December 21, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
Canada’s investments in the RPAS Project and Team SkyGuardian Canada are a direct reflection of Canada’s vested domestic interest in pursuing leading-edge RPAS technologies.
https://www.epicos.com/article/784460/government-canada-orders-mq-9b-skyguardian-rpas-ga-asi
January 27, 2023 | Local, Land
Defence Minister Anita Anand says size of donation considers need to maintain Canada’s readiness: leaving enough tanks for training and to meet NATO commitments for deployments
June 16, 2020 | Local, Naval
The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Canada's national shipbuilding plan was rocked by yet another cost increase on Monday as the federal government revealed it will pay $4.1 billion for two long-overdue support ships for the navy — an increase of $1.5 billion from initial estimates. The revelation came as Ottawa officially awarded a contract for the full construction of the two new Protecteur-class joint support ships to Vancouver's Seaspan shipyards, which has already started work on the first of the vessels. Seaspan was first tapped to build the two ships and several coast guard vessels in 2011, at which point the supply ships were expected to cost $2.6 billion. The figure was later revised to $3.4 billion before another $700 million was added Monday. The first of the support ships was to have been delivered by 2019. The government says it now doesn't expect the first ship before 2023, with the second due in 2025. Seaspan has been under contract to work on some parts of the first ship since June 2018. The Royal Canadian Navy has been without a full-time support ship since 2014 and is currently relying on a converted civilian vessel that is being leased from Quebec's Chantier Davie shipyard to fill the gap. That ship, the MV Asterix, was at the heart of the failed prosecution of retired vice-admiral Mark Norman. The Liberal government was playing down the cost increase to the support ships on Monday, with senior ministers touting the importance of the vessels to the Royal Canadian Navy and the jobs that the project is creating in Vancouver and elsewhere. "These new ships will provide a necessary capability for our Royal Canadian Navy, while providing significant economic benefits and jobs to Canadians, including thousands of jobs created or sustained," Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement. Yet the cost increase is the latest to hit the shipbuilding plan, which has been plagued by delays and budget increases for years. The plan is intended to recapitalize the majority of Canada's naval and coast guard fleets. The entire plan to buy new warships to replace the navy's frigates and destroyers, several Arctic patrol vessels, a polar icebreaker and four science vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard in addition to the two support ships was pegged in 2011 at $35 billion. The warships alone are now expected to cost at least $65 billion while the rest of the projects have either seen similar budget increases or their budgets are under review. The delivery schedules for the projects have also been pushed back numerous times. Defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute noted the new cost for the support ships is almost exactly how much Parliament's budget watchdog estimated following an analysis in 2013. The Conservative government at the time refuted the parliamentary budget officer's estimate, with then-public works minister Rona Ambrose saying appropriate safeguards had been put into place to protect taxpayers. "There's not a lot of detail in this today so it's hard to do a line by line," Perry said. "But superficially at least, the PBO's report from 2013 — which I recall being pooh-poohed pretty extensively — has held up pretty well." Ottawa has in recent years produced update cost estimates for most of the vessels being built through the federal shipbuilding plan. However, budgets for the polar icebreaker and an offshore science vessel for the coast guard are still under review. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2020. https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/canada-to-pay-4-1b-for-navy-support-ships-in-latest-cost-increase-1.24153254
April 6, 2022 | Local, Aerospace
CALGARY, Alberta, April 6, 2022— Arcfield Canada Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, has been awarded a two-year contract extension by the Department of National Defence to provide support services for the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) CF-18 Avionics (AVS) Optimized Weapon System Support (OWSS) program. The award, which represents follow-on work for the company, has a total value of $50 million. Under the contract extension, Arcfield Canada will continue to provide support for the entire CF-18 avionics suite and associated support equipment through the end of March 2024. As a leader in avionics sustainment, Arcfield Canada administers the complete lifecycle management, engineering support services, supply chain management, and maintenance, repair and overhaul of avionics systems for the RCAF. To date, the company has completed more than 70,000 repairs on the CF-18 avionics. “We are pleased that the Department of National Defence and the RCAF has trusted Arcfield to continue its service for the CF-18 aircraft,” said Jacques Comtois, director of Canadian operations, Arcfield Canada. “For 35 years, our organization has been a dedicated and valued partner to the Canadian Armed Forces supporting Canada's fighter fleet, and we look forward to continuing that partnership through this contract.” As the prime contractor on the CF-18 AVS OWSS program, Arcfield Canada Corp. has been providing comprehensive in-service and integrated logistics support for the RCAF's CF-18 fighter aircraft for more than three decades. “This extension is a testament to the expertise and value we have provided on the OWSS program over the last several decades,” said Kevin Kelly, chief executive officer and chairman of Arcfield. “As a company that is built on a foundation of always putting our customers' missions first, we are honoured to continue this mission-critical work for the Department of National Defence.” This extension also comes after the company received an additional two-year task order to upgrade the CF-18 fleet with a new two-way data link capability, valued at $28 million. About Arcfield Canada Corp. Arcfield Canada has been a trusted partner to the Canadian Armed Forces for more than 35 years; supplying world-class in-service and integrated logistics support through its expertise in supply chain management, maintenance and repair, and engineering solutions. Arcfield Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcfield, a global defense and security solutions provider to the U.S. government and its allies. The company has more than 60 years of proven experience providing advanced engineering and analysis, and IT capabilities to support our nation's most critical national security missions. With 16 offices around the world, Arcfield employs approximately 1,200 engineers, analysts, IT specialists, and other professionals who put our customers' missions first, helping them solve their most complex challenges through innovations in modeling, simulation and analysis, and digital transformation. Visit arcfield.ca for more details. Press Contact: Deborah Lovegrove Arcfield Canada Sr. Manager, Marketing and Communications 613-818-5411 Deborah.lovegrove@arcfield.com