Minister Anand announces investment of up to $3.7 billion to supply operational clothing and footwear to the Canadian Armed Forces

On the same subject

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  December 17, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

  Allied elephant walk and multinational interfly mark end of Operation Christmas Drop 2023 - Skies Mag

  The Royal Canadian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Air Force participated in this year's Operation Christmas Drop.

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  August 6, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  F-35: Lockheed Martin promet des retombées de 16,9 milliards $ au Canada d’ici 2058

  PAUL-ROBERT RAYMOND Le Soleil Le Canada est un partenaire de premier plan dans le programme de l'avion de chasse F-35 depuis les débuts de celui-ci, il y a plus de 20 ans. Celui-ci apporterait des retombées économiques se chiffrant à 16,9 milliards $ jusqu'en 2058 et maintiendrait entre 1675 et 2525 emplois annuellement au pays dans des secteurs de pointe. C'est le message qu'a voulu livrer l'avionneur Lockheed Martin jeudi matin. Lors d'une conférence sur Zoom, Lockheed Martin a signifié que le programme de fabrication de l'avion F-35 implique en ce moment 110 entreprises canadiennes dans 200 projets industriels. Les contrats accordés à celles-ci représentent 2 milliards $ en occasions d'affaires et font travailler 150 000 personnes durant la réalisation du programme. L'avionneur a procédé à cet exercice de relations publiques presque une semaine après avoir officialisé son intention de participer au processus de remplacement de la flotte de chasseurs du Canada. Rappelons que Boeing, avec son Super Hornet Block III (la version la plus moderne du F-18), et Saab, avec son JAS 39 Gripen, sont dans les rangs dans cet appel d'offres visant à acquérir 88 avions de chasse pour l'Aviation royale canadienne (ARC). Les retombées économiques ne seront pas uniquement générées par la construction de ces 88 avions, «mais pour l'ensemble des plus de 3000 avions qui seront commandés dans le monde», assure Steve Callaghan, vice-président à la stratégie et au développement des affaires chez Lockheed Martin. Sachant qu'un autre concurrent pourrait être choisi, il a voulu se faire rassurant. «Si le Canada ne choisit pas le F-35, nous honorerons les contrats avec les entreprises canadiennes jusqu'à leur échéance», a-t-il dit. «Même si le programme du F-35 est mondial, l'industrie canadienne est complètement intégrée dans celui-ci. Nous croyons qu'elle continuera à y contribuer même si le choix de l'ARC est autre que celui du F-35.» Par ailleurs, M. Callaghan assure que les délais encourus en raison de la pandémie de COVID-19 n'affecteraient pas les livraisons des avions pour les Forces armées canadiennes. «Nous commencerons comme prévu la production de vos avions en 2025», a-t-il dit. D'ici la fin de l'année 2020, Lockheed Martin prévoit livrer 141 appareils aux huit forces aériennes qui ont commencé à l'utiliser. Parmi les entreprises canadiennes qui participent au programme F-35, au Québec, il y a Héroux-Devtek, basée à Laval. Plusieurs autres entreprises sont localisées, dans les provinces maritimes, au Manitoba, en Colombie-Britannique, et en Ontario, notamment. https://www.lesoleil.com/affaires/f-35-lockheed-martin-promet-des-retombees-de-169-milliards--au-canada-dici-2058-da3dae8df5db9ac1dd4ef7e7e2944e87

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  February 13, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Royal Canadian Air Force wants more than a few good pilots as it’s losing many of them to commercial jobs

  by Lee Berthiaume The Canadian Press OTTAWA — A shortage of experienced pilots is forcing the Royal Canadian Air Force to walk a delicate line between keeping enough seasoned aviators available to train new recruits and lead missions in the air. Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger described the balancing act during a recent interview in which he also revealed many pilots today are likely to have less experience than counterparts in similar positions 10 years ago. Much of the problem can be traced back to veteran aviators leaving for commercial jobs, or other opportunities outside the military, forcing senior commanders into a juggling act over where to put those still in uniform. "In order to (support) your training system ... you've got to pull experienced pilots into those positions, but you have to have experienced pilots on the squadrons to season the youth that are joining the units," he said. "So it's a bit of a delicate balance. And when you're in a situation where you don't have as much experience, broadly speaking, you've got to balance that very carefully. Hence the idea of retaining as much talent as we can." Fixing the problems created by the shortage will become especially critical if the Air Force is to be ready for the arrival of replacements for the CF-18s. Meinzinger said such transitions from one aircraft to another are particularly difficult — the RCAF needs to keep the same number of planes in the air to fly missions and have senior aviators train new pilots, while still sending seasoned pilots for training on the incoming fleet. "Ideally you want to go into those transitions very, very healthy with 100 per cent manning and more experience than you could ever imagine," Meinzinger said. While he is confident the military can address its pilot shortage in the next few years, especially when it comes to those responsible for manning Canada's fighter jets, the stakes to get it right are extremely high. The federal auditor general reported in November that the military doesn't have enough pilots and mechanics to fly and maintain the country's CF-18 fighter jets. Air Force officials revealed in September they were short 275 pilots and need more mechanics, sensor operators and other trained personnel across different aircraft fleets. There are concerns the deficit will get worse as a result of explosive growth predicted in the global commercial airline sector, which could pull many experienced military pilots out of uniform. "That's the expectation, that Canada will need an additional 7,000 to 8,000 pilots just to nourish the demands within the Canadian aerospace sector," Meinzinger said. "And we don't have the capacity as a nation to produce even half of that." Within the military, there also haven't been enough new pilots produced to replace those who have left. The auditor general found that while 40 fighter pilots recently left the Forces, only 30 new ones were trained. The military is working on a contract for a new training program that will let the Air Force increase the number of new pilots trained in a given year when necessary, as the current program allows only a fixed number to be produced. Meanwhile, Meinzinger said the loss of more seasoned pilots means others are being asked to take on more responsibility earlier in their careers, though he denied any significant impact on training or missions. He said the military is managing the situation through the use of new technology, such as simulators, to ensure the Air Force can still do its job. "There's no doubt commanding officers today in RCAF squadrons, they have probably less flying hours than they did 10 years ago," he said. "What that (commanding officer) has today is probably an exposure to 21st-century technology and training. So I think that certainly offsets the reduction of flying hours." Meinzinger and other top military commanders are nonetheless seized with the importance of keeping veteran pilots in uniform to ensure those climbing into the cockpit for the first time have someone to look to for guidance — now and in the future. New retention strategies are being rolled out that include better support for military families, increased certainty for pilots in terms of career progression and a concerted effort to keep them in the cockpit and away from desks and administrative work. Other militaries, notably the U.S., that are struggling with a shortage of pilots have introduced financial bonuses and other measures to stay in uniform. Meinzinger couldn't commit to such an initiative, but did say that "nothing is off the table." The situation may not represent an existential crisis, at least not yet, but officials know it is one that needs to be addressed if Canada's Air Force is to continue operating at top levels for the foreseeable future. "Experience is what allows us to (transfer knowledge) and grow for the future," Meinzinger said. "And that's why I talk about it as being kind of the centre of gravity. In the extreme, if you lose all your experience, you can't regenerate yourself." https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9169169-royal-canadian-air-force-wants-more-than-a-few-good-pilots-as-it-s-losing-many-of-them-to-commercial-jobs/