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Les conclusions du rapport du vérificateur général soulignant une pénurie de pilotes militaires au Canada résonnent particulièrement au Manitoba, où la formation initiale des pilotes des Forces armées canadiennes est donnée et supervisée. Un texte de Pierre Verrière Il est difficile de parler de l'Aviation royale canadienne sans évoquer le Manitoba. Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les pilotes de tout le Commonwealth venaient y suivre leur formation avant d'être déployés en Europe. Depuis 1992, la troisième École de pilotage des Forces canadiennes située à Portage-la-Prairie, à une heure de Winnipeg, assure la formation de base des pilotes canadiens. Enfin, c'est à Winnipeg qu'est situé le quartier général de la 2e Division aérienne du Canada, responsable de l'instruction des pilotes. Or, ce sont justement ces pilotes qui font gravement défaut, selon le vérificateur général du Canada. Ce dernier met notamment l'accent sur les pilotes de chasse. Selon le vérificateur, il en manque plus du tiers pour satisfaire aux exigences opérationnelles. Parmi les raisons évoquées, on compte le rythme auquel les pilotes quittent l'aviation, qui est plus rapide que celui auquel elle peut en former de nouveaux. Entre avril 2016 et mars 2018, l'Aviation royale canadienne a ainsi perdu 40 pilotes de chasse qualifiés et en a formé seulement 30 nouveaux. Ce problème n'est cependant pas nouveau ni étranger pour les responsables de la formation des pilotes. Article complet: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1139188/penurie-pilotes-forces-armees-canadiennes-manitoba

Murray Brewster · CBC News The last couple of weeks may go down in the Trudeau government's public record as the point when the desires of deliverology met the drawbacks of defence procurement. Remember 'deliverology'? That lofty concept — measuring a government's progress in delivering on its promises — was the vogue in policy circles at the beginning of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration. While it's sometimes derided as an empty concept, deliverology must have seemed tailor-made for a new government inheriting a troubled defence procurement system. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal's decision Tuesday to step into the brawl over which multinational consortium will design and support the construction of the navy's new frigates is another lesson in how (apologies to Robert Burns) the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. The tribunal's decision to order Ottawa to put the frigate project on hold pending the completion of their probe into a complaint by a failed bidder comes at a politically awkward time for the Liberals. One week ago, Auditor General Michael Ferguson delivered an ugly report on the Liberals' handling of fighter jet procurement — specifically, the plan to buy interim warplanes to cover the gap until the current CF-18 fleet can be replaced with new aircraft. Self-inflicted wounds A cynic's reflex (given the checkered history of defence purchasing over the last decade) might be to consider these two events as just another day at the office for the troubled government procurement system. That might not be entirely fair. Still, experts were saying Wednesday that the government is suffering from numerous self-inflicted political and administrative wounds on this file. With a federal election on the horizon, and in a climate of growing geopolitical instability, the question of what the government has actually managed to deliver on military procurement is an important one to ask, said Rob Huebert, an analyst in strategic studies at the University of Calgary. While the system, as the Trudeau Liberals and previous governments have constructed it, seems to be the perfect model of the "evidence based" policy making promised by the champions of deliverology, it's also not built for speed. Some would suggest the deliverology model was followed to the letter in the design competition now tied up before the trade tribunal and in Federal Court. What seemed like endless consultations with the bidders took two years. The government made up to 88 amendments to the tender. And in the end, the preferred bid was challenged by a competitor that claims not all of the navy's criteria were met. Alion Science and Technology Corp. and its subsidiary, Alion Canada, argue the warship Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE System Inc. want to sell to Ottawa cannot meet the speed requirements set by the tender without a substantial overhaul. It does not, the company claims, meet the government's demand for a proven, largely off-the-shelf design. Michael Armstrong, who teaches at Brock University and holds a doctorate in management science, said the government could have avoided the challenges and accompanying slowdowns had it been more precise in its language. "They could have been more clear and firm when they use the words 'proven design'," he said. "Did they literally mean we won't buy ships unless they're floating in the water? Or did they mean that British one that doesn't quite exist yet is close enough? "If they would have been more firm and said, 'We want a ship that actually exists,' that might have simplified things at this stage." Huebert described the auditor general's report on the purchase of interim fighters as an all-out assault on evidence-based policy making. "It is just so damning," he said. A break with reality The Conservatives have accused the Liberals of avoiding the purchase of the F-35 stealth jet through manufacturing a crisis by claiming the air force doesn't have enough fighters to meet its international commitments. The auditor found that the military could not meet the government's new policy commitment and even ignored advice that one of its proposed solutions — buying brand-new Super Hornets to fill the capability gap —would actually make their problems worse, not better. That statement, said Huebert, suggested a jaw-dropping break with reality on the government's part. "They [the Liberals] were just making things up," he said. It might have been too optimistic to expect the Liberals to fix the system, said Armstrong, given the short four years between elections. But Huebert said Ottawa can't carry on with business as usual — that the government now must deliver on procurement, instead of doubling down on rhetoric. The problem, he said, is that governments haven't really paid a price in the past for botched military procurement projects. There was "no political pain for the agony of the Sea King replacement, as an example," he said, referring to the two-decade long process to retire the air force's maritime helicopters. "The thing that makes me so concerned, even outraged, is that we are heading into a so much more dangerous international environment," said Huebert, citing last weekend's clash between Russia and Ukraine over the Kerch Strait and ongoing tension with Beijing in the South China Sea. "When things get nasty, we have to be ready." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/why-can-t-ottawa-get-military-procurement-right-1.4924800

Air Spray Ltd. announced that is has been awarded a contract for aerial firefighting by the Government of Manitoba. The Wildfire Suppression Services Contract has been issued by the Manitoba Sustainable Development Agency and is for a period of 10 years. Air Spray will be working in partnership with Babcock International to carry out the contract. The contract includes the management, maintenance and operation of Manitoba's fleet of seven Canadair water-bomber amphibious aircraft (four CL-415s and three CL-215s), supported by three Twin Commander “bird-dog” aircraft. Manitoba will retain ownership of the water-bomber aircraft, parts, inventory, special tools and equipment but will transfer care and custody to the contractors. Based on operations in prior years, the Wildfire Suppression Service will provide approximately 1,400 flying hours and 3,750 water drops per year. Operations will cover the entire province of Manitoba (649,950 square kilometres) and will help to protect communities in a population of 1.3 million people. Lynn Hamilton, owner and president of Air Spray Ltd., responded that “the province of Manitoba can be assured that our years as a leader in the airtanker industry and experience fighting wildfires throughout Western Canada can be relied on to provide outstanding service to the province. The award of the contract is expected to provide Air Spray with additional future opportunities associated with the CL415 aircraft platform and enable us to further our dedication to the protection of our environment from wildfire.” Mike Whalley, president of Babcock Canada, commented: “Babcock has over 30 years of fixed- and rotary-wing aerial firefighting experience throughout Europe. In 2017, our aircraft and crews carried out over 5,500 firefighting missions, dropped 174 million litres of water and logged over 20,000 hours in support of wildfire suppression. “We deliver a fully integrated and professional aerial firefighting management service, underpinned by technology investments and mission specialist pilot training. We are delighted and honoured that the Government of Manitoba has entrusted us with this critical service, and we look forward to serving the province and protecting the natural resources and communities of Manitoba.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/air-spray-wins-manitoba-aerial-firefighting-contract/

Chris Thatcher Canada will struggle to retain its position as a leading player in the global aerospace market without a government-backed industrial policy. That was the stark message form a trio of industry executives to the Canadian Aerospace Summit in mid-November as the sector embarks on Vision 2025, an exercise involving industry, federal and provincial governments, and other stakeholders to develop recommendations the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) hopes will lead to a long-term, fully-funded sector strategy. “I think it is important we have a sound industrial policy in Canada,” said David Gossen, president of Halifax-based IMP Aerospace and Defence. “It's clear every nation [that has an indigenous capability] is doing all they can to protect that industry. I think we need to follow that same principle.” As an engineering and in-service support (ISS) provider to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Gossen has seen the business model transform in recent years as OEMs have transitioned from long-term partners to fierce competitors for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work. He's watched emerging markets start to create their own domestic support capabilities–in some cases after requesting IMP know-how. And he's seen established aerospace nations erect barriers to protect their own ISS providers. He's also watched the boom and bust cycle of Canada's shipbuilding industry on the East Coast and drawn lessons he fears aerospace is in danger of repeating. “We don't [want to] spend 10 years trying to figure out how we rebuild [our] industry,” he cautioned. Many of Gossen's concerns were echoed by fellow panellists Dan Goldberg, president and chief executive officer of Ottawa-based Telesat, and Amandeep Kaler, chief executive officer of aerostructure manufacturer Avcorp Group. Goldberg said the 50-year-old satellite communication services provider is being buffeted by similar dynamics as traditional players seek greater protection at home and emerging markets strive to gain entry. “Our industry is changing dramatically,” he said. For manufacturers like Avcorp, a component and repair services supplier to international OEMs and airlines for over 16 years, “our business is being reshaped,” said Kaler, noting the growth of build-to-print suppliers in government-support markets. “The race for best price is not going to slow down anytime soon,” he said. “You can let it happen or you can take the steps . . . to be the leading-edge of that by bringing your own capabilities and leveraging other technologies that are available to us in Canada.” To survive, all three executives pointed to the need for expertise and intellectual property in niche capabilities. But they acknowledged government planning and support will be necessary if aerospace is going to capitalize on new technologies. While Telesat, for example, would prefer its satellites to be manufactured and integrated by Canadian suppliers, many of which have the technical ability, “at the end of the day we are a for-profit company . . . and we are going to procure satellites from the group of companies that can give us the best overall value proposition,” said Goldberg. If Canadian suppliers are to compete in the company's project for a new constellation of low orbit satellites, they will have to make “meaningful investments,” which will require provincial and federal assistance, he acknowledged. “I can say their competitors outside of Canada are receiving that kind of support,” he said. Goldberg flagged niche capabilities such as digital processing in space, phased array antenna technologies, and optical communications which several Canadian companies already provide. “They need to evolve their technologies to deliver what we need, and that is going to be a big investment on their part,” he said. Kaler and Gossen highlighted niche areas like robotics, automation, business aircraft, artificial intelligence as well as simulation and training systems and ISS, both of which were identified in a 2013 report by Tom Jenkins of Open Text, Canada First: Leveraging Defence Procurement Through Key Industrial Capabilities. Though government departments have refined the list of key industrial capabilities since the report was published, the strategy to leverage them is still pending. “Every segment will say we need to be supported. The reality is we can't be everything; we need to pick those we're good at and ensure we have good policies to support them,” said Gossen. “We need a healthy debate within government and industry to identify what those capabilities are,” he added, alluding to the promise of Vision 2025, an exercise now underway and led by Jean Charest, a former Québec premier and federal cabinet minister. “If I were a government policymaker, I'd start with what are we good at today and where these global markets are going, and then try and connect the dots between the two. And then I would start making some bets,” said Goldberg. “If the government doesn't start leaning in on some of these policies, all of these capabilities will completely atrophy.” In a controlled market such as defence, where governments often protect domestic manufacturers and build new capabilities, Gossen also argued for a similar approach to level the play field. Canadian suppliers need government help understanding where they can sell, he said, noting “a lot of markets are just closed to us.” Playing the sovereignty card, he said Canadian companies “should have the ability to service Canada's military equipment,” and suggested an industrial strategy could ensure “homefield is always protected.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/aerospace-execs-call-for-government-strategy-to-support-key-industrial-capabilities

The Canadian Press, Lee Berthiaume OTTAWA — The $60-billion effort to build new warships for Canada's navy is facing another delay after a trade tribunal ordered the federal government to postpone a final contract for the vessels' design. The federal government announced last month that U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin beat out two rivals in the long and extremely sensitive competition to design replacements for the navy's frigates and destroyers. Lockheed's design was based on a brand-new class of frigates for the British navy called the Type 26. The company is now negotiating a final contract with the government and Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding, which will build the ships. But one of the other two bidders, Alion Science and Technology of Virginia, has asked the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and the Federal Court to quash the government's decision. It says Lockheed's design did not meet the navy's stated requirements and should have been disqualified. Two of those requirements related to the ship's speed, Alion alleged, while the third related to the number of crew berths Late Tuesday, the tribunal released a one-page statement ordering the government to “postpone the awarding of any contract ... until the Tribunal determines the validity of the herein complaint.” Alion has argued that the rules of the competition required the federal procurement department and Irving, which helped evaluate the bids, to reject Lockheed's bid because of its non-compliance. Instead, they selected it as the preferred design. The company also maintains that its own proposed design, which is based on a Dutch frigate, met the navy's requirements. It has said that it has received no information about why Lockheed's bid was selected over its own, despite requests for answers. Lockheed Martin and Public Services and Procurement Canada declined to comment because the matter is before the tribunal and federal court. The third company in the competition, Spanish firm Navantia, has remained largely silent on Lockheed's successful bid. The government is planning to build 15 new warships starting in the next three or four years, which will replace Canada's aging Halifax-class frigates and retired Iroquois-class destroyers. They're to be the navy's backbone for most of the century. The bid by Lockheed, which also builds the F-35 stealth fighter and other military equipment, was contentious from the moment the design competition was launched in October 2016. The federal government had originally said it wanted a “mature design” for its new warship fleet, which was widely interpreted as meaning a vessel that has already been built and used by another navy. But the first Type 26 frigates are only now being built by the British government and the design has not yet been tested in full operation. There were also complaints from industry that the deck was stacked in the Type 26's favour because of Irving's connections with British shipbuilder BAE, which originally designed the Type 26 and partnered with Lockheed to offer the ship to Canada. Irving also worked with BAE in 2016 on an ultimately unsuccessful bid to maintain the Canadian navy's new Arctic patrol vessels and supply ships. Irving and the federal government have repeatedly rejected such complaints, saying they conducted numerous consultations with industry and used a variety of firewalls and safeguards to ensure the choice was completely fair. But industry insiders had long warned that Lockheed's selection as the top bidder, combined with numerous changes to the requirements and competition terms after it was launched — including a number of deadline extensions — would spark lawsuits. Government officials acknowledged last month the threat of legal action, which has become a favourite tactic for companies that lose defence contracts, but expressed confidence that they would be able to defend against such an attack. https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/tribunal-orders-feds-to-postpone-contract-in-60b-warship-project

Andrea Gunn (agunn@herald.ca) The federal government has spent $11.8 million on legal fees relating to the Canadian Surface Combatant project over the past two years, some of that owing to a large number of amendments to the project's request for proposals. In an answer to a written question posed last month by a Calgary Conservative MP, Public Services and Procurement Canada confirmed that 88 amendments had been made between July 1, 2016, and Oct. 2, 2018 to the request for proposals for the massive, multibillion-dollar project that aims to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's fleet of frigates. The request for proposals — the document that interested consortiums would have crafted their bids around — was released to 12 companies that had been pre-qualified to participate in the procurement by Irving Shipbuilding in October 2016. Irving is the prime contractor for the combat portion of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which includes the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships and the Canadian Surface Combatant, and is tasked with building the 15 warships at its Halifax shipyard. At a projected cost of between $56 and $60 billion, it's the largest and most complex procurement in Canadian history. There were a number of delays in the closing date for the request for proposals. Originally set for April 2017, the first bids weren't received until last November. In its many technical briefings and media releases from that period, PSPC said the delays were partially as a result of the back-and-forth between industry, government and Irving — feedback which resulted in a number of amendments to the RFP. “A total of 88 amendments were issued by Irving Shipbuilding between November 1, 2016 and August 13 2018,” the order paper question response reads. “These amendments were developed and issued to address inquiries from the 12 pre-qualified bidders, and to incorporate process improvements to the competitive RFP so as to maximize the opportunities for bidders to demonstrate the value of their solutions to Canada.” The response goes on to say the $11.8 million was spent by the government of Canada on project legal fees during the amendment period, but that PSPC is not able to provide a breakdown on how much was spent on the amendments themselves. PSPC also noted that because Irving issued the RFP, they would have also incurred legal fees. In the end, three firms submitted bids for the Canadian Surface Combatant and last month the federal government chose a consortium of Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE Systems offering the UK navy's Type 26 global combat ship as the preferred bidder. Full article: https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/feds-legal-bill-nearly-12m-for-warship-work-261231/

Murray Brewster · CBC News The federal government's plan to award a group of companies led by Lockheed Martin Canada the contract to design and support the construction of the navy's new frigates was dealt another setback late Tuesday by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, CBC News has learned. The agency said it intends to investigate a complaint by one of the other bidders, Alion Science and Technology Corp., and its subsidiary Alion Canada.The tribunal ordered the Liberal government to suspend negotiations with Lockheed Martin, which was selected last month by Public Services and Procurement Canada as the preferred bidder on the $60 billion program. "You are hereby ordered to postpone the award of any contract in connection with the above-mentioned procurement until the Canadian International Trade Tribunal determines the validity of the complaint," said a copy of the letter that was obtained late Tuesday by CBC News. Alion asked the CITT last week to investigate the procurement deal, saying the preferred warship design will need substantial changes and that it doesn't meet the navy's requirements as spelled out in the government tender. Last week, the company asked the Federal Court in a separate filing for a judicial review of the long-awaited decision.Three companies were in the running to design the next generation of warships to replace the navy's aging Halifax-class frigates. Navantia, a Spanish-based company, was the other bidder in the competition. Alion proposed its De Zeven Provinciën Air Defence and Command (LCF) frigate, a Dutch-designed warship, for the Canadian competition. The ship is already in service in other countries. No one from the trade tribunal, nor the federal government was immediately available for comment late Tuesday. Program already behind schedule Experts had warned the trade challenge and the court case might delay the program, which is already behind schedule. The design competition stretched for almost two years as public services officials and executives at the federal government's go-to shipyard for combat vessel construction, Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax, worked with bidders to ensure a fair competition and to avoid post-decision court fights. Public Services and Procurement Canada declined comment when the court challenge was launched last week. But a senior federal official, speaking on background at the time, said the federal government has up to 20 days to respond in Federal Court. The official — who was not authorized to speak on the record because of the sensitivity of the file — said there is flexibility built into the timeline and the government is optimistic it can meet its goal of an early 2019 contract signing. The substance of the Alion complaint is that the Lockheed Martin Canada-led bid should have been disqualified from the outset because it allegedly doesn't meet the navy's criteria in terms of speed and crew space. The Liberal government said it wanted to go with a proven warship design, rather than starting from scratch, because it would be faster and cheaper. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frigate-design-decision-faces-another-delay-after-latest-challenge-1.4923364

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Victoria-class submarines were expected to reach the end of their operational lives starting in 2022, according to documents obtained under the Access to Information law. That could have been a major problem for the federal government as it is looking at planning a modernization program for the on-board systems on the class, starting in 2023 or 2024. If the subs were to reach the end of their operational lives starting a year earlier, how would that have worked? Defence Watch asked that question and has been informed that things have now changed. Department of National Defence spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said that the Victoria-class start to reach the end of their operational life in the mid-2020s. That later date was determined after DND officials did a more extensive examination of the submarine fleet life. But there are still no details on what needs to be done to extend the life of the subs, how much that will cost, or when that will be done. “The Victoria-class Modernization (VCM) Program is currently in the Options Analysis stage, where the preferred modernization option is being selected,” Le Bouthillier noted. “Details of specific capabilities and milestones will be determined as the program evolves.” Last year Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan praised the capability submarines provide Canada. “No other platform in the Canadian Armed Forces can do what a submarine can do,” Sajjan said. “No other platform has the stealth, the intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and the deterrence to potential adversaries that a sub does.” But the Liberals have rejected a Commons defence committee recommendation that the Victoria-class subs, bought used in 1998 from the United Kingdom, be replaced with submarines capable of under-ice capabilities. “The government has also committed to modernizing the four Victoria-class submarines to include weapons and sensor upgrades that will enhance the ability of the submarines to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and deliver necessary improvements of platform and combat systems to extend operational capability to the mid-2030's,” the government response to the committee noted. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-forces-says-submarines-can-operate-until-mid-2020s-it-is-still-determining-how-to-upgrade

Today at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), the world's largest military training and simulation event, CAE announced the launch of CAE Rise™ for the defense market. CAE Rise™ is a data-driven training system designed to enable defense and security organizations to deliver standardized training and give instructors a new approach to objectively assess pilot competencies using live data during training sessions. The system leverages big data analytics to reduce subjectivity in pilot assessment, allows instructors even greater focus on teaching, and helps create more efficient and continually improving training programs. CAE Rise™ is one of CAE's latest digital innovations and has already been deployed for training CAE's airline partners. During I/ITSEC, CAE (Booth #1734) will conduct demonstrations each day with CAE Rise™ integrated on a T-6C simulator. The demonstrations will show how CAE Rise™ gathers data during simulator training sessions, and then provides an instructor with real-time, objective assessments of student performance against pre-determined criteria for specific training tasks. “CAE Rise™ is a prime example of CAE's commitment to investing in the development of digital technologies to revolutionize pilot training,” said Gene Colabatistto, CAE's Group President, Defense & Security. “The aviation industry – both military and civil – faces the long-term challenge of producing sufficient numbers of highly-qualified pilots to meet demand. CAE's focus on aviation training and innovations such as CAE Rise™ will contribute to making pilot training more efficient, standardized and objective, which ultimately helps produce higher-quality and better prepared pilots.” Some of the key features, capabilities and benefits of CAE Rise™ for military pilot training include: Developed on Microsoft Azure Government for cloud computing to meet government cybersecurity and compliance requirements; Facilitating student-centric learning by providing digital lesson plans, real-time feedback and ability to tailor training to each student; Improving instructor performance by facilitating student interaction and reducing administrative burden; Enabling training organization efficiencies such as maintaining electronic records, identifying performance gaps, and implementing closed-loop, adaptive training. https://www.cae.com/news-events/press-releases/cae-introduces-cae-rise-for-the-defense-market