November 23, 2018 | Local, Naval
Murray Brewster · CBC News
One of the losing bidders in the competition to design the navy's next generation of warships has asked the Federal Court to overturn the recent decision to award the contract to a group of companies led by Lockheed Martin Canada.
Alion Science and Technology Corp. and its subsidiary, Alion Canada, asked for a judicial review on Friday — a challenge that could mean more delays to the $60 billion program.
The company had pitched the Dutch-designed De Zeven Provinciën Air Defence and Command (LCF) frigate as their solution for the Canadian navy.
It's asking the court to set aside an Oct. 19 decision to select Lockheed Martin Canada the preferred bidder and to prevent the federal government from entering into negotiations with the company, which has offered up the BAE Systems-designed Type 26 frigate.
In their court filing, Alion officials argue that the winning bid was "incapable of meeting three critical mandatory requirements" of the design tender.
Notably, they say the Type 26 cannot meet the mandatory speed requirements set out by the navy and that both Public Services and Procurement Canada and Irving Shipbuilding, the yard overseeing the construction, should have rejected the bid outright.
Alion said it "submitted a fully-compliant and conforming bid at enormous expense" and argued it "has been denied the fair treatment (it was) owed."
The court application also points out that the design tender was amended 88 times during the 22 months it was under consideration and that the changes "effectively diluted the [warship] requirements" and allowed the government and Irving to select "an unproven design platform."
Over two years ago, the Liberal government said it wanted to select a "mature design" for the new frigates, rather than designing a warship from scratch. Former public works minister Judy Foote said it would be a faster, cheaper solution.
Unlike its two competitors, the Type 26 has yet to enter service with the Royal Navy and competitors have privately knocked it as "paper ship."
Navantia, a Spanish-based company, was the other failed bidder. It headed a team that included Saab and CEA Technologies and proposed the F-105 frigate design, a ship in service with the Spanish navy.
The Liberal government plans to build 15 new warships and hoped to get construction underway in the early 2020s. The program, which has been beset with delays and rising cost estimates, is intended to replace the navy's aging Halifax-class frigates, the backbone of the nation's maritime fighting force.
Federal procurement officials had hoped to nail down a complete design contract with Lockheed Martin by the winter. The court challenge now puts that timeline in doubt.
It also has enormous implications for Irving, which has been concerned about a slowdown in warship production between the current Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship program and the frigate replacements, which are formally titled 'Canadian Surface Combatants'.
No one at Public Works or Lockheed Martin was immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
April 22, 2024 | Local, Land, Security
The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will visit the Northwest Territories from April 23-25, 2024 to discuss Budget 2024 and Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence
February 3, 2022 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Compete for up to $550k in funding to get your prototype tested! / Participez à un appel à candidatures pour obtenir jusqu'à 550 000 $ de financement afin de tester votre prototype ! (le français suit) New funding for quantum prototypes The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is looking for prototypes to help them meet some quantum needs. Compete for up to $550k in funding to get your prototype tested! Submit your proposal before February 24th, 2022 at 14:00 EDT. Quantum Sensing: Quantum level Biophoton Optical Imager The NRC is seeking prototypes in the quantum sensing field for biological research applications. Quantum Device Refrigeration: Scaled Down Dilution Refrigerator The NRC is seeking prototypes in the quantum refrigeration field. Quantum Sensing: Ultrasensitive spectroscopy system for quantum photonics The NRC is seeking ultrasensitive spectroscopy prototypes for quantum photonics. Nouveau financement pour les prototypes de technologies quantiques Le Conseil national de recherches du Canada (CNRC) est à la recherche de prototypes pour l'aider à répondre à certains besoins dans le domaine quantique. Participez à un appel à candidatures pour obtenir jusqu'à 550 000 $ de financement afin de tester votre prototype ! Soumettez votre proposition avant le 24 février 2022 à 14 h (heure avancée de l'Est). Détection quantique : un imageur optique à biophotons au niveau quantique Le CNRC est à la recherche de prototypes dans le domaine de la détection quantique pour des applications de recherche biologique. Réfrigération de dispositifs quantiques : réfrigérateur à dilution à échelle réduite Le CNRC est à la recherche des prototypes dans le domaine de la réfrigération quantique. Détection quantique : système de spectroscopie ultrasensible pour la photonique quantique Le CNRC est à la recherche des prototypes de spectroscopie ultrasensible pour la photonique quantique. Email sent to: sdquebec@aeromontreal.ca Innovative Solutions Canada/Solutions innovatrices Canada 235 Queen Street Ottawa, Ontario | K1A 0H5 | Canada solutions@canada.ca Anti‑spam policy | Report an abuse | Unsubscribe ATTENTION: Ce Courriel provient de l'extérieur de l'entreprise. Ne cliquez pas sur les liens ou n'ouvrez pas les pièces jointes à moins que vous ne reconnaissiez l'expéditeur et que vous sachiez que le contenu est sans danger. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
February 4, 2019 | Local, Naval
Mississauga-based INDAL Technologies Inc. has been awarded a contract to provide the helicopter handling system for the Joint Support Ships North Vancouver, BC – Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has awarded INDAL Technologies Inc. (INDAL) of Mississauga, Ontario, a contract valued at almost $20M for work on Canada's new Joint Support Ships (JSS). INDAL represents one of more than 60 Ontario suppliers to date that Seaspan is working with to meet its commitments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). INDAL is providing its Aircraft Ship Integrated Securing & Traversing (ASIST) System for JSS. The ASIST System is a state-of-the-art integrated helicopter handling system for surface combatants. The System provides the functionality necessary to support helicopter handling, including deck securing on touchdown, on-deck manoeuvring and traversing to/from the hangar space, and helicopter launch. INDAL will also be supplying all the installation support and training, as well as the required maintenance and logistics documentation. A distinct capability of this System is its ability to straighten and align the helicopter remotely from the ASIST Control Console using combined operations of the on-deck Rapid Securing Device (RSD) and Traverse Winch sub-system. Straightening and alignment is achieved with no requirement for external cables attached to the helicopter. Various configurations of INDAL's ASIST systems are operating successfully with navies from around the world including Chile, Turkey and Singapore. ASIST has also been selected by the U.S. Navy as an integral capability within its DDG-1000 “Zumwalt” destroyer program and by the Royal Australian Navy for its Air Warfare Destroyer and SEA 5000 Programs. Thanks to its work under the NSS, Seaspan has issued over $690M in committed contracts with approximately 540 Canadian companies. By building ships for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in Canada, Seaspan is helping to re-establish a Canadian marine industry. As the company continues to make progress on its NSS commitments, this supply chain is expected to grow as more Canadian companies realize new opportunities with a revitalized shipbuilding industry. It is through its work on the NSS that Seaspan is directly and indirectly helping to employ thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. QUOTES “This contract is a prime example of how the National Shipbuilding Strategy is helping drive technological innovation in Canada, while also building a strong, sustainable marine sector. INDAL Technologies Inc.'s homegrown, state-of-the-art technology will help equip our Royal Canadian Navy's future supply ships with the tools needed so that our women and men in uniform can carry out their important work.” – The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility “Seaspan Shipyards is pleased to announce this major contract award for INDAL Technologies Inc. to provide a crucial system for the Joint Support Ships. Through its work in Canada, and internationally, INDAL is a trusted leader in the design and development of ship borne helicopter handling and other sophisticated marine systems. As a result of contract awards like these the NSS is encouraging investment by Canadian companies, supporting the development of export opportunities, and creating highly-skilled, middle class jobs across Canada” – Mark Lamarre, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards “On behalf of INDAL Technologies Inc. I am excited to announce that we have been awarded a contract valued at almost $20 million to provide the helicopter handling system for the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) new Joint Support Ships currently being built at Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards. INDAL Technologies prides itself in combining a high level of engineering and manufacturing capability with expertise in the management of large and complex defense programs to produce unmatched solutions for the RCN. We value our ongoing relationship with Seaspan and our partnership under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.” – Colleen Williams, General Manager, INDAL Technologies Inc. QUICK FACTS Seaspan operates three yards with a combined workforce greater than 2,500 people across its yards in North Vancouver & Victoria. To date, Seaspan has awarded over $690M in contracts to approximately 540 Canadian companies, with nearly $230M in contracts awarded to Ontario-based companies. INDAL is based in Mississauga, Ontario, since its incorporation in 1951 under the name Dominion Aluminum Fabricating Ltd., the company has developed its engineering design and manufacturing capabilities and today is heavily involved in systems integration and testing. The company has over forty years of experience with equipment for shipboard aircraft operation, its personnel are uniquely trained and experienced in designing and building system solutions for handling aircraft and UAVs onboard ships in the toughest possible environments. INDAL is positively impacted with 38 person-years of direct employment as a direct result of its work under the NSS. https://www.seaspan.com/major-contract-awarded-work-joint-support-ships