January 15, 2020 | Local, Security
DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN
Updated: January 13, 2020
The RCAF is still working its way through various legal issues as it tries to come up with an official Canadian name for the Airbus C-295 aircraft, the service's new fixed wing search and rescue plane.
The new name was supposed to be selected by November at the earliest and December at the latest. But now the RCAF says it doesn't know when it will announce a name for the planes. “The list of possible names for the CC-295 has been further narrowed down, and those names are currently undergoing legal, contractual, and trademark vetting,” RCAF spokesperson Major Jill Lawrence explained to Defence Watch. “Once the process is complete, and when appropriate, the RCAF will formally announce the new name. At this time, there is no anticipated date for that announcement.”
No details were provided on the new shortlisted names.
The RCAF first consulted the operational search and rescue community which came up with ten names, later narrowed down to five. After that, the public was asked to vote on the names.
Around 33,000 people voted, according to Lt.-Col. Steve Neta, the director of RCAF public affairs. Another 1,600 comments were left on various RCAF social media sites.
The RCAF then went back to its search and rescue personnel for more consultation.
The RCAF published the five names being considered and an explanation for each name:
CANSO II: Canso aircraft served with 11 RCAF squadrons during the Second World War. They operated from both coasts and were employed in coastal patrols, convoy protection and submarine hunting. After the Second World War, Cansos served with the RCAF in photo reconnaissance and search and rescue roles until they were finally retired in November 1962.
GUARDIAN: A guardian is an entity that protects a community under a set of values.
IRIS: Iris refers to the faculty or power of seeing. Iris was also the goddess of sea and sky in ancient Greek mythology.
KINGFISHER: Found all across Canada, this bird patrols up and down rivers, constantly searching for prey. Within the First Nations of the Northwest, the kingfisher has long been recognized for its speed and agility, as well as its keen searching and hunting skills. A kingfisher was depicted on the 1986 Canadian five-dollar banknote in the “Birds of Canada” series.
TURNSTONE: Turnstones are one of the migratory marvels of the Arctic bird world. They have been known to fly more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) in a single day.
March 25, 2024 | Local, Aerospace
Kutryk was in Kingston, Ont., on March 23, presenting to the students and faculty of his alma mater, the Royal Military College of Canada.
October 21, 2018 | Local, Naval
By Canadian Press OTTAWA — The federal government is giving U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin the first crack at inking a contract to design Canada's $60-billion fleet of new warships. Government officials say Lockheed's proposed design beat out two rival submissions in what has been a long and extremely sensitive competition to design replacements for the navy's entire frigate and destroyer fleets. While the announcement marked the start of an important new phase in the largest and most expensive military purchase in Canadian history, it could also prove to be extremely controversial as some had questioned why the bid was allowed in the first place. Still, Lockheed executives may not be popping the champagne just yet. Negotiators for both sides as well as Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding, which will actually build the vessels, must now work out details — including the final cost — before an actual contract is awarded. The stakes will be high for both sides, with hundreds of millions of dollars in play as well as pressure to make up for lost time as numerous delays — including in the design competition — have pushed the schedule for construction. Irving has warned that it could be forced to lay off hundreds of employees if work on the warships is not ready to start by the time it finishes building the navy's new Arctic patrol ships in 2021 or 2022. The Defence Department's head of military procurement, Patrick Finn, acknowledged the need for urgency. But he also noted the need for care as whatever decisions are taken during the negotiations could have ramifications on the navy and taxpayers for decades. “So it behooves us to stop and make sure we do the final checks in all of the areas,” Finn said this week in an interview. Lockheed's victory is likely to be contentious as the federal government had originally said it wanted a “mature design,” which was widely interpreted as meaning a vessel that has already been built and used by another navy. But the Type 26 frigate, upon which Lockheed's proposal is based, is only now being built by the British government and has not been used on operations. The federal government has reserved the right to walk away from the talks — if Lockheed drives too hard a bargain — and negotiate with the second-place bidder, which was not identified. However, officials hope that won't be necessary and a contract will be signed this winter. “We have notional time frames allocated,” said Andre Fillion, who oversees military and naval projects with Public Services and Procurement Canada. “And should everything go according to plan, we're looking at winter 2019 for the award of the contract. If it doesn't go according to plan, then we go to Plan B — and obviously that would take longer.” Lockheed's design was up against a pitch by U.S.-based defence company Alion, which proposed a design based on a Dutch frigate, and Spanish firm Navantia's proposal, which was modelled on a frigate used by the Spanish navy. One of the big questions heading into the negotiations will be how much of Lockheed's design will need to be changed to reflect the navy's needs and how much the navy will have to shift its requirements because changing the design will take more time and money. Government negotiators are also facing a potential battle over the amount of intellectual property that Lockheed will be required to hand over, which Ottawa wants so it can operate and maintain the vessels on its own after they are built. Companies had originally been told that the winner would be required to turn over the full blueprints, but after significant resistance the two sides agreed the matter would be negotiated before a contract is awarded. Officials remain focused on getting “the intellectual property access and rights that we need to not only build the ship but also to operate and maintain it for its entire life cycle,” Fillion said. — Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter https://ipolitics.ca/2018/10/19/feds-give-lockheed-martin-first-shot-at-60-billion-warship-contract/
December 8, 2022 | Local, Naval
December 8, 2022 - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces – Ottawa, Ontario Today, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand, on behalf of Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, Helena Jaczek, announced the award of two contracts for new equipment designed to improve the safety and security of Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ships and crews. The two contracts for the Remote Mine-hunting and Disposal System (RMDS), valued at up to $57.9 million (taxes included), were awarded to Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. of Mount Pearl, N.L. These new systems will enable the Royal Canadian Navy to identify and destroy sea mines and underwater improvised explosive devices, while also ensuring the safety of its crews. The RMDS will be used primarily on Kingston-class vessels and can be used on other RCN ships to support a wide range of operations as required. This capability, once implemented, will protect Canadian warships deployed overseas where the mine threat is assessed as high. The RMDS are expected to be fully operational in 2025. The first contract, with an estimated value of $45.8M (taxes included), is for two newly-designed RMDS for the RCN on Canada’s east and west coasts. The second contract, valued at $12.1M (taxes included), is for continued In-Service Support for the RMDS. As outlined in Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is committed to providing the RCN with the modern equipment it needs to maintain critical operational maritime capabilities. Quotes “The very first item in my mandate letter is to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces is a twenty-first century military with the capabilities, equipment and culture needed to keep Canadians safe. Today’s announcement will ensure the delivery of effective, modern equipment to the Royal Canadian Navy and help keep its members protected. Advanced mine detection and disposal tools such as those being acquired through this project will improve the safety of our vessels and our people.” - The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence “I am pleased for today’s announcement of this contract award to Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. This contract demonstrates our continued commitment to provide the Royal Canadian Navy and its members with the advanced equipment they need to do their job, at the best value for Canadians.” - The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement “Through these contracts, our government will provide the Royal Canadian Navy with the modern equipment it needs while ensuring economic benefits for Canadians. Through the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, this investment will support high-value jobs in Canada’s marine sector and will demonstrate Canada’s world-class capabilities and innovation both at home and abroad.” - The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry “The Remote Mine-hunting and Disposal System will bring new and much needed capabilities to our fleets. As the characteristics of naval warfare are changing, integrating this new technology into our current fleet will enable the Navy to quickly detect and neutralize the threat of underwater mines and to increase our underwater awareness, both at home and internationally.” - Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander, Royal Canadian Navy Quick facts The total value of the two contracts is $57.9 million (taxes included). RMDS will enable the RCN to conduct the full spectrum of Naval Mine hunting including disposal of sea mines with autonomous and remote technology decreasing risk to our Fleet and crews. The Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy will apply to this contract ensuring that for every dollar the government puts into this contract, a dollar goes back into Canada’s economy. The work under this project is critical for leveraging existing key industrial capabilities in Canada, specifically in the area of Remotely-piloted Systems and Autonomous Technologies, Sonar and Acoustic Systems, and In-service Support. These systems are expected to be delivered in 2024, and fully operational in 2025. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2022/12/minister-anand-announces-remote-mine-hunting-and-disposal-system-contract-award-to-increase-safety-for-royal-canadian-navy-ships-and-crews.html