Lockheed Martin And Canadian UAVs To Improve Unmanned Beyond Visual Line Of Sight Operations

On the same subject

• 

  May 31, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Supporting jobs and skills through defence purchases

  Defence procurements support skills development for Canadians May 29, 2019 – Ottawa, Ontario The Government of Canada's defence and major Coast Guard purchases result in billions of dollars of work for Canadian companies and support thousands of jobs annually. Going forward, they will also contribute to the development of a highly skilled and diverse workforce. The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, underscored this today while at CANSEC, Canada's largest defence and security trade show, where he helped unveil the new Canadian Industrial Leadership Award (CILA). A joint initiative from L3 Technologies, Thales Canada and CAE Inc., CILA will offer fully paid internships/co-ops to 10 female students with demonstrated leadership and academic skills. The students will work on innovative projects to support their education and receive mentorship in STEM disciplines. The companies created this program as a result of the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, which requires winning bidders of defence contracts to invest the value of the contract back into the Canadian economy. Minister Bains also announced updates to the Policy that will promote the development of new skills. Specifically, prime contractors will now receive additional credit through the ITB Policy for investments in skills development and training for Indigenous peoples in Canada. A new cyber certification feature was also added to improve access for Canadian small and medium-sized firms seeking opportunities related to defence procurement. This will help advance the Government's commitment to setting and promoting a national standard for cyber protection among Canadian businesses. The addition follows the publication of the 10 principles that make up Canada's new Digital Charter, one of which states that Canadians should be able to rely on the integrity, authenticity and security of the services they use and should feel safe online. Quotes “In a competitive global economy, Canada can't afford to leave talent on the sidelines. Through the ITB Policy, the government is helping to ensure the development of a more skilled and inclusive workforce. The Canadian Industrial Leadership Award is a great example of how our policy can promote investment in the advancement of women in STEM. Going forward, the enhancements to the policy that were announced today will also motivate new investments in skills development and training for Indigenous peoples. It will also lead to improved access to cyber certification for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to better compete in this innovative industry.” – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Quick facts The ITB Policy encourages companies to establish or grow their presence in Canada, strengthen Canadian supply chains, and develop Canadian industrial capabilities in areas such as innovation, research and development, supplier development, and exports. The ITB Policy includes the Value Proposition, which motivates bidders on Canadian defence contracts to put forward proposed investments toward their ITB obligations when making their bids. As of January 2019, the overall portfolio of ITB obligations included 161 projects valued at almost $47 billion, with $36.1 billion in business activities already completed, $7.1 billion of activities in progress and $3.7 billion in unidentified future work opportunities. The Canadian defence industry includes over 660 firms with more than $10 billion in sales, supports close to 60,000 jobs in the Canadian economy, and employs highly skilled workers in high-quality jobs. https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2019/05/supporting-jobs-and-skills-through-defence-purchases.html

• 

  November 7, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  French firm Dassault pulls out of fighter-jet competition: Sources

  By Lee Berthiaume The long effort to replace Canada's aging fighter jets took another surprise twist on Tuesday, as multiple sources revealed that French fighter-jet maker Dassault is pulling out of the multibillion-dollar competition. The decision comes just over a week after the federal government published the military's requirements for a replacement for Canada's CF-18s as well as a draft process by which a winning supplier will be chosen. Dassault had repeatedly pitched its Rafale aircraft to Canada over the years as successive governments in Ottawa have wrestled with selecting a new fighter jet. Dassault's pitch included significant promises, including that it would assemble the planes in Canada. But sources tell The Canadian Press that Dassault's decision to withdraw was related to the fact France is not a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which counts the U.S., Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada as members. The five members have very specific requirements for how their equipment works together. The French government, which had been closely working with Dassault as the most recent iteration of Canada's fighter-replacement program has inched along over the past year, was preparing to notify Ottawa of the company's withdrawal. The move leaves four companies — U.S. aerospace giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing, European competitor Airbus and Swedish firm Saab — competing for the $19-billion contract to replace Canada's 76 CF-18s with 88 new fighters. A contract isn't expected to be awarded until 2021 or 2022, with delivery of the first new aircraft slated for 2025. In the meantime, the government is planning to upgrade its CF-18s and buy 25 used fighters from Australia as a stopgap. Dassault faced several significant challenges in meeting Canada's requirements for a new fighter, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and while they weren't insurmountable, they would have cost time and money. Those challenges included meeting those Five-Eyes intelligence-sharing requirements, which Perry said put Dassault at a distinct disadvantage in the competition when compared to Lockheed Martin, Boeing and, to a certain degree, Airbus. "For any of the non-American companies, solving the Five-Eyes interoperability issues is going to be challenging," he said, noting that the U.S. in particular is very sensitive about data-sharing. "And it costs companies a lot of money to mount and pursue bids. So if they think at this point in time that it's not a realistic prospect, then pulling out is pretty understandable." That could explain why Dassault never established a strong presence in Canada during the many years when it was trying to sell the Rafale as a replacement for the CF-18, he added. The CF-18s are about 35 years old. Canada's attempts to buy a new fighter jet have dragged on for nearly a decade after the previous Conservative government announced in 2010 that Canada would buy 65 F-35s without a competition, with the first to be delivered in 2015. But the Tories pushed the reset button in 2012 after the auditor general raised questions about the program and National Defence revealed the jets would cost $46 billion over their lifetimes. After campaigning on a promise not to buy the F-35s, the Trudeau Liberals announced in November 2016 they would take their time with a competition to replace the CF-18s, and buy 18 "interim" Boeing Super Hornets without a competition because Canada needed more fighter jets badly. But then Boeing's trade dispute with Canadian rival Bombardier saw the Liberals scrap their plan to buy Super Hornets and instead begin talks to buy 18 used fighter jets from Australia. A contract for those used planes is expected in the coming weeks. The formal competition to replace the CF-18s is scheduled to begin next spring. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/11/07/news/french-firm-dassault-pulls-out-fighter-jet-competition-sources

• 

  January 26, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

  Canada moves to rebuild search-and-rescue helicopter fleet

  Canada is moving forward with a modernization program for its CH-149 Cormorant helicopters to allow them to keep flying until at least 2042.