It's make or break time for Canadian Surface Combatant bidders

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  September 3, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  ⚡️ Sommet Chaîne mondiale d'approvisionnement aérospatiale - Réservez votre date pour le 26 octobre 2021 ! ✈️

  En mai dernier, nous vous proposions de faire le point sur les défis que rencontrait la chaîne d'approvisionnement aérospatiale post-crise de la COVID-19. En octobre prochain, l'équipe d'Aéro Montréal présentera la suite du Sommet Chaîne mondiale d'approvisionnement aérospatiale 2021 en abordant les solutions qui s'offrent à l'industrie pour relever ces défis. Réservez dès maintenant votre mardi 26 octobre 2021, de 8h00 à 17h00, pour assister à la seconde partie du Sommet et retrouver nos conférenciers de renom. Reconnectez avec les événements en présentiel Nous avons à cœur de vous offrir une participation la plus sécuritaire possible, le tout, en conformité avec les exigences de la Santé publique. Nous vous proposons un événement présentiel, au Palais des Congrès de Montréal. Des billets pour un accès virtuel à l'événement sont également disponibles. À l'achat de votre billet, vous bénéficierez d'un accès gratuit à notre plateforme de diffusion. En participant à l'événement d'octobre, vous accéderez aux enregistrements des conférences de mai sur cette même thématique. En complément des conférences, propulsez vos rencontres d'affaires Cette seconde partie du Sommet précédera l'événement de réseautage international incontournable, Aéromart Montréal. Il s'agit là de l'une des plus grandes conventions d'affaires du secteur aérospatial. Participer à cette nouvelle édition du Sommet c'est donc prendre la chance de connecter avec les grands acteurs de l'industrie en provenance de partout dans le monde, ne manquez pas cette occasion !

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  October 9, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  US clears armed helicopters for Iraq, surveillance aircraft for Canada

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has cleared a pair of proposed military sales — armed helicopters for Iraq and surveillance planes for Canada — with a joint price tag of more than $380 million. The two notifications were posted on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday evening. Notifications are not guaranteed sales; members of the Senate could still choose to block the potential sale, and once it passes Congress, sale negotiations can change quantities and dollar figures. The larger of the two packages is the Canadian one, which covers three King Air 350ER aircraft with “customer unique post-modifications for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance” requirements. Along with the platforms comes a package of equipment, including three WESCAM MX-15D electro-optical and infrared imaging sensors; three AN/AAR-47B(V)2 missile and laser warning systems; three AN/ALE-47 countermeasure dispenser systems; three VORTEX Dual RF Ku LOS transceivers; three COMSEC modules (KGV-135A); two APM-424(V)5 transponder test sets; five KIV-77 Mode 4/5 crypto applique computers for identification friend or foe (IFF); three AN/APX-119 IFF digital civil and military transponders; six ARC-210 multimode voice and data transceivers; and three KG-250X National Security Agency-certified type 1 inline network encryptors, per DSCA. Work will primarily be done at the Wichita, Kansas, facility of Beechcraft, a subsidiary of Textron. There is expected to be an industrial offset included in the deal. Iraq was cleared to purchase five Bell 407GX helicopters, configured with M240 7.62mm machine guns, with an estimated cost of $82.5 million. The DSCA notification notes these would help “compensate for the combat loss of seven IA407 helicopters in recent years and increase the Iraqi Security Forces' combat effectiveness against ISIS and other terrorist elements in Iraq.” “The 407GX variant — an upgrade from the current IA407 configuration — includes Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) launchers,” DSCA writes. “Providing Iraq with this capability supports U.S. security goals by furthering the Iraqi Army Aviation Command's ability to counter terrorism and protect critical infrastructure.” Also included in the package are five RF-7850A secure communications radios; five AN/AAR-60 MILDS automatic plume detectors; five AN/ALE-47 airborne countermeasure dispenser systems; five M3P .50-caliber machine guns; five M260 rocket launchers (APKWS configuration); five MX-15Di EO/IR sensors; five GAU-19 .50-caliber machine guns; and various other components. Work will be done at Bell's Fort Worth, Texas, location; L3 WESCAM's location in Ontario, Canada; Tekfusion Global's Williamsburg, Virginia, location; Harris' Melbourne, Florida, facility; and Fulcrum Concepts' office in Mattaponi, Virginia. There are no known offsets. https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2018/10/05/us-clears-helicopters-for-iraq-aircraft-for-canada

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  January 23, 2019 | Local, Naval

  Canadian navy pressing ahead on life extensions for submarines

  By Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The Department of National Defence is pushing ahead with plans to extend the lives of Canada's submarine fleet, with the head of the navy hoping some work will start in the coming months. The movement comes as countries around the world have stepped up investments in their submarine and anti-submarine fleets to protect their waters — and operate in waters not under their control. Canada's four Victoria-class submarines have a troubled history since they were bought second-hand from Britain in 1998, with successive governments investing hundreds of millions of dollars in constant repairs and upgrades. But in an interview with The Canadian Press, Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd said the diesel-powered submarines — HMCS Chicoutimi, Victoria, Corner Brook and Windsor — have finally turned a corner. Lloyd specifically pointed to HMCS Chicoutimi's having recently spent 197 days in the Pacific and Asia even as HMCS Windsor was patrolling the Mediterranean with NATO as proof the submarines are living up to their potential. "The fact we had two boats concurrently deployed, if that doesn't speak to the success of the program, I don't know what does," said Lloyd, who will retire from the military later this year after three years as navy commander. The clock has been ticking on the four vessels: without upgrades, the first of the submarines will reach the end of its life in 2022, according to documents obtained through access to information, while the last will retire in 2027. But the Liberals' defence policy promised to extend the lives of the vessels and Lloyd said defence officials are now working through the details to make sure they can continue to operate into the 2030s. More extensive work is expected to start in about three or four years but Lloyd said efforts are underway to start implementing some minor upgrades by March. Exactly how much upgrading all four submarines will cost remains uncertain, but Lloyd said the figure that officials are working with is about $2 billion. Some experts have previously called for Canada to consider new submarines, rather than extending the lives of the ones it has, but the government has said upgrading the Victoria-class ships is more "prudent." Other experts have said the country doesn't need such expensive vessels. But many other countries around the world are investing in submarine and antisubmarine fleets. NATO has specifically raised concerns about Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, while Canadian frigate commanders patrolling in the Atlantic and Mediterranean have reported more foreign submarines in recent years. "The most proliferated weapon system right now on the planet are submarines," Lloyd said. "They by themselves can impact the outcome of a battle space. And so putting a submarine into a body of water instantly changes the calculus that are currently operating in those bodies of water." Aside from upgrading its submarines, the Canadian military has started to return to its Cold War role as a leader in antisubmarine warfare in the North Atlantic by upgrading its frigates and maritime patrol planes and adding new maritime helicopters. — Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/01/22/canadian-navy-pressing-ahead-on-life-extensions-for-submarines/#.XEjDzVxKiUl