Poland shortlists Boeing, Bell for combat helo acquisition

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  November 10, 2021 | Local, C4ISR, Security

  IDEaS announces more opportunities with the launch of its 3rd Innovation Networks call for proposals \\ Le programme IDEeS annonce plus d’opportunités avec le lancement de son 3e appel à propositions pour les résea

  New Innovation Networks call: Faster, Stronger, More Secure: Advancing 5G capabilities and concepts for Defence and Security In response to the rapid development and deployment of commercial 5G technologies, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking to stimulate the application of advances in technologies for 5G and beyond to defence and security problems. IDEaS' newest Innovation Networks challenge Faster, Stronger, More Secure: Advancing 5G capabilities and concepts for Defence and Security aims to develop research clusters (called Micro-nets) to leverage existing work on commercial applications to address DND/CAF needs with applications for: Architectures for Defence and Security Operations; Assured Performance and Security; Applications and Sensors. Since 2018, IDEaS funded 12 micro-networks through the 1st and 2nd Call for Proposals (Advanced Material and Autonomous Systems), investing more than $18 million in research and development under this element alone. Funding is through a non-repayable contribution, with up to $1.5 million available per Micro-net over a three year research period. The deadline to submit a letter of intent to the 5G micro-network is December 7, 2021. To learn more about the application process, visit our website. Webinar on Aerospace & Space Opportunities in Australia for Canadian innovators The Ontario Aerospace Council is hosting a complimentary information session on Aerospace & Space which will detail opportunities available to Canadian innovators in Australia's aerospace and space sectors. The webinar is scheduled for November 15, 2021 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm EST. To learn more and to register, please visit: https://theoac.ca/event/AerospaceInAustralia2021 The IDEaS Team Plus rapide, plus fort, plus sécurisé : avancer les capacités et les concepts 5G pour la défense et la sécurité En réponse au développement et au déploiement rapides des technologies 5G commerciales, le ministère de la Défense nationale et les Forces armées canadiennes (MDN/FAC) cherchent à stimuler l'application des avancées technologiques pour la 5G et au-delà aux problèmes de défense et de sécurité. Le plus récent défi des réseaux d'innovation Plus rapide, plus fort, plus sécurisé : avancer les capacités et les concepts 5G pour la défense et la sécurité vise à développer des groupes de recherche (appelées micro-réseaux) pour tirer parti des travaux existants sur les applications commerciales afin de répondre aux besoins du MDN/des FAC avec des applications pour : • Architectures pour les opérations de défense et de sécurité ; • Performance et sécurité assurées ; • Applications et capteurs. Depuis 2018, IDEeS a financé 12 micro-réseaux via les 1er et 2e appels de propositions (matériaux de pointe et systèmes autonomes), investissant plus de 18 millions de dollars en recherche et développement sur ce seul élément. Le financement est assuré par une contribution non remboursable, avec jusqu'à 1,5 million de dollars disponibles par micro-réseau sur une période de recherche de trois ans. La date limite pour soumettre la lettre d'intention au défi d'innovation des micro-réseaux 5G est le 7 décembre 2021. Pour en savoir plus sur le processus de candidature, visitez notre site Web. Webinaire sur les opportunités aérospatiales et spatiales en Australie pour les innovateurs canadiens Le Conseil de l'aérospatiale de l'Ontario organise une séance d'information gratuite sur l'aérospatiale et l'espace qui détaillera les possibilités offertes aux innovateurs canadiens dans les secteurs de l'aérospatiale et de l'espace en Australie. Le webinaire est prévu pour le 15 novembre 2021 de 14 h 00 à 15 h 00 HNE. Pour en savoir plus et pour vous inscrire, veuillez visiter : https://theoac.ca/event/AerospaceInAustralia2021. L'équipe IDEeS

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  December 17, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  Saab offers two aerospace centres in Gripen E proposal for Canada’s Future Fighter

  By Garrett Reim14 December 2020 Saab is offering to open two new aerospace centres as part of its Gripen E proposal for Canada's Future Fighter Capability Project. The aerospace facilities, the Gripen Centre and the Aerospace Research & Development Centre, would be based in the greater Montreal region, the company announced at Aero Montreal's International Aerospace Innovation Forum 2020 on 14 December. Mission system software and hardware development, as well as integration, for the proposed Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Gripen E would be done at the Gripen Centre. The Aerospace Research & Development Centre would focus on a variety of aerospace technologies, including automation, artificial intelligence and “greening” technologies. That work may or may not be directly related to the Gripen E. Rather, the research and development would focus on next-generation aerospace technologies more generally. Saab is also in talks with undisclosed local universities about partnerships related to the aerospace centres, it says. Saab has only about 50 people working in Canada currently, across various businesses such as maritime traffic management and army training and simulation work. However, between the two aerospace centres, the company anticipates at least 3,000 people being directly employed. The RCAF is looking to buy 88 advanced fighters to replace its fleet of Boeing CF-18 Hornets. Canada's Department of National Defence estimates acquisition of the aircraft, related equipment and entry into service will cost C$15-19 billion ($11.8-14.9 billion). A contract is scheduled to be awarded in 2022 after evaluation by the RCAF. The air force wants the first jets received as soon as 2025. The new fleet is expected to fly beyond 2060. In addition to Saab, the RCAF received bids in July from Boeing, which is offering its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and Lockheed Martin, which is offering F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters. Canada is also part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, spending more than $500 million on the effort since 1997, an investment that has allowed Canadian companies to secure C$1.8 billion in contracts from the project. However, Ottawa has not yet committed to buying F-35s, hence the acquisition competition. Politicians objected to F-35s in part due to the high cost of early examples of the stealth fighter. The cost of the F-35A has fallen to $77.9 million per unit, though operating costs remains high, at $35,000 hourly. Lockheed has promised to lower that figure to $25,000 hourly by 2025. For its part, Saab has proposed that Canada's IMP Aerospace & Defence would handle in-country production of the Gripen E, and provide support over the lifetime of the fleet. The company says initial aircraft would be produced in Sweden to meet Ottawa's goal of first fighter delivery in 2025. It is still evaluating how many aircraft could be made in Canada, but says it aims to “maximise” the number. The rest of the Saab Gripen for Canada team would include CAE, which is to provide training and mission systems; Peraton Canada, which is to supply avionic and test equipment, as well as component maintenance, repair and overhaul, and material management; and GE Aviation, which is set to provide and sustain the fighters' turbine engines. https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/saab-offers-two-aerospace-centres-in-gripen-e-proposal-for-canadas-future-fighter/141602.article

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  April 22, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  COVID-19 latest hurdle in Canada's long road to buying new fighter jets

  OTTAWA — COVID-19 is presenting another challenge to Canada's long-running and tumultuous effort to buy new fighter jets. The federal government last summer launched a long-awaited competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's aging CF-18s with 88 new fighter jets at an estimated cost of $19 billion. The move followed a decade of controversy and mismanagement by various governments. The three companies still in the running are supposed to submit their bids at the end of June and, despite the pandemic, the federal procurement department insisted in an email to The Canadian Press that it still expects them to meet that deadline. The three companies vying for the lucrative contract are Lockheed Martin and Boeing from the U.S. and Sweden's Saab. Lockheed Martin builds the F-35 while Boeing is pitching its Super Hornet and Saab is offering its Gripen jet. Yet while representatives for the three companies say they are likewise plugging away at their respective proposals, a senior Boeing executive left the door open to asking the government for an extension as COVID-19 forces the company to adjust how it does business. "It's challenging, there's no question about it," Jim Barnes, the Boeing executive responsible for trying to sell the company's Super Hornet jet to Canada, said in an interview on Tuesday. "We want to make sure we put the most competitive offer on the table for the government of Canada to evaluate and we feel like we can put a very compelling offer. If we feel like we don't have time to finalize that competitive offer ... we would certainly ask for an extension." The government has already approved one extension to the competition since it was launched last July. Companies were supposed to submit their final bids at the end of March, but were given three more months after Saab asked for more time. Boeing continues to work closely with the U.S. government and navy on its bid and hopes to meet the current deadline, but Barnes said the pandemic has slowed things down as many staff work from home on a complex project with significant security considerations. "Then you have to take into consideration the health of your subject-matter experts in those areas where there are just a few people that can really work up those responses," he said. "Those kinds of things we're dealing with. I'm not sure if the other teams are dealing with that, but we are monitoring that and if we feel like we can't meet the deadline, we'll certainly consider an extension request as an option." Representatives for Lockheed Martin and Saab were more confident in being able to meet the current deadline. "Lockheed Martin remains prepared to provide a comprehensive proposal for Canada's future fighter capability project competition," Lockheed Martin Canada chief executive Lorraine Ben said in a statement. "We have not requested an extension of delivery for the FFCP preliminary proposal and we are excited to share more about the F-35's ability to strengthen and modernize defence, enhance ally partnerships and contribute to economic growth in Canada." Saab Canada president Simon Carroll expressed similar sentiments, saying in an interview that while there some challenges in preparing a bid during a pandemic, "we're certainly working towards that and are planning at this point in time to submit in accordance with that deadline." Yet there are also questions about the government's ability to move ahead on the project even if the companies do get their bids in on time, given the majority of federal employees are working at home. "Those submissions are going to have a combination of sensitive and classified information, and handling all that with a workforce, the majority of which is working from home, is going to be more difficult," said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "I think as a basic bottom line, it is completely illogical to think that the impacts of COVID-19 won't be running through the entire suite of defence procurements because you can't work as efficiently with a huge chunk of your workforce at home." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2020. https://www.richmond-news.com/covid-19-latest-hurdle-in-canada-s-long-road-to-buying-new-fighter-jets-1.24121637