U.S., Canadian fighter planes scramble to escort Russian jets near North American coastline

On the same subject

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  December 7, 2018 | Local, Naval

  Government of Canada to invest in eight search and rescue lifeboats for Canadian Coast Guard

  December 6, 2018 - Gatineau, Quebec - Public Services and Procurement Canada The Government of Canada is committed to getting the Canadian Coast Guard the equipment it needs to keep Canadian waterways safe and provide meaningful economic opportunities for Canadian shipyards. On behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, Public Services and Procurement Canada is acquiring eight new high-endurance search and rescue (SAR) lifeboats from Chantier Naval Forillon of Gaspé, Quebec, and Hike Metal Products of Wheatley, Ontario. Chantier Naval Forillon and Hike Metal Products were already producing six SAR lifeboats each under existing contracts signed in 2015. Under the amended contracts, each shipyard will build four additional lifeboats at a total cost of $61,757,896. These contracts were awarded under the small vessel component of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and will help maintain well-paying, middle-class jobs at both shipyards. With the ability to operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore, these new high-endurance SAR lifeboats are enhancing the Coast Guard's search and rescue capabilities. Vessels from this class are named after bays in Canada and are being built under the Federal Infrastructure Initiative, the Fleet Renewal Plan and Oceans Protection Plan. Quotes “Our government is providing the women and men of the Canadian Coast Guard with the modern equipment they need through the National Shipbuilding Strategy. At the same time, we are creating good middle class jobs and strong business opportunities for the Canadian marine sector.” The Honourable Carla Qualtrough Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility “Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy and Oceans Protection Plan, we are providing members of the Canadian Coast Guard the equipment they need to keep Canadian waters and those who use them safe. The addition of these new lifeboats will also create more jobs for Canadians and enhance the Coast Guard's capacity as a leader in maritime safety.” The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick facts Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Quebec, won a $45.8-million contract in July 2015 to build six vessels. This contract created 25 new jobs, as well as sustaining approximately 35 jobs. Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, Ontario, won a $43.4-million contract in July 2015 to build six vessels. This contract created and sustained 45 jobs. To date, four new high-endurance SAR lifeboats have been delivered to the Coast Guard. SAR lifeboat stations are operated by highly-trained Canadian Coast Guard personnel, who are well-equipped to respond to marine incidents in near-shore areas. Under the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, seven new lifeboat stations are being built, contributing to safer waters and coasts across Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/news/2018/12/government-of-canada-to-invest-in-eight-search-and-rescue-lifeboats-for-canadian-coast-guard.html

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  November 29, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

  Brazil's Embraer gets new order from Canada's Porter Airlines for 25 more jets | Reuters

  Brazilian planemaker Embraer said on Wednesday that Canada's Porter Airlines placed a firm order for an additional 25 E195-E2 aircraft for $2.1 billion.

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  November 12, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land

  Ottawa on track to invest less on new military kit than promised for second year

  OTTAWA — For the second year in a row, the federal government is expected to spend billions of dollars less on new military equipment than promised because of a combination of good and bad news: cost savings on some projects and delays in others. The Trudeau government in 2016 released a new defence policy that included dramatic increases in spending on new aircraft, ships, armoured vehicles and other military equipment over the next 20 years. The investments are vital to replacing the Canadian Forces' fighter jets, ships and various other types of aging equipment with state-of-the-art kit. Yet while new budget documents filed in the House of Commons show the Department of National Defence has so far been given authority to spend $4 billion this fiscal year, the policy had predicted total spending of $6.5 billion. The department does have until March 31 — when the federal government's fiscal year ends — to make up the $2.5-billion difference, but its top civilian official, deputy minister Jody Thomas, admitted Thursday that a large shortfall is likely. Part of the reason is that the department expects to save about $700 million on various projects that ended up costing less than planned, Thomas told The Canadian Press following a committee appearance on Parliament Hill. “We've delivered things more efficiently than was anticipated and so we don't need the money,” she said. “And we can apply it to projects, either new projects or projects that have a cost overrun.” But delays moving some projects through the military procurement system have also caused their fair share of problems, Thomas said, and the department is expecting to have to put off $1 billion to $1.3 billion in purchases it had planned to make this year. “We'd like to (spend) $6 billion every year. Can I guarantee to you that we're going to do that? No, there's slowdowns in projects, there's slowdowns with suppliers, there's changes in scope. Things change,” she said. “I'm hoping to get it below $1 billion. I'm not committing to getting it to below $1 billion. ... We're driving projects to get it as low as possible and spend funds efficiently and effectively. We're not wasting money.” The government spent $2.3 billion less than planned last year. That was also largely because of delays in projects such as the government's multibillion-dollar plan to buy new warships, though also because some things ended up costing less than expected. The government does deserve credit for having increased investments in equipment to levels not seen since the height of the war in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “And if they can actually move as much as the deputy (minister) was saying, and they only leave $1 billion on the table, that will be the best year in the last several decades,” said Perry, who has previously warned that delays in the procurement system could derail the defence policy. “But there are a bunch of impacts from not being able to spend money on schedule. One is you don't have the actual gear to do what you want. And project budgets lose purchasing power when money is not spent on schedule. So it's not good to have delays.” https://windsorstar.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/ottawa-on-track-to-invest-less-on-new-military-kit-than-promised-for-second-year