January 17, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
January 16, 2019 – Ottawa, ON – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of investing in defence innovation and the future of our Canadian Armed Forces.
In support of Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, Defence Minister Harjt Sajjan today highlighted the successful conclusion of contract awards from the first call for proposals (CFP) for Competitive Projects under the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security Program (IDEaS) program.
The IDEaS program brings innovators to the table to support defence and security. In just nine months since its launch, IDEaS has demonstrated improved access to defence and security innovation by investing $26.8 million for 160 contracts under the first CFP launched in April 2018.
Over 600 proposals to help solve some of Canada's most difficult defence and security challenges were received from innovators across Canada, including academia, small & medium companies, large industries, non-governmental organizations and individuals. Areas of focus included surveillance, cyber, space, artificial intelligence, remotely pilot systems, data analytics, and human performance.
These efforts will help ensure that our Canadian Armed Forces have the tools and knowledge needed to mitigate new threats, stay ahead of potential adversaries, and meet evolving defence and security needs.
“Through our defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, we are providing the women and men of our Canadian Armed Forces with the tools and equipment they need to do their jobs. The success of the IDEaS first call for proposals is a testament to the importance of investing in Canadian innovation to support the future of our Canadian Armed Forces. These new collaborations will facilitate the flow of innovative ideas and concepts to help deliver the capabilities needed for a strong and agile military. Congratulations to all contract recipients.”
– Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan
“Our Government is committed to providing the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces with the technology needed to carry out their important work on behalf of Canadians. These contracts not only support our brave members, they also engage Canada's best and brightest innovative minds to address key defence and security challenges.”
–Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada Carla Qualtrough
The IDEaS program allows the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces to access Canadian innovation and ingenuity to help enrich defence capabilities and inform future defence and security decisions.
The IDEaS Competitive Projects' CFP was administered by Public Services and Procurement Canada on behalf of the DND.
The first CFP with 16 challenges was launched on April 9, 2018 and closed June 7, 2018.
The first contracts were announced by the Department of National Defence in August 2018.
The second CFP with nine challenges was launched on October 18, 2018 and closed on Nov 27, 2018. The first contract awards from this call for proposals will be initiated in February 2019.
Through IDEaS, DND is:
September 17, 2024 | Local, C4ISR, Security
I’d like to begin my remarks by offering my sincere thanks to our hosts for all the work that they have done in organizing the summit and bringing this very important discussion together.
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June 29, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Jun 25, 2020 5:03 PM ET | Last Updated: June 26 One of the companies bidding to sell Canada a new fleet of fighter jets made a public pitch today highlighting its long-standing, cross-country economic relationships and history of delivering high-paying aerospace jobs. The presentation by Boeing executives and an independent research firm arrives against a background of a pandemic-ravaged economy and a looming federal deadline to submit bids to replace the air force's aging CF-18 fleet. The aerospace giant, headquartered in Chicago, Ill., is one of three companies that will hand in their final submissions at the end of July with the aim of delivering new jets by 2025. The other two are Lockheed Martin — with its F-35 stealth jet — and Saab, which will offer up the latest version of its Gripen fighter. Boeing plans to pitch its Super Hornet fighter. The most up-to-date version of the jet, known as the Block 3, was delivered recently to the U.S. Navy for use on aircraft carriers. In its presentation, the company estimates the value of its direct economic activity in Canada — both commercial and defence — at $2.3 billion, resulting in 11,000 jobs across the country. The independent report estimates that when indirect spending is taken into account, the U.S. multinational contributes $5.3 billion and 20,700 jobs to Canada's economy. Boeing's decision to make its case publicly is significant in part because federal finances are reeling under the weight of an anticipated $252 billion deficit and staggering levels of unemployment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Defence spending tends to suffer whenever federal governments — regardless of their political stripes — grapple with high deficits. There has been bad blood between the Liberal government and Boeing ever since the U.S. company led the charge against Quebec aerospace manufacturer Bombardier in a trade complaint over passenger jets. The disagreement led to the federal government cancelling a planned sole-source order for a handful of Super Hornets as an interim arrangement while the replacement competition continued. The U.S. Navy, one of Boeing's biggest customers for fighter jets, recently said it wanted to begin focusing on a replacement for the Super Hornet, which was designed and entered service in the early 2000s. Jim Barnes, a senior Boeing executive, told a conference call of reporters on Thursday that there is no planned retirement date for the Super Hornet. He claimed the warplane offers the most economical solution for Canada in terms of the cost of flying and operating fighter aircraft. He said he foresaw the fighter being in service with the U.S. Navy for "decades to come." The company's argument was recently given a boost when Germany decided to buy 45 Super Hornets as a replacement for its Tornado fighters. The deadline for final submissions in Canada's competition is now July 31, after it was pushed back on at least two occasions. Barnes said Boeing is ready to submit and will meet the deadline. He acknowledged the company asked for the latest extension because of the pandemic. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/boeing-jet-fighters-cf18-1.5627353