Military has no documents about fighter jet 'capability gap,' a claim used to justify aircraft purchase

On the same subject

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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

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  June 21, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Some changes made to Canadian fighter jet requirements as new document sent to companies

  DAVID PUGLIESE Procurement Canada has provided aerospace firms a new draft version of the requirements for Canada's next generation fighter jet fleet. Some changes have been made in the draft request for proposals document to deal with concerns raised by the companies, according to federal government sources. The requirements for the new Canadian fighter jet originally put emphasis on strategic attack and striking at ground targets during foreign missions, according to federal government procurement documents obtained by Postmedia. While the Liberal government had been highlighting the need to buy the jets to protect Canadian airspace and meet the country's commitments to the U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defence Command, the procurement criteria provided additional weight to those aircraft that can excel at ground attack for overseas operations. That criteria was seen to favour Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet, say those industry representatives allied with Lockheed's rivals in the upcoming $19 billion competition. The evaluation criteria also had less emphasis on sustainability, another plus for the F-35 which has been dogged with high maintenance bills, they added. The latest version of the requirements now eases back somewhat on the ground attack role and puts a little more emphasis on air-to-air scenarios, say sources. Some changes have also been made to provide for more points to companies who can provide a better deal on sustainment of the aircraft. Another change affects the length of time a firm has to meet its industrial benefits associated with its proposal. That has increased from 20 years to 25 years. Pat Finn, the Department of National Defence's procurement chief, has said he wants the final request for proposals for the fighter jets out to industry by mid-July. At this point four aircraft are to be considered. Those include two U.S.-built aircraft, the F-35, and the Super Hornet, and two European planes, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Gripen. The winning bidder will build 88 jets for Canada. The new aircraft will replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/some-changes-made-to-canadian-fighter-jet-requirements-as-new-document-sent-to-companies

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  December 31, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  A year-end Q&A with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan

  By Charlie Pinkerton Federal Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan spoke with iPolitics for a year-end interview. Here's what he had to say. Q: During your time as Canada's defence minister, what are you most proud of? A: The thing I'm most proud of is that our defence policy is focused on looking after our people. I've always said our Number 1 asset is our people; if we look after them, everything else will start to fall into place. I'll give you an example of this: putting the tax-free allowance in the defence policy; if you're deployed on an operation internationally, it's tax-free. That gives families back home tremendous flexibility with what they can do. That's one of the things I'm proud of. We also include families as part of our defence policy. We're seeing tangible results. We've done some work, we've got more work to do. As you can see, this is what I'm focused on. Those procurement projects — ships, jets — are absolutely important, right? But the thing is, if we don't look after our people, those ships and jets don't mean anything. And that's probably what I'm most proud of: turning into a reality our focus in the defence policy, which is to our people. Q: What do you regret during your tenure as defence minister? A: Sometimes things can't move as fast as you want. I wouldn't call it a regret, but you want to see progress as fast as possible, and sometimes you end up pushing so hard, like with procurement: Why aren't we moving faster? We have these questions, and we're reminded that we need to hire enough people to move on these files. And so it's a reminder — it's not a regret — to never put your people in a position to over-extend themselves. You need to have a holistic Canadian Armed Forces that will look after itself. This whole conversation of more teeth, less tail — I hate that. In reality, making sure your pension cheques are given on time is just as important. Q: Is there something you really want to accomplish during the time remaining in your mandate? A: It goes back to my first point: making sure we have enough momentum that we're able to start executing all the things that we want, and having the right number of people to be able to move our projects forward. Also, making it a reality that, from the time somebody joins the military, we're focusing on resilience and that they know the country has their backs. For example, with the Transition Group, we've ensured that no future government can ever take that focus away from the people ever again. Q: Whether you or someone else takes over in a year's time, what will be the most pressing issue he or she faces? A: For me, a Number 1 priority will be making sure the environment inside the Canadian Armed Forces is one that's inclusive, that's harassment-free, and I know it seems very idealistic to say this, but any other goal is unacceptable, because it leaves leeway for things, because when you create that environment, you'll be able to get the best potential out of your people at the same time. That's the challenge we're working on. General (Jonathan) Vance is aggressively dealing with this, and Operation Honour is showing results. To me, it's a challenge, and a challenge that has to be met, regardless of who's in this position. Q: Is there something you wanted to accomplish that was pushed aside by larger or more pressing priorities? A: There's one thing I was really looking forward to doing, which is learn French. I sort of underestimated the time required of the job. However, I am still committed to learning French. I do what I can in my own time, and I'll learn it when I leave politics, because I think it's important for all Canadians to be able to speak both official languages. Q: You're up for re-election. You've been defence minister for three years, which is a relatively long time. Aside from Peter MacKay, who held the job for about six years, you've had one of the longest tenures of the past 20 years. If re-elected, will you seek re-appointment? A: I got into politics because I wanted to represent the neighbourhood I grew up in of Vancouver South, and I was very privileged to have that honour. When it comes to the next election, my job is going to be to make sure I connect with my community in my riding. That's the Number 1 job that I'm fighting for: to become the member of Parliament for Vancouver South. If the prime minister thinks again that my skills are needed, regardless of portfolio, I'd be honoured and privileged to serve. Q: Considering you got into politics to represent Vancouver South, is there something that being defence minister prevented you from doing, and that, given another term, you'd like to take on? A: In Vancouver South, my focus has been a lot on the youth, and I've done a lot of things in the riding, but I always feel like I wish I could do more. I want people to know that I — a person who grew up in that riding — can do some interesting things, and reach this portfolio, and that every single (constituent) can reach the highest levels. So that's the one thing I wish I had a little bit more time to do. But at the end of the day, if I still had that time, I would still have that regret, because I want to make sure we inspire the next generation, because I see so much potential in them. https://ipolitics.ca/2018/12/31/a-year-end-qa-with-defence-minister-harjit-sajjan/