November 12, 2020 | Local, Naval
Posted on November 10, 2020 by Seapower Staff
WASHINGTON — The State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Canada of Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIIC missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $500 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release.
The Government of Canada has requested to buy 100 Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIIC missiles and 100 Mk13 Vertical Launch System canisters modified to employ the SM-2 Block IIIC missile.
The proposed also would include “obsolescence engineering; integration and test activity associated with production of subject missiles; canister handling and loading/unloading equipment and associated spares; training and training equipment/aids; technical publications and data; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support; and other related elements of logistical and program support, the release said.
This proposed sale will provide Canada with SM-2 Block IIIC missiles for installation on its planned 15 Canadian Surface Combatant ships, ensuring its ability to operate alongside U.S. and Allied naval forces against the full spectrum of naval threats.
The principal U.S. contractor will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona.
https://seapowermagazine.org/state-dept-approves-possible-sm-2-block-iic-missile-sale-to-canada/
September 21, 2022 | Local, Other Defence
The Canadian Forces does not yet have an idea when it wants improvements to be put in place, defence officials say.
December 18, 2018 | Local, Aerospace
By Charlie Pinkerton Nothing will make the government reconsider its controversial plan to buy 25 second-hand, 30-year-old fighter jets as a temporary stopgap for its fleet, says Canada's minister of National Defence. “For us, (cancelling the purchase is) not even in the picture at all, because it would be absolutely irresponsible if we don't try to fill this capability gap,” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told iPolitics in an interview. “We have to invest.” When they came to power, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals deferred a plan to buy 65 F-35 fighter jets, deciding instead to buy a much smaller number in the interim. They first sought to purchase 18 new Super Hornet jets built by American manufacturer Boeing, before canning that plan about a year ago as trade tensions between the countries boiled over. An announcement followed that Canada was buying 18 used F-18s from Australia to supplement its existing CF-18 fleet, which dates from the early 1980s, and was due for replacement after about 20 years. Over the summer, the government announced it would buy seven jets from Australia for parts. The Liberals had set aside $500 million for this purchase, but the final cost is still unclear. Since the announcement to purchase Australia's old planes, Sajjan has faced harsh criticism from opposition members who call the plan unacceptable, especially after a damning report from the auditor general of Canada less than a month ago. Yet when asked if the purchase could be stopped, Sajjan replied, “Why would you want to stop it?” One answer to that — cherrypicked from the auditor general's report — is that under the current plan, Canada will not meet its commitment to NORAD and NATO, which government officials, including Sajjan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have cited as a major reason for the government's decision to buy the planes. The auditor general also casts doubt on the viability of the government's interim fleet because of a shortage of technicians and pilots capable of maintaining and flying the jets. “National Defence expects to spend almost $3 billion, over and above existing budgets, without a plan to deal with its biggest obstacles to meeting the new operational requirement,” says the report. “We know it's going to take time,” Sajjan said, “but at least we're investing in the problem so we can finally get rid of it.” National Defence doubled down on its current plan following the auditor general's report, saying it's seeking approval of “a number” of upgrades to keep Canada's CF-18 fleet in the air until 2032. It also says it will increase the number of technicians and pilots in the fighter force, even though it identified the shortage as far back as 2016. The first jets to replace the existing CF-18s, and those the government is buying from Australia, will arrive in 2025. A yet-to-be-chosen future fleet of 88 fighter aircraft are supposed to be fully operational by 2031, and last until the year 2060. https://ipolitics.ca/2018/12/17/feds-going-ahead-with-plan-to-buy-used-jets-says-defence-minister/
May 14, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
By NEIL MOSS Canada would be 'better served' if defence projects are overseen by a non-partisan body, says a retired Armed Forces colonel, who oversaw procurement and equipment management policy. https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/05/13/questions-abound-over-ugly-defence-procurement-system-following-mark-norman-case/199729