The RCAF laces up for the 2024 RCAF Run

On the same subject

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  May 31, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  AETE testing upgraded Australian F-18 software compatibility

  by Chris Thatcher With modifications now complete on the first two operational Australian F/A-18A Hornets, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has begun conducting testing and evaluation of their upgraded systems at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta. The two fighter jets, which were accepted in February as part of the federal government's plan to address an interim gap in the Air Force's ability to concurrently meet both NORAD and NATO commitments, underwent a number of changes at L-3 MAS in Mirabel, Que., to bring them up to the same operational configuration as the Canadian CF-188 Hornets. The modifications included Canadian operational software, a revised cockpit configuration, installation of the naval aircrew common ejection seat, new night vision imaging system external lighting on the tail, a sniper targeting pod support, changes to the landing gear, and the RCAF paint scheme. The government intends to acquire 18 operational Australian jets and possibly up to seven more for spare parts. The Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE) is now conducting a range of tests, “primarily to verify that the Canadian software is fully compatible with remaining Australian-unique hardware and systems, before being declared operational and integrated with the rest of the fleet,” a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence told Skies. “This is the normal practice for changes that occur on any aircraft fleet.” AETE has also conducted test and evaluation of CF-188 Hornet systems and gear as the RCAF finalizes an upgrade package for its fleet of 76 fighter jets. Both the RCAF Hornets and the Australian jets could also see an upgrade to their combat capability. A review by the Air Force is currently underway to assess any necessary improvements to the combat capability of the fleet after an Auditor General's report in November flagged a shortage of pilots and the declining combat capability of the aircraft as the two “biggest obstacles to meeting the new operational requirement.” The review is expected to be completed this spring. Deliveries of the remaining Australian Hornets will continue at regular intervals for the next three years, with the final aircraft expected by the end of 2021. The jets will be distributed among the tactical fighter squadrons and operational training squadron at 3 Wing Bagotville, Que., and 4 Wing Cold Lake. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/aete-testing-upgraded-australian-f-18-software-compatibility/

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  September 25, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  Peraton expands Calgary operations to advance Canada defence program support

  As a leading provider of high value logistics and support to Canadian defence for more than 35 years, Peraton recently completed its Calgary facility operations expansion and modernization. The new facility will enable broader support of Canada's CF-188 fighter fleet and position the company for future growth on fighter platforms and programs. Peraton's Calgary facility, at 76,000-plus square feet, now with an engineering lab for operational design and development, is a “one-stop-shop” for integrated logistics support. The site provides full life-cycle supply chain management for the largest allocation of government-owned materiel in Canada. “With our proven record of efficiency, having reduced costs for the CF-188 fleet, we are well equipped and ready to scale to support Canada's future fighter program,” said Gus Bontzos, president, Defence and Electronic Warfare sector. “We are also proud partners in spurring enterprise development, with 60 per cent of our supplier base in Canada comprised primarily of small to medium sized businesses.” Peraton's investment is helping to propel Calgary's economic growth, sparking renewed growth in specialized high-tech jobs. With its development of a platform-agnostic, scalable sustainment model that can optimize program performance for any platform–air, land, or sea, the Peraton model represents the next generation of cooperative military advancement. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/peraton-expands-calgary-operations-to-advance-canada-defence-program-support

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  November 15, 2018 | Local, Land

  Saudi Arabia and the Canadian Arms Lobby

  by Yves Engler Will they cancel the contract or won't they? In order to understand Ottawa's decision making process regarding General Dynamics' massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia one must look closely at industry lobbyists. While the Trudeau government is under substantial public pressure to rescind the $15 billion Light Armored Vehicle sale, to do so would challenge the company and the broader corporate lobby. Last week a senior analyst with the GD-financed Canadian Global Affairs Institute boldly defended the LAV sale. "There has been no behavior by the Saudis to warrant canceling this contract", said David Perry to the London Free Press. Perry must have missed the Kingdom's violence in Yemen, repression in eastern Saudi Arabia and consulate murder in Istanbul. Two weeks ago Perry told another interviewer that any move to reverse the LAV sale would have dire consequences. "There would be geopolitical implications. There would be a huge number of economic implications, both immediately and in the wider economy... canceling this, I think, would be a big step because as far as I understand the way that we look at arms exports, it would effectively mean that we've changed the rules of the game." Amidst an earlier wave of criticism towards GD's LAV sale, the Canadian Global Affairs Institute published a paper titled "Canada and Saudi Arabia: A Deeply Flawed but Necessary Partnership" that defended the $15-billion deal. At the time of its 2016 publication at least four of the institute's "fellows" wrote columns justifying the sale, including an opinion piece by Perry published in the Globe and Mail Report on Business that was headlined "Without foreign sales, Canada's defense industry would not survive." Probably Canada's most prominent foreign policy think tank, Canadian Global Affairs Institute is a recipient of GD's "generous" donations. Both GD Land Systems and GD Mission Systems are listed among its "supporters" in recent annual reports, but the exact sum they've given the institute isn't public. The Conference of Defence Associations Institute also openly supports GD's LAV sale. Representatives of the Ottawa-based lobby/think tank have writtencommentaries justifying the LAV sale and a 2016 analysis concluded that "our own Canadian national interests, economic and strategic, dictate that maintaining profitable political and trade relations with ‘friendly' countries like Saudi Arabia, including arms sales, is the most rational option in a world of unpleasant choices." Of course, the Conference of Defence Associations Institute also received GD money and its advisory board includes GD Canada's senior director of strategy and government relations Kelly Williams. Full article: https://original.antiwar.com/yves_engler/2018/11/13/saudi-arabia-and-the-canadian-arms-lobby/