February 4, 2021 | Local, Naval
02/03/2021 | 09:06am EST
Ultra is delighted to announce a contract award to commence work on the key Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) system for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program - named the Towed Low Frequency Active Sonar (TLFAS). This subcontract moves the development of CSC's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability from the program definition phase into the full manufacture and delivery of the vessels suite of sonars.
The TLFAS is a world-class towed sonar solution, optimized for the detection and tracking of stealthy submarines in challenging ocean environments. When delivered it will represent a step-change in Canada's anti-submarine warfare assets and will provide a level of sonar capability never before enjoyed by the Royal Canadian Navy.
The TLFAS system is fully designed and manufactured by Ultra in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its design also includes components built by other Canadian companies, such that the industrial benefit of this system selection is spread across multiple Provinces. The selection of this system for CSC therefore means that Canadian industrial content is maximized in the delivery of the initial systems, and that the skillsets and facilities required to maintain the system through its operational life are also resident in Canada.
More broadly, Ultra is proud that its work on the CSC program is proving to be an important vector for growth of Canadian jobs, innovation and investment. In the two years since having been originally awarded program definition studies for CSC, working in close partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Ultra's Canadian team has grown by over 150 employees, with another 80 high-tech roles expected to be made available in 2021 alone.
The program is also triggering major Canadian investment decisions by Ultra in terms of facilities, inward technology transfer and research partnerships which will be announced through the course of 2021. Overall, Ultra's role on CSC is a very good example of the Industrial and Technological Benefits that the program is providing to Canada, and of the enduring impact that the program will have on sovereign naval capability for the nation.
Bernard Mills, President of Ultra Maritime Sonar Systems commented: 'Ultra recognizes our responsibility to provide, through CSC, the highest possible level of ASW capability to the Royal Canadian Navy. We are therefore immensely proud of this contract award, especially because it is grounded in Canadian innovation and ingenuity, and because it will be an enduring driver of both operational capability and national industrial benefit. Most importantly, this is not just a success for Ultra but is one for the entire CSC enterprise, and I want to thank our strong partners in Lockheed Martin Canada, Irving Shipbuilding Inc., and all our peers on the CSC team who are as dedicated as we are to the delivery of a world-class naval capability to Canada, built by Canadians'.
The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, noted: 'As we work to build the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy, we are pleased to see companies like Ultra stepping up to provide leading-edge technology for our shipbuilding projects. The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to provide opportunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes, from coast to coast to coast.'
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, highlighted the benefit of this contract award in his riding: 'I am delighted to see the positive economic impact of the National Shipbuilding Strategy across Nova Scotia. Companies like Ultra are playing an important role in the CSC program, while providing good quality jobs here in Dartmouth. Ultra's highly skilled employees will produce the technology needed to help ensure the capability of the Royal Canadian Navy's future fleet.'
March 30, 2022 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
An injection of billions of dollars more for the military doesn’t mean the country will be more secure.
December 29, 2020 | Local, Naval
Murray Brewster · CBC News No matter which way they are going to be sliced, the numbers will be jaw-dropping. The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) is set, early in 2021, to deliver an assessment of the Royal Canadian Navy's long-anticipated frigate replacement program, a review that will give the public perhaps the clearest view yet of the kind of investment taxpayers will be asked to make in the future fleet. A respected former senior defence official, writing in the military magazine Esprit de Corps this fall, took a stab at running the numbers and they are eye-watering, especially in a post-pandemic world. Alan Williams estimated that when construction and lifetime operating and maintenance expenses are included the new fleet of 15 warships could cost between $213 billion and $219 billion. Circulating within the defence community for weeks, his scathing assessment has apparently caught the attention of the House of Commons government operations and estimates committee, which has requested a copy of the research. Between Williams' biting criticism, the budget officer's anticipated take and a planned auditor general review of the national shipbuilding program, the ground is set in 2021 for a major political battle over defence spending, the likes of which haven't been seen in almost a decade. Back to the future The last time that kind of watchdog firepower was assembled, the former Conservative government's plan to buy the F-35 was blown back to the drawing board, where the fighter jet replacement program remained for years. Back then, the fight was all over numbers and transparency and whether former prime minister Stephen Harper's government was levelling with taxpayers, and just as importantly, whether bureaucrats had done enough homework to justify their choice of the stealth fighter. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/navy-frigates-cost-1.5851912
October 31, 2017 | Local, Naval
Québec City, Monday October 16th 2017: Davie Shipbuilding today announced that during the weekend it launched the largest naval vessel ever to be delivered from a Canadian shipyard – on time, to budget and at an internationally competitive cost. Commissioning of all onboard systems began in early September and on the 16th November 2017, the ship will perform its sea-trials prior to achieving Full Operational Capability (FOC). During the sea-trials – overseen by Lloyds Register – the ship's safety, quality, systems and functionality will be tested against the high military standards and specifications which it has been built to. The build quality and modern design of this ship, with the latest Canadian naval systems, is testament not only to Davie's experience, infrastructure and unparalleled expertise but also to the incredible contribution by the hundreds of Canadian suppliers involved. Over 900 Canadian companies have contributed to the build of the ship, including the supply of key military-specified equipment such as its Integrated Navigational and Tactical System (INTS), its NATO-compliant Replenishment-At-Sea (RAS) systems and its naval Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). Alex Vicefield, Chairman of Davie Shipbuilding, commented, “The delivery of this ship has clearly demonstrated that there is a Canadian shipyard capable of delivering complex naval platforms on time, to budget and at internationally competitive prices. In the knowledge that the Royal Canadian Navy needed this ship urgently, our 1,400 staff have worked day and night to ensure that it is not only delivered on time but that it is of a quality that will be able to serve Canada proudly for decades to come. The success of this multi-functional design, which is equally suited to both combat and humanitarian operations, has generated worldwide interest from foreign navies.” Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services, added, “Our Canadian crew are all onboard and are ready to begin operations alongside the Royal Canadian Navy. We have prepared for this moment for two years and we will very soon be ready to support Canadian Forces in any theater of operations, worldwide, at a minute's notice.” http://www.davie.ca/news/systems-go-like-clockwork-resolve-class-naval-support-ship-launched/