September 4, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

No need to ensure purchased military equipment actually works, government officials argue in procurement dispute

Officials admit they have never tested the latest search and rescue gear to be used by the military and coast guard

Canada is under no obligation to ensure the military equipment it purchases can actually do the job, federal officials are arguing, as they admit they have never tested the latest search and rescue gear to be used by the military and coast guard.

The admission by staff of Public Services and Procurement Canada is among the evidence in a complaint by two defence firms that argue the government's decision to award a contract to a rival company was unfair.

The complaint was filed on July 27 with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal by Kongsberg Geospatial of Ottawa on behalf of Critical Software, a Portuguese firm. The complaint centres on the government decision to name MDA Systems the winner of a $5.6 million contract to provide software to help in search and rescue missions.

Critical Software, which teamed with Kongsberg to bid on the project, had originally raised concerns with the government about why the two companies' proposal was thrown out on a technicality. The Critical Software system is used by more than 1,000 organizations, such as coast guards, police and military in more than 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

But because Critical Software and Kongsberg didn't provide a percentage figure of how many systems were in use in each region, their bid was disqualified by the government.

The two companies questioned that decision and were stunned when federal officials admitted they have never tested the winning system and didn't actually know whether it meets the requirements of the Canadian Forces or the Canadian Coast Guard.

Public Service and Procurement Canada officials stated “Canada may, but will have no obligation, to require that the top-ranked Bidder demonstrate any features, functionality and capabilities described in this bid solicitation or in its bid,” according to the federal response provided to Kongsberg/Critical Software and included in its complaint to the trade tribunal.

The government noted in its response that such an evaluation would be conducted after the contract was awarded and insisted the acquisition process was fair and open.

Full article: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/no-need-to-ensure-military-equipment-purchased-actually-works-government-officials-argue-in-procurement-dispute

On the same subject

October 9, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

First Royal Canadian Air Force CC-295 shows off its final livery
The first Airbus CC-295, purchased by the Government of Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) program, rolled out of the paint shop showing off its final livery at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain. The aircraft will now go through the final preparation phase before its delivery to the customer, planned to take place in Spain before the end of the year. The aircraft adopts the yellow paint scheme following the tradition defined in the 1970s for search and rescue aircraft, giving high visibility for those in the air and on the ground. The contract, awarded in December 2016, includes 16 CC-295 aircraft and all in-service support elements including training and engineering services, the construction of a new training centre in Comox, B.C., and maintenance and support services. The aircraft will be based where search and rescue squadrons are currently located: Comox, B.C.; Winnipeg, Man.; Trenton, Ont.; and Greenwood, N.S. Considerable progress has been made since the FWSAR programme was announced two and a half years ago: the first aircraft is due to be delivered in Spain in the coming months; another six aircraft are either completing flight tests or in various stages of final assembly; and seven simulators and training devices are starting up preliminary acceptance tests. The first RCAF crews started training in late summer 2019 at Airbus' International Training Centre in Seville, Spain. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/first-royal-canadian-air-force-c295-shows-off-its-final-livery
September 12, 2023 | Local, Security

ANALYSIS | Canada needs to ditch the complacency and get serious about national security, experts say | CBC News
For decades, national security has been an afterthought for federal governments of all stripes. The problem, say the experts, is that Canadians themselves tend not to take their security seriously — and as a result, neither do the people they elect.
December 18, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, C4ISR

Maxar's MDA and Orbital Insight Announce Expanded SAR Satellite Imagery Agreement
Orbital Insight will use MDA high-resolution imagery to strengthen oil inventory product RICHMOND, BC and PALO ALTO, CA, Dec. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - MDA, a Maxar Technologies company (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), and Orbital Insight, a leading provider of geospatial analytics, today announced the latest agreement providing new datasets for Orbital Insight's product offerings. MDA will provide high-resolution imagery from its RADARSAT-2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite to Orbital Insight, which will process and transform the data into actionable intelligence for the energy industry. "Building on an already strong relationship with a second Orbital Insight contract award, MDA will provide valuable insight into energy supply chains by enabling timely, reliable imaging of global oil storage sites, regardless of cloud cover," said Mike Greenley, group president of MDA. "This solution reinforces the unique and powerful combination of RADARSAT-2's large imaging capacity and timely data delivery, with Orbital Insight's geospatial analytics capabilities, to grow the market for information derived from SAR imagery." MDA's RADARSAT-2 has global monitoring capabilities, including a large collection capacity and high-resolution radar imaging. The satellite acquires data regardless of light or weather conditions, due to its active imaging mechanism. As a result, RADARSAT-2 provides an accurate and reliable source of information about ground activity such as changes in oil tank inventories. Orbital Insight will use the imagery to create oil inventory information that is incorporated into its energy products, which include the Global Geospatial Crude Index, a single number that objectively captures global crude inventory insights on a daily basis. Orbital Insight's customers use the Global Geospatial Crude Index to make economic decisions with confidence in global energy markets. "Having access to cutting-edge datasets strengthens our product offerings, so we're pleased to deepen our relationship with MDA as a key imagery provider," said Dr. James Crawford, founder and CEO of Orbital Insight. "SAR imagery is valuable because it provides information even if conditions on the ground aren't visible due to weather or lighting. Expanding this partnership delivers direct customer value." This new contract expands Orbital Insight's relationship with Maxar Technologies. The geospatial analytics firm also has a multi-year partnership with DigitalGlobe focused on high-resolution electro-optical satellite imagery and DigitalGlobe's Geospatial Big Data platform (GBDX). Orbital Insight refines its analytic capabilities using DigitalGlobe's satellite imagery at petabyte-scale on GBDX, revealing insights for industry use cases such as estimating harvest yields, making more accurate retail predictions, and monitoring global energy and natural resource markets. About MDA MDA is an internationally recognized leader in space robotics, space sensors, satellite payloads, antennas and subsystems, surveillance and intelligence systems, defence and maritime systems, and geospatial radar imagery. MDA's extensive space expertise and heritage translates into mission-critical defence and commercial applications that include multi-platform command, control and surveillance systems, aeronautical information systems, land administration systems and terrestrial robotics. MDA is also a leading supplier of actionable mission-critical information and insights derived from multiple data sources. Founded in 1969, MDA is recognized as one of Canada's most successful technology ventures with locations in Richmond, Ottawa, Brampton, Montreal, Halifax and the United Kingdom. MDA is a Maxar Technologies company (TSX: MAXR; NYSE: MAXR). For more information, visit www.mdacorporation.com. About Maxar Technologies As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar Technologies (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the information, services, systems that unlock the promise of space for commercial and government markets. As a trusted partner, Maxar Technologies provides vertically integrated capabilities and expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. With more than 6,500 employees in over 30 global locations, the Maxar Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes MDA, SSL, DigitalGlobe and Radiant Solutions. Every day, billions of people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. About Orbital Insight Orbital Insight develops geospatial analytics to help its clients unlock societal and economic trends at a global scale. The company works with petabytes of geospatial data, including imagery from satellites, drones and other sources. Using computer vision and machine learning technologies, it processes and transforms this data to enable businesses, governments and NGOs to make better decisions. Learn why Fast Company voted Orbital Insight one of the most innovative companies of 2017 and 2018 at www.orbitalinsight.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and other information included in this release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other statements referring to or including forward-looking information included in this release. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this release. As a result, although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data available as of the date of this release or other specified date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation. Contact Wendy Keyzer | MDA Media Contact | 1-604-231-2743 | wendy.keyzer@mdacorporation.com Jason Gursky | Maxar Investor Relations | 1-303-684-2207 | jason.gursky@maxar.com SOURCE Maxar Technologies Ltd. Related Links www.maxar.com https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/maxars-mda-and-orbital-insight-announce-expanded-sar-satellite-imagery-agreement-702924451.html

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