Foreign & Defence

On the same subject

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  October 29, 2019 | Local, Naval

  Barges being acquired by Canadian navy can be used for Asterix or JSS

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Navamar Inc. of Montreal has received a $12 million contract to provide five “ship-to-shore connector systems” to the Royal Canadian Navy. The pontoon barges would be used to move supplies to shore from either the MV Asterix replenishment ship or the future Joint Support Ships, reports Esprit de Corps military magazine. The large craft could be used during humanitarian missions or on operations where no dock is available. The former Protecteur-class replenishment ships also had a landing craft vehicle personnel capability (LCVP), which provided limited support to humanitarian and disaster relief operations, according to the Department of National Defence. “The new sea to shore connectors will be more robust and versatile, and provide a significantly improved capability,” it added in a statement. The connectors will be modular and configurable to adapt to almost any mission, the department noted. They could be used as a temporary jetty anchored to the shoreline or as a large barge to assist in ship maintenance and repair or perform evacuation operations. In terms of cargo capacity, the old LCVP had enough space to transport a couple of pallets of rice bags or 40 people. The new sea to shore connectors will be able to carry thousands of bags of rice, hundreds of personnel, and multiple vehicles, according to the DND. Construction is scheduled to start August 2020 with final delivery in September 2022, said DND spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande. In other JSS news, Seaspan has awarded Hepburn Engineering Inc. of Toronto, ON, a contract for work on Canada's new Joint Support Ships. Hepburn will provide four Replenishment Stations for the Joint Support Ships, which will allow the vessels to transfer fuel, fresh water, and solid goods to and from other vessels. These Replenishment-at-Sea (RAS) systems will be fully compatible with NATO standards, allowing the JSS to resupply and refuel Canadian and allied task force ships at sea. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/barges-being-acquired-by-canadian-navy-can-be-used-for-asterix-or-jss

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  July 6, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  New NAFTA comes into force Canada Day amid tariff threats, COVID-19 uncertainty

  BY CORMAC MACSWEENEY Posted Jun 30, 2020 9:17 am MDT OTTAWA – The new NAFTA will come into effect on Wednesday amid the economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The negotiations caused months of fear in business and economic circles, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to pull out of the trade agreement both our economies and Mexico rely on. But after ratification earlier this year, the new NAFTA — formally the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement — comes into force appropriately on Canada Day, bringing with it protections for the auto parts sector, more American access to our dairy market, stricter labour rules for Mexico, and measures to reduce the prices of pharmaceutical drugs. Colin Robertson with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute says this deal gives businesses confidence that Canada still has privileged access to our largest trading partner, but the COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of questions about the future of our economies. “What it will depend on will be the growth of both economies' ends. The pandemic puts the big question mark on recovery and what that means for the future, so that one I can't answer,” he says. Meanwhile, Marc Agnew with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce says the COVID-19 pandemic may delay some of the benefits we get from this deal. “I don't think the new NAFTA is going to, necessarily, have a chance to really show its true value, probably until two or three, four years down the line,” he explains. However, Agnew believes this is a vital deal, regardless, because it will give businesses in Canada the security and confidence to plan for the years ahead. He adds the moment is soured by Trump once again threatening tariffs on Canadian aluminium. “It runs exactly counter to both the kind of spirit and the intent of what we're trying to do with this agreement,” Agnew says. Canada and the U.S. do $2 billion in trade a day. The USMCA is expected to bring modest gains to Canada's economy, with close to a $7-billion boost in the next five years, “It's still the biggest, single bilateral trading relationship in the world,” Robertson notes. https://www.660citynews.com/2020/06/30/new-nafta-canada-day-tariff-threats-covid-19/

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  June 26, 2024 | Local, Naval

  Irving Shipbuilding awards L3Harris latest Canadian Surface Combatant contracts

  Irving Shipbuilding Inc. has awarded L3Harris two contracts to supply and install the Integrated Platform Management System and Control & Instrumentation system for the CSC, to be built for the...