Magellan Awarded CDN $140 Million Contract Extension with Airbus

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

  Major defence conferences in Ottawa to proceed despite virus; other military events cancelled

  By DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Two major defence conferences in Ottawa will still be held despite fears raised by the novel coronavirus, including an event expected to bring 12,000 Canadian Forces members, federal government officials and security personnel from around the world together in one location in May. But two other military social functions in Ottawa and one conference, scheduled in the coming weeks, have either been postponed or cancelled because of the virus. The military equipment trade show, CANSEC 2020, expected to attract around 12,000 visitors to the EY Centre in Ottawa, will still proceed, according to the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, which organizes the event. Defence firms from around the world will display armaments and other products at the May 27-28 trade show. In the past, organizers have boasted CANSEC attracts thousands of Canadian government representatives and military personnel, as well as hundreds of VIPs, including generals, Canadian senators and cabinet ministers. In addition, delegations from around the world attend. The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, or CADSI, is also proceeding with the Canadian Armed Forces Outlook conference, April 7-9, in Ottawa which will feature the leadership of the army, navy and air force, along with other key military officers. But the coronavirus has taken its toll on other defence-related events. Canadian Army commander Lt. Gen. Wayne Eyre announced Wednesday he has decided to cancel the Army Ball, a military social event held each year in Gatineau. It was supposed to have taken place on April 4. Air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger announced he has postponed the inaugural Royal Canadian Air Force Ball, which was to have taken place in Ottawa on March 28. “I had to make this difficult decision in an effort to help reduce the risk of potential COVID-19 transmission within our veterans, personnel, families, and guests,” he wrote in a message. “This cautionary measure is being taken in the context of the evolving public health situation related to COVID-19.” The European Union delegation to Canada announced Tuesday its security and defence symposium planned for March 24 in Ottawa has been cancelled. “The rising number of COVID-19 infections globally and the hazards related to travelling have led to this decision,” it noted. “In order not to expose any panellists, guests or other collaborators to unnecessary risks, the EU DEL postpones the symposium until the conditions permit a safe and unhindered travel worldwide.” But CADSI president Christyn Cianfarani said there is an increased interest in both the Canadian Forces outlooks conference and CANSEC and at this point they are still scheduled to take place. “The health and safety of participants remains our top priority and we continue to monitor developments pertaining to coronavirus on a daily basis,” she said in a statement. “We are also following the guidelines put forward by the Government of Canada, Health Canada, and the World Health Organization to promote hygiene and prevent the spread of germs on-site.” She noted CADSI is following guidance from Ottawa Public Health. “Should anything regarding the event status change, we will share updates via email and social media,” she added. The coronavirus has already caused the cancellation or postponement of many conferences, sporting events and rock concerts. Norway on Wednesday cancelled a NATO Arctic exercise that was already underway with 15,000 troops from various nations. Norway's defence ministry also announced that the country's defence minister had cancelled all meetings and travel because he may have been exposed to the coronavirus. At the Pentagon, defence officials have begun what they are calling “social distancing” measures. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's regular meeting with senior staff, normally held face-to-face in a single room with 40 to 50 participants, was broken up into three rooms with video-teleconferencing among the rooms, according to the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman. He said Esper and the 15 to 20 people in his room, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sat at least six feet apart, in line with health guidance. Canada's Department of National Defence, however, is not following the Pentagon's lead. Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande said the Canadian Forces and DND is still participating in CANSEC and the outlook conference being held by CADSI. “There is also no new direction on limiting in-person, work-related interactions,” she added. “However, CAF members and DND employees have been reminded not to attend work when they are sick, to exercise caution when in large crowds, and to seek immediate medical attention for flu-like symptoms.” “We continue to monitor and evaluate the situation,” Lamirande said. “As the issue evolves, guidance will continue to be evaluated and adjusted.” With files from The Associated Press https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/major-defence-conferences-in-ottawa-to-proceed-despite-virus-other-military-events-cancelled

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  June 5, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  BELL TEAMS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR U.S. ARMY FUTURE ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT PROGRAM

  Team Invictus brings together programmatic and operational expertise to deliver a transformational, affordable scout aircraft to soldiers, the Bell 360 Invictus Fort Worth, Texas (June 4, 2020) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has announced agreements with nine premier aerospace industry leaders to form Team Invictus. The companies are producing the Bell 360 Invictus prototype submission as part of the U.S. Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. Each industry partner brings unique experience and technological expertise to provide a low-risk path for the Army's acquisition of a lethal, affordable rotorcraft with advanced mission systems to modernize aviation for multi-domain operations (MDO). “Team Invictus is working together to show how cutting-edge technology will give soldiers the ability to confidently operate in the complex and contested battlespace of multi-domain operations,” said Chris Gehler, vice president and program director for FARA at Bell. “Future Vertical Lift is critical for the Army's ability to win in multi-domain operations with FARA defeating defensive layers and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) exploiting opened areas to achieve operational objectives.” Team members are working closely together to deliver the Bell 360 Invictus prototype using a configuration that emphasizes operational availability, sustainability, and maintainability. The members of Team Invictus include: Astronics Corporation for a modular framework of airframe power generation, conversion, and distribution products Collins Aerospace for integration of a new generation of avionics hardware and software featuring cyber-hardened and digital backbone solutions to configure and integrate mission systems GE Aviation for the 3,000-SHP T901 engine and working on the aircraft Health Awareness System (HAS) ITT-Enidine Inc. for the passive Liquid Inertia Vibration Eliminator (LIVE) units for all modes of operation including high speed L3Harris Technologies for the WESCAM™ MX-15D, an advanced, stabilized multi-sensor, multi-spectral imaging and targeting system Parker Lord for rotor dampers, the main rotor CF bearing, the tail rotor tension torsion strap, and the Active Vibration Control (AVC) System Mecaer Aviation Group, Inc. for a fully retractable, tail dragger landing gear system MOOG Inc. for flight control computer (FCC) electronics, software, and flight control actuation, critical components of the Bell fly-by-wire, Flight Control System (FCS) TRU Simulation + Training for a high-fidelity flight simulator that gives pilots a true sense of the aircraft flight controls Team Invictus is applying digital design and manufacturing technologies, including maintenance as part of the design process, and use of emerging commercial practices to bring a holistic view of digital models, processing and analysis to reduce lifecycle maintenance and servicing requirements—and thus reducing sustainment costs. “Each team member brings a capability that is vital to the success of the Bell 360 and we are honored to have proven, capable, and well-respected industry partners on Team Invictus,” stated Gehler. “This is an outstanding industry team, and we are working diligently to produce a FARA weapon system that is operationally effective and affordably sustainable, as well as complementary and in many ways common to the FLRAA program.” Following the selection of the Bell 360 Invictus for the competitive prototype in March 2020, Team Invictus continues to rapidly move forward. Team Invictus' collective expertise reduces program risk while preserving the Army's FARA schedule leading to a first flight targeted for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. To learn more about Bell 360 Invictus and FVL, please visit the Bell 360 Invictus website, and follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. https://news.bellflight.com/en-US/189083-bell-teams-with-industry-leaders-for-u-s-army-future-attack-reconnaissance-aircraft-program

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  February 4, 2019 | Local, C4ISR

  Government of Canada announces contract awards for research and development in support of Arctic surveillance

  February 1, 2019 – Ottawa, Ont. – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces The Department of National Defence is investing in defence research and development to produce innovative solutions to surveillance challenges facing the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF), particularly in Canada's North. In support of this, Member of Parliament for York Centre Michael Levitt, on behalf of Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan, announced today that the Department of National Defence, through Public Services and Procurement Canada, has awarded two contracts to Raytheon Canada Limited and the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies' Space Flight Lab (UTIAS SFL) under the All Domain Situational Awareness (ADSA) Science & Technology (S&T) Program for a total of $46.2 million. Raytheon Canada Limited has been awarded a contract for $31.2 million for the construction of transmit and receive electronics for a study of over-the-horizon radar detection at long range. A contract for $15 million has also been awarded to UTIAS SFL for the development of a prototype of a multipurpose microsatellite equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology for air and maritime surveillance. As outlined in our defence policy Strong, Secure, Engaged, the ability to conduct leading-edge research and development in satellite and radar technologies plays a critical role in supporting the CAFs capabilities, particularly in remote locations such as Canada's Arctic. Surveillance solutions such as these improve our access to accurate and timely information, enabling the CAF and our partners to better collect, understand and disseminate information and intelligence, and support our ability to succeed on operations at home or abroad. These systems will support our government's ability to exercise sovereignty in the North, and provide a greater awareness of safety and security issues, as well as transportation and commercial activity in Canada's Arctic. In addition, solutions achieved under the ADSA program will contribute to joint efforts between Canada and the United States to modernize elements of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Quotes “Our government understands that science and innovation are crucial in solving some of our most complex defence and security challenges. Through these contracts, the Department of National Defence is taking the next step to solving our surveillance challenges in the Arctic. We are proud to be partnering with Raytheon Canada and the Space Flight Laboratory to produce innovative solutions that will help to protect Canada's North.” The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan Minister of National Defence Quick facts The UTIAS SFL microsatellites being developed will allow for quick and timely detection and identification of surface or airborne targets. This is expected to improve the reliability of the detection and identification performance, leading to improved situational awareness for the CAF and our partners. Upon successful completion and testing of the prototype, two additional microsatellites will be built to create a small formation. These will then be launched for demonstration and testing. The primary objective of the Raytheon project is to demonstrate the feasibility of sky-wave radar technology for the detection of air targets at all altitudes beyond the radar's horizon. This involves reflecting signals off of the ionosphere and back to a receiving station located beyond the line of site. Once operational, the system will be used in conjunction with other systems to further understand the effect of the Aurora Borealis on target detection beyond the horizon. The ADSA S&T Program aims to leverage innovative science & technology expertise from other government departments, academia, industry and allies, to identify, assess and validate technologies in support of air and maritime surveillance, particularly in the North. Through a five-year investment of $133M through to 2020, the ADSA S&T Program is supporting the development of options for enhanced domain awareness of air, maritime surface and sub-surface approaches to Canada, in particular those in the Arctic. National Defence's science and technology organization, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), is the national leader in defence and security S&T. DRDC provides the defence S&T community, the Canadian Armed Forces and other government departments, as well as the public safety and security communities, with the knowledge and technology advantage needed to defend and protect Canada's interests at home and abroad. Associated links All Domain Situational Awareness S&T Program Strong, Secure, Engaged https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2019/02/government-of-canada-announces-contract-awards-for-research-and-development-in-support-of-arctic-surveillance.html