February 6, 2020 | Local, C4ISR
Xtract Technologies, a subsidiary of Patriot One Technologies, has secured a $975,000CAD Contract with Canada's Department of National Defense through the Public Works and Government Services Canada Division.
The contract is for a project related to improving situational awareness for the Canadian Armed Forces and security personnel using video analytics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality. This project will continue previous work completed by Xtract.ai for the CAF to develop technology solutions to augment the situational awareness of their soldiers and address the following challenges:
Work will proceed in multiple phases, including the design, development and deployment of advanced machine learning models, proprietary data sets and integration with advanced visualization hardware.
“We're very excited to leverage the Xtract.ai team's expertise in video analytics, object detection and artificial intelligence with the Canadian Department of National Defense,” expresses Martin Cronin, CEO of Patriot One Technologies. “With the work Xtract.ai has be doing with several clients, as well as on Patriot One's PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection Platform, the team brings tremendous experience in video analytics and threat object detection and look forward to delivering a high-performing solution that we hope will augment our military personnel in their service to our country.”
November 28, 2022 | Local, Other Defence
Canada’s military forces are 'ready' to meet their commitments should Russia's war in Ukraine spread to NATO countries, but it would be a 'challenge' to launch a larger scale operation in the long term, with ongoing personnel and equipment shortages, according to Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre.
January 19, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
January 19, 2023 – Inuvik, Northwest Territories – Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Today, the Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories, Michael V. McLeod, announced on behalf of the Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, that the Department of National Defence will be increasing its investment in the Inuvik Airport runway by $80 million, for a total investment of $230 million. Funding will be provided to the Government of the Northwest Territories and will be used to complete the remaining work required to extend and modernize the Inuvik Airport’s 6,000-foot main runway. Upgrades to the Inuvik runway are primarily focused on improving the airfield’s suitability to operate larger and heavier aircraft, which is an important enhancement to NORAD and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) ability to operate in the North and Arctic. This work is vital to ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces continue to have the capability to meet emerging security challenges across the North and Arctic, and aligns with Minister Anand’s June 2022 announcement of Canada’s plan to modernize its NORAD capabilities. As a central transportation hub in the Western Arctic and a growing community, Inuvik is a key location to deliver on our goals in the Arctic while creating opportunities for Indigenous and Northern communities. Construction on the runway upgrades is expected to be completed in 2027. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring Canadian Armed Forces personnel have the Northern infrastructure they require to effectively train and perform their duties. Funding for this project will also generate well-paying jobs and economic opportunities for residents of the Beaufort Delta region during construction. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2023/01/department-of-national-defence-to-increase-funding-contribution-for-inuvik-airport-runway-upgrades.html
September 9, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
On Sept. 3, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Air Task Force – Romania (ATF-Romania) received their readiness certification from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during a certification ceremony held at the Romanian Air Force Base Mihail Kogalniceanu. This certification allowed the Task Force to officially begin their enhanced Air Policing mission under Operation Reassurance in Romania on Saturday, Sept. 5. During this mission, the detachment from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), consisting of approximately 135 personnel and six CF-18 Hornet fighter jets, will help secure the skies over Romania until December 2020. The Air Task Force will work with the Romanian Air Force under NATO command and control as part of Operation Reassurance, which is Canada's contribution to NATO assurance and deterrence measures. Protection measures against COVID-19 were taken during the certification ceremony to ensure the health and safety of all present. While conducting their mission, the Air Task Force members are working alongside our regional partners and Allies in Romania, and taking all the necessary precautions to minimize the risk to the safety of our personnel and the local population. Despite the limitations of operating in a COVID-19 environment, the CAF have remained agile and able to conduct successful missions around the world, all while adhering to both domestic and host nation COVID-19 safety requirements. “Every year, this Air Task Force provides a concrete example of Canada's commitment to NATO's collective defence,” said MGen Eric Kenny, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division and Joint Forces Air Component Commander. “Air Policing is a critical part of NATO's mandate and is a mission our crews excel at, thanks to their training and experience with our own 24/7/365 NORAD mandate. I know they will take every opportunity to share their knowledge and learn from our Romanian and regional allies, as they help secure the Romanian skies.” “Having deployed on this mission in 2014, I know how much our pilots and entire Task Force benefit from this opportunity to work with our NATO allies,” said LCol David McLeod, Commander of Air Task Force – Romania. “COVID-19 has not dulled the enthusiasm of the great team that comes with me and I know their knowledge and professionalism will be evident throughout the deployment. Working alongside our NATO allies is critical to collective defence but also provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from one another. I am honoured to be back as the Air Task Force Commander, and I am looking forward to working and flying alongside our Romanian allies again.” Quick Facts During the mission, Canadian fighter pilots, mostly from 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron (433 TFS), will hold a quick reaction alert posture to augment Romanian air policing capabilities. They will also fly training missions together with the Romanian Air Force, as well as other regional Allies and partners. This will include patrolling Romanian air space and, if necessary, intercepting any aircraft that enter it without authorization. Operation Reassurance is Canada's contribution to NATO assurance and deterrence measures, which demonstrates Canada's ability and willingness to react rapidly to international crises and to work side by side with its NATO Allies to reinforce NATO's collective security. Air Task Force – Romania is the Air component of the mission. The Canadian Armed Forces have supported the mission since 2014, with this deployment marking the fifth time Canada has sent a detachment to Romania in support of NATO's enhanced Air Policing. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/canadas-air-task-force-romania-begins-2020-nato-enhanced-air-policing-mission/