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PARIS, France — Rheinmetall lifted a curtain, literally, complete with smoke and 80s rock, on its new Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle at Eurosatory June 12, setting its sights on meeting requirements for both European and U.S. future combat vehicles. “Do current fighting vehicles meet the needs of future forces? This was the question that started Rheinmetall on a journey to develop a Lynx family of vehicles,” Ben Hudson, the head of the company's vehicle systems division, said at Eurosatory just ahead of the unveiling. Hudson said militaries around the world are rethinking requirements and it is clear that in order to meet all the demands of future operations and potential peer-on-peer conflict that a vehicle needs “to provide utility across the spectrum of conflict” and have “the ability to conduct peer-on-peer warfare against emerging battlefield threats.” The U.S. Army has set developing a Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) as one of its top six modernization priorities. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/eurosatory/2018/06/12/rheinmetall-lifts-curtain-on-new-next-gen-combat-vehicle-with-hopes-to-spark-us-army-interest/

The Government of Canada is committed to defending Canada and Canadians against cyber threats. Today, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science & Economic Development delivered the National Cyber Security Strategy. This new strategy will guide the Government of Canada's cyber security activities to safeguard Canadians' digital privacy, security and economy. The strategy strengthens both how we combat cybercrimes and how we defend against them. It consolidates federal cyber operations into the new Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, which will create one clear and trusted national authority. Instead of several different departments, the Centre will provide a single window for expert advice and services for governments, critical infrastructure operators, and both the public and private sector to strengthen their cyber security. The Centre's first head will be Scott Jones, who is currently responsible for the IT Security Branch at the Communications Security Establishment. A new National Cybercrime Coordination Unit in the RCMP will support and coordinate cybercrime investigations between police forces across the country. New investments will bolster the RCMP's capacity to investigate major cybercrimes that affect the Government of Canada, impact critical infrastructure, and cause the most harm to Canadians. These investments will also enhance the RCMP's ability to conduct criminal investigations with domestic and international partners and provide specialized cyber capability to major investigations. In addition, small and medium-sized businesses will be able to enhance their cyber security with guidance and tools through the Centre, as well as a new voluntary cyber certification program, which will outline best practices to help businesses understand and respond to cyber threats. For Canadians, the strategy and associated investments mean a clear and trusted federal source for cyber security information, practical tips to apply to everyday online activities and heightened awareness of malicious cyber activity. For businesses, the National Cyber Security Strategy puts into place a framework that will improve their systems' resilience. For researchers and academics, it will support advanced research, fostering innovation, skills and knowledge. And for the digital systems we rely on every day, like online banking, electricity grids and telecommunications, it will support stronger security, and more rapid and coordinated federal responses to cyber threats. Quotes “Cyber security is not only a challenge, but an opportunity. Virtually every aspect of our modern lives depends on information technology. If Canadians are empowered to improve their cyber security and adapt to new threats—across government, the private sector and our personal use—we will not only realize the potential of the digital economy and keep our own data secure, but we can sell those skills and innovations to the huge, growing market in the rest of the world, creating high-paying middle class jobs. The National Cyber Security Strategy is the Government of Canada's roadmap to get there.” - The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness “The threats we face in cyberspace are complex and rapidly evolving; more than ever, cyber security is of paramount importance. Cyber security is not just a necessity, but a competitive advantage for Canada. The National Cyber Security Strategy establishes a clear focal point for cyber security within the federal government. The Communications Security Establishment is well-positioned to create and house the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security by building on the tremendous skill and talent that already exist within the government and partnering with industry to strengthen cyber security in Canada.” - The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence “The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding Canadians' digital privacy, security and the economy. For Canada's small and medium-sized businesses, cyber threats can have profound economic consequences. That is why we are investing over $25 million over five years for a voluntary assessment and certification program to help small and medium-sized businesses protect themselves against cyber threats. This new certification program will improve cyber security among Canadian small and medium-sized businesses, increase consumer confidence, and better position small and medium-sized businesses to compete globally.” - The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science & Economic Development “I am honoured to be named the first head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. The Cyber Centre will bring together the government's leading-edge cyber security operational talent from the Communications Security Establishment, Public Safety, and Shared Services Canada to be a unified and trusted source for cyber security information for the country. The Cyber Centre will be outward-facing, open to collaboration with industry partners and academia, as well as a trusted resource for faster, stronger responses to cyber security incidents. Cyber security is, and continues to be a team effort.” - Scott Jones, Head of Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and Deputy Chief, IT Security, CSE Quick facts Canadians spend the most time on-line of any country in the world – at 43.5 hours each per month. Cybercrime costs Canada 0.17% of its GDP, which is equal to $3.12 billion a year. Cyber-crime globally is estimated to cause $600-billion (US) in economic losses in 2018 and more than $6 trillion (US) by 2021. The global market for cyber security products and services is currently worth more than $96 billion (US), and is expected to grow to over $202 billion (US) by 2021. Budget 2018 invested $507.7M over five years and $108.8M per year ongoing to support the new Strategy. It includes: $155.2M over five years and $44.5M per year ongoing, to create the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security; $116M over five years and $23.2M per year ongoing, to the RCMP for the creation of the National Cybercrime Coordination Unit; $85.3M over five years and $19.8M ongoing for increased RCMP enforcement capacity; and $28.4M over five years for cyber certification. The remaining funds are for additional initiatives to support greater cyber security and resilience for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the energy and financial sectors. In addition, Budget 2018 invested a further $220 million over six years in Shared Services Canada and the Communications Security Establishment to better protect government networks and data; and $30 million over five years and $5 million ongoing in the Canada Revenue Agency to protect taxpayers' personal information. The Strategy reflects the perspectives from the Cyber Review and consultation. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2018/06/new-cyber-security-strategy-bolsters-cyber-safety-innovation-and-prosperity.html

PARIS ― Safran Electronics & Defense unveiled June 12 at the Eurosatory trade show a range of military inertial navigation systems, dubbed Geonyx, aimed at equipping armored vehicles, target acquisition systems and artillery. The Geonyx INS range is a navigation tool designed to allow operators to find their position and aim weapons, a Safran ED executive told journalists. The system is intended to be highly reliable and independent of GPS, which can be jammed. Safran ED presented its Geonyx system to the Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office and the French Army's Stat equipment assessment department on May 30. Geonyx could be fitted as a replacement of the Safran Sigma 30, which is fitted on the Nexter Caesar 155mm artillery. The resonance technology in the new INS range is “extremely disruptive,” the executive said. The Geonyx is smaller, highly reliable and at “a much lower price” than the Sigma 30, he added, however no price details were available. The three Geonyx models ― SP, HP and XP ― offer a rising level of performance, reflecting a range of operational requirements for an army. The systems are intended to be highly robust to withstand shock from artillery fire. An operational life of 10-15 years is expected, the executive said. Geonyx draws on technology developed on its Crystal gyroscope, an advanced hemispherical resonator gyroscope. The resonance technology will be applied to equipment for space, air, land and sea, both civil and military, Safran ED said in a statement. Northrop Grumman has developed its HRG system, which can be deployed in space. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/eurosatory/2018/06/08/eurosatory-this-navigation-system-by-safran-doesnt-need-gps/

Rheinmetall Canada has unveiled a newly named Mission Master Cargo unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which is a new version of the Multi-Mission UGV that was first revealed at IDEX in February 2017. The platform is designed for direct support of dismounted troops and is available in a cargo and casualty evacuation version, and a surveillance and reconnaissance version. The new UGV was revealed during Eurosatory 2018 in Paris, and Rheinmetall Canada spoke to Jane's prior to the event. Modules can be swapped in and out as required, so the UGV can fulfil mission sets including logistics support; weaponised; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear and explosives (CBRNE); and communications relay. “The end user can buy either a surveillance module, CBRN module or fire suppression module and clip it onto the vehicle itself with no modification required. The software can integrate and interact with any of those mission modules that are already embedded into every single UGV,” Alain Tremblay, vice-president of business development for Rheinmetall Canada, told Jane's. In the weaponised role, the platform is fitted with a remote weapon station featuring a 12.7 mm machine gun. Live fire testing was done at the end of 2017 on a military base in Canada to trial how the UGV could lock onto a target, the target then be confirmed by operators, and the platform fire by itself up to a range of 800 m. Tremblay noted that any type of remote weapon station, regardless of the manufacturer, can be fitted to the platform. “The open architecture of the software allows anything to be mounted, even a Russian type missile which has a different architecture system to the western world,” he said. “Early next year we are going to be starting to work on a medium calibre 20 mm remote weapon station for the same platform which is actually not that difficult to do. http://www.janes.com/article/80789/eurosatory-2018-rheinmetall-canada-unveils-production-ready-mission-master-cargo-unmanned-ground-vehicle

OTTAWA, Ontario, June 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin Canada (NYSE: LMT) has been awarded a three-year extension to its In-Service Support contract for the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 Halifax Class Frigates. "We are pleased by the vote of confidence from our Royal Canadian Navy customer to continue this existing relationship," said Gary Fudge, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Canada Rotary Mission Systems. As part of our Combat System Integrator portfolio, Lockheed Martin Canada has established a world class in-service support team which is also being recognized by our international customers." The Lockheed Martin Canada In-Service Support team has provided uninterrupted support to the Halifax Class Combat System, Command and Control System and Trainers for 25 years. The existing In-Service Support contract commenced in November 2008 with the award of the Halifax Class Modernization project. The In-Service support contract also included support of the legacy Halifax Class system prior to ships entering the shipyard for modernization. The Combat Management Systems (CMS) support entails hardware and software support for the CMS 330, and the CMS to combat subsystem interfaces, ancillary systems and tools, as well as the integration of new weapons, sensors and information sources. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.ca. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-06-12-Lockheed-Martin-Canada-Awarded-Extension-to-its-Contract-for-In-Service-Support-for-Royal-Canadian-Navys-Halifax-Class-Frigates

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Taxpayers will have to spend $1.1 billion extra on new navy supply ships that are going to be built starting this summer, the Liberal government now acknowledges. Previously the cost of building the two ships at Seaspan shipyards in Vancouver, BC had been pegged at $2.3 billion. But the government ordered a review of that cost figure and in an email to Postmedia, Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough's office now confirms the cost for the Joint Support Ships, or JSS, is set at $3.4 billion. Pat Finn, the head of procurement at the Department of National Defence, said the new price tag came as the government decided to do an additional analysis of the project and include other items it had not previously included. In some cases equipment for the ship has been purchased so there are better costs available on those items, Finn said in an interview Monday. Also taken into account was new infrastructure and the delays with the program, which, in turn, drove up the price as the cost of material increased over the years. “The build period has changed quite dramatically,” Finn acknowledged. At one point, the first ship was supposed to arrive in 2012. That has been changed a number of times with the government later hoping for a 2018 delivery and then a 2019 arrival for the first vessel. The Department of National Defence is now hoping for the delivery of the first ship in 2022 or 2023. Construction will begin at Seaspan this summer of some initial portions of the vessels, Finn said. The government hopes starting construction on the supply ships in the summer will head off any potential layoffs of skilled employees at Seaspan. Finn said of the $3.4 billion figure, the actual cost of building the two ships accounts for a little more than 60 per cent. Finn said the new costing model for the JSS is more akin to the one used by the parliamentary budget office. That office had an even higher estimate for JSS when it concluded in 2013 that the final tally for taxpayers would be $4.13 billion. The Joint Support Ships are critical for the navy as they provide fuel and supplies for warships at sea. But the Royal Canadian Navy retired its last two aging supply ships years ago. One was damaged beyond repair in a fire. The other was removed from service because of excessive corrosion. The Canadian military had been relying on the Spanish and Chilean navies to provide supply vessels for short periods of time to help fuel up Canadian warships at sea. Because of the delays in the JSS program, the previous Conservative government entered into agreement with Davie Shipyards in Quebec to lease a commercial vessel that had been converted into a refueling and supply ship. That ship, the MV Asterix, is at the heart of federal government's case against Vice Admiral Mark Norman. Norman has been accused by the RCMP of warning Davie in the fall of 2015 that Liberal cabinet ministers wanted to derail the Asterix project. Word of the Liberal plan leaked out to the news media and the resulting embarrassment forced the Trudeau government to back down on its plans and the conversion of Asterix proceeded. Norman was put under investigation and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau predicted on two occasions the officer would ultimately end up in court. In March, the RCMP charged Norman with a single count of breach of trust. A date for the trial has not yet been set. Norman denies the charge and has said he looks forward to clearing his name. Asterix is considered a rare achievement in Canadian military procurement in that it was delivered on time and on budget. The supply ship is now at sea with Royal Canadian Navy and is headed to a major military exercise to begin later this month. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/joint-support-ship-cost-up-by-1-1-billion-taxpayers-will-now-spend-3-4-billion-on-project

It's been a week since the Trump White House slapped Canada with steel and aluminum tariffs on the ground that reliance on our imports was threatening the “national security” of the United States. If Canadians are particularly galled at this, it might be because no foreign country in modern times has done more to arm and equip the United States than Canada. “I would not be surprised if every single major aircraft or warship in U.S. military service today has Canadian components in it,” said Richard Shimooka, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Below, a cursory summary of some of the Canadian stuff used by history's most powerful military. Landing gear We'll start with an entry that directly concerns steel and aluminum. Quebec-based Héroux-Devtek is the world's third largest aircraft landing gear company, and some of that is thanks to a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. Specifically, Héroux-Devtek is in charge of landing gear repair and overhaul for several large U.S. aircraft, including the heavy-lift C-130 Hercules. Of course, landing gear is made almost entirely of steel or aluminum. So, thanks to these new tariffs, American military procurers are either going to start getting hosed on their Héroux-Devtek contracts — or they're going to have start getting their landing gear overhauls from a U.S. company that isn't their first choice. Armoured personnel carriers “Canada and the US have been building military equipment for each other since the summer of 1940,” David Bercuson, a military historian at the University of Calgary, told the National Post. “Literally billions of dollars of such equipment has passed the border since then.” The most obvious example is the Stryker. There are nearly 5,000 Stryker armoured personnel carriers in the U.S. military, and all of them were built in London, Ontario. Not only that, but the Stryker is even based on a Canadian design, the LAV III. Coming in at a rock bottom $4 million apiece, the Americans use Strykers for everything: Ambulances, firefighting, missile platforms, chemical weapons defence and mine detection. They even started rigging them up with giant lasers to shoot down enemy drones. Armoured vehicles happen to be a Canadian specialty. While the United States was busy throwing money at big ticket items such as tanks and attack helicopters, the shoestring Canadians have gotten very good at the much cheaper task of simply strapping guns and armour to oversized trucks. And if a U.S. diplomat found themselves touring Iraq in an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser, chances are good they were shielded from bullets and IEDs by Canadian workmanship. Specialized aircraft Here again, the United States has it covered when it comes to big ticket aircraft such as fighters or bombers. But the U.S. military will occasionally call up Canadian plane-makers when it needs something quirky. Bombardier has retooled some of its airliners and business jets to act as airborne radar platforms. When the United States Army Parachute Team appears at air shows, they're jumping out of a Canadian-made de Havilland Twin Otter. De Havilland has also hooked up the Americans with some of its famously rugged prop planes for use in electronic warfare, remote cargo drops or simply moving National Guard troops around Alaska. All told, the U.S. military is flying more planes built in Canada than in any other foreign country. The U.S. military's only cargo drone (and it has the most Canadian name imaginable) A U.S. special forces unit is pinned down on a remote Central Asian mountaintop. Surrounded by militants on all sides, it needs an emergency airlift of water and ammunition to even see daybreak. Enter the SnowGoose, an unmanned autogyro specializing in precision deliveries to special forces. The SnowGoose is the U.S. military's only cargo drone, and it's an all-Canadian creation. An emerging theme on this list is that Canada is great at building niche military hardware for cheap, and the SnowGoose is no exception. As the drone's Stittsville, Ont. builders note, it can move cargo across a battlefield at a fraction of the price of other drones. Nuclear fuel Uranium is a big part of the modern U.S. military. It has more than 100 nuclear-powered vessels in the navy, and there's also those 7,000 atomic weapons it still has lying around. Canada has sold a whole lot of uranium to the U.S. military, going all the way back to the initial atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. However, the taps were somewhat shut off in the 1960s, when Canada started limiting uranium exports to “peaceful” purposes. Still, with Canada ranking as the United States' top uranium dealer, we help keep their uranium topped up enough to have plenty left over for the military. Speaking of nuclear weapons, it might behoove the White House to remember that if a Russian or North Korean missile should happen to be fired in their direction, a Canada-based NORAD station will likely be among the first to let them know. Making fighter jets last forever This entry should fill thrifty Canadians with particular pride: We've gotten so good at squeezing every penny out of our CF-18s that we're now globally renowned experts at fighter jet life extension. Among other things, Canada invented “robotic shot-peening,” a method of using robots to restore aging aircraft with a precision never before known. The technology has been exported to Europe, Australia and, in 2013, the U.S. Navy brought in the Quebec aerospace company L-3 MAS to give its jets a makeover. Battlefield communications Tactical radios are another niche technology in which Canadian companies have a built a slow but steady reputation with the Americans. In a 2017 reporton Canada/U.S. military industrial cooperation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that the U.S. military has been using Canadian radios since the 1960s. Ultra TCS, headquartered in Montreal, remains a supplier of tactical radios to both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. And these aren't just walkie-talkies; they're hyper-advanced networks that can provide email, voice and even video hook-ups to American troops in battle. Jeeps That's right. The Second World War-era Willys Jeep — one of the most American vehicles in history — was manufactured in part by Canada. Ford Motor Company of Canada churned out thousands of Jeeps after the Second World War. In 1952 alone, Canadian factories were making an average of seven of them per day. According to Ford Canada's website, “these postwar Canadian-made Jeep were shipped to the United States, for the American military forces.” Space robots DARPA is the U.S. agency tasked with pursuing military so cutting edge that they occasionally veer into outright science fiction. Last year, DARPA signed a deal with Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates to design robots that could be dispatched into space in order to repair U.S. military satellites. And like most times Canada is brought in for U.S. military stuff, the robot space mechanic program is indeed intended as a cost saving measure. Canada has been a leader in space defence for some time. Our beloved Canadarm, in fact, technically qualifies as an early military space robot. Over the course of the space shuttle program 11 missions were sent up to perform classified work for the Pentagon. We still don't know the specifics of what the Canadarm did for Uncle Sam on those missions, but the arm is a certifiable Cold Warrior. http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/security-threat-our-butt-here-are-just-some-of-the-ways-canadian-technology-keeps-americans-safe

La France et le Canada ont décidé de rapprocher leurs armées en créant un conseil conjoint de Défense d'ici la fin de l'année, a annoncé mercredi à l'AFP une source gouvernementale canadienne. Ce «Conseil de défense conjoint ministériel sera convoqué d'ici la fin de l'année 2018» et permettra de mieux coordonner les actions des armées canadiennes et françaises, a déclaré à l'AFP ce haut responsable canadien. Cette annonce intervient à l'occasion de la visite à Ottawa du président français Emmanuel Macron, venu se coordonner avec le premier ministre Justin Trudeau en amont du sommet du G7 qui se tient vendredi et samedi au Québec. Intitulée officiellement «Conseil franco-canadien de coopération en matière de défense», cette structure doit permettre aux armées des deux pays de conduire davantage d'opérations conjointes, a précisé cette source. Il est notamment «envisagé» de mener à terme des opérations de maintien de la paix franco-canadiennes sous les auspices des Nations-Unies, a-t-on précisé. En outre, Paris et Ottawa «s'engagent à mettre en place un Conseil des ministres franco-canadien, autour du président de la République française et du premier ministre du Canada», selon une déclaration transmise à l'AFP. Ce Conseil des ministres se réunira «au minimum» tous les deux ans «pour faire un bilan de cette coopération renforcée et développer des actions conjointes», a ajouté le haut responsable canadien. La France mène déjà de tels Conseils des ministres binationaux avec l'Allemagne et le Québec. http://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2018/06/06/creation-dun-conseil-conjoint-de-defense-canada-france

Murray Brewster National Defence fell $2.3 billion short in its plan to re-equip the military in the past year — a failing that one defence analyst says guarantees many important decisions on warplanes, ships and vehicles will be pushed beyond next year's election. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan revealed the figure Wednesday as he launched the department's long-anticipated investment plan at a major defence industry trade show in Ottawa. The plan is the Liberal government's spending roadmap for its defence policy, released a year ago, which pledged $6.2 billion in new capital spending in the first year. New figures show $3.9 billion was spent. Later in the day, the chair of the Liberal government's council of economic advisers underscored the importance of investment in the defence sector and how it will drive innovation in other sectors. "If we want to grow — and we can in Canada, and we want to grow more significantly — the defence sector is going to play an essential part in doing that," Dominic Barton said. Leading-edge military technology and the possibilities for its commercialization can transform the broader economy, he added. However, the investment plan presented by the Liberals on Wednesday leans heavily on refurbishing existing technology and equipment — mostly aircraft — in the coming decade. The Defence Capabilities Blue Print will see the air force's CF-18 fighter jets, C-140 Aurora surveillance planes, C-144 Challenger executive jets, C-150 Polaris refuellers and transports, CT-114 Tutor trainers and demonstration jets, C-149 search and rescue helicopters and CH-146 Griffons all given life extensions and upgrades. New aircraft, including drones, won't be introduced until the mid-2020s — or later. A defence analyst said that's no surprise since many major decisions will be pushed past the 2019 election. That means it will be up to the next government to make the tough decisions on how much to buy and how much to spend. "Unless we see an extremely busy June with a lot of announcements on milestone projects, a lot of the work is going to be left until later," said Dave Perry, an expert in procurement at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "They're not moving ahead as quickly as they suggested in the defence policy." The government could leave even more money on the table this year. Figures compiled by Perry, using the federal government's own budget documents and records, suggest as much as $3 billion could go unspent on military equipment in the current fiscal period. The former Conservative government was repeatedly criticized for promising the military big things in terms of equipment, but rarely delivering and allowing allocated funds to lapse. That cash was eventually kicked back to the federal treasury and used for deficit reduction. DND gets to keep money, spend it later Sajjan said defence spending is now guaranteed in the fiscal framework, the government's long-term financial plan. That means National Defence gets to keep the money and spend it later. "We always know we might not need the extra funds, but they have to be there just in case," Sajjan said. "Rest assured, the unspent $2.3 billion dollars is protected. Those funds remain available when we need them." He defended the spending "delta," saying that 30 per cent of it comes because projects came in under budget. Another 42 per cent was because of delays by defence contractors. Approximately one-third, though, relates to the department's inability to make a decision — or develop specifications on time. Sajjan took a shot at the government of former prime minister Stephen Harper, which used to regularly publish its defence spending plans, but never had specific funding attached to individual projects. Conservative defence critic James Bezan said there is a disconnect between the government's defence policy and its spending plans as outlined in federal budget documents. "Nothing seems to match," said Bezan, who treats the federal budget as the last word in spending. There was no mention of National Defence in Finance Minister Bill Morneau's latest fiscal, presented in February. Defence officials insist that is because the department's spending is already accounted for in the fiscal framework. The federal Treasury Board, however, must approve funding on a project-by-project basis — and Bezan said that hasn't been done. "There's no money to do the things Sajjan is out there talking about," he said. "We are still dealing with the problems of getting procurement done in a timely manner and getting it done on budget." The head of a defence industry group — Sajjan's audience as he made the announcement — said the government does deserve credit for consulting more about projects ahead of time, but there are obvious shortcomings. "Any time funding moves to the right, it is a predictability problem for us. We want as as predictable and as stable funding as we can get," said Christyn Cianfarani, the president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. "I still think, systemically, there is a problem and if we don't turn it upside down and shake it — the whole procurement system — and do things differently ... many, many things differently, we'll still see sluggishness in the procurement system." He said the Liberal investment plan is not "aspirational" and states clearly where the cash is coming from. The Conservative guidebook in the end "did not deliver for the men and women in uniform," Sajjan told the audience of defence contractors. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sajjan-dnd-equipment-funds-1.4683606