December 19, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
Liberals told Boeing aircraft deal would mean few economic benefits for Canadian firms
Liberal government told selecting Boeing P-8 would be the least riskiest option but provide few economic benefits to Canada
January 8, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
Poor IT support hurting Canadian military operations, internal review finds
Lee Berthiaume The Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- An internal Defence Department report has warned that Canadian Armed Forces operations and security may be at risk due to major problems with how the military's computer networks are built and supported.
The report follows a review of the Defence Department's information management and technology systems, which are described as "critical" to the success of Canadian military operations and training.
That review uncovered a patchwork of IT systems across the Defence Department and Armed Forces that was not only inefficient and expensive to maintain, but also often out-of-date and poorly supported.
The brunt of the report's criticism is directed at the technical support provided to the military by another federal entity, Shared Services Canada, the agency that took over management of most federal networks in August 2011.
Nearly all defence and military officials who participated in the review were upset by the amount of time it took Shared Services to respond to requests for help, according to the report. In some instances, those delays harmed operations.
The report cited one instance in which an email server that went down during an unspecified domestic mission couldn't be fixed right away because it was a weekend and Shared Services did not have staff on call.
The reviewers also found that a quarter of requests for assistance made to Shared Services remained unresolved after six months, and the agency did not have anybody in Europe to help the hundreds of Canadian troops posted there.
While the problems were partly attributed to a lack of appropriate IT resources and staff, the report also flagged the lack of an agreement between the Defence Department and Shared Services establishing clear expectations for network support.
Without such an agreement, the report, defence and military officials believed Shared Services not only didn't understand their needs but also wasn't required to respond quickly, "which led to putting clients at great risk on a number of fronts, including security."
Delays in tech support weren't the only point of contention between the Defence Department and Shared Services, with the latter upsetting the navy by requiring the removal of equipment that had increased bandwidth on warships.
Shared Services also stopped supporting some older intelligence systems while they were still being used by the air force, army and navy, according to the report recently published on the Defence Department website.
Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier on Monday described the review as a "valuable tool" for improving IT support even as he defended the department's relationship with Shared Services Canada.
"We have a good working relationship with Shared Services Canada and the two departments continue to work collaboratively to ensure the appropriate and timely delivery of IT services to DND/CAF," he said.
"We are also reviewing our relationship with Shared Services Canada with a focus on improving the service delivery model to help better support the department and the Canadian Armed Forces."
The internal report also took aim at the military's troubled procurement system, which was found to deliver IT equipment with inadequate or out-of-date technology. Poor planning was partly to blame but the report also blamed onerous levels of oversight.
While that oversight was described as the result of cost overruns and delays on past IT projects, the report said that it nonetheless created new problems in delivering modern equipment.
"The complex processes associated with the capital projects and procurement are very slow and cumbersome," according to the report. "The process cannot keep up with the rate of change of technology."
Those delays -- and their potential impact on operations -- were also cited as a major reason for why a patchwork of IT systems and programs now cover different parts of the Defence Department and military.
While that patchwork might serve the day-to-day needs of the military, it was also found to be inefficient and expensive.
To that end, the reviewers could not pinpoint exactly how much was being spent by the Defence Department and military on IT services and support every year, but estimated it at more than $700 million.
In response to the report, senior officials told reviewers that they were looking at ways to better calculate annual spending on IT and address the problems that have contributed to the creation of so many systems in the first place.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021.
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January 25, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Buy America: How Biden's Made-in-America plan could impact Canadian companies
Canadian companies that bid on American government contracts could be cut out of the procurement process if Joe Biden follows through on his Buy American plan after he becomes U.S. president today, according to business and trade experts. Jan 20, 2021 4:00 AM By: Canadian Press Updated Jan 20, 2021 4:05 AM Canadian companies that bid on American government contracts could be cut out of the procurement process if Joe Biden follows through on his Buy American plan after he becomes U.S. president today, according to business and trade experts. Manufacturers and exporters in Canada supply a vast range of equipment to public works projects in the U.S. from school buildings to wastewater treatment facilities. But Biden's promise to prioritize U.S.-based suppliers and products made on American soil could hurt Canadian companies by blocking them from bidding for work, especially after he unveils an infrastructure plan next month. The Made-in-America endeavour could disrupt the Canada-U.S. supply chain and lead to significant trade tensions, experts say. Yet the hardest hit firms will be those directly involved in U.S. government contracts, they say. “If you're in the business of supplying government procurement projects like municipal infrastructure, those are the companies most at risk,” said Dennis Darby, president and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. Stricter Buy American rules for federal procurement could hurt manufacturing on both sides of the border, he said. “Manufacturers are so integrated across North America,” Darby said, noting that a lot of what Canadian companies make are the “bits and pieces” that go into the continental supply chain. “When U.S. manufacturers do well, so do Canadian manufacturers. We're all part of the same supply chain.” The biggest losers in an era of greater U.S. protectionism are likely to be a broad cross-section of Canadian firms supplying products to American municipalities, rather than specific sectors, experts say. Companies that supply pumping equipment for municipal water facilities, pipes for new sewage lines, or play structures for new playgrounds could all suffer, they say. Meanwhile, both Canada the U.S. already have “buy national” provisions carved out of existing trade agreements. Military procurements, for example, exclude foreign suppliers. Donald Trump pursued his own Buy American policies but it's unclear how much further Biden can expand these provisions without facing a legal challenge, said trade expert Lawrence Herman. “The question will be whether the expansion of the Buy American provision is permissible within the scope of the (World Trade Organization) agreement," said Herman, international trade lawyer at Herman and Associates. Yet the impact of the Buy American agenda on Canadian businesses could be widespread, he said. “There are a lot of Canadian companies that supply products to American municipalities,” Herman said. “They could all be affected.” Colin Robertson, one of the negotiators of the original Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and North American Free Trade Agreement, said Canada should come to the table with solutions. “If Biden goes through with this, you're going to hear from Canadian companies that feel they're being excluded from U.S. projects,” said Robertson, vice-president and fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “You're almost better to deal with it on a one-by-one basis,” said the former Canadian diplomat. “If the guy who builds playsets in Ontario can't bid on a new playground, what you want to do is try and get the province and state to work something out.” If Biden's massive stimulus package is approved, the demand for construction materials – especially steel and aluminum – could be huge, Robertson said. But if the Buy American plan is ramped up and starts to affect materials from Canada, he said negotiators need to point out that ultimately they'll get better value including materials produced in Canada. “If you want maximum value for these dollars, it's better to open up bidding,” Robertson said. “The challenge with these sorts of Buy American programs is you can get cartels forming within your locality that drive up prices.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021. Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press https://www.orilliamatters.com/national-business/buy-america-how-bidens-made-in-america-plan-could-impact-canadian-companies-3277010
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February 13, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
Les premiers F-18 australiens usagés arriveront au Canada dans les prochains jours
Ottawa commencera à prendre possession des avions de chasse d'occasion australiens dès la mi-février, a appris Radio-Canada. Deux F-18 sont attendus à la base de Cold Lake en Alberta. Et tout indique que le reste des 25 appareils achetés par le Canada sera livré... par avion. Un texte de Marc Godbout La livraison commencera le 16 février, confirment des sources proches du dossier. C'est quelques semaines plus tôt que prévu. Deux des F-18 australiens que doit recevoir le Canada se trouvent au Nevada, aux États-Unis. Les chasseurs participent à un entraînement aérien et se poseront par la suite à Cold Lake. La Défense nationale ne veut pas dévoiler la date de leur arrivée au pays, mais confirme que les deux appareils sont dans la région de Las Vegas. Les deux premiers appareils devraient arriver ce mois-ci. Ils devraient être intégrés aux opérations plus tard cette année. Ashley Lemire, ministère de la Défense nationale Une fois à la base de Cold Lake, les deux avions de chasse de l'Australie seront confiés au Centre d'essais techniques de l'Aviation royale canadienne pour y subir des évaluations. Ils seront par la suite reconfigurés. Et 18 appareils viendront compléter la flotte actuelle de CF-18, les autres seront utilisés pour des pièces de remplacement et la formation des mécaniciens et des techniciens. Livraison par avion? Selon nos informations, le scénario privilégié par Ottawa pour apporter ces avions de chasse au Canada n'est pas de les faire voler de leurs propres ailes, mais de les transporter à bord d'un avion-cargo. Des sources ont indiqué à Radio-Canada que la Défense nationale souhaite « très sérieusement » noliser un appareil Antonov qui peut transporter deux appareils à la fois. Les avions de chasse seraient livrés à Mirabel, où se trouvent les installations de l'entreprise L3 MAS qui devra assurer l'entretien des F-18 australiens. Faire voler ce type d'avion de chasse coûte au minimum 30 000 $ de l'heure. Les placer dans un Antonov permettrait d'éviter, par exemple, de nombreux ravitaillements en carburant entre l'Australie et le Canada. Mais cette solution serait-elle plus rentable? Le ministère de la Défense nationale refuse de confirmer quoi que ce soit. « La méthode de livraison pour les autres aéronefs doit encore être confirmée », précise Ashley Lemire, dans une réponse écrite. « Les livraisons d'avions restants d'Australie auront lieu à intervalles réguliers jusqu'à la fin de 2021 », ajoute-t-elle. Dans la capitale australienne, Canberra, on ne veut rien dévoiler. « Les conditions de vente des aéronefs et des articles associés, y compris les informations sur les aéronefs et les calendriers de livraison, sont traitées à titre confidentiel », explique le ministère de la Défense. Plus tôt dans son mandat, le gouvernement Trudeau avait opté pour une solution provisoire, soit l'achat de 18 nouveaux chasseurs Super Hornet de Boeing. Mais dans la foulée du conflit commercial entre le géant américain et Bombardier, Ottawa avait plutôt opté pour la solution australienne. Le programme coûtera 500 millions de dollars, dont 90 millions pour l'achat des appareils. La saga inachevée En campagne électorale, les libéraux de Justin Trudeau avaient voulu se dissocier du plan conservateur d'acquérir les coûteux F-35. Dans leur programme, ils s'étaient engagés à « lancer immédiatement un appel d'offres ouvert et transparent pour remplacer les CF-18 ». Or, le gouvernement n'a toujours pas demandé officiellement aux grands joueurs de l'industrie de soumissionner pour livrer les 88 nouveaux avions de chasse. Il ne devrait enclencher cette étape qu'au printemps, à quelques mois des élections, de sorte que le Canada n'aura pas de nouveaux chasseurs avant au moins 2025. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1151514/avions-f-18-australie-canada-cold-lake-appareil