Epic expedition: Proving the CH-148 Cyclone's capabilities in the North

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  September 12, 2018 | Local, Naval

  THALES CANADA OPENS NEW MARITIME OFFICE TO SUPPORT KEY NAVAL PROGRAMS

  On September 10th, Thales Canada celebrated the official opening of its eighth Canadian location in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The office will be home to up to 20 new Thales employees dedicated to the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard and our maritime partners and suppliers. Today, the Halifax office will support the Royal Canadian Navy's AJISS Program; the comprehensive, long-term, in-service support contract for the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and the Joint Support Ships (JSS) awarded in 2017. Thales, as the prime contractor for the AJISS program, will oversee the refit, repair and maintenance for these fleets over their operational lifetime; working together with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Fleet Maintenance Facilities to ensure ships are mission-ready, where and when they are needed from coast to coast to coast. Today our team is focused on readiness – ready to support the first ship under the AJISS program. Our newest location in the Maritimes marks an important milestone of our in-service support program which will create jobs for the maritime industry across Canada,” said Mark Halinaty, President & CEO of Thales Canada. “As we move forward, we will continue to work closely with the Royal Canadian Navy, our customers and partners, helping them master every decisive moment along the way. Thales Canada's Halifax office will leverage Thales' deep expertise in project management, systems engineering and integrated logistics support; the foundation of the development of a new Canadian supply chain that will offer comprehensive in-service support for all systems and equipment of the AOPV and JSS fleets over their operational lifetime. The new Halifax location will also support the integration of key digital capabilities in big data and artificial intelligence to support modern in-service support practices. Thales' naval in-service support program solution will create jobs, contribute to important skills development, and invest in important research and development across Canada. Contact Cara Salci, Thales Canada Media Relations +1-613 894 4592 cara.salci@ca.thalesgroup.com https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/canada/press-release/thales-canada-opens-new-maritime-office-support-key-naval-programs

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  November 19, 2018 | Local, Naval

  Liberals reject committee recommendation to replace Victoria-class subs – no desire for subs with under-ice capability

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN New submarines won't be part of the future mix for the Royal Canadian Navy, at least in the foreseeable future. Several years ago there were some suggestions that a possible replacement for the Victoria-class submarines might be in the works. In 2017 a Senate defence committee recommended the subs be replaced. The Commons defence committee also recently recommended that the Victoria-class subs, bought used in 1998 from the United Kingdom, be replaced with submarines capable of under-ice capabilities. But the Liberal government has rejected that recommendation. The recommendation was the only one of the 27 made by the Commons defence committee that was rejected outright in a response delivered to the committee last month. The committee had recommended that the federal government respond to NATO calls to improve the quality of their naval fleets and underwater surveillance capabilities by starting the process of replacing Victoria-class submarines with new boats that have under-ice capabilities. It also recommended increasing the size of that fleet to enhance Canada's Arctic and North Atlantic defence preparedness. But the Liberal government pointed out in its response that it is in the midst of the most intensive and comprehensive fleet modernization and renewal in the peacetime history of the Royal Canadian Navy. Canada is recapitalizing and increasing the size of its surface fleet through investments in 15 Canadian Surface Combatants, two Joint Support Ships, and five to six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, it added. “The government has also committed to modernizing the four Victoria-class submarines to include weapons and sensor upgrades that will enhance the ability of the submarines to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and deliver necessary improvements of platform and combat systems to extend operational capability to the mid-2030's,” the government response noted. Canada is also engaged in the re-building of the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of the fleet through the introduction of technologies, sensors and weapons while preparing to transition to the fleet of the future, it added. “As part of the NATO S&T Organization, Canada is participating in the Maritime Unmanned Systems S&T Pre-Feasibility Studies that focus on ASW and naval mine warfare capabilities with Allied nations that have the same capability targets,” the government stated. “In addition to increasing existing platform capabilities, the RCN is also in the process of re-vitalising individual and collective ASW training and advancing distributed mission training and synthetic training environments.” Last year Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan praised the capability submarines provide Canada. “No other platform in the Canadian Armed Forces can do what a submarine can do,” Sajjan said. “No other platform has the stealth, the intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and the deterrence to potential adversaries that a sub does.” Upgrading the Victoria-class subs is more “prudent” than buying new subs, Sajjan said at the time. Without upgrades, the first of the submarines will reach the end of its life in 2022, according to documents obtained last year through Access to Information by the Canadian Press. The last of the boats would be retired in 2027. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/liberals-reject-committee-recommendation-to-replace-victoria-class-subs-no-desire-for-subs-with-under-ice-capability

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  July 22, 2021 | Local, Naval

  The Pros and Cons of Replacing Canada’s Aging Submarine Fleet

  The Royal Canadian Navy is actively considering how to replace its aging submarine fleet in what promises to ...