Radar upgrades for Halifax-class frigates and other news on defence contracts

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN

Here are some updates on defence and aerospace industry contracts and appointments, that I outlined in the latest issue of Esprit de Corps magazine:

The Canadian government has awarded a contract to Saab Microwave Canada for radar upgrades on the Halifax-class frigates. The $21.7 million contract is to procure a modern electronically-stabilized antenna set for the Sea Giraffe 180 radar, already installed on the frigates. The contract includes an option to acquire 12 more antenna sets, which could bring the total investment to $97.5 million, according to the federal government.

Sea Giraffe 180 is a medium-range air and surface search radar. The upgrades to the antenna set will enhance its performance, increase its reach to up to 180 km, and provide new 3-D detection and tracking capability, according to the government. The frigate to receive the first antenna is currently expected to be HMCS St John's, in early 2021. The installation will coincide with its planned maintenance period schedules.

The first M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) production basic/advanced trainer aircraft built by Leonardo successfully performed its maiden flight at Venegono Superiore airport in Varese, Italy in late December. The Italian Air Force, the launch customer, has a requirement for up to 45 M-345s (designated the T-345A by ITAF) to progressively replace 137 MB-339s, which first entered service in 1982, and to become the Italian Air Force's new aerobatic team airplane. At this point, the Italian Air Force has placed an order for five aircraft and the first will be delivered in early 2020. The new M-345s will integrate the M-346s used during the advanced training phase of the Italian Air Force's pilots.

The new M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) reduces the time required by Air Forces to train pilots, according to Leonardo. It also gives trainees the chance to fly an aircraft that features higher performance characteristics than other basic/advanced trainer aircraft currently in service around the world. The performance of the M-345 allows it to carry out the most demanding mission types found in a training syllabus, delivering high quality training at significantly lower cost.

The M-345 cockpit architecture is the same as the frontline fighters. The M-345 can also perform operational roles, thanks to an extended flight envelope, with a high-speed maneuvering capability even at high altitudes, modern avionics systems, high load capacity and performance.

Rheinmetall recently transferred a new nautical training facility to the German Navy School in Mürwik on the Baltic. One of the most advanced facilities of its kind, the German Navy will use it for training its bridge personnel, the company noted. It will be used for training all German Navy cadets, all future watch officers, and for preparing bridge personnel for nautical operations. The capability spectrum of the facility ranges from basic navigation and nautical training through to crew resource management, according to Rheinmetall.

The facility includes two large and four small bridge simulators, six trainer stations, an auditorium for post-operation briefings as well as additional infrastructure for planning exercises and administrating and updating the database. Every surface combatant now in the German inventory – from minesweepers to supply ships – is modelled in the facility. This applies not only to the physical depiction of various ships and boats, but to their exact performance characteristics, Rheinmetall noted.

In mid-December the Canadian Coast Guard received from Davie Shipbuilding the Captain Molly Kool, its first new icebreaker in the last 25 years. It is the first of three icebreakers that Davie will refit for the Coast Guard to fill a capability gap. The ship is named after Myrtle “Molly” Kool of New Brunswick who went on to become the first woman in North America to become a licensed ship captain.

The federal government has approved a five-year contract extension with Quebec-based firm L3 MAS for the continued maintenance of the Royal Canadian Air Force's fleet of five CC-150 Polaris aircraft. The contract, valued at up to $230 million, is a renewal of the original in-service support contract awarded in 2013 to L3 MAS in Mirabel. The original contract included extension options for two five-year periods. The work will be done at Mirabel and at 8 Wing Trenton, ON where the fleet is based and operated by 437 Transport Squadron.

The CC-150 Polaris is a multi-purpose, twin-engine, long-range jet aircraft that is used for strategic air-to-air refueling and transport. Two CC-150 Polaris aircraft are configured for strategic air-to-air refueling and the rest are used for transport and other roles.

First-level maintenance will continue to take place at 8 Wing Trenton.

The contract secures L3 MAS as the government's CC-150 support contractor up to March 2023, with eligibility for additional years (up to March 2028), subject to satisfactory performance.

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