Why the Australians are better at buying new warships than Canadians: report

On the same subject

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  September 26, 2022 | Local, Aerospace

  Defence Minister Anita Anand Announces Enhancements to RCAF Mobility Capabilities to Support Ukraine and Other Global Missions

  September 26, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Today, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is enhancing its air mobility operations based in Europe as it conducts ongoing missions there and around the world. Since late March 2022, RCAF members operating two CC-130J Hercules aircraft have been conducting operations from a hub based out of Prestwick, Scotland. The hub's personnel have now delivered 4 million pounds of cargo – largely military aid in support of Ukraine. To increase capacity and operational flexibility, Canada is adding a third CC-130J Hercules aircraft to the detachment, and deploying support personnel responsible for maintenance, cargo movements and administration. The Air Mobility Detachment in Prestwick will be made up of approximately 55 Canadian Armed Forces members with further augmentation based on operational tempo. When necessary, CC-177 Globemaster crews will continue to utilize the hub's resources to increase mission efficiency and flexibility. To reflect this change, the Prestwick Tactical Airlift Detachment will now be known as an Air Mobility Detachment. This name change is consistent with the increased frequency of flights and use of CC-177 air mobility aircraft. Bolstering the RCAF's operations hub will increase Canada's ability to carry out support missions throughout Europe, including the delivery of Ukraine-bound military aid. This augmentation will also increase Canada's ability to carry out missions in the Middle East and Africa on a periodic or as-required basis. As Ukraine defends itself from Russia's illegal and unjustifiable invasion, Canada will continue to provide Ukraine with comprehensive military assistance. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2022/09/defence-minister-anita-anand-announces-enhancements-to-rcaf-mobility-capabilities-to-support-ukraine-and-other-global-missions.html

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  October 23, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Canada moves closer to military-spending target following previous critique from NATO, U.S.

  OTTAWA - Canada has taken a big leap closer to meeting its promise to the NATO military alliance to spend a larger share of its economy on defence thanks to an unexpected assist from COVID-19. New NATO figures released Wednesday show that largely thanks to the pandemic, Canada is poised to spend the equivalent of more of its gross domestic product on defence this year than at any point in the past decade. That is because the alliance expects the Liberal government to hold Canadian defence spending steady even as COVID-19 batters the country's economic output. Yet defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute says the results are unlikely to appease the United States, as Canada continues to fall far short of its promise to NATO to spend two per cent of GDP on defence. “I think they'll be pleased to see positive momentum,” Perry said of the U.S., “but it doesn't resolve their concern about where we are.“ All NATO members, including Canada, agreed in 2014 to work toward spending the equivalent of two per cent of their GDP — a standard measurement of a country's economic output — on defence within the next decade. The promise followed complaints from the U.S. about burden-sharing among allies and broader concerns about new threats from Russia and China as the two countries increased their own military spending. NATO and the U.S. have repeatedly criticized Canada for not meeting the target, with President Donald Trump in December calling Canada “slightly delinquent” during a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. His predecessor, Barack Obama, also called out Canada over its defence spending during an address to Parliament in 2016. The U.S. spends more than any other NATO member on defence, both in terms of raw cash and as a share of GDP. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday said the continued importance of increasing military spending would be discussed when defence ministers from across the alliance meet this week. The NATO figures show that Canada is poised to spend 1.45 per cent of its GDP on the military this year. That is not only a big jump from the 1.29 per cent last year, but the largest share of the economy in a decade. It also exceeds the government's original plan, laid out in the Liberals' defence policy in 2017, to spend 1.4 per cent of GDP on the military by 2024-25. That is when NATO members were supposed to hit the two-per-cent target. Yet the figures show the expected increase isn't the result of a new infusion of cash for the Canadian Armed Forces this year as spending is expected to hit $30 billion, up just over $1 billion from 2019. Rather, NATO predicts Canadian GDP will shrink by about eight per cent this year as COVID-19 continues to ravage the economy. The fact Canadian defence spending is expected to remain largely steady despite the pandemic is noteworthy, particularly as there have been fears in some corners about cuts to help keep the federal deficit under control. The NATO report instead appears to lend further credence to recent assertions from Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Defence Department deputy minister Jody Thomas and others that the Liberals are not readying the axe. Canada also remained 21st out of 29 NATO members in terms of the share of GDP spent on the military as other allies also got a surprise boost from the economic damage wrought by COVID-19. At the same time, Perry said the government has yet to lay out a timetable for when it plans to meet the two per cent target. Military spending is instead expected to start falling after 2024-25, according to the Liberal defence plan. Despite having agreed to the target during the NATO leaders' summit in Wales in 2014, successive Canadian governments have repeatedly described the NATO target as “aspirational.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2020. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/10/21/canada-jumps-closer-to-military-spending-target-thanks-to-covid-19s-economic-damage.html

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  January 21, 2019 | Local, Land

  Tens of millions paid out due to bungled Canadian Forces procurement, but government says details are secret

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The case dates back to 2016 when the Canadian International Trade Tribunal ruled that the process which awarded a truck contact to Mack Defense of the U.S. was flawed Taxpayers are on the hook for potentially tens of millions of dollars after federal bureaucrats bungled the purchase of trucks for the Canadian Forces and now must make good on the lost profits for a U.S. firm. But Public Services and Procurement Canada, which oversaw the flawed defence procurement, has declined to provide details on just how much the penalties will cost the public. Defence industry representatives, however, say the penalty being paid to the U.S. company, Oshkosh, could be as high as $60 million as it has to account for lost profit on the $834-million contract as well as other expenses the firm incurred. The case dates back to 2016 when the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) ruled that the process, which awarded the truck contact to Mack Defense of the U.S., was flawed. The CITT supported the concerns of Mack's rival, Oshkosh, that there were significant issues with the evaluation of the vehicles. As a result, the tribunal called on Public Services and Procurement Canada to conduct a new evaluation of the trucks being purchased for the Canadian Forces. The CITT recommended that Oshkosh be compensated for its lost opportunity to profit But instead, the department continued with the process to buy the Mack trucks and went to federal court in 2017 to challenge the tribunal's ruling. It recently abandoned that appeal. It was revealed by the tribunal that Public Services and Procurement Canada had failed to keep many key records to support its claim that the Mack trucks met the requirements for the Canadian military. “The CITT recommended that Oshkosh be compensated for its lost opportunity to profit,” the department noted in a response to Postmedia about the settlement it reached with the firm. The department, however, declined to provide details, claiming that the payout is confidential. It did not explain why the penalties that taxpayers must shoulder should be considered secret. “This matter is now closed,” according to the department's statement. The Conservative government announced in 2015 that Mack Defense had won the $834-million contract to provide the 1,500 standard military pattern trucks as well as in-service support for the vehicles. “Truck deliveries are ongoing and expected to be completed during spring 2020,” Public Services and Procurement Canada noted. It stated that the Mack trucks meet the required standards. Oshkosh said in a statement to Postmedia that it was pleased with the financial settlement that resulted from its challenge heard by the trade tribunal. “Oshkosh cannot comment further on the details of this confidential settlement,” noted Alexandra Hittle of Oshkosh Defense. The program to purchase the trucks was originally announced in 2006 by the Conservatives but the acquisition was dogged by problems. The vehicles were supposed to be delivered in 2008 and the project was considered a priority because the vehicles they were to replace had become a safety hazard, with faulty brakes and excessive rust. But in 2012 the Conservative government temporarily shut down the project after learning that the Department of National Defence increased the cost of the project by $300 million but hadn't received permission from government to do that. The government had approved an original budget of $430 million but department and military officials began adding more capabilities to what they wanted in the vehicles, bumping the estimated cost up. DND officials continued on with the acquisition without going back to Treasury Board for approval for the extra money, angering the Conservative government. Delivery of the Mack trucks began last year and have continued to various bases throughout Canada. Earlier this month Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan highlighted the delivery of some of the trucks to a base in Quebec, noting that, “through our defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, we are providing the women and men of our Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment they need to do their jobs.” Sajjan did not mention that the trucks were ordered under the Conservative government. dpugliese@postmedia.com https://ottawacitizen.com/news/canada/tens-of-millions-paid-out-due-to-bungled-canadian-forces-procurement-but-government-says-details-are-secret