Canada launches production of new combat vehicles

On the same subject

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  March 9, 2023 | Local, Aerospace, Other Defence

  Minister Anand updates National Defence stakeholders on progress to modernize the Canadian Armed Forces for tomorrow’s security challenges

  March 9, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces As the international security environment changes, the Government of Canada is continually working to equip our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel with the tools that they need to protect Canada. To that end, as outlined in Canada’s defence policy, we are increasing our defence investments by over 70 percent between 2017 and 2026, and we are making additional targeted investments in continental defence and other priority areas. Today at the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence hosted by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, Defence Minister Anita Anand updated industry partners, stakeholders, and defence experts on our work to protect Canadians, by announcing that Canada will be acquiring Portable Anti-X Missile systems, Counter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, and Air Defence Systems as Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs). The urgent procurement of these capabilities will improve the self-protection of military members deployed in Eastern Europe as part of Operation REASSURANCE. The Portable Anti-X Missile systems (PAXM) – Urgent Operational Requirement project will provide PAXM systems including missiles, simulators and associated support to empower the CAF personnel deployed with the Canada-led multinational NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia with training and the capability to destroy main battle tanks. As part of this streamlined procurement process, it is expected a Request for Proposal will be issued in the coming months with a contract award in mid-2023. The Counter Uncrewed Aircraft System – Urgent Operational Requirement (CUAS UOR) project will provide a CUAS capability that will provide protection measures against hostile Class 1 UAS for CAF personnel deployed in the Operation REASSURANCE theatre of operations. A Request for Information was issued on March 2, 2023. The project will be executed with a phased implementation approach. A contract award for Dismounted Equipment and Fixed Site Systems is estimated for Fall 2023. A contract award for Vehicle Mounted, Fully Integrated Systems is estimated for early 2024. The Air Defence – Urgent Operational Requirement (AD UOR) project will acquire a soldier portable Very-Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORAD) for the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia in order to defeat attack aircraft and Class 1 UAS within its area of operations. A Request for Information is expected to be issued in March 2023 and a Request for Proposal is expected during Summer 2023. The timeframe for contract award is currently estimated for early 2024. Minister Anand also announced today that Canada has awarded a contract for the Redwing space domain awareness microsatellite project, valued at $15.8 million. Through this project, the Department of National Defence (DND) is investing in research and development to monitor objects orbiting Earth with a new agile microsatellite designed, built, and operated in Canada. To help reduce future risks to Canada’s space infrastructure from space debris or human-caused interference, the Redwing microsatellite will monitor objects in congested orbits and will be able to record and transmit tracking data from anywhere in its orbit. Redwing will also be able to take images of nearby space objects and monitor space objects performing unexpected maneuvers. The Redwing project is directed by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) with design, manufacturing, and operations led by Magellan Aerospace (Winnipeg, Manitoba). The ground stations will be located in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and Happy Valley Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. The design phase is expected to be complete by fall 2024 with the microsatellite built and tested by 2026. Launch is planned for late 2026. Finally, Minister Anand invited attendees, other stakeholders, and all Canadians to participate in ongoing consultations for Canada’s Defence Policy Update (DPU). The DPU builds on Canada’s defence policy Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE) and will help ensure that the CAF is able to meet any threat in the changed global security environment. Canadians are invited to contribute to the consultations through a new web form where they can provide comments and feedback in response to the DPU’s focus areas until April 30, 2023. Since the announcement of the review of Canada’s defence policy in Budget 2022, DND has undertaken targeted engagements with Canadian industry leaders and Canadian defence and security companies, Canadian defence and security experts, including academics, Members of Parliament and Senators, and Indigenous leaders. Internationally, DND has also engaged with Allies and partners, including NORAD, Five Eyes, and NATO– many of which are also undergoing similar review processes. Quotes “As our world grows more complex, we are making the necessary investments to modernize the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment that its members need to keep Canadians safe. Modernization is a team effort, and that is why we are working concurrently to update Canada’s defence policy in consultation with industry partners, experts, and Canadians. We are continuing to build a modern military that can protect our country from a range of new and emerging threats.” The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence Quick facts  Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, an analysis of the Canadian Armed Forces’ urgent needs led to the designation of air defence, counter-uncrewed aircraft system, and anti-tank weapon system capabilities as Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) for the Canadian Armed Forces. The UOR is a procurement mechanism that can be used to procure essential equipment on an accelerated timeline.  The Redwing research and development microsatellite will perform space domain awareness observations of Earth-orbiting space objects in low-earth orbit , geosynchronous orbit  and near Cislunar altitudes with a view toward protection of Canada’s space infrastructure. DRDC will direct operations with Royal Canadian Air Force  support through 3 Canadian Space Division. The initiative is funded by DRDC, using the Canadian Safety and Security Program call for proposal competitive contracting mechanism through Public Services and Procurement Canada. On March 9, 2023, Minister Anand announced the opening of Defence Policy Update (DPU) consultations to all Canadians. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2023/03/minister-anand-updates-national-defence-stakeholders-on-progress-to-modernize-the-canadian-armed-forces-for-tomorrows-security-challenges.html

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  November 26, 2020 | Local, Naval

  Two supply ships alone not enough to ensure navy can resupply fleets: documents

  The Canadian Press NOVEMBER 25, 2020 11:26 AM OTTAWA — Newly released documents show the navy will need help resupplying its fleets at sea even after two multibillion-dollar support vessels are built. The documents obtained by The Canadian Press show that the navy plans to rely on Chantier Davie's MV Asterix and allies to ensure there is no "capability gap" even after the two new joint support ships are finished in next few years. Canada originally planned to buy three new navy support ships when it launched the project more than a decade ago, but cost overruns saw the order cut down to two. The vessels are being built in Vancouver at a combined cost of $4 billion. Yet navy officials have continued to indicate that two support ships are not enough to meet the maritime force's long-term needs, as the government's policy requires the military be able to operate two fleets at sea at the same time. The fear is that the navy will be hamstrung whenever one of the two so-called joint support ships is out of commission, either for repairs or for some other reason. While the documents play down such a threat, they also acknowledge that to prevent a "capability gap," the navy will need to rely on the Asterix as well as "sailing with and leveraging allies and partners who have support-ship capabilities." Canada was forced to rely on allies when its previous two support ships were taken out of service earlier than expected in 2014. Yet such an approach has been criticized as undermining the Canadian military's autonomy and flexibility, which is why the government decided to start leasing the Asterix from Davie in January 2018 until the two new joint support ships arrived. The vessel is in the midst of a five-year leasing arrangement between Ottawa and the Quebec company, with an option to extend the lease by another five years in 2023. The government could also buy the vessel. Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux last week estimated the cost of buying the Asterix at $633 million, while extending the contract could cost more than $500 million. Giroux estimated Asterix's sister ship, MV Obelix, could cost $797 million. The Liberal government has so far resisted calls to purchase the Asterix or Obelix, despite pressure from opposition parties as well as Davie and the Quebec government. It has instead repeatedly described the Asterix as a stopgap until the two new joint support ships arrive, the first of which is due in 2023. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's spokeswoman Floriane Bonneville repeated that message Wednesday. "Our investment into the new joint support ships will provide the full suite of military requirements for at-sea support that the Royal Canadian Navy requires to do the challenging work we ask of them to protect Canadians," Bonneville said in an email. "Until the arrival of the two Protecteur-class joint support ships ... the RCN is mitigating its gap of at-sea support capability through the interim auxiliary oiler replenishment commercial-based service contract involving MV Asterix and collaboration with Canada's allies." In a separate email, Defence Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande said a decision on whether to buy the Asterix or extend the lease with Davie "will come in due course and while considering the broader context of the needs of the CAF as a whole." The Asterix, which was at the heart of the failed prosecution of now-retired vice-admiral Mark Norman, is currently docked in Halifax. Since entering service with the navy, it has sailed on a number of Canadian military missions around the world. Conservative defence critic James Bezan, who has been among those pushing the government to buy the Asterix as well as the Obelix, said it is clear the Navy needs the vessels to be able to function properly at sea. "We believe that Asterix should stay in service, that Obelix should be built and that both (joint support ships) be built so that we have the ability to maintain that blue-water fleet," Bezan said. "That way we can send the navy out and if one of our supply ships happens to be out of service, we can backfill it with (Asterix or Obelix)." NDP defence critic Randall Garrison said it has long been clear that Canada needs more than two support ships to ensure the navy isn't impaired whenever one is out of service, though he questioned whether the Asterix is the best fit. The military has previously said the new joint support ships have better systems to avoid mines, protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, a better propulsion system, a bigger helicopter hangar and more self-defence capabilities. "We've always supported three joint supply ships," Garrison said. "Can the Asterix serve as the third in some capacity even though it has reduced capability? I think we should ask the navy that." Davie spokesman Frederik Boisvert in a statement described the Asterix and Obelix as "a class-leading design which has become the envy of global navies." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2020. https://www.burnabynow.com/two-supply-ships-alone-not-enough-to-ensure-navy-can-resupply-fleets-documents-1.24245341

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  March 14, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Used Australian F-18s will fly 160 hours annually for RCAF

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Parliamentary Budget Officer's recent report provides more details about the used Australian F-18s that Canada is purchasing. Eighteen of the 25 will eventually be flying, while the other seven will be used for spare parts and testing. Here are details taken from the PBO report: According to PBO calculations, the Canadian fleet is both slightly older and has experienced more usage than the Australian fleet. The average Canadian F-18 had accrued over 6,000 flying hours by the end of the 2017-2018 fiscal year. These calculations are supported by media reports indicating that by 2014, the CF-18s had accumulated over 5,700 flying hours on average, with over a third of the fleet already having flown over 6,000. Canada's Department of National Defence has stated that the aircraft being purchased from Australia's F-18 fleet are very similar to those currently in operation within the RCAF. The fleet arrival profile consists of 2 aircraft in 2018-2019, 2 aircraft in 2019-2020, 8 aircraft in 2020-2021, and 6 aircraft in 2021-2022; The aircraft will enter service approximately 6 months after being received; The aircraft will each accumulate about 160 flying hours per year, in accordance with the recent experience of the Canadian CF-18 fleet; Each Australian F/A-18 has accumulated an average of 6000 flying hours over the course of its operational history with the Royal Australian Air Force;. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/used-australian-f-18s-will-fly-160-hours-annually-for-rcaf