February 6, 2019 | Local, Naval

Ottawa pushes navy's planned supply ships to the front of the construction queue

Murray Brewster · CBC News

The Liberal government has decided to pull out all the stops on the construction of the navy's planned permanent supply ships — a move that's raised questions about how quickly the Canadian Coast Guard will get a critical oceanographic science vessel.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) issued a statement Tuesday that announced the re-sequencing of the construction schedules for vessels being built at the Vancouver Shipyard, which is owned by Seaspan.

The company has already started preliminary construction work on the first of the navy's long-awaited Joint Support Ships and the federal government says the work will continue until the vessel is completed.

Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Seaspan was suppose to first construct three small fisheries research ships and a larger oceanographic vessel before working on the navy's long-awaited supply ships.

Adhering to that plan in the face of repeated organizational delays meant delivery of those supply ships — which are considered critical to allowing the navy to operate beyond Canadian shores — would not happen until 2023 at the earliest.

The PSPC statement said that once the first supply ship is finished, Seaspan will turn its attention to the coast guard oceanographic ship and then build the last planned naval supply ship.

"Given the complexity of this build, this change in sequencing will ensure focused engineering resources on each of the projects, while allowing for time between construction of the first and second [Joint Support Ship] to incorporate lessons learned," said PSPC spokesman Pierre-Alain Bujold in a statement.

"Moreover, this allows for uninterrupted work at the shipyard, mitigating the risk of potential layoffs and production gaps between builds."

Bujold said additional details on the construction schedule will be released at a later date.

The change to the schedule was, according to sources in the defence industry, agreed upon at the recent Trudeau government cabinet retreat in Sherbrooke, Que.

Rob Huebert, a defence expert at the University of Calgary, said the decision "leaves most people scratching their heads" because of the difficulty involved in getting a shipyard to switch up construction between different types of vessels.

"Why you would interrupt the building of ships by putting another style and class of vessel in the middle completely boggles my mind," said Huebert, a noted expert on the Arctic. "I don't know why you would do it."

If anything, he said, the federal government should simply build both naval ships and then move on the coast guard ship.

The re-sequencing means the navy could be waiting until the late 2020s for its second supply vessel, which would make the program a multi-decade odyssey.

The Liberal government of former prime minister Paul Martin originally ordered the replacement of the auxiliary ships in 2004, but the program was cancelled in 2008 by the Conservatives when cost estimates exceeded the budget envelope.

Huebert said Tuesday's announcement also raises questions about when Canadians will see the heavy icebreaker that Seaspan is also slated to build.

The PSPC website says the program is under review and "no activities are planned until work on other projects has advanced."

The federal government apparently has not yet formally notified Seaspan of the schedule change, although the shipyard has awarded a series of sub-contracts to companies such as INDAL in Mississauga, Ont., and L3 MAPPS in Montreal, for supply ship components.

Seaspan is expected to announce another contract on Wednesday with Lockheed Martin Canada related to the supply ships.

Ever since the Conservatives cancelled the first iteration of the supply ship project, the federal government has struggled to get it back on track, setting and missing several deadlines.

The supply ships were supposed to arrive in 2017. The date was pushed back to 2019, and then to 2022. The absence of a supply ship prompted the Davie shipyard, in Levis, Que., to pitch a converted civilian cargo ship for navy use.

That $668 million lease deal is at the centre of the breach-of-trust case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Davie is pitching the federal government on leasing another cargo ship.

A spokesman for Davie, Frederik Boisvert, called Tuesday's decision "an insult to taxpayers" and claimed that Seaspan has failed to deliver on the supply ship project and "should be blacklisted by the government and not rewarded for failure."

The effect of switching up the schedule means the navy might not need a second supply ship leasing deal.

Sources within the coast guard and the defence industry have said that the design and project coordination for the fisheries science vessel is not as far advanced as the navy supply ship program and that is an important factor in the federal government's timing decision.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-pushes-navy-s-planned-supply-ships-to-the-front-of-the-construction-queue-1.5006785

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December 19, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

Canada’s fighter jets up to peacetime standard in Romania
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January 28, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Government of Canada invests in the modernization of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CH-146 Griffon
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The first phase of this life extension is the definition phase, during which Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited – the original equipment manufacturer – will develop design changes to upgrade the helicopter's avionics systems, engines, and cockpit displays, and integrate sensor systems. This definition work, valued at up to $90 million (including taxes), will be performed under the existing support contract for the CH-146, which was awarded to Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited in 2011. The overall scope of the Griffon Limited Life Extension project is estimated to be valued at approximately $800 million (taxes included). The Griffon, Canada's multi-purpose utility helicopter, is essential to CAF operations both at home and abroad. The helicopter fills a number of functions, including tactical troop transport, reconnaissance, escort and surveillance, casualty evacuation, disaster relief, special operations aviation support, and search and rescue. Upgrading the CH-146 will ensure that it continues to make important contributions to the success of the full range of the CAF's missions and operations. Quotes “Through our defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, we are providing the women and men of our Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment they need to do the important work we ask of them. A tactical transport helicopter capability is absolutely critical to the success of the full range of military operations. With these upgrades, we are ensuring that our military can continue to rely on this proven helicopter for years to come.” Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence “We are ensuring the women and men who proudly serve in our Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need to carry out their important work at home and abroad. While investing in military equipment maintenance, we are also creating good middle-class jobs and generating growth for Canadians businesses.” Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility “I am proud to be announcing the modernization of the CH-146 Griffon. This project benefits both Canadian industry and our women and men in uniform by supporting high-quality jobs while ensuring the RCAF has the equipment it needs to succeed in operations.” Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism “Our government's policy ensures Bell Helicopter will invest back into our economy on a dollar-for-dollar basis to the total value of the contract. Through these investments and their partnerships with Canadian industry, Bell Helicopter will continue to be a key contributor to our economic growth, creating more jobs for Canadians and spurring innovation.” Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development “Extending the life of the CH-146 Griffon fleet will ensure the longevity of the RCAF's tactical helicopter capability. These helicopters have performed extremely well over the years and with these new upgrades, they will continue to be a valuable asset that will allow our personnel to carry out missions and operations successfully well into the future.” Lieutenant-General A.L. Meinzinger, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force Quick facts CH-146 Griffons are currently deployed on Operation PRESENCE in Mali, providing an armed escort for the CH-147 Chinooks during medical evacuations and transport of troops and supplies. Griffons are also deployed on Operation IMPACT in Iraq, carrying Canadian troops, equipment, and supplies in support of the CAF's training mission. CH-146 Griffons provided close fire support and tactical transport during the CAF's engagement in Afghanistan, reducing exposure of CAF personnel to ground threats such as ambushes, land mines, and improvised explosive devices. The CH-146 is based on the commercially available Bell 412 helicopter, and was developed with unique specifications for the Canadian Armed Forces. Canada's fleet of CH-146 Griffons entered service between 1995 and 1997. The CH-146 can carry up to 15 people (two pilots, a flight engineer, and 12 passengers), has a maximum gross weight of nearly 5,400 kilograms, and can reach speeds up to 260 kilometres per hour. The Griffon Limited Life-Extension (GLLE) project will extend the life of the fleet to at least 2031 while the project for the acquisition of the next generation of tactical utility helicopters is developed and implemented. Once the definition phase is complete, a separate contract is expected to be awarded for implementation in 2022. Associated links CH-146 Griffon https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2019/01/government-of-canada-invests-in-the-modernization-of-the-royal-canadian-air-forces-ch-146-griffon.html
May 9, 2019 | Local, Naval

Federal bureaucrats considering proposal to award Irving contracts for more Arctic coast guard ships
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Federal officials are setting the stage to award Irving Shipbuilding contracts to build two more Arctic and offshore patrol ships but the vessels will be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard instead of the navy. Irving has been warning the Liberal government it might have to lay off employees at its Halifax shipyard if it doesn't get more shipbuilding work. Industry and defence sources say to deal with that issue a proposal is being put together that would see the construction of two more Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, known as AOPS. Irving is currently building six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy. But under this new plan, described by government officials as being at a “pre-decision” level, the vessels would be turned over to the coast guard. The additional ships would help head off any layoffs at Irving and allow the Liberal government to head into the federal election in the fall claiming it was delivering on its promise to rebuild the coast guard. The Liberals have yet to sign off on the plan, the sources added. Ashley Michnowski, a spokeswoman for Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough, said the national shipbuilding strategy or NSS is designed as a “made-in-Canada plan” to meet federal shipbuilding requirements. “Additional AOPS are currently not included in the NSS,” she added. Irving Shipbuilding did not respond to a request for comment. The NSS was supposed to prevent the boom and bust in the country's shipbuilding industry by providing Seaspan on the West Coast and Irving on the East Coast with continual work. But that hasn't happened. Even though the government is proceeding with the ships outlined in the NSS, both Seaspan and Irving have complained they might have to let employees go because of gaps in construction schedules. Irving has said it needs addition work to deal with a downturn that comes after the end of construction of AOPS and the start of work on a new fleet of surface combatant ships. The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships project was for the construction of five vessels. A sixth ship would be built only if Irving could find savings in the construction process, according to the federal government. That, however, didn't happen. In November the Liberal government announced it would award Irving a contract for a sixth AOPS as part of its efforts to stop layoffs. That $800-million initiative is double the usual cost of a single AOPS as there are hefty fees associated with stretching out the production of the fleet. It is unclear how much extra a plan to build two more AOPS would cost. If the plan does proceed there would have to be changes made to the design of the ship as the AOPS are outfitted with weapons and a combat management system for the navy. The AOPS program has made headlines over the years. The first Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship was supposed to be delivered in 2013 but the program has faced delays, and it is now expected to be delivered to the navy this summer. In March, Postmedia sent Procurement Canada questions about potential issues with welds on the ships. But the department immediately warned Irving that the news organization was asking questions. Department officials also provided Irving with personal information about the journalist inquiring about the welds. Procurement Canada never did answer the questions but a short time later Irving Shipbuilding threatened a lawsuit against Postmedia if an article was published claiming there were substantial problems with welds on the ships. The Department of National Defence later confirmed to the news chain there were issues with welds but they were minor. https://nationalpost.com/news/federal-bureaucrats-considering-proposal-to-award-irving-contracts-for-more-arctic-coast-guard-ships

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