DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN
The companies bidding on the Canadian Surface Combatant program will provide Irving Shipbuilding with their “cured” bids by July 21.
Earlier this year, Postmedia reported that all three bidders in the competition failed to meet some of the federal government's requirements.
The problems centre around technical issues. Some are minor but in other cases there is a view among defence industry officials that Canada is asking for too much in some areas such as radar, which may be causing problems with meeting requirements.
Public Services and Procurement Canada spokeswoman Michèle LaRose earlier said the bids received for the Canadian Surface Combatant project have not been disqualified. Three bids have been received. The federal government and Irving Shipbuilding are still evaluating the proposals, she added. LaRose pointed out that the evaluation is at the second stage in the process.
Government officials say that involves what is known as “the cure process” in which bidders will be given details of how their proposals have failed to meet the stated criteria. They will then be given only one opportunity to fix issues with their bids.
So those fixes are to be submitted by July 21, according to industry representatives.
If the bids are still considered “non-compliant” after the cure period they “will be eliminated from the competition,” according to the federal government.
The budget for the Canadian Surface Combatant project is estimated by the federal government to be between $55 billion and $60 billion. That is a range but specific costs won't be known until contacts are signed and more details worked out. Fifteen warships will be built.
Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister for materiel at the Department of National Defence, told Defence Watch he expects a winning bid to be selected by the end of this year.
May 18, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
Bombardier is collaborating with General Dynamics on a multi-mission and anti-submarine warfare aircraft that will meet the requirements for Canada.
September 10, 2018 | Local, Land
The LAV sale is being scaled back. Critics want it killed completely. Murray Brewster · CBC News A Canadian defence contractor will be selling fewer armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia than originally planned, according to new documents obtained by CBC News. That could be a mixed blessing in light of the ongoing diplomatic dispute between the two countries, say human rights groups and a defence analyst. The scaled-back order — implemented before the Riyadh government erupted in fury over Canada's public criticism of Saudi Arabia's arrest of activists and froze new trade with Canada this summer — could make it politically less defensible for the Liberal government, which has argued it's in the country's business and economic interests to uphold the deal. The documents show General Dynamic Land Systems Canada, the London, Ont.-based manufacturer, was — as of spring last year — going to deliver only 742 of the modern LAV-6s, a reduction from the original 2014 deal. The initial order from the desert kingdom was for 928 vehicles, including 119 of the heavy assault variety equipped with 105 millimetre cannons. Details of the agreement have long been kept under a cloak of secrecy. General Dynamic Land Systems, the Canadian Commercial Corporation (the Crown corporation which brokered the deal) and the Saudi government have all refused to acknowledge the specifics, other than the roughly $15 billion price tag. Last spring, CBC News obtained copies of internal documents and a slide deck presentation from 2014 outlining the original agreement. The latest internal company documents obtained by CBC News are dated March 29, 2017, and indicate the agreement had been amended a few months prior, perhaps in the latter half of 2016. The documents also indicate delivery of the vehicles is already underway and has been for months. CBC News asked for a response from both Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's office and General Dynamics Land Systems Canada. Both declined comment over the weekend.. A cash-strapped kingdom A defence analyst said the amended order likely has more to do with the current state of Saudi Arabia's finances than its frustration over Canada's human rights criticism. "Saudi Arabia — in part because of low oil prices and in part because of corruption and mismanagement of its own economy — has a large budget deficit," said Thomas Juneau, a University of Ottawa assistant professor and former National Defence analyst. "Spending $15 billion over a number of years for armoured vehicles that it doesn't need that much, at least in a pressing sense, is an easier target for budget cuts, for sure." The kingdom has projected a budget deficit of $52 billion US this year and the country's finance minister said last spring it is on track to cut spending by seven per cent. When it was signed, the armoured vehicle deal was a way for Canada to cement relations with an important strategic partner in the region, said Juneau. Should Ottawa cancel the sale? He said he wonders if it's still worthwhile, in light of the furious diplomatic row that began over the Canadian government's tweeted expressions of concern for jailed activists — and quickly escalated with the expulsion of Canada's ambassador, the freezing of trade, the cancellation of grain shipments and the withdrawal of Saudi medical students from Canadian programs. "Now, with the dust not really having settled after the dispute from August, is that partnership, in abstract terms, still necessary? I think it is. But is it still possible?" said Juneau. Human rights groups say they believe there is even more reason for Ottawa to walk away from the deal now, given the events of this summer and the declining economic benefit. "We're compromising our position on human rights for even less than we thought," said Cesar Jaramillo, the executive director of Project Ploughshares, which has opposed the agreement from the outset. "Even if it's not a huge decrease, it is still a decrease. It should, at least in political and economic terms, make it easier for the Trudeau government to reconsider this deal, especially in terms of the latest diplomatic spat." Full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-s-arms-deal-with-saudi-arabia-is-shrinking-1.4815571
September 13, 2021 | Local, Aerospace
Marcello Sukhdeo, Vanguard Magazine September 10, 2021 The Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training team recently announced the addition of three partners – FlightSafety International (FSI), L3Harris Technologies and Top Aces – for Canada's Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program. Canada is looking to procure a 25-year contract aircrew training program that provides aircraft, ground-based training systems, civilian instructors, and essential services, such as air traffic control, aircraft and airfield maintenance, accommodation, and food services for the Royal Canadian Air Force. According to a news release, Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training is committed to providing an innovative training solution and optimal benefits to Canada's economic and strategic goals through the FAcT program. This is further deepened by the team's far-reaching know-how and strong ties with Canada. “We are extremely proud to have FlightSafety International, L3Harris Technologies and Top Aces join the Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training Team. We believe that together we can deliver added value to Canada now and in the future and we are ready to provide the best solution for the Royal Canadian Air Force,” said Jana Lee Murray, Program Director, Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training. New partner, FlightSafety International, is a premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides training for pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world's largest fleet of advanced full-flight simulators at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “We're excited to join this powerhouse of a team and bring our 70 years of ground-based training in support of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” said Brad Thress, President & CEO of FlightSafety International. “More than 40 international governments put their trust in FlightSafety to train their aviators and the company has a long history of supporting aviation training in Canada through their Montreal and Toronto learning centers.” The other new team member, L3Harris, is one of Canada's largest and most diverse defence and security companies and is committed to adding value to the Canadian economy through high-tech jobs, innovation, and diversity whilst designing solutions for the future. Located in Mirabel, QC, L3Harris is Canada's leading In-Service Support and Systems Integrator. “L3Harris offers our Canadian teammates the best, most cost-effective and innovative solutions for the FAcT aircraft,” said Ugo Paniconi, General Manager, L3Harris in Mirabel. The third new strategic partner added recently, Top Aces, provides advanced adversary and joint terminal attack controller training to the world's leading Air Forces. Top Aces has the largest fleet of commercially-operated fighter aircraft in active service and is the first company in the world to acquire the supersonic F- 16. The mission-critical training offered by Top Aces enhances the operational readiness of combat forces by providing a realistic real-world experience while creating significant cost efficiencies and extending the lifecycle of military fleets. The company is changing the face of air combat training with its unparalleled safety record, outstanding team and an industry-leading 94,000+ hours of operational training flown in support of its customers worldwide. “Top Aces is a proud Canadian company and trusted training partner to our Canadian Armed Forces since 2005. We're excited to bring our 17 years of experience delivering high performance fighter aircraft training to this team,” said Jason Regenwetter, Vice President of Business Development. Canada is expected to award FAcT by 2023.