Updated - Dassault makes it official – Rafale is out of Canadian fighter jet competition

On the same subject

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  April 30, 2019 | Local, Naval

  Government of Canada awards contract for acquisition of four naval large tugs

  GATINEAU, QC, April 29, 2019 /CNW/ - The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to deliver on its commitment to equip the Royal Canadian Navy with the ships needed to serve Canadians, while bringing jobs and prosperity to communities across the country and revitalizing our marine industry. Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, announced that Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of National Defence, has awarded a contract of $102 million (including taxes) to Ocean Industries Inc., from Isle‑aux-Coudres, Quebec, for the acquisition of four tugs. These new tugs will provide towing, firefighting and other critical support services to both the Atlantic and Pacific Maritime Forces. They will replace the Royal Canadian Navy's five civilian-crewed Glen-class large tugs and two Fire-class rescue boats. This contract will help sustain or create up to 140 jobs for Ocean Industries Inc. and its subcontractors. Quotes "The Government of Canada is committed to equipping the women and men of the Royal Canadian Navy with the ships they need to carry out their important work. Today's announcement is yet another example of how the National Shipbuilding Strategy is supporting jobs and prosperity in communities across Canada, including in Quebec." The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine "Large tugs are an essential part of the auxiliary fleet that supports the Royal Canadian Navy. They help berth our warships as they arrive from operations or as they leave to support our allies. The Government of Canadais providing the Royal Canadian Navy with the equipment they need to fulfill the missions we ask of them. Furthermore, this defence contract to build four large tugs in Canada will contribute to growing our economy and strengthening our middle class." The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan Minister of National Defence "We're very pleased to have obtained this contact to complete this project at our shipyard in Isle-aux-Coudres in the Charlevoix region. Though we've built a lot of ships, this is the most important contract ever taken on by Ocean Industries Inc. Today, it's our advanced expertise as a builder and naval tug operator that is recognized by the federal government. We worked hard to present the federal government with a competitive offer, and we're pleased that our efforts are materializing in these initial significant economic results for our company related to the National Shipbuilding Strategy." Jacques Tanguay President and Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Group Quick facts Two of these tugs will go to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt in British Columbia. The other two will be delivered to CFB Halifax in Nova Scotia. The first two tugs are scheduled to be delivered in 2021. The last two tugs will be delivered in 2023. Canada has applied a voluntary set-aside for the Aboriginal participation component at 1% of the contract value. Related products Royal Canadian Navy Ocean Industries Inc. Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-awards-contract-for-acquisition-of-four-naval-large-tugs-806906347.html

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  July 20, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Why it is time for smart protectionism

  Put simply, Canadian governments have a responsibility to practise smart protectionism where the risks to Canadians' personal security and national security are high. Free trade is good economics. Protectionism is bad. Global supply chains are efficient. Favouring domestic goods, services and industries is inefficient. Canada has long adhered to these orthodoxies. And most of the time it makes sense to do so. However, through the COVID-19 pandemic, both the public and private sectors have seen weaknesses associated with heavy or total reliance on foreign sources and global supply chains for essential goods, notably personal protective equipment (PPE). As of June 2, for example, the Government of Canada had ordered close to 122 million N95 masks from international suppliers, yet 12 million had been received and 9.8 million of those failed Canadian standards. We are learning the hard way that foreign sources cannot necessarily supply the products we need in the time, quantity or quality required during a national or global emergency. China, as the dominant global producer of many of these PPE supplies, has become the focal point for an emerging debate around domestic control over certain goods, technologies, and services. A recent report from the Henry Jackson Society in the U.K., for example, has argued the “Five Eyes”—the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand—are far too reliant on Chinese sources for all kinds of strategically important goods, and that this is a threat to the national security of those countries. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, too, has warned that Canadian companies that produce certain critical technologies are vulnerable to foreign takeovers by entities with agendas hostile to Canada's interests. This is not just an issue with China, though. In Canada, we like to believe that in national or global crises we can rely on the U.S. or other allies for help. Canada, in other words, would be at or near the front of the line with allies. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the behavior of the U.S. and European countries, suggests this is naive. Italy, a founding EU member, requested and was denied face masks from the EU's stockpile at the peak of their COVID-19 outbreak. In April, a presidential executive order gave the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency the power to “allocate to domestic use” several types of PPE that would otherwise be exported. U.S. produced masks bound for Germany, a close American ally, were reportedly diverted back while in transit. Ultimately, Canada was exempt from the U.S. order, but this episode should tell us that global emergencies can lead to “home front comes first” attitudes, even among our closest allies. Fundamentally, the issue comes down to one of efficiency versus necessity. Sometimes, in some areas of the economy, security of supply is more important than efficiency. While this thinking is new to most companies and governments in Canada, it is not new to Canadian companies working in defence and national security. The Canadian defence industry has long highlighted the need for focused sovereign production and control in key national security capabilities—in part to ensure security of supply—as our allies in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere have been doing for generations. The argument has fallen largely on deaf ears. There seems to be a greater aversion in Canada to any kind of protectionism than among our more pragmatic allies. There is also a belief that Canada can always rely on obtaining critical supplies from the U.S., owing to both our close trading relationship and bi-lateral defence agreements dating from the 1950s that purport to establish an integrated North American defence industrial base. Canada puts too much faith in these beliefs, to our peril. While we can still hold free trade and integrated global supply chains as the goal, we also need to recognize that this view of the economy does not always serve our national interests. Put simply, Canadian governments have a responsibility to practise smart protectionism where the risks to Canadians' personal security and national security are high. Christyn Cianfarani is president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). The Hill Times https://www.hilltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/072020_ht.pdf

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  May 13, 2022 | Local, Aerospace, Land

  Ottawa weighing ballistic missile defence as part of North American defence upgrades

  OTTAWA - Defence Minister Anita Anand says the federal government is weighing whether Canada should join the U...