FUNDING for Innovators who can help fight COVID-19 / Financement pour les innovateurs pouvant contribuer à la lutte contre COVID-19

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  August 12, 2024 | Local, Aerospace

  Construction begins on new NORAD Quick Reaction Alert facility at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville

  News release August 12, 2024 – Bagotville, Quebec – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Today, Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, announced the beginning of construction on a new Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) facility at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Bagotville.  This facility will enable Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members to posture and deploy Canada’s incoming fleet of CF-35A fighter jets in a flight-ready state in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) operations. The new 7,400 m2 QRA facility at CFB Bagotville will include aircraft hangar bays, office space and sleeping quarters for personnel, and a 17,000 m2 secure fenced compound surrounding the facility. Once completed, it will help CAF personnel support Canada and the NORAD mission and quickly respond to any threats in North American airspace.   Construction is estimated at approximately $120 million and will sustain more than 600 jobs in the region. The facility is expected to be completed in 2027. The design and construction contract has been awarded to Pomerleau Inc of Lévis, QC.  This investment is part of Canada’s $38.6 billion NORAD Modernization Plan, announced by the Government of Canada in June 2022. This represents the most significant upgrade to Canada's NORAD capabilities in almost four decades. In particular, the QRA facility is part of the NORAD Modernization Plan’s Defence of Canada Infrastructure Project (DCFI), which commits funding to upgrade fighter infrastructure and NORAD QRA capabilities at bases across Canada to operationalize and employ the CF-35A for continental defence. This project will provide Canadian Armed Forces personnel with the infrastructure they need to support the NORAD mission, including Operation NOBLE EAGLE, which deters, detects, and defeats potential threats to U.S. and Canadian airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Quotes “This investment in Bagotville will enable our personnel at the base to plan, posture, and deploy our new fleet of CF-35A fighters rapidly and effectively. Today’s milestone is a clear sign of Canada’s commitment to modernizing our NORAD infrastructure and capabilities in support of the continental defence mission. In close collaboration with our American allies, our government will continue to make the necessary investments to protect North America as our continent faces new security challenges.” The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence “For decades, NORAD has ensured the defence of North American aerospace. Today, we are reaffirming our commitment to this unique binational command, and investing in new infrastructure so that Canadian Armed Forces members can effectively deploy fifth-generation fighter jets in support of NORAD’s mission. Our government will continue to invest in new military infrastructure that supports the combat power of the Canadian Armed Forces.” Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence  Quick facts NORAD ensures U.S. and Canadian aerospace control, to include air defense operations, through a network of alert fighters, tankers, airborne early warning aircraft, rotary wing air interceptors, and ground-based air defense assets cued by interagency and defense radars. By using this network of sensors, NORAD detects airborne objects approaching North America and conducts its air defense mission by tracking, identifying, and taking appropriate actions. Appropriate actions may include, but are not limited to, monitoring a track, scrambling fighters to intercept and identify an approaching aircraft, and/or escorting an aircraft through an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) or a Temporary Flight Restriction Area. In June 2022, the Minister of National Defence announced funding for Canada's continental defence capabilities, including to modernize the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). This represents the most significant upgrade to Canada's NORAD capabilities in almost four decades. NORAD modernization will ensure that the CAF can sustain a strong military presence across the country, including in Canada’s North, through investments in infrastructure and support capabilities. The two main operating bases for Canada’s fighter aircraft are 4 Wing Cold Lake and 3 Wing Bagotville. As announced in January 2023, Canada is acquiring a new fleet of 88 F-35 aircraft, which will be known as the CF-35A by the Royal Canadian Air Force. 36 of the 88 incoming CF-35As will be stationed at 3 Wing Bagotville, and the remaining (52) will be stationed at 4 Wing Cold Lake. CFB Bagotville opened in 1951 as a training base for the squadrons serving with the Canadian Division in Europe to support the air defence operations of the newly formed Canadian and American forces (which became NORAD in 1958). Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, NORAD established Operation NOBLE EAGLE. Operation NOBLE EAGLE is the name given to all North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aerospace warning, control, and defense missions in North America. Through Operation NOBLE EAGLE, NORAD deters, detects, and defeats potential threats to U.S. and Canadian airspace 24/7/365. CAF personnel at 3 Wing Bagotville continue to play a critical NORAD role in helping monitor and respond to potential threats.  A modified design-build approach is being used for this project. This means that the project’s design and construction have both been awarded to one successful bidder under one single contract, as opposed to the traditional method, which contracts separately for design and construction. The facility will be constructed to LEED Silver standards and will use energy efficient options wherever possible. By modernizing and greening our defence infrastructure, we are supporting the needs of a modern military, while reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and saving on energy costs.  Through our updated Defence Policy—Our North, Strong and Free—Canada is building on its 2022 NORAD Modernization Plan, with a slate of new equipment and infrastructure that will strengthen our capabilities to defend Canada and North America, such as modernized infrastructure and a new fleet of airborne early warning aircraft. Canada’s efforts to bolster domestic and continental defence, including by modernizing NORAD, are also contributions to strengthening NATO’s Western Flank, and will ensure North America remains a safe base from which we can deploy forces in support of Allies and partners.

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  November 19, 2020 | Local, Naval

  Canada’s surface combatant costs might be taking on water

  By DAVID PERRY NOVEMBER 18, 2020 It is unclear where exactly the project stands, as the government has said virtually nothing about the progress on the project since February 2019. https://www.hilltimes.com/2020/11/18/canadas-surface-combatant-costs-might-be-taking-on-water/271931

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  August 20, 2019 | Local, Land

  Sole source armoured vehicle deal with General Dynamics costs double original estimates

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Liberal government is buying new armoured vehicles for the Canadian Forces but the sole source deal will cost taxpayers double what was originally estimated. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced Friday that the government would buy 360 combat support Light Armoured Vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, with the project costing $3 billion. The project was originally announced by the Liberal government with an estimated cost between $500 million and $1.5 billion. The plan was to award the contract in 2023 after a competition. But with the federal election looming the deal was fast-tracked by the Liberals, joining a series of recent defence-related funding announcements. A competition was jettisoned, replaced with a sole-source deal with General Dynamics, based in London, Ont. The deal includes a $650 million repayable loan, but the Department of National Defence said it had no details on that arrangement. It referred questions to Global Affairs Canada, which noted in an emailed statement that the federal government is “willing to provide a loan to General Dynamics Land Systems Canada to ensure the timely delivery of the Light Armoured Vehicles for our men and women in uniform. The Government of Canada is providing a loan to GDLS-C to support jobs and suppliers as GDLS-C navigates a challenging and dynamic international defence market.” The terms of the loan would be negotiated over the coming weeks, Global Affairs Canada added. The DND noted that the project costs include not only the vehicles but logistics support and new infrastructure to house and maintain the equipment. General Dynamics will provide the new vehicles in eight variants. They will be used as ambulances and in other roles such as vehicle recovery, engineering, mobile repair, electronic warfare and as command posts. The current fleet of armoured support vehicles is comprised of the LAV II Bison and the M113 tracked vehicle. The federal government said it is in the final stages of contract negotiations with General Dynamics. The contract is expected in the coming weeks. It noted in a news release that fast-tracking the deal would allow the Department of National Defence to save costs associated with maintaining or extending the life of the current fleet. The DND stated the contract was sole-sourced to General Dynamics as the firm builds most other armoured vehicles for the Canadian Forces and having a vehicle based on the same chassis allows for savings in maintenance and training. The company's light armoured vehicle is the core of the Canadian Forces armoured vehicle fleet. In addition, as the company has recently completed the conversion of the light armoured vehicle fleet to a new configuration so it has the skilled workforce in place, according to the DND. That would reduce the risk of delays in delivery of the new vehicles, stated the DND in an email. “For these reasons, we believe it would not be in the public interest to solicit bids,” it added in an email. General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada is also building similar light armoured vehicles for Saudi Arabia in a deal worth $15 billion. The Liberal government launched a review of that controversial contract after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Earlier this year a United Nations report determined that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the killing of Khashoggi who was a critic of that country's regime. Saudi Arabia has also faced severe criticism for its role in the ongoing war in Yemen, with allegations it has conducted unlawful airstrikes on civilians. A dozen organizations sent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a letter earlier in August, questioning the status of the review and pointing out that no updates on progress have been provided. The lack of such information has brought “the sincerity of the effort into question,” according to the letter endorsed by organizations such as Oxfam Canada and Amnesty International. Various groups have demanded the Liberals cancel the Saudi deal, which was negotiated by the previous Conservative government. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/sole-source-armoured-vehicle-deal-with-general-dynamics-costs-double-original-estimates