Statement from Minister Blair on the Second Biannual Report of External Monitor Jocelyne Therrien

On the same subject

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  February 21, 2020 | Local, Land

  New armoured vehicle fleet faces more problems – civilian vehicle hit near Petawawa

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Canadian military is investigating potential problems with brakes on its new armoured vehicle fleet which may have contributed to a number of incidents, including where one of the 18-tonne vehicles hit a car near Petawawa. There have been eight reported incidents involving problems with stopping or issues with brakes affecting the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles, or TAPVs. A formal safety advisory was issued Feb. 12 to the army units using the $600-million TAPV fleet. But the use of the vehicles is not being restricted at this time. The brake issues started being reported in January 2018 and the intermittent problem has only occurred at speeds in the range of five to 15 kilometres an hour, according to the Canadian Forces. “We are working with experts to try and determine if there is a problem with the vehicles braking performance at low-speed, and if the problem is isolated to a few vehicles or the result of something that may affect the wider fleet,” noted army spokesman Lt.-Col. Doug MacNair. So far, the Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence has been unable to replicate the reported problem, nor have inspections uncovered any obvious causes. There have been no injuries as a result of the incidents. Among the eight incidents is a Feb. 3 accident during which a TAPV rolled through a red light and hit a civilian vehicle near Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. No injuries were reported, and Ontario Provincial Police issued a ticket to the TAPV driver for failing to stop at a red light. Driver error was the “apparent problem” according to the Canadian Forces. But sources point out the driver in question reported problems with the TAPV brakes. During a change of command parade in Halifax in November 2019 a TAPV hit a wall causing minor damage after the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. A soldier near the vehicle had to “take evasive action to avoid being struck,” according to the Canadian Forces. In one case the brakes on a TAPV caught fire. In the aftermath of several other incidents involving brake failure large amounts of ice were found in the brake drums. In another case a TAPV hit the side of a bridge during training. “Following each of these incidents, technicians were unable to locate a problem with the brakes after they conducted technical inspections,” the Canadian Forces added. In 2016 the TAPV fleet had brake issues. At that time it was determined the anti-lock braking system on the vehicles was engaging erratically at higher speeds. A retrofit was introduced across the entire fleet to deal with that problem. The military says there is no evidence to suggest a connection between the 2016 braking issues and these latest incidents. Last year this newspaper reported on a series of rollovers and fires affecting the TAPV fleet. Between April 2014 and January 2019 there had been 10 incidents when Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles have tipped on to their sides, six where they have rolled over completely, and four where they have caught fire. Pat Finn, then the assistant deputy minister in charge of procurement at the Department of National Defence, said at the time there have been no serious injuries as a result of the incidents. Finn suggested the rollovers might be caused because of the high centre of gravity the vehicles have. Training was improved to deal with the issue of rollovers. No explanation was provided at the time for the cause behind the fires. The TAPVs have also faced other problems, according to DND documents obtained by this newspaper using the Access to Information law. The TAPV program has “experienced a number of significant technical issues, particularly affecting vehicle mobility,” then-Conservative defence minister Rob Nicholson was told in August 2014. There have been problems with the suspension, steering and other items on the vehicle, according to the briefing document for Nicholson. The technical issues significantly delayed the test program for the vehicles, the document added. The Conservative government announced the TAPV contract in 2012 as part of its re-equipping of the Canadian Army. Canada bought 500 TAPVs from Textron, a U.S. defence firm, at a cost of $603 million. The TAPV is a wheeled combat vehicle that will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance, security, command and control, and armoured transport of personnel and equipment. The TAPV project cost taxpayers a total of $1.2 billion, which not only includes the vehicles but also includes the building of infrastructure to house them, as well as the purchase of ammunition and service support for the equipment. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/new-armoured-vehicle-fleet-faces-more-problems-civilian-vehicle-hit-near-petawawa

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  February 4, 2019 | Local, C4ISR

  Government of Canada announces contract awards for research and development in support of Arctic surveillance

  February 1, 2019 – Ottawa, Ont. – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces The Department of National Defence is investing in defence research and development to produce innovative solutions to surveillance challenges facing the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF), particularly in Canada's North. In support of this, Member of Parliament for York Centre Michael Levitt, on behalf of Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan, announced today that the Department of National Defence, through Public Services and Procurement Canada, has awarded two contracts to Raytheon Canada Limited and the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies' Space Flight Lab (UTIAS SFL) under the All Domain Situational Awareness (ADSA) Science & Technology (S&T) Program for a total of $46.2 million. Raytheon Canada Limited has been awarded a contract for $31.2 million for the construction of transmit and receive electronics for a study of over-the-horizon radar detection at long range. A contract for $15 million has also been awarded to UTIAS SFL for the development of a prototype of a multipurpose microsatellite equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology for air and maritime surveillance. As outlined in our defence policy Strong, Secure, Engaged, the ability to conduct leading-edge research and development in satellite and radar technologies plays a critical role in supporting the CAFs capabilities, particularly in remote locations such as Canada's Arctic. Surveillance solutions such as these improve our access to accurate and timely information, enabling the CAF and our partners to better collect, understand and disseminate information and intelligence, and support our ability to succeed on operations at home or abroad. These systems will support our government's ability to exercise sovereignty in the North, and provide a greater awareness of safety and security issues, as well as transportation and commercial activity in Canada's Arctic. In addition, solutions achieved under the ADSA program will contribute to joint efforts between Canada and the United States to modernize elements of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Quotes “Our government understands that science and innovation are crucial in solving some of our most complex defence and security challenges. Through these contracts, the Department of National Defence is taking the next step to solving our surveillance challenges in the Arctic. We are proud to be partnering with Raytheon Canada and the Space Flight Laboratory to produce innovative solutions that will help to protect Canada's North.” The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan Minister of National Defence Quick facts The UTIAS SFL microsatellites being developed will allow for quick and timely detection and identification of surface or airborne targets. This is expected to improve the reliability of the detection and identification performance, leading to improved situational awareness for the CAF and our partners. Upon successful completion and testing of the prototype, two additional microsatellites will be built to create a small formation. These will then be launched for demonstration and testing. The primary objective of the Raytheon project is to demonstrate the feasibility of sky-wave radar technology for the detection of air targets at all altitudes beyond the radar's horizon. This involves reflecting signals off of the ionosphere and back to a receiving station located beyond the line of site. Once operational, the system will be used in conjunction with other systems to further understand the effect of the Aurora Borealis on target detection beyond the horizon. The ADSA S&T Program aims to leverage innovative science & technology expertise from other government departments, academia, industry and allies, to identify, assess and validate technologies in support of air and maritime surveillance, particularly in the North. Through a five-year investment of $133M through to 2020, the ADSA S&T Program is supporting the development of options for enhanced domain awareness of air, maritime surface and sub-surface approaches to Canada, in particular those in the Arctic. National Defence's science and technology organization, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), is the national leader in defence and security S&T. DRDC provides the defence S&T community, the Canadian Armed Forces and other government departments, as well as the public safety and security communities, with the knowledge and technology advantage needed to defend and protect Canada's interests at home and abroad. Associated links All Domain Situational Awareness S&T Program Strong, Secure, Engaged https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2019/02/government-of-canada-announces-contract-awards-for-research-and-development-in-support-of-arctic-surveillance.html

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  December 17, 2021 | Local, Aerospace

  New Call for Countering Unmanned Aerial Systems Coming // Nouvel appel de propositions pour vaincre les systèmes aériens sans pilote à venir bientôt

  New Call for Countering Unmanned Aerial Systems Coming In 2022, IDEaS will again be looking to the skies! After hosting a Sandbox in 2019 on Countering Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS), IDEaS will be inviting innovators to bring their ‘A' game in a new call for applications in the New Year. Come show us how your CUAS prototypes can solve the challenge and be integrated into the broader military command and control system. The original call sought technologies that could detect and/or defeat Micro and Mini Unmanned Aerial Systems, for which we are now seeking improved performance and integration. Visit the 2019 CUAS Results page to learn more on how the event unfolded and what we learned. Stay tuned for the new call to launch in January 2022. Stay tuned for opportunities to join and collaborate in Innovation Networks 5G research clusters! ​In Fall 2021, IDEaS invited Canadian Innovators to submit a Letter of Intent for the development of research clusters (called Micro-nets) under the newest Innovation Networks challenge: Faster, Stronger, More Secure: Advancing 5G capabilities and concepts for Defence and Security. The focus of the Micro-nets will be to conduct research to address DND/CAF needs with applications for:​ Architectures for Defence and Security Operations; Assured Performance and Security; or Applications and Sensors. Eligible Innovators screened in will be invited by the IDEaS Program to submit their Full Proposals over a period of 6 weeks. IDEaS will be posting the list of all screened in applicants in January 2022, including their proposal title, and lead researcher. We encourage organizations to build their network and reach out to be part of these growing micro-nets. Each funded micro-net will be eligible to receive up to $1.5M over 3 years to foster the development of a critical mass of researchers, highly qualified personnel, and expertise within the Canadian innovation community. Please join our mailing list to be the first to hear of this opportunity for collaborate. The IDEaS Team Nouvel appel de propositions pour vaincre les systèmes aériens sans pilote à venir bientôt En 2022, IDEeS regarde à nouveau vers le ciel ! Après avoir réalisé un Environnement protégé en 2019 pour en apprendre sur comment vaincre les systèmes aériens sans pilote (CUAS), IDEeS invitera les innovateurs à apporter leur savoir-faire dans un nouvel appel de propositions pour la nouvelle année. Venez nous montrer comment vos prototypes CUAS peuvent relever le défi et être intégrés dans un système de commandement et de contrôle militaire plus large. L'appel initial recherchait des technologies capables de détecter et/ou de vaincre les systèmes aériens micro et mini sans pilote, pour lesquels nous recherchons maintenant des performances et une intégration améliorées. Consultez la page des résultats CUAS 2019 pour en savoir plus sur le déroulement de l'événement et sur ce que nous avons appris. Ne manquez pas le nouvel appel de propositions qui sera lancé en janvier 2022. Les micro-réseaux 5G de Réseaux d'innovation commencent à prendre forme en janvier À partir de janvier 2022, les candidats retenus au dernier défi des réseaux d'innovation 5G auront la possibilité de commencer à unir leurs forces pour créer leurs micro-réseaux de recherche proposés. Les participants sélectionnés pour la phase de proposition du défi Plus rapide, plus fort, plus sécurisé : avancer les capacités et les concepts 5G pour la défense et la sécurité seront publiés sur le site Web d'IDEeS en janvier. Le titre de la proposition, l'organisation et le chercheur principal seront partagés afin que les candidats puissent commencer le processus de collaboration pour construire leurs micro-réseaux. Chaque micro-réseau financé sera admissible à recevoir jusqu'à 1,5 million de dollars (sur 3 ans) pour favoriser le développement d'une masse critique de chercheurs, de personnel hautement qualifié et d'expertise au sein de la communauté canadienne de l'innovation. Les participants doivent soumettre leurs propositions complètes au programme IDEeS dans les 6 semaines suivant la réception de la notification de la réussite de leur candidature. Inscrivez-vous à notre liste de distribution pour être averti lorsque la liste des participants sera disponible. L'équipe IDEeS