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will be there for them. This is especially true right now, as people from coast to coast to coast come together to face the unprecedented challenges caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the CAF is no exception. As active members of our communities, we are proud to be there for our federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous partners when needed. Caring for elders and vulnerable people in Long Term Care Facilities As part of the response underway to help Canadians in the context of COVID‑19, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have been supporting civilian authorities in Quebec since April 20, 2020, and in Ontario since April 28, 2020, as agreed between the provincial and federal governments. Members deployed in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs, or CHSLD in Quebec) are working collaboratively with their provincial partners and with medical staff in the homes to maintain staffing levels and help with infection control and prevention. They are providing assistance with the day-to-day operations, helping with the coordination and provision of medical care, and providing general support at the identified facilities. Quebec In Quebec, on April 20th, the Canada Armed Forces were deployed in the originally requested five long-term care facilities following a request for assistance. Following this initial deployment, CAF scaled up to 13 long-term care facilities. And as of today, the 7th of May, the CAF will have over 1020 personnel committed to the support of 20 long-term care facilities in Quebec. Of this number, over 670 medical and support personnel are contributing inside the facilities, while nearly 350 individuals are providing essential day-to-day support, such as delivering personal protective equipment and other needed supplies, maintaining liaison with the Province, as well as planning to refine operations to better support the patients of the long-term care facilities. Additional CAF members will be deployed in the coming days to support Quebec's most vulnerable residents. We expect to have approximately 1350 CAF members dedicated to this task in support of up to 25 facilities when the deployment is complete. As requested by Quebec, the Canadian Armed Forces are currently serving in: Grace Dart Extended Care Centre (Montreal) CHSLD Vigi Reine-Elizabeth (Montreal) Résidence Berthiaume-Du Tremblay (Montreal) CHSLD Vigi Mont-Royal (Ville Mont-Royal) CHSLD Floralies-De-Lasalle (Lasalle) Centre d'hébergement de Saint-Laurent (Saint-Laurent) CHSLD Argyle (Saint-Lambert) CHSLD Benjamin-Victor-Rousselot (Montreal) Manoir de Verdun (Montreal) Centre d'hébergement Yvon-Brunet (Montreal) CHSLD Hôpital Sainte-Anne (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue) CHSLD Valéo (Saint-Lambert) CHSLD Villa Val des Arbres (Laval) CHSLD Auclair CHSLD de la Rive CHSLD Eloria-Lepage (Montréal) Centre d'Hébergement Jean-De-La-Lande (Montréal) Centre d'Hébergement Saint-Andrew (Montréal) CHSLD Denis-Benjamin Viger (L'île-Bizard) Le Bellagio (Longueuil) These task-tailored teams have been generated by the CAF from military bases across the country. Before being integrated, members have undergone instruction in how to integrate with health services staff, they have been trained on the use of medical-grade personal protective equipment, and they have also received a mandatory long-term care facility orientation facilitated by Quebec. Ontario Last week, the CAF has started to assist in five Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) across the Greater Toronto Area. This was in response to a Request for Assistance from the Province of Ontario. While the exact number of deployed personnel fluctuates, the CAF is employing approximately 265 medical and support personnel. As requested by Ontario, CAF members are now serving in: Orchard Villa (Pickering), Altamont Care Community (Scarborough), Eatonville (Etobicoke), Hawthorne Place (North York), and Holland Christian Homes Grace Manor (Brampton) Conditions at these LTCFs and others across the country are being monitored by the provinces and CAF support may be reassessed as required. The CAF's support to these LTCFs is intended as an interim measure to help Ontario and Quebec get through a critical situation over the short term. Canadian Rangers and the CAF's presence in remote areas The Canadian Rangers are active members of their communities and they are proud to help out during these difficult times. As a result of COVID-19, approximately 1,200 Rangers are employed throughout many communities across Canada. In Quebec, the Canadian Rangers have deployed to Nunavik, Côte-Nord and Basse-Côte-Nord to support these remote communities in their fight against COVID-19. Our Canadian Rangers are making a difference stop and slow the spread of COVID-19, preparing triage points to facilitate the work of healthcare personnel, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations,. In Northern Saskatchewan, the Canadian Rangers are providing logistical support including wellness checks, transportation and distribution of local supplies to community members. They are also assisting in staffing municipal/community-operated command posts and emergency centres, gathering data and statistics on the COVID-19 relief efforts, and supporting community food security through hunting, gathering and fishing. Some are also assisting community elders by cutting and delivering firewood, hauling and refilling water, and delivering medications and groceries. In British Columbia's Haida Gwaii archipelago, in Yukon, in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut, the Canadian Rangers are providing logistical support including wellness checks; gathering data and statistics on the current state of the community relative to the COVID-19 relief efforts; and delivering critical goods to people in need including groceries and prescription medications. The work the Rangers are doing on a daily basis provides valuable information to the Government about the on the ground situation in Northern, Indigenous and remote communities across the country. Quotes “We know many Canadians are worried about their loved ones in these facilities. They are concerned about the health and the added stress of the isolation that our parents and grandparents are experiencing. It is why when the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces are called to serve, they do so. The entire Defence Team has been working hard to support the requests from Ontario and Quebec. To confront the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians can be assured that the CAF will provide immediate support to health care workers and some of our most vulnerable populations within these facilities. Our country is going through difficult times during an unprecedented health crisis, and I want to salute the efforts of our troops as well as that of all frontline workers dedicated to ensuring the safety of their fellow Canadians.” — The Honourable Harjit S.Sajjan, Minister of National Defence Quick facts The health and safety of our people, and those they are supporting, is our top priority. Each deployment is carefully coordinated with on-site medical personnel. CAF members that will be deployed in these facilities are receiving proper training and medical-grade Personal Protective Equipment to limit their risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. As the situation across the country evolves, we will continue to work with civil authorities to make sure that CAF support is available where and when it is needed most — as part of Canada's pandemic response, or in the unfortunate event of a natural disaster. At the same time, the CAF is continuing to participate in international operations, including in NATO allied exercises as part of Operation Reassurance. Following last week's tragic helicopter accident off the coast of Greece, investigation and recovery efforts are ongoing, and recovered remains were repatriated to Canada this week. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2020/05/update-on-canadian-armed-forces-response-to-covid-19-pandemic.html