July 22, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Fighter jet firms mull pullout from Canadian competition – F-35 could be last plane standing

Airbus and Boeing may pull out of a bidding process to supply Canada with new fighter jets because they say the contest is unfairly tilted toward Lockheed Martin's F-35, Reuters has reported.

Officials with Saab have expressed similar concerns.

The news comes as the request for proposals (bids) is expected to be released soon.

Boeing and Airbus have now formally written to the federal government expressing concerns about the current requirements, according to Reuters. Pat Finn, the Assistant Deputy Minister for Materiel at the Department of National Defence, has confirmed one of the companies sent a formal letter but he didn't provide details.

It's no secret Saab, Airbus and Boeing are upset with the changes made to the competition after the Pentagon threatened to pull the F-35 out of the $19 billion competition. Officials with Lockheed Martin's three competitors say the Canadian government went overboard to please the Pentagon and the bid package is now designed so the F-35 would emerge as the clear winner.

That would make the Royal Canadian Air Force happy since it has always wanted the F-35 stealth fighter.

The Liberal government has committed to purchasing 88 new fighter jets.

The competition was launched on Dec. 12, 2017. Four fighter jets are to be considered. Those include the F-35, the Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Gripen.

In the fall of 2018 Dassault Aviation pulled out as a potential bidder. The company had planned to offer the Rafale but decided against competing the aircraft because of the extensive requirements for interoperability with the U.S. military.

The first delivery of the jets is expected in the mid-2020s with the full capability available in the early 2030s, according to the DND document.

The requirements for a new Canadian fighter jet put emphasis on strategic attack and striking at ground targets during foreign missions, according to federal government procurement documents obtained by Postmedia.

While the Liberal government has been highlighting the need to buy the jets to protect Canadian airspace and meet the country's commitments to the U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defence Command, the procurement criteria, currently in draft form, provides additional weight to those aircraft that can excel at ground attack for overseas operations. That criteria is seen to favour Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet, say those industry representatives allied with Lockheed's rivals.

But Finn, the Department of National Defence's procurement chief, says there is such a wide variety of requirements to meet that while some aircraft might be seen to do well in some areas, they may not excel in others. “Somebody may be better in a high-end scenario but they're worst for cost,” Finn explained in a recent interview. “That's why we say it's the whole piece” that will be considered in the competition.

Some will dismiss the latest news about companies threatening to pullout of the competition as a bluff or a last-ditch effort to force changes on the request for proposal package, which is expected to be released in a week or so.

That is one scenario. The other scenario is this: the effort to prepare a bid is expected to cost each firm about $15 million and involve up to 30 staff members. It is an extensive process. If Canada's request for proposals is so tilted towards the F-35 – or seen to be tilted – then companies will think twice about committing to that process.

(Analysis)

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/fighter-jet-firms-mull-pullout-from-canadian-competition-f-35-could-be-last-plane-standing

On the same subject

May 9, 2019 | Local, Naval

Federal bureaucrats considering proposal to award Irving contracts for more Arctic coast guard ships
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Federal officials are setting the stage to award Irving Shipbuilding contracts to build two more Arctic and offshore patrol ships but the vessels will be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard instead of the navy. Irving has been warning the Liberal government it might have to lay off employees at its Halifax shipyard if it doesn't get more shipbuilding work. Industry and defence sources say to deal with that issue a proposal is being put together that would see the construction of two more Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, known as AOPS. Irving is currently building six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy. But under this new plan, described by government officials as being at a “pre-decision” level, the vessels would be turned over to the coast guard. The additional ships would help head off any layoffs at Irving and allow the Liberal government to head into the federal election in the fall claiming it was delivering on its promise to rebuild the coast guard. The Liberals have yet to sign off on the plan, the sources added. Ashley Michnowski, a spokeswoman for Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough, said the national shipbuilding strategy or NSS is designed as a “made-in-Canada plan” to meet federal shipbuilding requirements. “Additional AOPS are currently not included in the NSS,” she added. Irving Shipbuilding did not respond to a request for comment. The NSS was supposed to prevent the boom and bust in the country's shipbuilding industry by providing Seaspan on the West Coast and Irving on the East Coast with continual work. But that hasn't happened. Even though the government is proceeding with the ships outlined in the NSS, both Seaspan and Irving have complained they might have to let employees go because of gaps in construction schedules. Irving has said it needs addition work to deal with a downturn that comes after the end of construction of AOPS and the start of work on a new fleet of surface combatant ships. The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships project was for the construction of five vessels. A sixth ship would be built only if Irving could find savings in the construction process, according to the federal government. That, however, didn't happen. In November the Liberal government announced it would award Irving a contract for a sixth AOPS as part of its efforts to stop layoffs. That $800-million initiative is double the usual cost of a single AOPS as there are hefty fees associated with stretching out the production of the fleet. It is unclear how much extra a plan to build two more AOPS would cost. If the plan does proceed there would have to be changes made to the design of the ship as the AOPS are outfitted with weapons and a combat management system for the navy. The AOPS program has made headlines over the years. The first Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship was supposed to be delivered in 2013 but the program has faced delays, and it is now expected to be delivered to the navy this summer. In March, Postmedia sent Procurement Canada questions about potential issues with welds on the ships. But the department immediately warned Irving that the news organization was asking questions. Department officials also provided Irving with personal information about the journalist inquiring about the welds. Procurement Canada never did answer the questions but a short time later Irving Shipbuilding threatened a lawsuit against Postmedia if an article was published claiming there were substantial problems with welds on the ships. The Department of National Defence later confirmed to the news chain there were issues with welds but they were minor. https://nationalpost.com/news/federal-bureaucrats-considering-proposal-to-award-irving-contracts-for-more-arctic-coast-guard-ships
November 26, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

First delivery of RCAF CC-295 could be delayed
by Chris Thatcher Complications with the technical manuals for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-295 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft could delay delivery of the first plane. Manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space unveiled the first C295W (CC-295 is its Canadian designation) in its distinctive RCAF search and rescue paint scheme in mid-October at its production facility in Seville, Spain, and was anticipating handover by the end of the year. While members of the SAR test and evaluation flight of 434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron have been in Seville since early fall to assess the aircraft and complete various flight and technical manuals, the Air Force has yet to accept the aircraft. “There have been challenges in the completion of the required technical manuals, which are required for all aspects of safe aircraft operation — from flying to maintenance,” the RCAF and assistant deputy minister (materiel), the military's acquisition branch, said in a statement. “Technical manuals are a critical component when it comes to the safe operation of any fleet. The safety of our aviators is simply not something we are willing to compromise on. We continue to collaborate with Airbus, prioritizing the work required in order to deliver the new search and rescue aircraft safely and effectively.” In a statement to CTV News, an Airbus spokesperson said, “Work on operational technical publications is under review to ensure these are tailored to the customer's requirements and additional time is required.” Airbus will deliver 16 of the twin-propeller CC-295 aircraft to replace the de Havilland CC-115 Buffalo and Lockheed Martin CC-130 Hercules used in a search and rescue role. Despite the delay, the RCAF is still expecting to bring the first aircraft to 19 Wing Comox. B.C., by April 2020. “While it is not yet known if this will cause a delay in final delivery, we remain optimistic that the supplier can work towards an acceptable solution so that our on-site testing and evaluations can be done prior to flying the first aircraft to Canada next spring, as previously planned,” said a spokesperson. In its statement to CTV, Airbus said it had been working “tirelessly to meet the demanding delivery milestones of the Canadian [fixed-wing search and rescue] FWSAR program and to date the company has successfully completed design, development, certification and manufacture of the aircraft, as well as the first stages establishing the program's support operations in Canada.” In addition to the first aircraft, six more CC-295s are in final assembly or completing flight test. Aircrew and maintainers with 418 Search and Rescue Operational Training Squadron, reactivated on July 11, 2019, began initial cadre training on the CC-295 at Airbus' facility in Spain in September. The aircraft will operate from four main bases in Comox, Winnipeg, Man., Trenton, Ont., and Greenwood, N.S. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/first-delivery-of-airbus-c295w-to-rcaf-could-be-delayed
June 29, 2023 | Local, Other Defence

Analysis: Canada pressured by allies to up military spending
Canada is expected to boost military spending after a government review next month, but the increase is unlikely to comfort allies facing new threats and it could further undermine the country's international military credibility, policy analysts said.

All news