April 18, 2023 | Local, Other Defence
OPPORTUNITY: Meet with US DoD Foreign Comparative Testing Program at CANSEC 2023
The Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (Washington) and the Trade Commissioner Service would like to make Canada’s defence industry aware of an opportunity to meet with the US Department of Defense Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program at CANSEC 2023! We ask that you share this message with your colleagues, contacts, and clients who may benefit from the FCT Program. Interested firms should complete the attached Product Sheet and return to via email to LCdr Alain Gilbert - alain.gilbert@forces.gc.ca – (with a CC to Trade Commissioner Bobby Tate – Robert.tate@interational.gc.ca) by Friday, May 12th. The FCT program scans for vendors in non-US countries that have innovative technologies that speak to the US DoD’s 14 Critical Technology Areas. Please note that the Critical Technology Areas have been updated for 2023: o Biotechnology o Quantum Science o Future Generation Wireless Technology (FutureG) o Advanced Materials o Trusted AI and Autonomy o Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems o Microelectronics o Space Technology o Renewable Energy and Storage o Advanced computing and Software o Human-Machine Interfaces o Directed Energy o Hypersonic o Integrated Sensing and Cyber The USD(R&E) Technology Vision for an Era of Competition provides additional context. It can be found here: https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/usdre_strategic_vision_critical_tech_areas.pdf DoD will also consider technologies that satisfy urgent operational needs on a relevant fielding schedule and/or technologies that provide significant life cycle savings. In short, they’re looking for technology that does an existing capability better, cheaper, or faster! For more information, an overview presentation on the FCT program can be found here: https://ac.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/fct_overview_presentation_approved_7_14_2020.pdf Companies who submit a product template may have the opportunity to meet with the FCT program during the CANSEC exposition (31 May – 1 June 2023). The expo will be held at the EY Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Again, interested firms should complete the attached FCT Product Sheet, and send it to LCdr Alain Gilbert, A/Defence Cooperation Attaché at alain.gilbert@forces.gc.ca with a CC to Bobby Tate at Robert.tate@international.gc.ca We hope you consider this opportunity to learn more about the U.S. Department of Defense’s FCT program. Questions may be addressed to LCdr Alain Gilbert, Assistant Defence Cooperation Attaché at alain.gilbert@forces.gc.ca and Mr. Bobby Tate, Trade Commissioner, Defense, Security, and Aerospace, at robert.tate@international.gc.ca