August 20, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
With the election looming, the Liberal government has set in motion, at least on paper, its commitment to consider bids for the purchase of new fighter jets. Of course, how committed the government is to move ahead on its renewed commitment remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, any Canadian truly committed to seeing a modern, well-equipped RCAF, supported by a capable military procurement program, should take special note of one of the top contenders to replace Canada's aging fleet of fighters: Sweden.
This non-aligned country, approximately the size of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a population only slightly larger than that of Quebec, has not only succeeded in developing generations of fighter jets, but has seen impressive success in exporting them.
Apart from Sweden, Saab's JAS 39 Gripen, the latest version released in 2016, is being used by the Czech Republic and Hungary within NATO. The governments of Brazil, South Africa and Thailand are also purchasing the aircraft. Other countries such as India, Botswana, Indonesia and the Philippines are seriously considering the Gripen.
But instead of fretting about how much Canada's aging fighters stand to potentially be outdone by the air forces of the developing world, we should instead look squarely at how Sweden came to be a serious contender to arm and equip this country's emaciated airforce.
We should instead look squarely at how Sweden came to be a serious contender to arm and equip this country's emaciated airforce.
The answer lies in the national mindset of the two countries. Unlike Canada, and especially when it comes to defence, Sweden refuses to allow itself to fall into dependency status vis-à-vis Europe, NATO or any other military power. In other words, while they actively cooperate with NATO in the defence of Europe, they make it clear that the defence of Sweden is first and foremost a Swedish responsibility. It is why the Swedish army, navy and airforce use high-tech equipment, much of which is built by the Swedes themselves. It is why the Swedes supplement their advanced military technology with elaborate defence-in-depth war plans and civil defence policies. The manual, “If crisis or war comes,” has been recently mailed to every household in Sweden.
By contrast, we Canadians have chosen a quasi-colonial mindset with respect to our defence, clearly reflected in our epically embarrassing procurement shortcomings and failures. For the last 60 years, beginning with the cancellation of the Avro Arrow, Canada has been falling into a pattern of dependency on the United States on all matters related to defence. Sweden, on the other hand, has remained committed to designing and developing much its own military aircraft, ships, submarines and army equipment.
In the mid-1950s, both Canada and Sweden were working independently on their own advanced fighter aircraft. While Canada was working on the Arrow, the Swedish military and engineers were hard at work on the Draken, which came out the same year. The Draken had a similar delta wing design to the Arrow and was the first European-built fighter jet to break the sound barrier.
But that is where the comparison ends; the two countries went on very different paths with respect to their airforces. Canada cancelled and destroyed its Arrow aircraft and took on second-rate Voodoo fighters from the United States. It is what we Canadians wanted, as no successive Conservative or Liberal government has since tried to “bring back the Arrow.”
Sweden aggressively continued development of new fighter technology, replacing the Draken with the Viggen in the 1970s, while Canada continued to try to squeeze more life out of our then-aging fighter jets. In the 1980s, as Canada was finally taking on the U.S built F-18, Sweden was working on the first version of the modern Gripen.
Of course, as had been well documented, the early Gripen had problems. But as with the Draken and Viggen, the Swedes, unlike Canada, stayed with their national fighter jet.
Today, Canada can only dream what our military aircraft industry might have been like in 2019 if then-prime minister John Diefenbaker, with the tacit support of the opposition Liberals, had not cancelled the Arrow, accelerating our descent into military dependency on the United States and national impotence on military procurement.
December 18, 2024 | Local, C4ISR, Security
The Army is poised to grow Vantage, its major data platform, by awarding Palantir a $400 million contract to continue its expansion across the force.
April 2, 2019 | Local, Security
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) has today completed the acquisition of Gemalto (Euronext Amsterdam and Paris: GTO), creating a global leader in digital identity and security. With Gemalto, Thales will cover the entire critical decision chain in a digital world, from data generation via sensors, to real-time decision support. This acquisition increases Thales's revenues to €19 billion and self-funded R&D to €1 billion a year, with 80,000 employees in 68 countries. PARIS — Completed in 15 months, the acquisition of Gemalto by Thales for €4.8 billion creates a Group on a new scale and a global leader in digital identity and security employing 80,000 people. The larger Thales will master all the technologies underpinning the critical decision chain for companies, organisations and governments. Incorporating the talent and technologies of Gemalto, Thales will develop secure solutions to address the major challenges faced by our societies, such as unmanned air traffic management, data and network cybersecurity, airport security or financial transaction security. Thales completes acquisition of Gemalto to become a global leader in digital security This combination creates a world-class leader with an unrivalled portfolio of digital identity and security solutions based on technologies such as biometry, data protection, and, more broadly, cybersecurity. Thales will thus provide a seamless response to customers, including critical infrastructure providers such as banks, telecom operators, government agencies, utilities and other industries as they step up to the challenges of identifying people and objects and keeping data secure. Research and development: inventing the world of tomorrow Thales and Gemalto share a passion for the advanced technologies that serve as a common foundation and focus for their 80,000 employees. Research and development (R&D) is at the core of the new Group, with its 3,000 researchers and 28,000 engineers dedicated to R&D. Thales has been developing state-of-the-art technologies to meet the most demanding requirements of customers around the world for decades. Today the Group has become a giant laboratory inventing the world of tomorrow, with a portfolio of 20,500 patents, of which more than 400 new ones were registered in 2018. Technological synergies The new Thales will cover the entire critical decision chain in an increasingly interconnected and vulnerable world, with capabilities spanning software development, data processing, real-time decision support, connectivity and end-to-end network management. With €1 billion a year devoted to self-funded R&D, the Group will continue to innovate in its key markets, drawing in particular on its world-class digital expertise in the Internet of Things, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. The first illustrations are as wide as the Group's portfolio: Banking: Big Data analytics Defence: biometrics Aerospace: unmanned traffic management Ground transportation: Internet of Things Space: Internet of Things Telecommunications: Big Data analytics An extended global footprint Following this acquisition, Gemalto will form one of Thales's seven global divisions, to be named Digital Identity and Security (DIS). Gemalto will interact with all of the Group's civil and defence customers and will significantly strengthen its industrial presence in 68 countries. Thales will considerably expand its operations in Latin America (2,500 employees, up from 600), triple its presence in Northern Asia (1,980, from 700), Southeast Asia (2,500, from 800) and India (1,150, from 400) and North America (6,660 employees, up from 4,600). “With Gemalto, a global leader in digital identification and data protection, Thales has acquired a set of highly complementary technologies and competencies with applications in all of our five vertical markets, which are now redefined as aerospace; space; ground transportation; digital identity and security; and defence and security. These are the smart technologies that help people make the best choices at every decisive moment. The acquisition is a turning point for the Group's 80,000 employees. Together, we are creating a giant in digital identity and security with the capabilities to compete in the big leagues worldwide.” Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO, Thales About Thales The people who make the world go round – they rely on Thales. Our customers come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions that make tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depths of space and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster – mastering ever greater complexity at every decisive moment along the way. Thales generated revenues of €19 billion in 2018 with 80,000 employees in 68 countries. https://montrealgazette.com/pmn/press-releases-pmn/business-wire-news-releases-pmn/thales-completes-acquisition-of-gemalto-to-become-a-global-leader-in-digital-identity-and-security/
May 29, 2020 | Local, Security
British Columbia-based AI firm to work with Public Works and Government Services Canada VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot One Technologies Inc.'s (TSX: PAT) (OTCQX: PTOTF) (FRANKFURT: 0PL) wholly-owned subsidiary Xtract Technologies (“Xtract AI”) is pleased to announce it has secured a $157,000 contract with Canada's Department of National Defence through the Public Works and Government Services Canada Division, as part of the Innovative Solutions Canada Program (ISC). The contract is for a project looking to provide better situational awareness for Canadian firefighters. The outcome will be a solution that will provide innovative devices, applications, personal protective equipment and technology to help firefighters work in a more Head Up Hands Free (HU/HF) mode of operation on the fire ground. Using Xtract AI's expertise in artificial intelligence for video and data analysis the project will aim to: integrate multiple sensors and biometric data feeds to assess the health, status and safety of firefighters in the field detect objects and people in smoke, and predict flow path and flashover using thermal and video imaging feeds in real time feed appropriate and necessary data back to incident commanders and firefighters in the field through a combination of dashboards, heads up displays, and haptic and audio feedback to increase efficiencies and remove distractions Work will proceed in multiple phases, including the design and development of advanced machine learning models, proprietary data sets and integration with advanced visualization solutions. “We're tremendously excited to be working on this project and thank the Innovative Solutions Canada Program (ISC) for selecting us,” expresses Martin Cronin, CEO of Patriot One. “Xtract AI's knowledge of artificial intelligence, and data and video analysis are an ideal match for this challenge, and we relish the opportunity to put these into a solution that will assist Canadian firefighters in being better informed, more efficient and, ultimately, safer.” For more details on the Public Work's DND contract, please visit: https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/award-notice/PW-SI-004-36861-001 The Xtract AI team is already underway with the project's design and development phase, and will make announcements, as required, on the progress of its efforts in achieving the goals of Canadian Department of National Defense. About XTRACT TECHNOLOGIES INC Xtract AI develops and commercializes artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep neural networks and predictive solutions utilizing advanced technology for public institutions and private enterprise. The firm has an award winning, highly skilled team that develops AI solutions to solve challenges across computer vision (CV), natural language processing (NLP), anomaly detection, and time-series analysis for applications ranging from security and defense to environmental solutions and healthcare. For more information on building your AI solution, visit: xtract.ai About Patriot One Technologies Inc. (TSX:PAT) (OTCQX: PTOTF) (FRA: 0PL): Patriot Ones' mission is to deliver innovative threat detection and counter-terrorism solutions for safer communities. Our PATSCAN™ Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection Platform provides a network of advanced sensor technologies with powerful next generation AI/machine learning software. The network can be covertly deployed from far perimeter to interiors across multiple weapons-restricted facilities. The PATSCAN™ platform identifies and reports threats wherever required; car park, building approach, employee & public entryways and inside the facilities. Each solution in the platform identifies weapons, related threats or disturbances, or potential health and safety threats for immediate security response. Our motto Deter, Detect and Defend is based on the belief that widespread use of the PATSCAN™ platform will act as an effective deterrent to diminish the epidemic of active threats around the globe. For more information, visit: www.patriot1tech.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/05/26/2038596/0/en/Patriot-One-s-Xtract-AI-Division-Secures-Contract-for-Department-of-National-Defence-and-Canadian-Firefighters.html