Sole source armoured vehicle deal with General Dynamics costs double original estimates

On the same subject

• 

  September 13, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Marinvent delivers 4.0-enabled Synthesis compliance tool to Government of Canada

  Marinvent has announced the successful delivery of its Synthesis compliance tools to the Government of Canada for testing under Innovative Solutions Canada (formerly the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP)). Marinvent's “Synthesis” is a powerful, purpose-built, simple-to-use, Oracle web-based software tool for planning, optimization and management of complex programs that require the definition, collection and documentation of compliance artefacts against rigorous, externally-governed, processes and standards. Synthesis saves customers enormous amounts of time and money on certification programs, provides a real framework for re-use and provides management with an ideal tool to help integrate the supply chain and manage program risk. Synthesis ensures the completeness of compliance programs and provides real time visibility into the current status of such efforts, to minimize risk and add management oversight. Synthesis removes inconsistencies in certification documentation and forges unbreakable links between test standards and test results to ensure complete traceability, including on all modifications made to its database, without adding to the user's workload. “The BCIP program is fundamental to Marinvent's launch of Synthesis”, said Alistair Chapman, director, Marketing at Marinvent. “The Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE) is an ideal launch customer for Synthesis, and BCIP is one of the most relevant and important government programs out there for us.” Synthesis also links the governing requirements and corresponding test results at every level and does not allow test results to be detached from the governing requirements that they are linked to, nor does it allow the creation of unattached items. This means that every requirement has an unbreakable connection to all applicable supporting documents, corresponding test results, and, finally, to the acceptance records required by certification/airworthiness authorities. “We believe the benefits that we will demonstrate to AETE will have equal applicability to other parts of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF),” said Dr. John Maris, president at Marinvent. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/marinvent-delivers-4-0-enabled-synthesis-compliance-tool-to-government-of-canada

• 

  May 8, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Scheer rolls out an ambitious defence agenda, but critics ask: Where's the money?

  Murray Brewster · CBC News A little joke used to make its way around the Harper Conservative government every time National Defence presented Andrew Scheer's former boss with the bills for new equipment — about how Stephen Harper would emit an audible 'gulp' of alarm when they crossed his desk. Scheer, in the first of a series of election-framing speeches for the Conservatives, pledged yesterday to wrap his arms around Canada's allies, take the politics out of defence procurement, buy new submarines, join the U.S. ballistic missile defence program and expand the current military mission in Ukraine in an undefined way. What was absent from the Conservative leader's speech — a greatest-hits medley of road-tested Conservative policy favourites, blended with jabs at the Trudeau government's record — was an answer to the first question his supporters usually ask on these occasions: How are you going to pay for it? Deficit hawk or defence hawk? The Liberals have set the federal government on course to increase defence spending by 70 per cent by 2027. The cost of what Scheer is proposing — submarines and missile defence — would have to be shoehorned into that framework somehow. Either that, or he'd have to radically redesign the current defence spending program. Scheer's speech was greeted with raised eyebrows by more than one defence sector observer. "When he starts talking about deficits, you can kiss all that goodbye," said Stephen Saideman, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University. "In other speeches, he talked about being a deficit hawk. That would have real implications for the defence stuff." The Harper government increased defence spending during the Afghan war and made a series of promises to revitalize the military, but ended up cutting its budget and postponing projects in order to eliminate the deficit. 'Harper all over again' Saideman said Scheer's speech did not offer an ironclad guarantee that he'd avoid doing the same thing, and was even inaccurate in its characterization of the Liberals' record on defence spending. A full half to two-thirds of the defence and foreign policy vision Scheer laid out, he said, was "Harper all over again" — but with some surprising differences. His embrace of allies was much warmer than it was with the previous Conservative crowd, which tended to look upon NATO with a jaundiced eye. "I will reinvigorate Canada's role in the alliances we share with our democratic allies. This includes existing alliances like NORAD, NATO, the Commonwealth, La Francophonie and the Five Eyes, but it will also include overtures to India and Japan," Scheer said. He also pledged a Conservative government would do more in Eastern Europe. "This will include expanding upon the current missions to support Ukraine and providing Ukraine's military with the equipment they need to defend their borders," said the Conservative leader. Scheer didn't say in his speech what he wants Canada to do in Eastern Europe that it isn't doing now — short of putting combat troops on the front line of Ukraine's breakaway eastern districts, or selling offensive weapons to Kiev. Scheer did promise to take the lead on a potential United Nations peacekeeping mission, a proposal that has been out there in the international community for months and has largely gone nowhere. Other ideas that often go nowhere filled out the rest of Scheer's speech — like the promise of a fix for the Canadian military's complex, cumbersome system for buying equipment. Politicians are to blame, Scheer said. "Military procurement in Canada is hyper-politicized, to our detriment," he said. "By playing politics with these matters, governments have diminished the important responsibility to adequately and expediently equip the Armed Forces." To accept that argument, one must set aside his party's favourite rallying cry during the politically blistering F-35 debate of half a dozen years ago: If you don't support the plane, you don't support the troops. Politics-free procurement? Michael Byers, a University of British Columbia defence policy expert, said removing politics from procurement decisions would be a fantastic step forward, one that could save taxpayers boatloads of money by doing away with pet projects and regional interests. "It's an admirable goal, but he would be the first prime minister ever to take the politics out of defence procurement," he said. "So, I'm skeptical about whether he would actually do so ... I take that statement with a very large grain of salt." The absence of a clear fiscal pledge also troubles Byers, who noted that replacing Canada's Victoria-class submarines with either German or Swedish-built boats would be expensive. So would participation in ballistic missile defence, which has various levels of participation from research and development all the way up to anti-missile radar and batteries. It is, he said, all about the dollars. "I think that when we talk about defence spending and defence budgets, we have to talk about real money going out the door in terms of signed contracts," said Byers. "And neither the Conservatives nor the Liberals have been able to deliver much in the way of signed contracts for the last 20 years." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/scheer-rolls-out-an-ambitious-defence-agenda-but-critics-ask-where-s-the-money-1.5127028

• 

  June 10, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  One new commander — 3 changes of command

  by Bill McLeod MGen Alain Pelletier assumed command of 1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD), Canadian NORAD Region (CANR), and the Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) from MGen Christian Drouin at a parade and ceremony held in front of the Air Division Headquarters Building in Winnipeg, Man., on May 16, 2019. The triple commands meant that the parade had three separate signing ceremonies with three lieutenant-generals in attendance. LGen Al Meinzinger, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, presided over the change of command for 1 CAD and was also the reviewing officer for the parade. LGen Christopher Coates, deputy commander of NORAD, signed the change of command for CANR and LGen Mike Rouleau, commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, signed the change of command for the JFAC. After the parade was formed up on the sunny but gusty morning, but before the ceremony began, a low and slow flypast in front of the seated VIP guests and dais by a pair of noisy Canada geese drew a laugh from everyone. After the review of the parade, MGen Drouin addressed the crowd at the ceremony and reflected on his experiences. “I will repeat here what I said at my change of command in 2016,” he said. “Aren't we living in a great country? I came from a modest upbringing and barely spoke any words of English. I got the opportunity to fly helicopters and they paid me to have that much fun — pretty cool. To eventually end up commanding our country's operational air force is simply incredible.” MGen Drouin went on to thank the province of Manitoba and the city of Winnipeg for their support for various programs, such as the relocation program that the province's special envoy for military affairs, Jon Reyes, has been championing. He also said that, despite growing up a “Habs fan by birth”, he was now a Jets fan. Following the signing of certificates for the three commands, LGen Rouleau related a story about his experience with the RCAF. “I took the Challenger [aircraft] here with the Air Force commander. He gave me a lift and it was awesome, and I got off the plane with my suitcase and my briefcase,” said Rouleau. “It was raining sideways. I slipped on one of the stairs and, before I knew it, I was on my behind at the bottom of the stairs and LCol Dave Snow, who was flying the Challenger, was there to grab me. It dawned on me that it was like the story of my career with the Air Force. When I was down and needed help, someone from the Air Force was there to get me out of there.” LGen Coates' remarks focused on the NORAD mission. “Our success at NORAD hinges on our inter-operability, which is especially complex because of our unique bi-national structure,” he said. “We rely on cohesive actions by our regions for mission success.” “NORAD headquarters has been taking a serious look at our ability to deter adversarial aggression in today's dynamic security climate, especially with the increase in the scale and complexity of our adversary's military activity. The close coordination that you drove with [the Alaska NORAD Region] to respond to activities in our Arctic helped NORAD stretch our resources to deliver a harmonized strategic message to our adversaries.” “This is clearly an emotional day as we bid farewell to an experienced dedicated commander within the RCAF and we welcome another,” said LGen Meinzinger. “I think it's even more poignant as it's MGen Drouin's last week in uniform and I know today is certainly more precious, poignant, and meaningful to him and his family.” LGen Meinzinger then spoke of the successes that 1 CAD experienced under MGen Drouin's leadership and congratulated MGen Pelletier on his new command role. “I know firsthand the capabilities and the outstanding qualities you bring to the post, your tremendous skill, your professionalism, your leadership, and your class,” LGen Meinzinger told MGen Pelletier. “You have commanded at all levels and I believe you are perfectly suited to move the operational Air Force forward. “You are the right leader at the right time to tackle the challenge ahead.” MGen Pelletier expressed his pleasure at being asked to take command. “I'm thrilled and honoured to be amongst you today on a traditional Winnipeg cool and windy day, to take command of the famous 1 CAD, a division that stems back to 1957, if my history is right, the operational arm of the Air Force,” he said. “It is my intent to continue advancing the yardstick well set by MGen Drouin, in the improvement of the command and control of RCAF activities in order to better support the whole spectrum of Canadian Armed Forces operations at home and abroad.” At the end of the ceremony there was a real flypast by a CH-146 Griffon helicopter — not Canada geese — from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, followed by a reception. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/one-new-commander-3-changes-of-command/