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August 10, 2023 | International, Land

Rheinmetall affirms guidance as arms demand boosts Q2 earnings

Rheinmetall reported a rise in quarterly operating earnings and affirmed its full-year guidance on Thursday as it benefited from growing demand for weapons and ammunition amid the war in Ukraine.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/rheinmetall-affirms-guidance-arms-demand-boosts-q2-earnings-2023-08-10/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 10, 2019

    September 11, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 10, 2019

    NAVY Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $310,509,144 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-18-D-0004). This modification exercises an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(v) radios for installation in over 400 strategic and tactical airborne, seaborne and land based (mobile and fixed) platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, other government agencies and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with deliveries expected to be completed in September 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ViaSat Inc., of Carlsbad, California, is awarded a $100,465,034 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0008) to increase the ceiling of the existing production contract line item number (CLIN), and the systems engineering and integration CLIN of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Raptor, Tactical Targeting Network Technology terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits, and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The modification will increase the contract value to $889,465,034. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and is expected to be completed May 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow on, sole source, multiple award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Siemens Government Technologies Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price modification of $46,677,053 to increase the maximum dollar value of a task order (N39430-18-F-9924) for energy improvements at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Naval Station Rota and Naval Support Activity Naples. The total cumulative value of the contract is $218,220,667. Work will be performed in Naples, Italy (50%); Sigonella, Italy (30%); and Rota, Spain (20%), and is expected to be completed October 2041. The work provides for design and installation of the following energy conservation measures: boiler plants, chiller systems, motors, water and lighting improvements. The work also provides for performance period services consisting of measurement and verification, operations and maintenance, and repair and replacement services. No funds will be obligated with this award, as private financing obtained by the contractor will be used for the construction phase. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Data Link Solutions LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $30,000,000 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0007) to increase the ceiling of the existing systems engineering and integration contract line item number (CLIN) of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Falcon, Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The contract covers the production, development and sustainment of the MIDS JTRS terminals. The modification will increase the contract value to $1,254,529,670. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (50%); and Wayne, New Jersey (50%), and is expected to be completed June 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued, and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow-on sole-source, multiple-award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. ' Simmonds Precision Products, Vergennes, Vermont, is awarded a $12,986,404 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the "Low Cost Air-Drop Munition Weapon System Development Program." Work will be performed in Simmonds Precision Products, Vergennes, Vermont (58%); Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., Rancho Cordova, California (19%); Developmental & Demonstration Testing Facilities (to be determined) (11%); Systima Technologies Inc., Kirkland, Washington (6%); Moog Inc., Elma, New York (5%); and National Technical Systems Boxborough, Boxborough, Massachusetts (1%), and is expected to be completed February 2021. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds for $8,208,343 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-19-S-B001, long range broad agency announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology. Since proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-1062). Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded an $11,765,526 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z362. The work provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Programs and Resources, to address OMB A-123 governance, audit response coordination and audit coaching. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0032. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); and Quantico, Virginia (25%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $1,527,843 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. VSE Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $10,082,812 firm-fixed-price contract for the delivery of counterterrorism and intelligence equipment, and in-country training in support of the Azerbaijan Maritime Security Program for the Caspian Sea under the Foreign Military Sales Building Partner Capacity program. This contract is for the government of Azerbaijan under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia (88%); and Azerbaijan (12%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 FMS funding for $10,082,812 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-4155). KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded an $8,577,162 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z425. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for audit remediation activities for property, plant and equipment and inventory related property and process reform within Marine Corps Installation and Logistics and its supporting establishments associated with the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0045. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); Oceanside, California (20%); Lejeune, North Carolina (2%); Okinawa, Japan (2%); and Oxford, Tennessee (1%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $3,004,275 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,971,673 time and material modification to exercise option period one under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z424. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for audit deficiencies within Marine Corps Installation Command and Marine Corps Systems Command in the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0044. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); and Quantico, Virginia (25%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,903,948 time and material modification to exercise option period one under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z426. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for remediation of current audit deficiencies and establishment of corrective action plans within Marine Corps Logistics Command for property, plant and equipment and wall-to-wall inventory. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0046. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia (100%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $7,466,598 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N69316-19-F-4001) against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-15-G-2304) to accomplish the post shakedown availability (PSA) for the Littoral Combat Ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20). This effort encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the USS Cincinnati PSA. The work to be performed will include correction of government responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA, and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period which are not otherwise the building yard's responsibility under the ship construction contract. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed November 2020. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $7,466,598 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,265,347 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z428. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for remediation of audit deficiencies within Marine Corps Logistics Command in the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0048. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia (100%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ARMY American Ordnance LLC, Middletown, Iowa (W15QKN-19-D-0109); and General Dynamics-OTS (Niceville), Niceville, Florida (W15QKN-19-D-0110), will compete for each order of the $133,212,119 firm-fixed-price contract for the Modular Artillery Charge System Load, Assemble and Pack M231/M232 type for the 155mm propelling charges. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DonJon Marine Co. Inc., Hillside, New Jersey, was awarded a $43,409,975 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of Newark Bay. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Newark, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $43,409,975 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0021). Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando Florida, was awarded a $40,614,330 modification (P00001) to contract W52P1J-17-D-0043 for Modernized Turret kits for the Apache attack helicopter. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Tetra Tech Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $39,774,838 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to provide operational readiness; closure and transition support; real property support; Department of Army Base Realignment and Closure support; environmental planning; operational readiness support and technical support, igloo closure compliance support; environmental support and real property support. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911SR-19-D-0010). The Robins & Morton Group, Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded a $32,994,842 firm-fixed-price contract for a single phase design bid-build training support facility at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $32,994,842 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0024). M.C. Dean Inc., Tysons, Virginia, was awarded a $15,334,437 modification (P00004) to contract W912DR-18-C-0006 for additional load centers, uninterruptible power source systems and computer room air conditioner units, at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. Work will be performed in Aurora, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 8, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $15,334,437 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Ology Bioservices Inc.,* Alachua, Florida, was awarded a $10,870,944 modification (P00054) to contract W911QY-13-C-0010 to establish, commission and support an agile and flexible advanced development and manufacturing capability. Work will be performed in Alachua, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 19, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,845,964 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $7,561,500 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Cape May, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,561,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-C-0041). AIR FORCE GE Aviation, doing business as Dowty Propellers Inc., Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,889,724 firm-fixed-price delivery order. This delivery order provides for Option I quantities of R391 propellers and spares to support the C-130J aircraft, in conjunction with the commercial Rolls Royce AE2100D3 engine managed by Warner Robins, Air Logistics Center, Tactical Airlift Division. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2023. The delivery order is the result of a sole-source commercial acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft funds in the amount of $20,889,724 are being obligated at the time of delivery order award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8504-19-F-0028). A&P Technology Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for $8,904,957 for the Design for Manufacture of Attritable Aircraft Primary Structure program. This contract provides for an alternative design and manufacture of an aircraft structure relative to a baseline aircraft structure that is more unitized and uses fabrication processes that may be automated leading to greatly reduced costs associated with manufacturing. Work will be performed at Cincinnati, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2021. This work is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III Acquisition. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $8,904,957 are being obligated at the time of Award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-2200). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1956513/source/GovDelivery/

  • Coping with COVID: The RCAF adjusts to the new world

    September 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Coping with COVID: The RCAF adjusts to the new world

    “We were at the highest level of readiness that we would have been at since the Korean War.” If that seems a perplexing statement from the commander of an Air Force that at one point during the current pandemic had about 70 per cent of its members working from home, LGen Al Meinzinger has a sound explanation. Though Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) headquarters sometimes resembled ghost towns, training schools were paused, operational training units (OTUs) were scaled back to critical force generation activity, and flight operations were at times curtailed, over 83 per cent of personnel were on short notice to activate. “I referred to it tongue and cheek as the team being readied in a martial arts crouch,” he said. “Nobody was away on course, nobody was out of country on temporary duty. Almost 100 per cent of our team was conducting operations, supporting operations or at home ... on a very high alert level to respond as directed.” When the coronavirus flared in communities across Canada in mid-March, the RCAF quickly adopted a posture intended to preserve the force. The health and safety of members and their families became the top priority. At the direction of the Chief of the Defence Staff and military and civilian health authorities, training courses for Reserve cadets, new recruits, technician trades and professional upgrades were halted and over a thousand students returned to barracks or home. Travel for leave was limited. Operational flights were re-routed to avoid COVID hot spots where possible. The operational tempo dipped but did not stop. Transport squadrons continued to support operations in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and elsewhere; fighter squadrons and 22 Wing North Bay, Ont., the Canadian Air Defence Sector, maintained the NORAD mission; and search and rescue units responded around the clock to calls across the country. 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., even became a quarantine site in the early days of the pandemic for Canadian passengers lifted from a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, docked in Japan. But at Wings and in aircraft, new health and safety measures were introduced to mitigate the risk of infection and transmission. Students were sequestered. Access to workspaces was restricted and traffic flow through some buildings was altered to limit contact. Meetings migrated to Zoom and other video technology. Aircrews conducted virtual handovers. On transport planes, new protocols for mask wearing and passenger screening became the norm. “We have remained focused on the health of our people throughout,” said Meinzinger. “It was impressive how swiftly the team was able to introduce a raft of new protocols.” The payoff has been evident in the number of COVID-19 cases in the RCAF. At no point have they exceeded single digits, he noted. At the time of the interview in early July, no member was sidelined due to the virus. While personnel health was critical, the quick reaction to preserve Air Force capacity was a necessary precaution for what the RCAF suspected could be a busy period ahead. Following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) had developed a contingency plan known as Operation Laser to counter a future pandemic. Accordingly, among the CAF's first responses to COVID-19 was the stand-up of six regional task forces to respond to provincial requests for assistance, each with an air detachment of either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft to provide transport and other services. At the same time, the RCAF was bracing for the urgent calls for air assets under Operation Lentus, the CAF response to natural disasters. Spring flooding and summer forest fires have threatened Canadian communities with increasing frequency in recent years, and assistance with surveillance or evacuation appeared to be in the cards once again. “At the outset, we were looking at dealing with COVID-19 responses and potentially having to support the government with Op Lentus tasks,” said Meinzinger. Since training for Air Combat Systems Officers and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators was on pause at 402 Squadron in Winnipeg, the RCAF even put the CT-142 Dash-8 “Gonzo” and its aircrews on standby to provide additional airlift. Resuming, at a distance The Air Force is now in the process of working through a business resumption plan that calls for a “controlled, conditions-based” return of activities. In truth, the plan is more about increasing the tempo at Wings, squadrons and headquarters. Mindful of the damage to readiness if core activity ground to a halt, operational squadrons continued to fly and OTUs maintained some flight and technician training for graduates earmarked for possible deployment. Now, it's a matter of ramping up while adapting to the unknowns of the pandemic. Already, about 50 per cent of personnel at 1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD) and 2 Canadian Air Division are back in their offices and workspaces. “Readiness is everything from your level of flying currency, the recency of that flying, to your knowledge, so we wanted to make sure that we didn't see our readiness shift,” said Meinzinger. “But we are being very diligent in how we are ramping up.” His conditions include the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially face masks, the ability to operate safely, and the ability to move personnel about the country while still meeting the guidelines of provincial health authorities. Already, some courses have resumed, albeit in modified classrooms, and training programs have adapted to shortened weeks in which different cohorts rotate every three days to “reduce the footprint” of both students and instructors. One of the consequences of COVID-19 could be a willingness to embrace distance working. As part of a multi-year retention strategy, the RCAF has been evaluating the merits of working remotely to limit the number of moves a member makes and better accommodate family situations where both spouses serve in the CAF and a move is not conducive for one. Before the pandemic, for example, the RCAF Aerospace Warfare Centre at 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., known as the RAWC, was “leveraging brains rather than bodies” by allowing team members to work remotely from locations such as Comox, B.C., and Gagetown, N.B. “We were already seeing that that model was very effective,” said Meinzinger. “Not only was it delivering operational output ... but more importantly, it was creating better balance in personal lives.” As RCAF headquarters moves to the Carling Campus in Ottawa, he's tasked his deputy commander, MGen Blaise Frawley, to “look at what a Headquarters 2.0 structure looks like, including how many [staff] could work from home for a majority of their work day.” “It's an adaptation and it obviously recognizes the need for a healthy workplace. We may see more shift work happening in the HQ, similar to the three-day model,” he explained. “There is a new reality with COVID-19 and that will probably reshape some of our thinking.” That reality will likely renew discussion around distance learning and the expanded role of simulation and other technologies in training programs. In an ideal world, the RCAF would have a distance learning package for every course “that students could immediately access in a pandemic,” he said. The Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering at 16 Wing Borden, Ont., is already well down that road with the use of virtual reality (VR) and other tools in the training curriculum of various trades. And CH-148 Cyclone crews are learning hoist mission training on a Bluedrop Training & Simulation VR system at 12 Wing Shearwater, N.S. More recently in June, the RCAF Command Team course for anointed Commanding Officers and unit Chief Warrant Officers was delivered at distance using “modern tools,” he said. “This pandemic has underscored the value of having a greater amount of simulation [and remote learning] within the enterprise.” Return engagement for pilots? As with any crisis, the pandemic response has highlighted capability gaps and opportunities. Assessing the full impact of COVID-19 remains a work in progress – “we're still drawing deductions,” said Meinzinger – but it has confirmed the agility of the Air Force to alter course on the fly. In the first months, units stepped up to develop and deliver PPE for the CAF, including the Aerospace Telecommunications and Engineering Support Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton, which re-rolled to produce medical-grade face shields for Health Services personnel. And when a gap in keeping infected patients isolated from the aircrew was identified, the Directorate of Aerospace Requirements spearheaded the rapid procurement of aeromedical bio containment containers to allow a medical practitioner to care for multiple infected patients in the back of a CC-177 Globemaster or CC-130J Hercules. “That procurement was pivotal and we'll reap the benefit of that work in the coming months” when it is delivered, said Meinzinger. “These systems will complement the superb work related to on-aircraft PPE tactics, techniques, and procedures that have been developed by the 1 CAD team to ensure the safety of our aircrew.” The pandemic might also help with the battle all western air forces have been waging for the past several years, as the commercial airline boom attracted both pilots and maintenance technicians. With civil aviation now in a tailspin and many pilots furloughed or laid off, the RCAF could see the return of former members. The CAF has been working to re-enrol recently retired members for the past few years, hoping to attract experience back to either the Regular or Reserve Force. After the effect of the pandemic on the aerospace sector became apparent, the RCAF launched a campaign on social media to “rejoin the team” and increased the capacity in its Intake and Liaison Team to help interested former members make the transition. To date, about 200 have expressed an interest and 100 are considered serious prospects, spanning a range of Regular and Reserve Force officer and non-commissioned member trades. In the past four months, about 55 have completed applications. Meinzinger expects that to increase. Following the upheaval to civil aviation after 9/11, the Air Force saw a similar trend line. “It takes a bit of time for individuals to contemplate their future,” he said. “There is a family decision [involved] ... but we anticipate in the coming months there will be [greater interest] from those individuals who are affected.” Though the emphasis is on recent military experience, “we'll take any calls,” he added, noting that the ambition of the government's defence policy means “we are going to need a bigger RCAF team.” Trying to predict the trajectory of the pandemic over the next months is almost impossible, but it's a question “I think about each and every day,” Meinzinger acknowledged. He has been drawing on a “fraternity” of air chiefs from allied countries to gather lessons and help shape the RCAF response. The only certainty is “to remain very agile” and adapt to what Gen David Goldfein, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, has called the new non-normal. “The cadence and the rhythm of the pandemic is going to clearly shape the way that we move forward,” said Meinzinger. “We want to be as best prepared as we can be.” https://www.skiesmag.com/features/coping-with-covid-rcaf-adjust-new-world/

  • Aerospace and Defense Industry Projected to Grow

    September 6, 2017 | International, Aerospace

    Aerospace and Defense Industry Projected to Grow

    According to a research report by Deloitte, the global aerospace and defense industry is likely to experience stronger growth in 2017. The report indicates that the industry has experienced multiple years of positive but a subdued rate of growth and in 2017, the aerospace and defense industry is estimated to grow by about 2.0 percent http://www.stockhouse.com/news/press-releases/2017/09/06/aerospace-and-defense-industry-projected-to-grow

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