Defence minister to roll out new military equipment purchases in coming weeks

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  May 17, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  Federal government invests in innovative training for aerospace and defence sectors

  News release Investment will help create and maintain more than 200 jobs and promote innovation in Atlantic Canada May 16, 2018 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada The Government of Canada is maintaining and creating well-paying middle-class jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity by investing in the growth of small businesses to promote innovation and global competitiveness. Today, the Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced a repayable investment of $7.6 million to support a $19-million project by Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc., a company that provides simulation technology, simulators and training programs to the aerospace and defence sectors. The funding will help Bluedrop create or maintain more than 200 jobs by supporting the design and development of next-generation aerospace and marine simulation and training products. The project will adapt gaming and mobile technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality to improve the use of artificial intelligence in developing new simulation and training products used by air and marine crews. This investment will lead to training that is more relevant and cost-effective and that improves safety for air and marine crews. This investment is being made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a program designed to attract and support high-quality business investments across all sectors of the economy by encouraging R&D that will accelerate technology transfer and the commercialization of innovative products, processes and services and will facilitate the growth of innovative firms. Quotes “Our government is investing to help small businesses across Canada grow and be active players in innovative sectors of the economy. This investment in Bluedrop's innovative simulation and training technologies will support the creation of middle-class jobs in Atlantic Canada and foster a vibrant regional economy. This investment is a concrete example of our government's ambitious agenda to strengthen the middle class, create jobs, and ensure a prosperous and inclusive future for Canadians.” – The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board “Bluedrop welcomes this support from the Government of Canada, through the Strategic Innovation Fund, as we look to further enhance our competitive position through the development of next-generation training solutions.” – Derrick Rowe, Executive Chairman of the Board of Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. Quick facts Founded in 2012, Bluedrop Training and Simulation Inc. designs and develops advanced training systems and state-of-the-art simulation products to safely train operators and maintainers of complex equipment. The company is headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and also has a location in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the project will take place. The Strategic Innovation Fund is a flexible program that reflects the diversity of innovation in all sectors of the economy. In addition to the Strategic Innovation Fund, there are hundreds of programs and services to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada's economy. With a simple, story-based user interface, the new Innovation Canada platform can match businesses with the most fitting programs and services in about two minutes. https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2018/05/federal-government-invests-in-innovative-training-for-aerospace-and-defence-sectors.html

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  October 5, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contracts for October 1, 2021

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  October 31, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  Ottawa changes requirements for new fighter jets to help European firms to qualify

  DANIEL LEBLANC Canada has modified the mandatory specifications for its next fleet of fighter jets to make it easier for European manufacturers to qualify for the $26-billion contract and foster more competition among five qualified bidders, federal officials said. Under the previous Conservative government, the requirements for the fighter jets could be met only by the Lockheed-Martin F-35 fighter jet, a stealth aircraft developed by an international coalition of countries including the United States, Britain and Canada. To allow for a competition, the current Liberal government asked National Defence to revise the requirements to allow more companies to qualify for the contract. In a briefing this week, federal officials said the government will give bidders additional leeway to meet the requirements, including those related to Canada's obligations with the United States as part of the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). In particular, the requirements for secure communications between Canadian and American aircraft and other military assets were modified to give all potential bidders additional time to meet them. The changes are especially useful to European bidders (Dassault Aviation of France, Sweden's SAAB Aeronautics and British-based Airbus Defence), given that U.S.-based Lockheed-Martin and Boeing already play key roles in the U.S. military. “We obviously have NATO and NORAD commitments, with NORAD probably being the bigger one, which means we have significant security requirements that are Canada-U.S.,” said Pat Finn, the assistant deputy minister in charge of procurement at National Defence. When federal officials will analyze the various bids, he said, they will not automatically disqualify an aircraft that is unable to immediately meet the security requirements. “We can't have an aircraft that doesn't meet it, but what we've done is we've created the test in a different way ... If your proposal, your aircraft, cannot meet [a requirement] today, we are not saying automatically that you're out; but you have to tell us what is your solution to meet it, at what price and what schedule,” he said on Monday. The federal government said on Monday it was giving six weeks to interested bidders to provide comment on the draft request for proposals (RFP), which lays out all federal requirements for the fighter jets. The formal RFP is scheduled to be released in May, which will mark the launch of the official competition. One expert said American companies still have an advantage over their European rivals. “Whatever aircraft we obtain has to be fully, seamlessly interoperable at the highest levels with the American Air Force and the rest of the U.S. defence establishment, which is going to be tougher for Europeans to do than it would be for the Americans,” said Dave Perry, vice-president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “There's way to do that, but it would also imply additional cost and integration risk." Mr. Perry added he is puzzled by the federal government's assertion that Canada can remain a member of the F-35 development program, while insisting that Lockheed-Martin abide by the federal policy that calls on the winner of the competition to provide regional benefits equal to the full value of the contract. “The most economically efficient way to buy the [F-35] Joint Strike Fighter is to do so as a member of the partnership,” he said. “However, as a condition of being a member, you have to say that you won't apply offsets. I don't really know how the government is squaring those circles at all.” Conservative MP Rob Nicholson said the acquisition process for the new aircraft remains confusing more than three years after the Liberal took office. “The bottom line should be what is best for our Air Force and get on with it,” he said. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-changes-requirements-for-new-fighter-jets-to-help-european/