Héroux-Devtek announces acquisition of Québec-based Alta Précision Inc.

On the same subject

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  April 24, 2022 | Local, Aerospace

  L3Harris remporte un contrat de 482 millions $ US (609 M$ CA) auprès de l'Aviation royale canadienne pour le prolongement du soutien des CF-18

  Points clés :  Témoigne des capacités et de l'expertise de L3Harris en matière de soutien en service de premier choix  Confirme la position de L3Harris en tant que seul centre d'excellence au Canada pour les avions de chasse  Souligne un partenariat canadien fructueux de 35 ans pour la flotte d'avions CF-18 MIRABEL (Québec), le 21 avril 2022 — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE : LHX) a remporté un contrat basé sur la performance d'une durée de 4 ans avec années d'option et d'une valeur de 482 millions $ US (609 millions $ CA), renouvelant le soutien en service pour la flotte d'avions de chasse CF-18 Hornet exploitée par l'Aviation royale canadienne (ARC) jusqu'au retrait de service de la flotte prévu en 2032. Dans le cadre du processus d'analyse de rentabilisation de soutien, les quatre fondements de l'initiative de soutien, soit la performance, la rentabilité, la flexibilité et les avantages économiques, ont été les moteurs de l'élaboration d'une solution optimisée et bien adaptée. Gr'ce à ce renouvellement de contrat, L3Harris continuera d'assurer les activités liées à la gestion de la flotte et du programme, à la maintenance, à l'ingénierie, à la gestion du matériel, aux publications électroniques, au soutien logistique intégré, à la gestion de données et au soutien pour les logiciels opérationnels. Ces activités se dérouleront aux installations de L3Harris à Mirabel, ainsi qu'aux bases des Forces canadiennes (BFC) de Cold Lake et de Bagotville. « Ce contrat témoigne du fait que L3Harris est l'unique centre d'excellence au Canada pour les avions de chasse, en plus d'être une preuve de notre efficacité et de notre engagement constants envers l'orientation client, une exécution sans faille et un partenariat à long terme avec l'ARC », a déclaré Ugo Paniconi, directeur général de MAS, L3Harris. Récemment, L3Harris a souligné 35 ans de soutien en service pour les CF-18, notamment d'importants travaux de prolongation de la durée de vie structurale et de modernisation des systèmes leur permettant de demeurer fonctionnels au plan opérationnel et accroissant la valeur de l'investissement du Canada pour ces aéronefs. Le contrat, basé sur la performance, apportera flexibilité, avantages économiques et valeur dans le cadre de l'Initiative de soutien du Canada. L3Harris a créé des centaines d'emplois de haute technologie au Québec gr'ce aux contrats de soutien pour l'avion F/A-18 avec le Canada, l'Australie, la Suisse, la Finlande, l'Espagne et les États-Unis. La division de Mirabel de L3Harris compte plus de 1 150 employés au pays et est l'un des principaux intégrateurs de soutien en service du ministère de la Défense nationale. À propos de L3Harris Technologies L3Harris Technologies, une entreprise multinationale flexible et novatrice du secteur des technologies aérospatiales et de la défense, propose des solutions complètes qui répondent aux besoins des missions de haute importance de nos clients. Elle offre des technologies de défense et commerciales de pointe dans les domaines aérospatial, aéronautique, terrestre, maritime et cybernétique. L3Harris a un chiffre d'affaires annuel de plus de 17 milliards de dollars et 47 000 employés, avec des clients dans plus de 100 pays. L3Harris.com. Déclarations prospectives Le présent communiqué de presse contient des déclarations prospectives fondées sur des attentes, des hypothèses et des estimations actuelles de la direction relatives au rendement et à la conjoncture économique futurs. Ces déclarations sont énoncées sous réserve des règles d'exonération (safe harbor provisions) prévues à l'article 27A de la Securities Act, loi américaine de 1933 et à l'article 21E de la Securities Exchange Act, loi américaine de 1934. L'entreprise met en garde les investisseurs du fait que toute déclaration prospective est soumise à des risques et à des incertitudes, si bien que les résultats réels et futurs sont susceptibles de différer de façon significative de ceux exprimés ou sous-entendus dans ces déclarations prospectives. Les énoncés concernant la valeur ou la valeur prévue des commandes, contrats ou programmes sont des déclarations prospectives soumises à des risques et à des incertitudes. L3Harris décline toute intention ou obligation de mettre à jour ou de réviser ses déclarations prospectives consécutivement à l'obtention de nouveaux renseignements ou à de nouveaux événements ou pour tout autre motif. Personnes-ressources : Marcella Thompson Systèmes de mission intégrés Marcella.Thompson@L3Harris.com 214-430-8872 Jim Burke Relations avec les médias Jim.Burke@L3Harris.com 321-727-9131

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  May 31, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Fighter RFP delayed again pending official review of industrial benefits policy

  by Ken Pole Shortly before Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced on May 29 that a formal request for proposals (RFP) to supply 88 new Canadian fighter jets would be delayed again — this time to mid-July — two potential contenders said that a proposal to scrap the customary industrial benefits element of the procurement is problematic. Jim Barnes, director of Business Development in Canada for Boeing Defense, Space & Security and Roger Schallom, the company's St. Louis-based vice-president of International Business Development, along with Patrick Palmer, vice-president and head of Sales at Saab Canada Inc., expressed their common concern during briefings at CANSEC, the annual Ottawa trade show organized by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). Boeing's contender to replace the RCAF's legacy fleet of CF-188 Hornets is the F/A-18 Super Hornet, while Saab's is the JAS 39 Gripen (the company had a full-scale replica parked front-and-centre outside CANSEC's main entrance). The other contenders are Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and Airbus Military's Eurofighter Typhoon. Barring any further hiccups in a program fraught with political indecision and already years behind the original schedule, the RFP process overseen by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is expected to lead to two finalists being chosen next year with a view to making a final selection in 2022. The government had been expected to issue its RFP by May 31 after years of indecision, but that latest deadline in the troubled procurement was postponed as officials at DND, PSPC and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada review the industrial benefits element. “This is proof that your feedback is heard and acted upon,” Sajjan told the CANSEC audience. The proposed industrial benefits change was disclosed earlier this month by Richard Shimooka, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI), an Ottawa-based think tank. He said in a report published by the MLI (May 6) that the Canadian government was yielding to pressure from the United States by changing the long-established requirement that companies bidding for contracts agree to investing an equivalent amount in Canada. The fighter procurement, including in-service support, is expected to cost at least $18 billion. Shimooka cited letters from U.S. officials that indicate “resentment and distrust towards the government of Canada had grown, particularly within the U.S. Air Force.” The letters evidently focused on the “significant strategic and economic benefits that have already been accrued from being part of the JSF program.” However, he added, the letters also contained “an implicit (but clear) threat that Canada could be kicked out of the program if Ottawa continues with its current policy of trying to obtain guaranteed industrial benefits that, by their very nature, are not allowed under the JSF Program. . . . There was a complete lack of logic of Canada's policy, which seemed to ignore basic facts about membership in the JSF program, including clear advantages in cost and capability that the F-35 provided.” In his CANSEC briefing, Barnes admitted to having been “surprised by the recommended changes” in the shift in the long-standing requirement. “That policy's been in place for decades and it's been very successful for Canadian industry,” he replied, questioning what he called the government's decision to “accommodate a competitor.” Schallom added that adhering to the historic requirement for direct industrial offsets, rather than simply offering “non-binding” bidding opportunities on future contracts, would be better for Canada's economy over the expected 30 years or more of the new fighter program. “You're probably missing out on $30 billion-plus in guaranteed work.” Saab's Palmer echoed that position 30 minutes later, saying that he is concerned that the “non-binding requirement may not necessarily give Canadians the best value over the long term,” but, “until we see the final RFP (request for proposals), I'll reserve final judgment.” However, when asked how Saab had responded formally to the proposed change on industrial benefits, he said, “We've asked them for some more information as it relates to the specifics of how items are going to be measured,” but had “definitely indicated that it doesn't necessarily encourage the best solution for Canada at the end of the day.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/fighter-rfp-delayed-again-pending-official-review-of-industrial-benefits-policy

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  May 13, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  ‘Hard decisions are going to have to be made’: can vital defence procurements survive in a post-pandemic world?

  By NEIL MOSS MAY. 13, 2020 'When you are trying to fix a fiscal problem, inevitably national defence is part of the way governments have tended to try and fix that,' says defence procurement expert David Perry. In the midst of critical procurements that will set the framework for the Canadian military for years to come, questions remain on how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the oft-delayed projects. The pandemic has already impacted the two most high-profile defence procurement projects with another delay in the replacement of Canada's fighter fleet as well as a reduced capability at the shipyard that will be building the 15 new warships that will serve as the backbone of the Canadian Navy for decades to come. “Companies and government are always generally working hard trying to meet [the] schedule, and make up time wherever they can afterwards, but there's a limit what you can do to replace a few lost weeks of work,” said David Perry, a defence procurement expert and vice-president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “The impacts are going to be tangible,” Mr. Perry said, adding that the picture is still murky about the final impact on the current procurements as defence companies are still trying to get a handle on the pandemic. The high-profile $19-billion project to replace Canada's fleet of CF-18 fighter jets was delayed a second time in 100 days last week, over a bidder's concern over completing its bid on time, according to a Canadian Press report. Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax shipyard, which has been tasked to build two central pieces for the future of the Canadian Navy in six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants, is running at half capacity with around 650 people working at the shipyard and 300 remotely, according to a CTV report. The two projects are projected to cost upwards of $4.3-billion and $60-billion, respectively. Mr. Perry also said the impact on the procurements will depend on what stage the project is in, with less effect for those still in design and requirement phases and more impact on projects in the midst of construction. He added that the impact will also depend on where the facilities are located, as the Irving shipyard in Nova Scotia faced a three-week shutdown, opposed to the Seaspan shipyards in B.C., which has continued relatively normal operations. A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence told The Hill Times that progress is still being made “where possible” on current and future equipment for the Canadian Forces. “While our focus must be on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to the National Shipbuilding Strategy and other defence projects under Strong, Secure, Engaged,” the spokesperson said in an email. “We continue to meet regularly with PSPC [Public Services and Procurement Canada] to address the delivery of ongoing and future major procurement projects, and to assess and address the impact of the pandemic on these projects. However, given that the extent of COVID-19, or how long this situation will last, cannot be assessed at this time, it is not yet possible to determine the impact this situation will have on our projects,” the statement read, adding that the focus remains on continuing essential services, which include “domestic operations and search and rescue.” Former Air Force pilot Alan Stephenson said that there is “no doubt” that there will be “a huge impact” to defence procurement caused by the pandemic, pointing to the government's ballooning spending. Mr. Stephenson, a retired colonel who is now a senior associate at David Pratt and Associates, said the problem with the fighter jet procurement is being compounded by successive governments' use of military spending to solve other problems. “Now we find ourselves with ... fighters that will be over 50 years old,” he said. “And we'll be flying [the CF-18s] into the future.” “COVID has changed the game,” Mr. Stephenson said, adding that the focus on the Liberals' 2017 defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, will still be present, but there will be fiscal questions of its feasibility. “Hard decisions are going to have to be made,” he said, as the government will balance military requirements with economic needs. Mr. Perry said historically when the government has needed to slash spending, it has looked at the military. “When you are trying to fix a fiscal problem, inevitably national defence is part of the way governments have tended to try and fix that,” he said, adding that given the size of the defence budget, it is “virtually impossible” to address an economic situation without making some fiscal changes at the Department of National Defence. But he said that historical pattern may not continue as it's a different kind of fiscal problem for the government. “In a dynamic where you have real big impacts on consumer confidence and there's also, I think, fairly serious concerns about the availability of financing and liquidity in the civilian economy, potentially there's more of a room for DND and the Government of Canada writ large to be part of the economic solution here and not just part of the fiscal problem,” Mr. Perry said. Former naval officer Norman Jolin, who served in the Canadian Navy for 37 years and commanded the Halifax-class HMCS Montréal, said the last thing the government will want to do is cancel projects that it has already announced at the expense of Canadian workers. “The last thing [the government] would want to do in a world where we've lost so many jobs is to cause more people not to have jobs by cutting things,” he said. Mr. Jolin compared the National Shipbuilding Strategy to the construction of a trans-Canada railway in the 19th century. “This is jobs across Canada,” he said, adding that it is not just jobs at shipyards but throughout the supply chain including manufacturing jobs in southern Ontario. Mr. Jolin said with the procurements under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the lengthy timeline will mitigate the pandemic's impact. For the Canadian Surface Combatant procurement, the first ship isn't projected to be completed until the mid-2020s and the final delivery date for the entire fleet is in the late 2040s. He said while there may be minor delays in the short term, it shouldn't have much impact on when the ships are delivered in the end. But he said there is still much unknown about how the pandemic has affected the procurement process. Charles Davies, a retired colonel in the Armed Forces who spent time as the senior director responsible for procurement and equipment management policy at the Department of National Defence, also said the long timeline on projects should reduce the impact of any delay. “In the inherently long gestation periods of the major programs, the net impact should be limited,” he said. Mr. Davies, a CDA Institute fellow, said now can be a time for the government to look to make key investments in capabilities that will be needed in the future to defend its borders while at the same time keeping the economy afloat. He said unlike in the mid-1990s during the budget cuts under then-prime minister Jean Chrétien, Canada is not in the geopolitical position to allow its defence budget to dissipate. “We're in a different world now,” he said, citing the “strategic environment” with more aggressive behaviour being seen from the Chinese and Russian governments. https://www.hilltimes.com/2020/05/13/hard-decisions-are-going-to-have-to-be-made-can-vital-defence-procurements-survive-in-a-post-pandemic-world/247826