March 7, 2022 | Local, Aerospace
March 5, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, C4ISR
PAL Aerospace wins government aerial surveillance contract
PAL Aerospace is pleased to be awarded a contract to provide aerial surveillance for Canada's inland, coastal and offshore waters on behalf of the Government of Canada.
The expanded contract, delivered on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, covers an initial five-year period and includes opportunities for PAL Aerospace to earn contract extensions that increase the life of the agreement to 10 years. PAL Aerospace has been providing this critical service under contract to the government since 1990.
“This contract award confirms the Government of Canada's confidence in our company's ability to execute the most advanced maritime surveillance program of its type in the world,” said PAL CEO Brian Chafe. “The program is an excellent example of the successful public-private partnership that continues to drive innovation and support employment in Canada.”
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for the monitoring, control, and surveillance of Canada's fisheries waters, as well as certain international areas, such as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area, and the North Pacific.
“PAL Aerospace's work on behalf of the Government of Canada will ensure highly skilled employment and important economic benefits from coast to coast,” said Jake Trainor, chief operating officer of PAL Aerospace. “From St. John's to Campbell River, our operations and employees look forward to delivering this important work for Canadians.”
PAL Aerospace's critical role in the delivery of Canada's aerial surveillance program provides the Government of Canada with the capability to monitor domestic and foreign vessel activities and detect potential violations. The program also contributes significantly to pollution surveillance, environmental monitoring, and marine security for a number of other federal departments and agencies.
“This contract is a significant investment in the Newfoundland and Labrador economy that will support our bright future in the community,” said Derek Scott, vice-president of Program Development for PAL Aerospace. “Ensuring we meet Fisheries and Oceans Canada's service expectations for this contract will push us to improve and expand our already significant core capabilities. In doing so, PAL Aerospace will be better positioned to continue developing and delivering value added Canadian technology and innovative practices to domestic and export markets.”
Under the new contract, PAL Aerospace will provide Fisheries and Oceans Canada with service through a combination of Beechcraft King Air B200 medium-range aircraft and Dash 8-100 series long-range aircraft, all associated ground support and other related services. The aircraft will operate from bases in St. John's, N.L.; Halifax, N.S.; and Campbell River, B.C.
https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/pal-aerospace-wins-government-aerial-surveillance-contract
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February 5, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
Griffon life extension program to include upgraded sims
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will be seeking an upgrade to its CH-146 Griffon maintenance and flight training simulators as part of a life extension project for the multi-role utility helicopters. The first phase of the project, which is intended to keep the fleet of 85 Griffons flying until at least 2031, took off on Jan. 26 with the award of a $90 million contract to Bell Helicopter Textron Canada to develop and design options for the avionics systems, engines, integrated sensors and cockpit displays. A follow-on contract to install new systems and upgrade others is expected in 2022. Around the same time, the federal government will be inviting industry to respond to a request for proposals to modernize the Griffon simulators, according to a Department of National Defence spokesperson. “The upgrade to the flight simulation devices will be procured under a separate contract,” she said in an emailed response. The CH-146 simulators were built by CAE and delivered to the RCAF in the mid-1990s, shortly before the helicopters entered service between 1995 and 1997. CAE continues to provide in-service support. As part of what is being called the Griffon Limited Life Extension (GLLE) project, the RCAF wants to replace a number of the helicopter's avionics systems, including communications radios and cryptographic equipment, cockpit voice and flight recorders, the navigation systems, the automatic flight control systems, and the control display units. Obsolescence of critical components has been a problem for maintenance technicians for several years now. The design phase will also look at upgrades to the engines and to the sensor suite. The CH-146, which is based on the Bell 412, performs a variety of transport, close fire support and armed escort missions for tactical aviation and special operations forces. However, it has a top speed of around 260 kilometres per hour, well below that of the Boeing CH-147F Chinook that it escorts during missions such as Operation Presence in Mali. “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,” RCAF commander LGen Al Meinzinger said in a statement. While aircrews would like more speed, more lift and bigger guns as part of any upgrade program, the current platform meets most of their needs, Col Travis Morehen, commanding officer of 1 Wing, the RCAF's tactical aviation headquarters in Kingston, Ont., told Skies in a recent interview. “I think we have done a really good job of exploiting what we can do with the Griffon,” said Morehen, who is currently serving as commander of the Canadian Armed Forces task force in Mali. “I don't think there are many nations that have been as agile and flexible with that type of platform as we have, whether it is the combat service support role for search and rescue, or precision insertion for special operations . . . or what we are doing in terms of utility lift, or providing, with the GAU-21 (.50 Cal machine gun), stand off fires.” Whatever the changes that are ultimately accepted as part of the initial design phase now being conducted by Bell, the helicopters will require upgraded flight training and maintenance simulators to match. The GLLE project, including modernized simulators, is expected to reach initial operational capability by 2024 and be fully operational by 2026. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/griffon-life-extension-program-to-include-upgraded-sims/
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November 22, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Major defence procurements and Phoenix pay fiasco will keep rookie MP busy
DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Rookie MP Anita Anand was named to one of the federal government's toughest portfolios on Wednesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rearranged his cabinet. Anand, a lawyer, takes over as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, replacing Carla Qualtrough, who became Minister of Employment and Workforce Development. Anand was elected in the October federal election to represent the riding of Oakville. She was a law professor at the University of Toronto specializing in corporate governance and shareholder rights. Anand will have a busy portfolio dealing with the ongoing Phoenix pay fiasco as well as high profile defence procurements such as the acquisition of a new fighter jet fleet as well as the Canadian Surface Combatant program. The fighter jet project is estimated to cost taxpayers up to $19 billion and bids are expected by the end of March. The surface combatant project is estimated to cost between $60 billion and $65 billion. Her background in corporate governance could come in handy as she tries to navigate these two key programs. Other major defence projects that Anand will have to deal with include shipbuilding programs like the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and the Joint Support Ships, both for the Royal Canadian Navy, as well as new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. Anand will also have to be briefed on the way ahead for the selection of a third shipyard to contribute vessels to the national shipbuilding strategy. Davie Shipbuilding in Levis, Que. is seen as a frontrunner in that competition but an Ontario shipyard is also interested. The Liberals also promised to create a defence procurement agency as part of efforts to improve the purchasing of military equipment so it is expected that Anand will play a key role in the creation of that new organization. The Liberals, however, had said very little about the procurement agency since mentioning it during the election campaign and details about how it would be set up haven't been provided. Other faces in the cabinet announced Wednesday will be familiar to those involved in defence and veterans affairs. Harjit Sajjan remains as Minister of National Defence. Sajjan, who was first appointed defence minister in the fall of 2015, has earned mixed reviews for his performance. But he provides Trudeau with an experienced minister who won't have to be brought up to speed on the defence portfolio. Navdeep Singh Bains continues on as Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Lawrence MacAulay returns as the Veterans Affairs Minister. Nova Scotia MP Bernadette Jordan, who was first elected in 2015, was named as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. Although that is seen as a promotion for Jordan, she has experience in the portfolio as she has served as chair of the Commons' fisheries and oceans committee. The coast guard is expected to receive new vessels, including icebreakers. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/major-defence-procurements-and-phoenix-pay-fiasco-will-keep-rookie-mp-busy