Ottawa declines Boeing's bid to replace Canada's aging fighter jet fleet | CBC News

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  March 15, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  RCAF may not need seven of the 25 used Australian F-18s, says defence procurement chief

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Defence department's procurement chief says the Royal Canadian Air Force might not need the seven used Australian F-18 aircraft being purchased for parts afterall. Canada is buying 25 used F-18s from Australia, with 18 of those to be flown and seven to be either stripped down for parts or used for testing. The aircraft to be flown will augment the existing RCAF CF-18 fleet until a new generation fighter jet can be purchased. But Pat Finn, the Department of National Defence's Assistant Deputy Minister for Materiel, said there may be no need for the seven F-18s. “The seven, whether or not we actually take them at this point, we're still looking at that,” Finn recently told the Commons defence committee. “What we're actually finding is the number of spares that they've been able to provide to us is more than adequate. Rather than take aircraft apart and go through that cost, we're taking the spares. We may not, in fact, at this point look at any of the seven.” It is unclear whether there will be a reduction in the cost of the purchase or the overall project cost if the seven airframes are not acquired. The DND also clarified what is happening with the engines on the Australian F-18s. Rumours have been circulating in the retired military community that the engines are being stripped out of the planes and given back to Australia. “Only the engines from the first two Australian F-18s (four engines total) are being returned to Australia, at their request,” explained DND spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier. “Australia needs those engines to meet their own operational requirements.” In order to take advantage of an advanced delivery date for the first two Australian aircraft, Canada agreed to return those aircraft's engines to Australia, but the plan is to get an equivalent number of engines back at a later date, he added. “Canada has sufficient engines in reserve to support this plan and this will have no impact on operations,” Le Bouthillier stated. “We therefore found this to be a reasonable request, and agreed to it.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/rcaf-may-not-need-7-of-the-25-used-australian-f-18s-says-defence-procurement-chief

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  July 14, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  COMMENTARY: Canada should follow Australia’s example in defence, foreign policy

  By Matthew Fisher Special to Global News Posted July 13, 2020 7:00 am Updated July 13, 2020 11:32 am Those who follow developments in the Indo-Pacific often claim that Australia has a far more robust security posture there than Canada because of geographic necessity. The argument is that Australia must be especially vigilant because China is closer to it than Canada is to China. That perception may partially explain why Australia spends nearly twice as much per capita on defence as Canada does with little public discussion Down Under, let alone complaint. But here's the thing. It depends where you start measuring from, of course, but the idea that Australia is physically closer to China is hokum. By the most obvious measure, Vancouver is 435 kilometres closer to Beijing (actual distance 8,508 km) than Beijing is to Sydney (8,943 km). By another measure, Sydney is only 1,000 km closer to Shanghai than Vancouver is. Mind you, it must also be said that Australia is far more reliant than Canada on trade moving through the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca. Canada has many more shipping lanes to choose from. Despite their similarly resource-oriented export economies, extreme climates and thin populations, there are startling differences in how Canada and Australia have tackled the security challenges of this century. The standard line from Ottawa these days is that the Canadian government cannot possibly consider any other issue at the moment because the government's entire focus is on coronavirus. Yet faced with the same lethal disease and the horrendous economic fallout and deficits that it's triggered, Australia has found time to address alarming security concerns in the western Pacific. Pushing the COVID-19 calamity aside for a moment, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared last week that because it was “a more dangerous world,” his country intended to increase defence spending by as much as 40 per cent, or a whopping $255 billion over the next decade. The money will pay for submarines, greatly improved cyber capabilities, and the establishment of military partnerships with smaller nations in the western Pacific, which are constantly bullied by China. The Canadian government has often seemed paralyzed by the COVID-19 crisis and China's kidnappings of the Two Michaels and has been slow to react to the rapidly changing security environment. This includes not yet banning Huawei's G5 cellular network, as Australia has done. Nor has Ottawa indicated anything about the future of defence spending in an era when Canada's national debt has now ballooned to more than $1 trillion. Faced with similar public health and economic challenges as Canada, Australian diplomats, generals and admirals have recently increased military and trade ties with India and are completing a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Japan that affords troops from the two countries legal protections and presupposes that they will collaborate more closely with each other in the future. Canberra also inked a deal with Tokyo last week to collaborate on war-fighting in the space domain and closer military ties. Despite complaints of “gross interference” in China's internal affairs by Beijing's foreign ministry, Australia has also agreed to let about 14,000 visitors from Hong Kong extend their visas by five years and will offer an accelerated path for Chinese students to obtain Australian citizenship. Perhaps most alarming from Beijing's point-of-view, the Quad intelligence group, which includes Australia, Japan, India and the U.S., could be about to add a military dimension. Navies from all four countries are expected to take part in joint naval exercises soon in the Indian Ocean. Even before announcing a huge increase, defence spending was already at 1.9 per cent of Australia's GDP. The defence budget in Canada has remained static near 1 per cent for years, despite a pledge to NATO six years ago by former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, and repeated several times since by current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that defence spending would soar to 2 per cent. As it is, the Australian Defence Force spends about $15 billion a year more on defence than Canada does. That money buys a lot of kit and capability. The ADF has two new fleets of frontline fighter jets, the Super Hornet and the F-35, has attack helicopters and new maritime surveillance aircraft, is building a dozen French-designed attack submarines, and already has two huge, new assault ships and other new warships. The Canadian Armed Forces are a very poor second to Australia with 40-year old CF-18 fighter jets and surveillance aircraft, 30-year old submarines that seldom put to sea and no assault ships or attack helicopters. Aside from the red herring of geographic proximity, there are other factors that account for the stark differences in how Australia and Canada regard defence spending and the threat posed by an ascendant China. Many Canadians believe that the U.S. will protect them so do not see why should they pay more for their own defence. Australia also has a longstanding all-party consensus that national security is a top priority. The two main political parties in Canada regard procurement as football to be kicked around. Neither of them has a declared foreign policy. A cultural contrast is that Canadians have bought into a peacekeeping myth that has never really been true and is certainly not true today, while largely ignoring the wars its troops fought with great distinction in. Australians remain far more focused on recalling what their troops did in the Boer War, the two World Wars and Korea. As well as finally working on some joint defence procurement projects, Canada and Australia should collaborate with each other and other western nations to prevent China from playing them off against each other in trade. For example, Canadian farmers recently grabbed Australia's share of the barley market after China banned Australian barley in response to Canberra's demand for an independent investigation into what Beijing knew and when about COVID-19. The Australians did the same in reverse when Canadian canola was banned by China. Australia has moved to protect what it regards as its national interests by calling out China on human rights and spending much more on defence with little apparent fear as to how China might retaliate. Ottawa has not yet articulated what its interests are and acts as if it is scared at how China might respond if it takes a tougher stance. What must be acknowledged in Ottawa is that the coronavirus has not caused China to abandon or even pause for a moment in pursuit of its goal of shaping a new world order not only in the western Pacific but wherever it can. Australia is seriously upping its game in response. Canada remains silent. Matthew Fisher is an international affairs columnist and foreign correspondent who has worked abroad for 35 years. You can follow him on Twitter at @mfisheroverseas https://globalnews.ca/news/7161890/commentary-canada-should-follow-australias-example-in-defence-foreign-policy/

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  July 6, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Electrical Components International Acquires Promark Electronics

  July 06, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time ST. LOUIS & MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electrical Components International, Inc. (“ECI”), a leading global supplier of wire harnesses, electrical components, and sub-assemblies for diversified industrial markets, today announced the acquisition of Promark Electronics Inc. (“Promark Electronics”). Founded in 1987 by Syd Knecht, Promark Electronics is a manufacturer of wire harnesses and cable and electromechanical assemblies utilized by commercial electric vehicles and other technically-complex, mission-critical products. With the growing demand for commercial electric vehicles, Promark Electronics has developed high-voltage cable and assemblies as part of its ProEV™ platform, which has made it a trusted partner to leading commercial electric vehicle manufacturers. The company will continue and expand its manufacturing operations in its Montreal, Quebec, Canada facilities. “We are excited to partner with Promark Electronics and establish ECI as the high-voltage harness supplier of choice in high-value, high-growth markets,” said Mike Balsei, Chief Executive Officer of ECI. “With ECI's global scale and Promark Electronics' proprietary solutions, we will be able to help manufacturers meet the increasing demand for commercial electric vehicles as well as in adjacent e-mobility verticals.” The Knecht Family will continue to lead the Promark Electronics team. In a joint statement, Jarred, Brandon, and Robert Knecht commented: “We are incredibly proud of the business and reputation that our family has built over the past three decades. We are thrilled to have found an industry-leading partner to help us further accelerate our growth, particularly in the e-mobility space. We are excited to join the ECI family, deepen our customer relationships, and continue our long track record of innovation and excellence.” ECI is a portfolio company of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (“Cerberus”), a global leader in alternative investing. Earlier this year, ECI acquired Omni Connection International, a manufacturer of wire harnesses and connection systems for leading tier one automotive suppliers. Michael Sanford, Senior Managing Director at Cerberus, added: “Promark Electronics adds a highly complementary platform serving a rapidly growing market. We remain excited about the strategic opportunities for ECI and look forward to supporting the business' continued growth.” Barclays served as financial advisor and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP served as legal counsel to ECI and Cerberus. Lincoln International LLC, Crowe BGK, and EY served as financial advisors to Promark Electronics and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP acted as legal counsel. About ECI Founded in 1953, Electrical Components International, Inc. (ECI) is one of the world's leading wire harness, electrical components, and sub-assembly suppliers for diversified industrial markets. With nearly 22,000 employees in 31 facilities spanning eight countries and four continents, ECI's “blue-chip” customer base includes many firms in the Fortune 500 across the appliance, HVAC, construction, agriculture, transportation, and critical infrastructure sectors. For more information about ECI, visit www.ecintl.com. About Promark Electronics Founded in 1987 by Syd Knecht and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Promark Electronics is a state-of-the-art electronics manufacturer, serving OEMs in industries with complex production processes and applications, including e-mobility, industrial technology, medical, mining, aerospace, space, and defense industries. For more information, visit www.PMK.com. About Cerberus Founded in 1992, Cerberus is a global leader in alternative investing with over $55 billion in assets across complementary credit, private equity, and real estate strategies. We invest across the capital structure where our integrated investment platforms and proprietary operating capabilities create an edge to improve performance and drive long-term value. Our tenured teams have experience working collaboratively across asset classes, sectors, and geographies to seek strong risk-adjusted returns for our investors. For more information about our people and platforms, visit us at www.cerberus.com. Contacts ECI Julie Mottershead julie.mottershead@ecintl.com (314) 261-7774 Cerberus Akash Lodh Sard Verbinnen & Co. Cerberus-SVC@sardverb.com (202) 758-4263