December 7, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, C4ISR
Murray Brewster · CBC News
The Liberal government has budgeted up to $20 million in this fiscal year to rejoin NATO's Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) program, reversing a Conservative-era budget cut in the name of alliance utility and solidarity.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and other senior officials recently appeared before a House of Commons committee to talk about the country's return to the long-standing alliance programme, which sees more than a dozen nations cost-share the operation of E3-A surveillance planes.
New documents, released to CBC News under access to information law, show Canada has agreed to a partial return to the program through operations and support.
It's a compromise decision that leaves the country's aerospace companies partly out in the cold — and one expert is questioning whether the reasons which led the former government to drop out of the program still exist.
One of the major complaints voiced about the program behind closed doors in Stephen Harper's government had to do with NATO's reluctance to deploy the sophisticated surveillance aircraft on missions to Afghanistan and Iraq.
The aircraft eventually were used for those missions, but not without considerable debate and what some Canadian officials saw as foot-dragging on NATO's part.
Defence expert Dave Perry said that, going forward, the Liberals will have to justify this particular reinvestment more carefully.
"If they don't actually use them in an operational context when it matters, then it's going to be a tough sell," he told CBC News.
National Defence defends the decision to jump back into the program, saying in an email that "several things have changed, causing Canada to re-evaluate the relevancy" of its participation.
A major factor is the introduction of the Liberal government's new defence policy, which emphasizes the need for better surveillance and reconnaissance.
Canada had been part of the AWACS program for decades. When the Conservatives pulled the plug they cast the decision in economic terms, saying it had "little direct benefit."
The planes were deployed in Europe and occasionally on other operations.
The debate within the Harper government was over the logic of paying for a defence system that doesn't contribute directly to the defence of North America.
"Accordingly, it is debatable whether it is appropriate for Canada to carry nearly 10 per cent of the programme, given that it is one of the two NATO members on the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean, and, as such, would benefit considerably less from AWACS than the 26 members on the European side," reads a March 22, 2016 internal government briefing note.
NATO AWACS aircraft currently fly surveillance missions in support of reassurance measures in eastern Europe ordered after Russia's annexation of Crimea. The program is also providing "tailored assurance measures" for Turkey because of the crisis in Syria and is watching out for terrorist movement in the Mediterranean Sea.
"I think time will tell, and it will depend on whether these aircraft are actually used," said Perry, an analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
"If they're not used, then it will be a struggle to justify Canadian participation, however good it is for wider burden-sharing within the alliance and support to allies."
The internal briefing note shows the decision to quit in 2011 cost Canadian defence contractors the right to bid on hundreds of millions of dollars in work related to the modernization of observation planes, known for their distinctive radar domes.
Rejoining the plan will allow Canadian companies a finite set of bidding opportunities, a National Defence spokeswoman said.
"Canada did not regain access to AWACS-related industrial benefits for modernization and upgrade when it re-engaged with the program," said Jessica Lamirande in an email.
"However, Canadian industry has regained eligibility to compete for contracts related to the operations and maintenance of the AWACS."
The briefing shows Canada is, in some respects, being treated like a new member of the plan, which means Ottawa pays for operations and support of the aircraft "while the fleet modernization will continue to be the responsibility of the programme's current 16 members, who will retain all of the industrial benefits associated with the programme."
Prior to the Liberal government's decision to return to the program, officials held out the hope that rejoining might "restore Canada's ability to bid on such contracts."
Conservative defence critic James Bezan described the government's approach as a "half-measure" and said rejoining AWACS became necessary after the Ukrainian crisis.
"They're not spending as much as we were and we're not getting the full benefits of industrial contracts," he said, noting the Commons defence committee pointed out that Canada was not getting everything it could out of NATO contract opportunities.
"The Liberals are always late to the table and that's what we're seeing here."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/awac-nato-surveillance-ukraine-1.4931098
April 21, 2024 | Local, Land
A leading member of the Ukrainian parliament delivered stark warnings to Canadian politicians and top defence officials this week in a series of mostly under-the-radar meetings in Ottawa ahead of the long-anticipated aid vote in the U.S. Congress.
February 11, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
Bob Weber / The Canadian Press Recent Russian moves in the Arctic have renewed debate over that country's intentions and Canada's own status at the top of the world. The newspaper Izvestia reported late last month that Russia's military will resume fighter patrols to the North Pole for the first time in 30 years. The patrols will be in addition to regular bomber flights up to the edge of U.S. and Canadian airspace. "It's clearly sending strategic messaging," said Whitney Lackenbauer, an Arctic expert and history professor at the University of Waterloo. "This is the next step." Russia has been beefing up both its civilian and military capabilities in its north for a decade. Old Cold-War-era air bases have been rejuvenated. Foreign policy observers have counted four new Arctic brigade combat teams, 14 new operational airfields, 16 deepwater ports and 40 icebreakers with an additional 11 in development. Bomber patrols have been steady. NORAD has reported up to 20 sightings and 19 intercepts a year. Commercial infrastructure has kept pace as well. A vast new gas field has been opened in the Yamal Peninsula on the central Russian coast. Control and development of the Northern Sea Route — Russia's equivalent of the Northwest Passage — has been given to a central government agency. Russian news sources say cargo volume is expected to grow to 40 million tonnes in 2020 from 7.5 million tonnes in 2016. Canada has little to compare. A road has been completed to the Arctic coast at Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories and work for a port at Iqaluit in Nunavut is underway. The first Arctic patrol vessel has been launched, satellite surveillance has been enhanced and a naval refuelling station built on Baffin Island. But most northern infrastructure desires remain unfilled. No all-weather roads exist down the Mackenzie Valley or into the mineral-rich central N.W.T. Modern needs such as high-speed internet are still dreams in most of the North. A new icebreaker has been delayed. Nearing the end of its term, the Liberal government has yet to table an official Arctic policy. Global Affairs Canada spokesman Richard Walker said in an email that the government is "firmly asserting" its presence in the North to protect Canada's sovereign Arctic territory. Walker said Canada cooperates with all Arctic Council members, including Russia, to advance shared interests that include sustainable development, the roles of Indigenous peoples, environmental protection and scientific research. "Given the harsh environment and the high cost of Arctic operations, Canada believes that cooperation amongst Arctic nations is essential," Walker wrote. "While we perceive no immediate military threat in the Arctic region, we remain vigilant in our surveillance of our Northern approaches." Canada needs to keep pace if only because it can't count on the current international order to hold, said John Higginbotham of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo. "If the globalized system fragments, we're going to get a world of blocs. The blocs will have power to close international shipping channels. "It's a dreadful strategic mistake for Canada to give up our own sea route." Arctic dominance would also give Russia a potent card to play, said Rob Huebert of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. "It gives you presence," he said. "Whenever there's issues that happen to occur elsewhere, we've already seen the behaviour of the Russians — they start doing overflights of other countries to bring pressure." Norway, the Baltics and the United Kingdom have all reported increased airspace violations, Huebert said. Few expect Russian troops to come pouring over the North Pole. The country is sticking with a United Nations process for drawing borders in Arctic waters and is a productive member of the eight-nation Arctic Council. "There's vigorous debate over whether their posture is offensive-oriented," Lackenbauer said. "The Russians insist this is purely defensive. It also offers possibilities for safe and secure shipping in the Northern Sea Route. "They're not doing anything wrong." Canada would be mistaken to ignore the awakening bear, said Ron Wallace of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute in Calgary. "It's important for Canadians to be aware of their Arctic and the circumpolar Arctic and what's going on in the North," he said. Canada is unlikely to take much from Russia's command-and-control style of development, Wallace said, but there are lessons to learn. Combining civilian and military infrastructure is one of them. "That's the kind of thinking I haven't seen here, but that's the thinking the Russians are using," he said. "They see the northern trade route as an excuse to put up military bases at the same time they're working with the Chinese to open up trade routes for the export of their resources." That would also help fulfil federal promises to territorial governments, said Wallace. "Somewhere in the middle there is a better policy for northern Canada." — Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960 https://www.burnabynow.com/strategic-messaging-russian-fighters-in-arctic-spark-debate-on-canada-s-place-1.23629355
September 9, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
Leonardo and CAE USA have joined forces to collaborate in the United States to offer integrated solutions for helicopter training requirements for the government market. A memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed recently between the companies that expands on the long-established relationship between Leonardo and CAE in helicopter training. The MoA is focused on delivering tailored helicopter-and-training packages to U.S. government operators and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The companies will provide low risk and best value by offering a comprehensive and integrated training solution that includes aircraft, simulators and courseware. Working together to create a cohesive flight training package, Leonardo and CAE will be at the forefront of integrated, live, and virtual training developed for specific aircraft missions. The integrated offerings from Leonardo and CAE could include advanced helicopters, simulators and training devices, courseware, training services, and training centers. Each arrangement will be specific to the customer and determined on a case-by-case basis. William Hunt, CEO AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation, said: “Leonardo has a long history of collaborating with CAE for helicopter training. By creating integrated training systems for the U.S. government together, we are able to offer forward-looking, cost effective solutions that ensure mission success.” “We look forward to collaborating with Leonardo on training opportunities in the U.S. military market related to Leonardo's range of helicopter platforms,” said Ray Duquette, president and general manager, CAE USA. “Our extensive experience in helicopter simulation and training and specifically on Leonardo helicopters means we will be able to offer timely, cost-effective and integrated training solutions to our U.S. customers.” https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/leonardo-cae-collaborate-on-helicopter-training-solutions-for-u-s-government/