Canada now has its own history of the Afghan war — good luck finding a copy | CBC News

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  April 5, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  Boeing Secures Services Contract for Canada's Chinooks

  Five-year performance-based logistics contract to provide lifecycle support for Royal Canadian Air Force's fleet of CH-147F Chinooks The follow-on contract covers full system logistics, engineering support, supply chain, data analytics and training services OTTAWA, Ontario, April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and the Canadian government have agreed to an amendment to an existing performance-based logistics (PBL) contract. Under the $313 million fixed-price amendment, Boeing will continue to provide full system logistics, engineering support, supply chain, data analytics and training services to the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) fleet of 15 CH-147F Chinooks through 2023. Operating under a 20-year performance-based sustainment and training contract since 2013, the RCAF reviews its Chinook fleet support requirements every five years. "We look forward to continuing our support of the Royal Canadian Air Force and its effort to reduce maintenance costs through this long-term agreement," said Turbo Sjogren, vice president of International Government Services, Boeing Global Services. "PBLs have a proven track record of increasing system availability, decreasing maintenance cycles through the use of predictive maintenance tools, and reducing overall ownership costs." Unlike traditional contracts based on payment for specific parts and services, under a PBL agreement, the customer pays for a support package with an agreed-to level of readiness, which can lower costs while increasing mission-capability rates. Boeing supports PBL contracts with customers around the world and across multiple platforms, including the Chinook. Through this contract, Boeing will also continue to work with companies across Canada in support of the country's Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy, which supports long-term opportunities for the Canadian aerospace industry and workforce. Currently, Boeing works with nearly 560 Canadian suppliers, and the company employs approximately 2,000 highly skilled workers throughout the country. Boeing Global Services, headquartered in the Dallas area, was formed by integrating the services capabilities of the government, space and commercial sectors into a single, customer-focused business. Operating as a third business unit of Boeing, Global Services provides agile, cost-competitive services to commercial and government customers worldwide. Contact Ken Mercer Boeing Global Services Office: +1 312-544-2229 Mobile: +1 312-218-9377 Kenneth.b.mercer@boeing.com http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2018-04-03-Boeing-Secures-Services-Contract-for-Canadas-Chinooks

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  January 31, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  FLIR Systems Acquires Aeryon Labs for $200M

  Acquisition Expands FLIR's Unmanned Systems Solutions with Advanced Airframes, Sensors, and Flight Management Software for Government and Defense Customers WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2019-- FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced today that it has acquired Aeryon Labs Inc., a leading developer of high-performance unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the global military, public safety, and critical infrastructure markets for $200 million. Aeryon's vertical takeoff and landing quad-copter airframes integrate multiple sensors, including FLIR thermal technology, to provide users with immediate high-resolution intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Based in Waterloo, Canada, and with offices in Denverand Salt Lake City, Aeryon Labs was founded in 2007 and is a leading designer and manufacturer of mission-focused Group 1 UAS solutions built around aircraft under 20 pounds. Aeryon's family of UAS are deployed by 20 militaries in over 30 countries around the world, including the United States Department of Defense. Aeryon develops UAS solutions that includes hardware, embedded software, ground control stations, sensors, software for flight operations, as well as supporting services for its global customers. “The acquisition of Aeryon Labs reinforces our long-term strategy to move beyond providing sensors to the development of complete solutions that save lives and livelihoods,” said Jim Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR Systems. “This acquisition, coupled with our acquisition of Prox Dynamics in 2016, greatly increases our unmanned systems solutions capabilities, expanding beyond nano-UAS into Group 1 UAS solutions for military. We intend to continue to invest and build this area of our business and broaden our capabilities as we view unmanned and autonomous solutions to be a significant opportunity for organic growth in the coming years.” Rugged, reliable, and field-proven, Aeryon's SkyRanger UAS are rucksack portable and can be deployed in minutes by a single operator. SkyRanger UAS are renowned for operating in demanding environments and inclement weather, including at high altitudes, gusting winds, and rain and snow. The latest additions to the SkyRanger family of aircraft establish a new benchmark for small UAS performance and reliability. Now with a modular and open architecture, end users and third party developers can create tightly integrated payloads and software systems for the SkyRanger platform, enabling rapid solution development, onboard artificial intelligence, and autonomous operations. “We're thrilled to join the FLIR family and to have a large, growth-oriented technology company as our new home,” said Dave Kroetsch, Co-founder and CTO of Aeryon Labs. “As drone technology and its markets evolve, customers are seeking UAS as just one component of a broader solution. While Aeryon has been evolving in that direction for the past few years, being part of FLIR Systems brings a path to include our hardware and software technologies in much bigger solutions than would have ever been possible on our own.” Aeryon Labs is now part of the FLIR Government and Defense Business Unit's Unmanned Systems and Integrated Solutions division. The transaction is expected to be $0.02 dilutive to FLIR Systems' 2019 earnings due to anticipated product development investments, and accretive thereafter. FLIR Systems' management will discuss this strategic acquisition during its 2018 Q4 earnings call scheduled for February 13 at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. About FLIR Systems Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon, FLIR Systems is a world-leading maker of sensor systems that enhance perception and heighten awareness, helping to save lives, improve productivity, and protect the environment. Through its nearly 3,700 employees, FLIR Systems' vision is to be “The World's Sixth Sense” by leveraging thermal imaging and adjacent technologies to provide innovative, intelligent solutions for security and surveillance, environmental and condition monitoring, outdoor recreation, machine vision, navigation, and advanced threat detection. For more information, please visit www.flir.comand follow @flir. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” and “believes” and similar words and expressions and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections based, in part, on potentially inaccurate assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and FLIR Systems does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release, or for changes made to this document by wire services or Internet service providers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190128005367/en/ Source: FLIR Systems, Inc. http://investors.flir.com/index.php/news-releases/news-release-details/flir-systems-acquires-aeryon-labs-200m

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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