September 19, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation announced plans to establish their footprint in the Montreal region of Quebec. Having launched the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family of aircraft earlier this year, and opening a U.S. headquarters in Renton, Wash., the company seeks to prepare for the next phase of its global growth.
“As a Japanese company with a global market, we are building a strong global presence in order to position the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family for success,” said Hisakazu Mizutani, president, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. “We have great respect for the achievements and capabilities in Quebec and are excited to be here.”
The birthplace of commercial aviation in Canada, Quebec has a long history of innovation and contribution in the regional category of aircraft. As a result, it is a world-renowned aerospace hub and home to leading air and space companies, including some of Mitsubishi Aircraft's existing partners.
“Our Montreal presence adds to our footprint in major global aerospace hubs, including Nagoya and Washington State,” said Alex Bellamy, chief development officer. “Since introducing our product family in June, we have had an overwhelmingly positive response, and we are intent on building the team that allows us to fully support our airline partners and customers. Quebec is an obvious choice for us.”
In its first year in the Montreal area, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation intends to create around 100 jobs focused on certification and entry into service of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet products. The company plans to increase that number in the following years. The office will be located in the Boisbriand area.
“This is an exciting moment for the company,” said Jean-David Scott, vice-president, SpaceJet Montreal Center, “I am proud to be a part of the team that is focused on the future of regional aviation and bringing opportunities to the region.”
The company will hold a recruitment fair on Saturday, Sept. 21st at Montreal Grandé (1862 Rue le Ber). The company invites experienced aerospace professionals with a focus on product development to attend.
December 17, 2023 | Local, Security
Canada will send four CH-146 Griffon helicopters to Latvia and periodically deploy CH-147F Chinooks there starting in fall 2025, as part of a NATO mission.
May 10, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen The Canadian government is changing the terms of the $19-billion competition to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets to allow the U.S. to enter its F-35 stealth fighter. The changes will allow for a more flexible approach in determining the value of the benefits bidders offer to Canadian defence firms, industry sources say, and come after a series of discussions with the U.S. government and threats by the Pentagon to withdraw the jet from consideration. Under the current terms, bidders were required to offer industrial benefits to Canada as part of the competition. That system, which would have disadvantaged the F-35, will now be amended, sources say. But those companies that do guarantee work for Canadian firms will receive more consideration under the new rules. U.S. officials had warned that the agreement Canada signed to be a partner nation in Lockheed Martin's development of the F-35 prohibits those partner nations from imposing requirements for industrial benefits in fighter jet competitions. “We cannot participate in an offer of the F-35 weapon system where requirements do not align with the F-35 Partnership,” U.S. Navy Vice-Adm. Mathias Winter told Canadian officials in a letter sent in December. Under the agreement, companies from the partner nations are eligible to compete for work on the F-35s, and contracts are awarded on a best-value basis. Over the last 12 years, Canadian firms have earned more than $1.3 billion in contracts to build F-35 parts. In a statement issued last week, Lockheed Martin Canada said that hundreds of Canadian jobs had been created by work on the jet. The firm noted that it continued to provide feedback to the U.S. government, which is involved with Canada in government-to-government discussions on the fighter jet program. The competition to win the Canadian contract for a fleet of 88 new fighter jets was launched on Dec. 12, 2017 and at this point four fighter jets are expected to be considered. Those include the F-35, the Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Gripen. The Canadian government expects to award the contract in 2022. A request for bids for the new jets was scheduled to be released in conjunction with the CANSEC defence trade show in Ottawa at the end of the month, with bids to be evaluated by 2021. However, the government now admits that schedule is risky. In its latest update on major equipment projects the Department of National Defence said “The approved schedule is considered very aggressive,” and that “The project team is managing a number of risks which have the potential to impact schedule.” The document doesn't outline the specific risks but DND officials have acknowledged that figuring out how to deal with industrial benefits linked to the project could cause delays. The delivery of the first of the jets is expected in the mid-2020s, with the full capability available in the early 2030s, according to the DND document. The plan to purchase used Australian F-18s in the interim, the first already delivered, is also outlined in the document. It noted the final delivery of those jets is set for the end of 2021. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-changing-rules-of-competition-for-19b-fighter-jet-fleet-to-allow-consideration-of-f-35-sources
September 7, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
Le premier ministre Justin Trudeau a nommé un nouveau secrétaire parlementaire au ministre de la Défense: Serge Cormier, député d'Acadie-Bathurst au Nouveau-Brunswick et actuellement secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de l'Immigration, des Réfugiés et de la Citoyenneté, devient secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de la Défense nationale. Le premier ministre Justin Trudeau a également annoncé plusieurs autres changements parmi les secrétaires parlementaires. «Cette nouvelle équipe apporte avec elle une vaste expérience et un large éventail de compétences et de points de vue qui contribueront à la croissance économique et à la prospérité du Canada. Les secrétaires parlementaires appuieront leurs ministres respectifs en vue de produire des résultats concrets pour les Canadiens. Ils aideront également le gouvernement à continuer de faire croître l'économie et de renforcer la classe moyenne.», affirme le bureau du premier ministre dans le communiqué qui annonce ces changements. Les nominations entreront en vigueur le 31 août. Autre changement à noter, alors que Sherry Romanado, actuellement secrétaire parlementaire du ministre des Anciens Combattants et ministre associé de la Défense nationale, devient secrétaire parlementaire de la ministre des Aînés, Stéphane Lauzon, actuellement secrétaire parlementaire de la ministre des Sports et des Personnes handicapées, devient secrétaire parlementaire du ministre des Anciens Combattants et ministre associé de la Défense nationale. http://www.45enord.ca/2018/08/le-premier-ministre-nomme-un-nouveau-secretaire-parlementaire-a-la-defense/