January 2, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

RCAF commander recaps 2018

The following is excerpted from the 2018 holiday message that LGen Al Meinzinger, commander of the RCAF, sent to Air Force personnel and the extended RCAF family.

We can honestly say that 2018 has been an extraordinary year for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

The year was bookended by the Sea King, with the last east coast operational flight of our maritime helicopter taking place in January and the official farewell and final flights taking place in December. It's hard to say farewell to an old friend such as the Sea King, but the Cyclone is proving to be a tremendous asset to the RCAF and the Royal Canadian Navy, and the first operational deployment of the Cyclone onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec was a tremendous milestone.

This year also brought our participation in a major UN peacekeeping operation, with stellar work being carried out by our Air Task Force personnel in Mali under Op Presence. We also continued our contributions to Op Caribbe and Op Impact. On the space aspect of “air and space power,” we are now an integral part of the Combined Space Operations Centre in California, with a member of the RCAF serving as the combined deputy director.

Meanwhile, at home, our ongoing, essential search and rescue (SAR) missions continued, as well as sovereignty operations and exercises in the North. We responded to several Op Lentus missions, including fires in British Columbia and Manitoba, flooding in Kaschechewan, Ont., and storm damage on les Îles de la Madeleine.

We also participated in marking a number of significant anniversaries this year, including the 60th anniversary of NORAD. We also marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force and, as part of those celebrations, sent a contingent to the United Kingdom to undertake Public Duties–guarding the residences of Her Majesty the Queen.

2018 also brought the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid. In April, I was privileged to attend the opening of the International Bomber Command Centre in England, which is mandated to preserve and honour the memory of all those who served in the Command. I was reminded powerfully of the courageous contributions of our RCAF personnel, noting that we lost some 10,000 RCAF personnel during the bombing campaign.

As we look forward to 2019, we must continue to focus on our anchor points: our people, our defence policy, our program and our posture.

First and foremost among these are you, our people. Successful delivery of air and space power relies on well-led, robust, healthy and inclusive squadrons and tactical units. You and your families are our lifeblood, and your leaders will continue to create the right conditions to support you, retain your exceptional talents and attract personnel with the right skills and energy to continue your excellent work and move us into the future. We are extremely grateful for and proud of your enthusiasm, your dedicated service and your unparalleled professionalism. You may also rest assured that your work is deeply appreciated by Canadians, by your colleagues throughout the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence, and by our allies.

https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/rcaf-commander-recaps-2018

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March 15, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Mecaer America will be able to secure its place on the world stage
The Government of Canada awards $1.2 million in financial assistance to the Laval-based company Mecaer America March 13, 2019 – Laval, Quebec – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) Mecaer America, Inc. is a leader in manufacturing landing gears for helicopters, regional and business transport aircraft, and military training aircraft. To better meet the needs of its clients and to ensure its growth, the company will receive a repayable contribution of $1.2 million from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. Through that financial assistance, the company will be able to invest in new procedures leading to the creation of a unique, world-renowned centre of excellence for the design, manufacture and qualification of its integrated landing gear systems. Yves Robillard, Member of Parliament for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, announced that funding today. The Government of Canada's assistance will enable Mecaer America to meet the growing global demand for aircraft production, consolidate Greater Montréal's aerospace cluster and better position that cluster on the international stage. The creation of a centre of excellence and the technological transformation of the Laval plant will also generate benefits for Canadian suppliers, from whom Mecaer America makes tens of millions of dollars in purchases each year. Mecaer America is wholly owned by Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG), one of the premier international suppliers of aircraft solutions used in four business lines: actuating and flight control systems, landing gear systems, cabin comfort systems and aviation services. MAG is an Italian company with 600 employees in Italy, Canada and the United States. Mecaer America has been based in Laval since 2002 and specializes in the design, manufacture and qualification of integrated landing gear systems. The Laval subsidiary has 125 highly qualified employees, 20% of whom are devoted to research and development. Workers in the aerospace industry are highly qualified and contribute to the country's economic vitality through their well-paying jobs. This is why the Government of Canada makes strategic investments that enable companies in this sector to increase their knowledge and expertise. Quotes “In line with our commitment to foster growth for the Canadian economy, the Government of Canada's goal is to provide better support for businesses that are making investments to improve their productivity and ensure their growth and that of the Canadian economy.” Yves Robillard, Member of Parliament for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin “As Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, my goal is to help businesses grow and innovate so that they can increase their competitiveness and create good-quality jobs and wealth for Canadians. That is why we are providing our support to Mecaer America, whose success reflects on the region and on the Canadian economy as a whole.” The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for CED “The financial assistance from both levels of government is essential for our strategic development. It also shows the welcome extended to an Italian company that has made significant investments in Quebec. Thank you to CED for its support.” Chris O'Neill, President, Mecaer America Quick facts Today's announcement is made on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio, which is comprised of 17 federal departments and agencies, including CED and the other five regional development agencies. The funding was awarded under CED's Quebec Economic Development Program. To find out more about CED and its priorities, see the 2018–2019 Departmental Plan or visit www.dec-ced.gc.ca. The year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of federal regional economic development in Quebec: half a century of concrete action targeting the growth of Quebec's regions and businesses. https://www.canada.ca/en/economic-development-quebec-regions/news/2019/03/mecaer-america-will-be-able-to-secure-its-place-on-the-world-stage.html
February 19, 2020 | Local, Naval

ABS, the Royal Canadian Navy, and Defence Research & Development Canada Launch Digital Asset Framework Pilot
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September 23, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land

Naval and army monuments installed at DND HQ but date for CF-18 installation unknown
David Pugliese National Defence has installed the first pieces of equipment as monuments at the new headquarters on Carling Avenue in Ottawa. A Leopard C2 tank and the bow of the former destroyer HMCS Iroquois (see below) were installed in late March as part of the monuments project costing more than $1 million. The Royal Canadian Air Force will provide a CF-18 fighter jet for display at the headquarters. “The installation date of the CF-18 is still being determined,” Canadian Forces spokesman Maj. Scott Spurr noted in an email. Each service was allowed to select its monument as representative of its branch. The original cost of the monuments project was $400,000 but that increased as more equipment displays were added. In addition, a second monument grouping consisting of a Light Armoured Vehicle-3, a Sea King helicopter and a historical naval piece, which has yet to be determined, will be installed. Construction is expected to start on the initiative by the spring of 2021. A third monument, a First World War Nieuport aircraft, will be displayed from the ceiling over the lobby of one of the main buildings at the defence headquarters. An artillery gun, selected by the Canadian Army, will also be on display along with a Standard Missile 2 from the Royal Canadian Navy. The gun will symbolize involvement in the first Boer war 120 years ago while the missile will demonstrate technology advancements since then, according to the DND and Canadian Forces. The installation of the monuments is part of the Department of National Defence's “branding strategy” for the Carling Avenue headquarters. “The National Defence Headquarters will be a physical expression of the Defence Team; a representation of Canada's military history and the future strength of Canada's Defence Team establishment,” noted a branding document obtained by this newspaper through the Access to Information law. In 2015, the plan was to have the monuments only consist of a Leopard tank, a CF-5 fighter jet and a then unknown navy monument. The criteria was that “the monuments characterize offensive and defensive weapons capability,” according to the documents. The original budget was $400,000 but that amount has been increased as additional equipment was selected for display. The CF-5 jet was dumped in exchange for a more modern CF-18, which will be installed on a concrete pedestal. Previously the location was referred to as the “Carling Campus” but now that has been officially changed to NDHQ Carling. The branding strategy noted that the selected name is “a brand that is generic in nature but inclusive of our heritage and traditions, representing and respecting the great diversity of our work forces and its branches of service.” The federal government spent $800 million on acquiring and outfitting the former Nortel complex for the DND's needs. It has argued that it will see substantial savings from consolidating many of the department's employees into one site. The defence campus consists of about 28 hectares once owned by Nortel and 120 hectares leased from the National Capital Commission. The DND will also continue to operate its downtown Ottawa headquarters at 101 Colonel By as well as some other office locations in Ottawa and Gatineau https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/canada/naval-and-army-monuments-installed-at-dnd-hq-but-date-for-cf-18-installation-unknown-500245/

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