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June 26, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

Retombées économiques des F-35  | Beaucoup de latitude pour calculer les promesses

Il y aura beaucoup de latitude pour calculer les retombées économiques découlant de l’achat des 88 avions de chasse F-35 par Ottawa pour 19 milliards. Selon une présentation gouvernementale consultée par La Presse, les ententes entre le Canada et les constructeurs des avions de combat sont « non contractuelles », donc pas régies par un contrat.

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2023-06-24/retombees-economiques-des-f-35/beaucoup-de-latitude-pour-calculer-les-promesses.php

On the same subject

  • Defence Minister Anita Anand meets with British counterpart and announces NATO naval deployment

    June 29, 2023 | Local, Other Defence

    Defence Minister Anita Anand meets with British counterpart and announces NATO naval deployment

    June 29, 2023 – London, United Kingdom – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, met with the Right Honourable Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence, in London. Minister Anand thanked Secretary Wallace for the United Kingdom’s hosting of Canadian Armed Forces members deployed on Operation UNIFIER to train Ukrainian troops, and for its hosting of the Royal Canadian Air Force detachment in Prestwick, Scotland, which has delivered over ten million pounds of Ukraine-bound military aid. During their meeting, the Ministers discussed priorities for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Vilnius, including reinforcing NATO’s Eastern Flank, military assistance for Ukraine, and NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. Minister Anand also announced that on July 3, Canada will deploy His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Shawinigan and Summerside from their home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia to join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) on Operation REASSURANCE. Both ships have embarked Royal Canadian Navy clearance diving teams from Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic & Pacific, and mine countermeasure search capabilities using autonomous underwater vehicles. The contribution of two Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV) to SNMCMG1 demonstrates Canada’s ongoing commitment to NATO’s high readiness continuous at-sea presence, and the Royal Canadian Navy’s leadership in strengthening security throughout European waters. During her visit to the United Kingdom, Minister Anand also delivered remarks to members of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), where she highlighted Canada’s military support to Ukraine, Canadian defence modernization, and challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Minister Anand met with Mr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems; spoke with the Right Honourable David Lammy, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs; and visited Liphook School where she met with students aged 8-9, who are researching a Canadian training camp that existed in Bramshott during the First World War. Canada and the United Kingdom enjoy a longstanding, close-knit, and collaborative defence relationship forged through our shared values and beliefs. Quotes “The United Kingdom is one of Canada’s closest and most important Allies. I thank Secretary Wallace for his warm welcome during my first official visit to the United Kingdom as Canada’s Minister of National Defence, and for the productive discussions on a range of mutual priorities. Our two countries are leaders in supporting Ukraine, and as dedicated members of the NATO Alliance, we will continue to stand united in the face of new security challenges.” - The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence Quick facts The defence and security relationship between Canada and the UK is rooted in history and fostered by the fact that Canada and the UK are Allies in NATO and engage in close cooperation in international organizations, including the United Nations and the Commonwealth, among others. The deep bond between Canada and the UK has been forged in peace and war, notably through the two World Wars, Korea, and in almost every major conflict for more than a century, including Afghanistan and Libya. Since August 2022, Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed in the UK have trained approximately 2000 Armed Forces of Ukraine recruits, in collaboration with the UK’s Operation INTERFLEX. The Canadian-led courses last several weeks and focus on topics such as weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics, and the Law of Armed Conflict.  Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed over $8 billion in aid to Ukraine, including over $1.5 billion in military assistance. This includes 288 AIM-7 missiles, 10,000 rounds of 105mm artillery ammunition, eight Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and one armoured recovery vehicle, a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers and associated ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more. Canada also will join the Leopard 2 Maintenance and Service Centre in Poland and will contribute to multinational efforts to train pilots, and maintain and support Ukraine’s F-16s, leveraging Canadian expertise in these areas. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2023/06/defence-minister-anita-anand-meets-with-british-counterpart-and-announces-nato-naval-deployment.html

  • AU CANADA, LES POLICIERS VONT UTILISER LES RÉSEAUX SOCIAUX POUR PRÉDIRE LES DISPARITIONS AVANT QU’ELLES NE SE PRODUISENT

    April 25, 2019 | Local, Security

    AU CANADA, LES POLICIERS VONT UTILISER LES RÉSEAUX SOCIAUX POUR PRÉDIRE LES DISPARITIONS AVANT QU’ELLES NE SE PRODUISENT

    Avec une base de données suffisante et une intelligence artificielle, il est parfois possible d'anticiper certains incidents. Certaines plateformes, comme Facebook, travaillent sur des algorithmes permettant de repérer les adolescents suicidaires et d'intervenir dans le cas où ils risquent de passer à l'acte. Au Canada, les forces de l'ordre vont utiliser des modèles prédictifs pour prédire les disparitions avant qu'elles n'aient lieu. Selon un rapport du gouvernement, les modèles prédictifs seront basés sur des publications sur les réseaux sociaux, les dossiers de la police et les services sociaux. Les algorithmes se référeront à une dizaine de facteurs de risques communs, comme des antécédents de fugue ou de violence à la maison, afin d'identifier les personnes susceptibles de disparition. L'initiative fait toutefois l'objet de nombre de critiques. Certains experts pensent que l'utilisation de modèles prédictifs à cette fin pourrait conduire à de faux positifs. Le type d'informations à utiliser n'a pas été dévoilé Le document a été publié le mois dernier par la RDDC (Defence Research and Development Canada), une agence rattachée au ministère de la Défense nationale. Selon le rapport, la conception des modèles prédictifs sera assurée par SPPAL (Saskatchewan Police Predictive Analytics Lab). Ce laboratoire est le fruit d'un partenariat entre la police, le ministère provincial de la Justice et l'Université de la Saskatchewan. La police canadienne utilise déjà les réseaux sociaux pour repérer des cas d'infraction, trouver des suspects et résoudre des enquêtes. Toutefois, le rapport n'indique pas les types d'informations qui seront recueillies sur les médias sociaux. Des risques de faux positifs Tamir Israel est avocat à CIPPIC (Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic). Il a reconnu que les modèles prédictifs de SPPAL pourraient être utilisés pour trier les cas suspects selon leur ordre de priorité. Il est en effet nécessaire de distinguer, par exemple, une éventuelle victime d'enlèvement d'une fugueuse habituelle. « Les forces de l'ordre seront invitées à s'appuyer sur les résultats du modèle prédictif » pour décider de la sérieuse prise en charge d'un cas de personne disparue », a-t-il déclaré à Motherbord. Toutefois, il a souligné que ces modèles prédictifs sont souvent opaques dans leur fonctionnement, en s'appuyant sur des facteurs que les policiers eux-mêmes ne peuvent pas évaluer ou deviner. Il a noté que les informations sur les réseaux sociaux ne sont pas toujours fiables et augmentent les risques de faux positifs. Il a également noté que cette méthode pourrait conduire à des résultats faussés lorsque les modèles sont appliqués à des groupes minoritaires. Il craint qu'ils ne fassent pas de différences entre les cultures. « Nous savons que les modèles prédictifs sont loin d'être infaillibles dans des situations réelles et qu'il y aura des faux positifs », a-t-il rappelé. « Les conséquences d'une intervention basée sur un faux positif peuvent être très graves. » http://www.fredzone.org/au-canada-les-policiers-vont-utiliser-les-reseaux-sociaux-pour-predire-les-disparitions-avant-quelles-ne-se-produisent-998 http://cradpdf.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/PDFS/unc335/p809812_A1b.pdf

  • Royal Canadian Air Force wants more than a few good pilots as it’s losing many of them to commercial jobs

    February 13, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

    Royal Canadian Air Force wants more than a few good pilots as it’s losing many of them to commercial jobs

    by Lee Berthiaume The Canadian Press OTTAWA — A shortage of experienced pilots is forcing the Royal Canadian Air Force to walk a delicate line between keeping enough seasoned aviators available to train new recruits and lead missions in the air. Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger described the balancing act during a recent interview in which he also revealed many pilots today are likely to have less experience than counterparts in similar positions 10 years ago. Much of the problem can be traced back to veteran aviators leaving for commercial jobs, or other opportunities outside the military, forcing senior commanders into a juggling act over where to put those still in uniform. "In order to (support) your training system ... you've got to pull experienced pilots into those positions, but you have to have experienced pilots on the squadrons to season the youth that are joining the units," he said. "So it's a bit of a delicate balance. And when you're in a situation where you don't have as much experience, broadly speaking, you've got to balance that very carefully. Hence the idea of retaining as much talent as we can." Fixing the problems created by the shortage will become especially critical if the Air Force is to be ready for the arrival of replacements for the CF-18s. Meinzinger said such transitions from one aircraft to another are particularly difficult — the RCAF needs to keep the same number of planes in the air to fly missions and have senior aviators train new pilots, while still sending seasoned pilots for training on the incoming fleet. "Ideally you want to go into those transitions very, very healthy with 100 per cent manning and more experience than you could ever imagine," Meinzinger said. While he is confident the military can address its pilot shortage in the next few years, especially when it comes to those responsible for manning Canada's fighter jets, the stakes to get it right are extremely high. The federal auditor general reported in November that the military doesn't have enough pilots and mechanics to fly and maintain the country's CF-18 fighter jets. Air Force officials revealed in September they were short 275 pilots and need more mechanics, sensor operators and other trained personnel across different aircraft fleets. There are concerns the deficit will get worse as a result of explosive growth predicted in the global commercial airline sector, which could pull many experienced military pilots out of uniform. "That's the expectation, that Canada will need an additional 7,000 to 8,000 pilots just to nourish the demands within the Canadian aerospace sector," Meinzinger said. "And we don't have the capacity as a nation to produce even half of that." Within the military, there also haven't been enough new pilots produced to replace those who have left. The auditor general found that while 40 fighter pilots recently left the Forces, only 30 new ones were trained. The military is working on a contract for a new training program that will let the Air Force increase the number of new pilots trained in a given year when necessary, as the current program allows only a fixed number to be produced. Meanwhile, Meinzinger said the loss of more seasoned pilots means others are being asked to take on more responsibility earlier in their careers, though he denied any significant impact on training or missions. He said the military is managing the situation through the use of new technology, such as simulators, to ensure the Air Force can still do its job. "There's no doubt commanding officers today in RCAF squadrons, they have probably less flying hours than they did 10 years ago," he said. "What that (commanding officer) has today is probably an exposure to 21st-century technology and training. So I think that certainly offsets the reduction of flying hours." Meinzinger and other top military commanders are nonetheless seized with the importance of keeping veteran pilots in uniform to ensure those climbing into the cockpit for the first time have someone to look to for guidance — now and in the future. New retention strategies are being rolled out that include better support for military families, increased certainty for pilots in terms of career progression and a concerted effort to keep them in the cockpit and away from desks and administrative work. Other militaries, notably the U.S., that are struggling with a shortage of pilots have introduced financial bonuses and other measures to stay in uniform. Meinzinger couldn't commit to such an initiative, but did say that "nothing is off the table." The situation may not represent an existential crisis, at least not yet, but officials know it is one that needs to be addressed if Canada's Air Force is to continue operating at top levels for the foreseeable future. "Experience is what allows us to (transfer knowledge) and grow for the future," Meinzinger said. "And that's why I talk about it as being kind of the centre of gravity. In the extreme, if you lose all your experience, you can't regenerate yourself." https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9169169-royal-canadian-air-force-wants-more-than-a-few-good-pilots-as-it-s-losing-many-of-them-to-commercial-jobs/

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