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A spokeswoman says DND is “confident that we have competitively selected the best design to meet Canada's needs.” David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen Dec 16, 2020 • Last Updated 1 day ago • 6 minute read Canadian equipment that taxpayers spent hundreds of millions of dollars to develop isn't being used on the country's new $70-billion fleet of warships because the consortium that won the bid selected its own affiliated companies and their foreign systems. A number of Canadian firms repeatedly tried to warn ministers and deputy ministers at the Department of National Defence, Public Services and Procurement Canada as well as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada that they would be shut out of the Canadian Surface Combatant project, according to federal government documents obtained by this newspaper. Those concerns were ignored. Instead, Canada left it up to the winning consortium, in this case, the U.S.-controlled Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE of the United Kingdom to determine the equipment that would make up key components of the proposed 15-fleet Canadian Surface Combatant, or CSC fleet. By selecting the consortium's Type 26 warship design for the CSC, the Royal Canadian Navy automatically agreed to what Lockheed Martin had determined was the best equipment for it to use. In the last week, this newspaper has chronicled multiple issues with the CSC project, the most expensive military procurement in Canada's history. This newspaper reviewed thousands of pages of documents, obtained through sources and through the access to information law, to reveal how the CSC's budget has spiralled upward and upward and how government officials previously tried to block the cost of the project from becoming public. In an email, DND defended its choice that shut out inclusion on the CSC of Canadian-made propulsion systems, sonar and communication systems, as well as radar. The Canadian-based firms that build those systems employ hundreds of people in the high-tech sector. “By selecting the design, Canada has selected the associated equipment,” said DND spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande. She noted DND is “confident that we have competitively selected the best design to meet Canada's needs.” As a result, a radar built by Lockheed Martin in the U.S., which hasn't yet been certified for naval operations, will be installed on the CSC. Passed over was a state-of-the art naval radar developed with the help of Thales Canada in Nepean. Canadian taxpayers contributed $54 million to the development of that radar, which is now being used on German, Danish and Dutch warships. Also shut out of the CSC competition is SHINCOM, a naval communications system built by DRS Technologies of Ottawa and considered one of the top such systems in the world. SHINCOM is in service on other Royal Canadian Navy vessels as well as 150 warships of allied navies around the world, including Australia, the U.S., Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. It was originally developed for Canada's Halifax-class frigates and taxpayers have poured millions of dollars into its development. Also left on the sidelines was General Dynamic Mission Systems of Ottawa, Canada's top developer of anti-submarine warfare and sonar equipment. The firm has its systems on aircraft or warships of militaries in Canada, Japan, South Korea, Portugal and various South American nations. Top government officials and politicians were repeatedly warned key Canadian firms would be shut out of the CSC project. Steve Zuber, vice president of DRS Technologies, wrote on Aug. 31, 2016 to alert innovation minister Navdeep Bains that the way the CSC procurement was designed would work against Canadian firms. “The CSC procurement approach may actually disadvantage Canadian companies,” Zuber warned. “The current evaluation approach puts our world-class Canadian solutions at serious risk of not being selected for Canada.” At the heart of the matter was a procurement system that penalized bidders if they deviated too much from their original ship designs to accommodate Canadian equipment. In addition, no competitions were held for key components of the new warships, such as sonar, radar or communications systems. General Dynamics Missions Systems Canada also tried to warn government officials in November 2019 that the lack of competition shut out high-tech Canadian systems developed over the years with both private and tax dollars. Company vice president David Ibbetson told navy commander Vice Adm. Art McDonald, DND deputy minister Jody Thomas, PSPC deputy minister Bill Matthews and ISED deputy minister Simon Kennedy about the lack of competition on the CSC anti-submarine warfare systems. That resulted in a “largely foreign solution with only limited Canadian content,” he noted. The documents also show bureaucrats at ISED countering such concerns by pointing out that the CSC program will include equipment from other firms such as L-3 and CAE in Quebec and MDA in B.C. Lockheed Martin has also committed to invest in priority areas such as cybersecurity, clean technology and the marine sector, innovation minister Bains was told. But the federal government has declined to release other documents requested through access to information law about specifics of the industrial benefits and job creation plan linked to the CSC. There is concern by some in the country's defence industry that the Liberal government has put at risk existing Canadian high-tech jobs, developed and established in part by federal contracts and development money, in exchange for the promise by foreign companies to create new jobs in the future linked to the CSC. In addition, in November 2019, the Lockheed Martin Canada executive responsible for delivering on the industrial commitments admitted the system had major problems. Walt Nolan said the policy the Canadian government developed has prompted defence firms to significantly overcommit on the jobs and industry benefits they claim they can deliver on the CSC. But Lockheed Martin has significant support from the leadership of the Royal Canadian Navy, including Vice Adm. McDonald. In July, McDonald took to Twitter to promote the company and its SPY-7 radar, noting that such a system is critical to a warship's survival and how it performs on missions. “For these reasons, the Royal Canadian Navy is delighted that Canada's Combat Ship Team under Lockheed Martin Canada leadership will fit the SPY-7 in CSC,” wrote McDonald, in retweeting the company's press release about the radar. But McDonald's enthusiastic corporate plug left out some critical information, namely that the SPY-7 radar had never been installed on an actual warship. Less than a month before McDonald's tweet, Japan's government, which had been hoping to use SPY-7 radar for a land-based missile defence system, suspended the project. Japan cited technical issues and cost for the decision and is now trying to figure out what to do with the systems it has already paid for. Japan's military has suggested using the SPY-7 on new frigates but some of the country's lawmakers are trying to scuttle that plan. They are worried that Japan will pay significant development costs to get the radar ready for maritime use and since the U.S. Navy will use a completely different system there will be problems operating with a key ally. While the SPY-7 radar issue has been debated in Japan's legislature, Canadian politicians have been silent. Lockheed's rival, Raytheon, the firm which will provide the SPY-6 radar for the U.S. Navy, has made several presentations to the Liberal government. It tried to convince politicians and bureaucrats the Lockheed Martin system could become a money pit that would potentially put Canadian sailors at risk. Switching to SPY-6 would save Canada tens of millions of dollars as the U.S. Navy would finance future research into modernizing the radar to deal with new threats, federal officials were told. In addition, Raytheon pointed out that unlike the SPY-7, the testing of its radar, which included intercepts of targets, was completed in 2019. The U.S. Navy intends to install the system on 50 of its warships. But cabinet ministers and federal bureaucrats dismissed Raytheon's overtures as an attempt to reverse the CSC procurement process that had already been completed. Neither Lockheed Martin nor the DND could provide a date on when the SPY-7 will be ready for naval operations and certified for use on the CSC. But they noted the company is supposed to deliver the first radar system in 2025. “Once fully integrated into the CSC design, the SPY-7 will provide Canada the capabilities it needs to meet the operational and interoperability requirements of the Royal Canadian Navy well past the middle of this century,” added DND spokeswoman Lamirande. Responses from DND and Lockheed Martin to questions posed by this newspaper for this story were answered in nearly identical fashion. Canadian taxpayers will finance the development and testing of any of the radar requirements for the CSC. The cost of that, however, is not known at this point. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/top-of-the-line-canadian-made-naval-equipment-shut-out-of-70-billion-warship-program

Naval News December 2020 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2020 15:05 BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by Fleetway Inc. to deliver a range of digital solutions for on-shore support of Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) vessels. This contract will see the deployment and integration of BAE Systems' Integrated Data Environment (IDE) to enable effective and efficient shore-side support to Halifax-Class frigates. Fleetway will benefit from access to a range of BAE Systems digital capabilities, including its expertise in configuration management, obsolescence management, and digital twinning. The IDE will allow Fleetway engineers and their enterprise partners to collaborate easily and gain access to engineering life cycle management data, as well as to share, withdraw, edit and re-publish data necessary for supporting the vessels. It will also facilitate a clearer understanding of the complex network of interdependencies between ship systems and components. This will help decrease support time and cost and enable Fleetway to maximise fleet availability. “As the prime contractor providing in-service support to the Halifax Class frigates, Fleetway is well known for its outstanding naval engineering and design services,” commented John Newton, Managing Director Fleetway. “To meet the challenges of the next phase in the life of these incredible Canadian-built warships, we have partnered with a world-best to assure excellence in the delivery of our services to the Royal Canadian Navy. Our combined intellect and efforts, especially the adoption of advanced digital tools informed by decades of learning on these complex ships will facilitate agile, smart and efficient solutions to the toughest engineering and maintenance challenges while keeping the fleet available for operations.” “This contract is testament to our pedigree in naval ship support and the value that our digital solutions and expertise have been shown to deliver,” added Darren Nice, Head of Digital Services at BAE Systems Maritime Services. “As organisations and armed forces around the world continue to digitise their operations, we will continue to develop a range of first-class integrated, through-life, digital solutions that help organisations deliver operational excellence and maximum availability.” BAE Systems brings a strong pedigree of maritime and information management expertise to this partnership. The Company has recently delivered a number of sophisticated information and data management and digital support solutions for other navies around the world. This is the latest in a series of contracts awarded to BAE Systems for work with the Royal Canadian Navy. In February 2019, BAE Systems' Type 26 Global Combat Ship was chosen as the design for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC), Canada's 15 new multi-purpose frigates. BAE Systems also supports and repairs Canada's Victoria-class submarines and BAE Systems recently hosted the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Toronto, at Portsmouth Naval Base, where it performed a number of repairs. This Halifax-class project further underscores the trust placed in BAE Systems to deliver technological innovation to the Canadian Armed Forces. https://navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/december/9427-bae-systems-secures-fleetway-contract-to-provide-digital-support-to-royal-canadian-navy.html

By Garrett Reim14 December 2020 Saab is offering to open two new aerospace centres as part of its Gripen E proposal for Canada's Future Fighter Capability Project. The aerospace facilities, the Gripen Centre and the Aerospace Research & Development Centre, would be based in the greater Montreal region, the company announced at Aero Montreal's International Aerospace Innovation Forum 2020 on 14 December. Mission system software and hardware development, as well as integration, for the proposed Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Gripen E would be done at the Gripen Centre. The Aerospace Research & Development Centre would focus on a variety of aerospace technologies, including automation, artificial intelligence and “greening” technologies. That work may or may not be directly related to the Gripen E. Rather, the research and development would focus on next-generation aerospace technologies more generally. Saab is also in talks with undisclosed local universities about partnerships related to the aerospace centres, it says. Saab has only about 50 people working in Canada currently, across various businesses such as maritime traffic management and army training and simulation work. However, between the two aerospace centres, the company anticipates at least 3,000 people being directly employed. The RCAF is looking to buy 88 advanced fighters to replace its fleet of Boeing CF-18 Hornets. Canada's Department of National Defence estimates acquisition of the aircraft, related equipment and entry into service will cost C$15-19 billion ($11.8-14.9 billion). A contract is scheduled to be awarded in 2022 after evaluation by the RCAF. The air force wants the first jets received as soon as 2025. The new fleet is expected to fly beyond 2060. In addition to Saab, the RCAF received bids in July from Boeing, which is offering its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and Lockheed Martin, which is offering F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters. Canada is also part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, spending more than $500 million on the effort since 1997, an investment that has allowed Canadian companies to secure C$1.8 billion in contracts from the project. However, Ottawa has not yet committed to buying F-35s, hence the acquisition competition. Politicians objected to F-35s in part due to the high cost of early examples of the stealth fighter. The cost of the F-35A has fallen to $77.9 million per unit, though operating costs remains high, at $35,000 hourly. Lockheed has promised to lower that figure to $25,000 hourly by 2025. For its part, Saab has proposed that Canada's IMP Aerospace & Defence would handle in-country production of the Gripen E, and provide support over the lifetime of the fleet. The company says initial aircraft would be produced in Sweden to meet Ottawa's goal of first fighter delivery in 2025. It is still evaluating how many aircraft could be made in Canada, but says it aims to “maximise” the number. The rest of the Saab Gripen for Canada team would include CAE, which is to provide training and mission systems; Peraton Canada, which is to supply avionic and test equipment, as well as component maintenance, repair and overhaul, and material management; and GE Aviation, which is set to provide and sustain the fighters' turbine engines. https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/saab-offers-two-aerospace-centres-in-gripen-e-proposal-for-canadas-future-fighter/141602.article

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen Dec 14, 2020 • Last Updated 3 days ago • 6 minute read Defence industry executives have been told by a top bureaucrat to stop raising concerns about the controversial program to build a new fleet of warships that is now estimated to cost $70 billion and could go even higher. Company officials have been complaining to politicians and media outlets that the Canadian Surface Combatant project has fallen far short on its promises of creating domestic employment. Another company is in the middle of a lawsuit over the Canadian Surface Combatant or CSC, alleging the procurement was bungled. Federal lawyers are trying to limit the amount of information that can be disclosed in court about the project, with the next hearing to be held Jan. 13. Other industry executives have been warning politicians the rising price tag for CSC will jeopardize funding for other equally important military equipment projects. But Jody Thomas, deputy minister of the Department of National Defence, told executives Oct. 5 that they are hindering the project and she characterized their efforts as being those of sore losers. “I think there's still too much noise from unsuccessful bidders that makes my job and Bill's job very difficult,” she said, referring to Bill Matthews, deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada. The CSC project would see the construction of 15 warships for the Royal Canadian Navy at Irving Shipbuilding on the east coast. Construction of the vessels, to replace the current Halifax-class frigate fleet, isn't expected to start until 2023. But the project has already faced delays and significant increases in cost as the price tag has climbed from an original $14 billion estimate to around $70 billion. In an email to this newspaper about Thomas's statement to defence executives, the DND noted that industry officials have the right to raise their concerns with politicians or turn to the courts if needed. “However, the Department of National Defence, including the Deputy Minister, works for Canadians,” the DND stated. “While we maintain close, positive working relationships with industry, our primary responsibility is to the Canadian taxpayer.” But Thomas's admonishment didn't surprise industry representatives; although they won't go on record with their names for fear of jeopardizing future military contracts, a number of executives point out that for years federal officials have tried to keep a lid on questions and concerns as well as information about the CSC. A review of past actions by the current Liberal and previous Conservative governments and internal documents obtained by this newspaper through the Access to Information law appear to support that view. Federal officials have on two occasions tried to stymie attempts by the Parliamentary Budget Officer to obtain details and budget outlines of the CSC project, as well as with other vessel construction programs under the government's National Shipbuilding Strategy. In 2019, officials with Public Services and Procurement Canada issued a directive that firms interested in maintenance work on the Canadian Surface Combatant program could not talk to journalists and instead must refer all inquiries to the department. That was the fifth such gag order on military equipment projects issued by government over a year-long period. In one case, Procurement Canada threatened to punish any firms who violated the gag order on the proposed purchase of a light icebreaker. That prompted one unnamed company to submit a question to the department on whether a government ban on talking to journalists was even legal, according to records. Industry executives pointed out last year the secrecy was not based on security concerns, but on worries the news media would be able to use the information to keep close tabs on the problem-plagued military procurement system. After this newspaper reported on the gag orders, Procurement Canada claimed last year it would no longer use such bans. Michael Byers, a professor at the University of British Columbia who has produced two studies on the troubled federal shipbuilding program, said government officials have repeatedly tried to limit the amount of information available on the CSC and other shipbuilding projects. “These projects are in serious trouble and when you have those problems, combined with politics, the pressure to keep things secret are very very high,” he explained. Federal officials appear to be concerned specifically about journalists who might be reporting on two particular ship projects; the CSC and the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships or AOPS. Both projects involve Irving Shipbuilding. Documents show Irving representatives and bureaucrats from Procurement Canada (then called Public Works) warned DND procurement official Ian Mack in April 2013 that CBC journalist Terry Milewski was working on a story about the high costs of the AOPS and the fact that other nations paid a fraction of what Canadian taxpayers were being charged for similar vessels. Six days after Mack sent his warning out to other bureaucrats, Milewski produced his report. In 2016, Public Works officials alerted Minister Judy Foote's office this newspaper was asking questions about the CSC. Foote's office, in turn, warned Irving representatives. In March 2019, the DND and Public Services and Procurement Canada warned Irving Shipbuilding this newspaper was asking questions about problems with welds on the AOPS. Documents show that after a series of questions were submitted by this newspaper to the DND, PSPC deputy minister Bill Matthews, DND deputy minister Thomas and Pat Finn, then DND's top procurement official, held a conference call with Irving President Kevin McCoy. McCoy briefed “Jody, Bill, Pat” about the company's plans to sue this newspaper if it “published anything that impugned our professional reputation.” There is no indication in the document that the bureaucrats raised any objections to the company's strategy. Thomas took no notes during the conference call, according to the department's Access to Information branch. Matthews responded to Irving's decision with a supportive email. “Welcome to my world,” Matthews wrote to McCoy. Matthews has declined requests to be interviewed by this newspaper. In an email, the department stated the deputy minister's comment was referring to the fact defence procurement “is a highly complex environment, in which we often face criticism about our processes and decisions.” DND confirmed to this newspaper that there had been minor issues with welding on the AOPS and the article was published. In May 2019, the Globe and Mail also reported federal officials alerted Irving the newspaper was seeking information from the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development about whether the French fry plant investment qualified as an industrial benefit for the Arctic ship project. After the Globe sent two emails to the department's media relations branch, the newspaper received a letter from a lawyer working for Irving. The letter threatened legal action if the article contained any allegations of improper conduct. Innovation, Science and Economic Development spokesman Hans Parmar stated in an email that Irving was told of the media inquiry as part of the department's policy to ‘'encourage transparency.'' At the time, Irving spokesman Sean Lewis said while the firm respects the work of journalists, in the case of the Globe and this newspaper the company threatened legal action because the news organizations “had highly inaccurate information that would cause our company, and the reputation of our hardworking employees, considerable reputational damage.” In the case of the Globe, Irving confirmed it had received the approximately $40 million industrial benefit credit for the French fry plant. The incident with the Globe and Mail also revealed bureaucrats at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada had a system to alert Irving each time a journalist asked questions about AOPS. The department claimed it was required to do so according to its contract with Irving. However, that contract contains only a general reference to coordinating public communications. It is unclear whether the department has established a similar system for the CSC project. The department did not answer questions about how many times it has shared information about journalists with Irving officials. Asked about how many times Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has alerted Irving about journalists asking questions about shipbuilding matters, company spokesman Thomas Ormsby responded: “We do not discuss customer contracts.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/too-much-noise-on-canadian-warship-program-dnd-deputy-minister-admonishes-industry-executives

Rather than worrying about where things are built, a better question is: will Canadian soldiers be properly equipped? That's all that matters Matt Gurney Dec 16, 2020 • Last Updated 22 hours ago • 5 minute read It is almost a truism in Canadian public policy: We are terrible at military procurement. You hear that often. I've said it often. But it really isn't true. We only think we're terrible at military procurement because we are confused about what we're trying to do. Our military procurements are not about actually procuring equipment for the military. They're about creating jobs and catapulting huge sums of money into key ridings across the country. Once you shift your perspective and look at it that way, you realize very quickly that our military procurement system is amazing. It bats a thousand. The problem isn't with the system. We've just labelled it badly. If it were called the Domestic Defence Industry Subsidy Program instead of our military procurement system, we'd all be hailing it as a shining example of a Canadian public policy triumph. This is terrible. It has cost us the lives of our soldiers, and probably will again. But it's undeniable. Canadian politicians, Liberals and Conservatives alike, have long had the luxury of seeing defence as a cash pool, not a solemn obligation. And they sure have enjoyed that pleasure. Two recent stories by my colleague David Pugliese for the Ottawa Citizen have explored this theme: Our efforts to replace our fleet of frigates with 15 newer, more powerful ships is turning predictably complicated. The 15 new combat ships are part of a major overhaul of the Canadian fleet, which was neglected for many years and now must be modernized all at once. In February of 2019, the government chose American defence giant Lockheed Martin to produce the ships in Canada, using a British design. (How Anglosphere of us.) Companies that weren't selected to be part of the construction or fitting out of the ships are unhappy, Pugliese noted, and aren't bothering to hide it, even though they've abandoned their legal challenges. The sniping has continued, though, with spurned industry figures talking to the media about problems with the program. Jody Thomas, deputy minister of the Department of National Defence, reportedly told industry leaders to knock it off. “There's too much noise,” she reportedly said, adding that it was making the job of getting the new fleet built “very difficult.” Some of Thomas's irritation is undoubtedly the automatic hostility to scrutiny, transparency and accountability that's far too common for Canadian officials — our bureaucrats are notoriously prone to trying to keep stuff tucked neatly out of public view. But some of what Thomas said is absolutely bang-on accurate: Defence industry companies know full well that the government mainly views military procurement as a jobs-creation program, so are understandably put out to not get what they think is their fair share. Some Canadian companies have designed and developed critical communication and sensor gear for modern warships, Pugliese noted. This gear was developed with taxpayer assistance and has proven successful in service with allied fleets, but was not chosen for the new Canadian ships. And this is, the companies believe, a problem. Why aren't Canadian ships using Canadian-made gear? It's a good question, until you think about it for a moment. Then you realize that the better question is this: will the Canadian ships be properly equipped? That's it. That's all that matters. Will the new ships be capable of doing the things we need them to do? If yes, then who cares where we got the gear? And if no, well, again — then who cares where we got the gear? The important thing isn't where the comm equipment and sensors were designed and built. It's that the systems work when our ships are heading into harm's way. Assuming we have many viable options to choose from, then there are plenty of good ways of making the choice — cost, proven reliability, familiarity to Canadian crews, and, sure, even whether it was made in Canada. But supporting the local industry needs to be the last thing on the list. This stuff is essential. The lives of our sailors may depend on it working when needed. Cost matters, too, of course, because if the gear is too pricey, we won't have enough of it, but effectiveness and reliability are first. Treating military procurement as just another federal jobs-creation program is engrained in our national thinking But we talk about them last. Because we value it least. There probably is some value in preserving our ability to produce some essential military equipment here in Canada. The scramble earlier this year to equip our frontline medical workers with personal protective equipment is instructive. In a war, whether against a virus or a human enemy, you can't count on just buying your N-95 masks, or your torpedoes and missiles, from your normal suppliers. Unless Canada somehow gets itself into a shooting war without any of our allies in our corner, any time we are suddenly scrambling to arm up, our much larger allies are probably also scrambling to arm up, and they'll simply outbid us. (See again our current efforts to procure vaccines for an example of this unfolding in real time.) But we aren't at war now, and we can buy the damn ships from anyone. To the government's credit, it seems to be doing this; the pushback against the program seems mostly rooted in the government's decision to let the U.S.-British consortium chosen to build the new ships equip them as they see fit. The program may well derail at some point — this is always a safe bet with Canadian shipbuilding — but insofar as at least this part of the process goes, we're doing it partially right. Yes, we're insisting on building the ships here, but we aren't getting picky about the equipment that goes into them. That's probably wise. But that's about as far as the wisdom goes. Treating military procurement as just another federal jobs-creation program is engrained in our national thinking. It would have been good if COVID had knocked a bit of sense into us and forced us to, at long last, grow up a bit. But no dice. Oh well. Maybe next time. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/matt-gurney-supporting-local-industry-shouldnt-be-the-first-consideration-in-military-procurement

We are delighted to announce our participation in the Defence and Security Day on the 16th of December, a part of the International Aerospace Week 2020 event organized by Aéro Montréal where we'll present #Innovation in #Defence and our #multidomain #TacticalAirVehicle project, a supplementing and fully interoperable solution with 4+ and 5th Gen Aircraft. Please join us to discover details about aircraft platform which will enable us to redefine how #CostEffective #NextGen #C4ISR, #MPA, #AntiSubmarineWarfare and #CloseAirSupport will look like. https://www.aeromontreal.ca/defence-security-day-program.html

The MINDS Team is pleased to announce that the call for applications for the Collaborative Networks for FY 2021-22 is now open. Applications can be submitted until January 18 , 2021. If you are interested in presenting your research results to National Defence or the Canadian Armed Forces through the Expert Briefing Series, please contact MINDS@forces.gc.ca. Collaborative Networks Through the establishment of Collaborative Networks, MINDS is increasing and diversifying research on defence and security issues in Canada, with the aim to meet the Defence Team need for relevant and timely advice and broaden the spectrum of expert voices contributing to the conversation. Network Focus Collaborative Networks involve multi-disciplinary teams of experts from across Canada and abroad. They work together to research specific defence and security challenges in support of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Through these networks, the Defence Team will benefit from in-depth and nuanced analysis either to complement ongoing work or gain new insights in areas where there is interest and demand but limited expertise available. Who can apply This opportunity is open to multidisciplinary teams with interest in the domain of security and defence studies. We are looking for individuals or organizations that are engaged, dynamic, resourceful and interested in helping DND/CAF address key defence policy challenges. The primary affiliation of the network lead must be a Canadian institution. Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding under this program. Network Requirements Successful network applicants will receive $250,000 per year for three years. During these three years, the networks will be required to meet a number of deliverables including creative approaches to research, conferences and workshops, witten and oral briefings to a Defence Team audience, and student support. For a complete list of network criteria and deliverables, please consult the application form. Applicants must demonstrate: Relevance, through alignment with one to three defence policy challenges, and linkage to SSE How the project incorporates diverse perspectives, including through the use of Gender-based Analysis Plus Innovation, creativity, vision Plans to creatively leverage technology A detailed spending strategy is essential to a successful application, including an estimated budget for the project with anticipated expenditures. Successful applicants will be required to sign a contribution agreement with MINDS that will govern the administration of funding. See funding results for previous rounds. If you have any questions related to the Collaborative Networks, please contact the MINDS team at MINDS@forces.gc.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/minds/collaborative-networks.html

[Montreal Canada; December 10, 2020] Technology to avoid costly repairs and foresee critical equipment breakdowns for heavy-duty vehicles aims to go mainstream in Québec thanks to government support of a multi-phase innovation initiative. Specializing in the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in industry, the Montreal-region tech start-up Zetane Systems announced today funding to establish AI-powered predictive maintenance solutions with the defence contractor, Rheinmetall Canada , headquartered in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Investissement Québec (IQ) of the Ministère de l'Économie et de l'Innovation (MEI) contributed $350,000 in non-refundable financing--accounting for half the project costs--to support the first phase of the innovation project. “By employing artificial intelligence, Zetane contributes to reducing the costs related to the maintenance of heavy-duty vehicles and reduces our ecological footprint. Several sectors, such as aerospace and construction, will be able to gain important advantages from the technology developed by this innovative fledgeling company. It's innovation initiatives like this that reaffirms Québec's leadership in artificial intelligence,” highlighted the Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon. Gaining funding support for such initiatives requires a highly competitive application process and detailed evaluation by experts in government and industry. Thanks to the collaboration of the Québec government, the project will serve to introduce new technologies and industrial processes with significant potential to improve economic, social and environmental factors in Québec. Of particular focus, funding of innovation initiatives serves to encourage the advancement of high-risk innovation projects that have much potential in ensuring Québec industry remains competitive. “Funding opportunities from the Québec government merit fervent support. They make collaboration between leading innovative companies such as Rheinmetall within reach, even during difficult economic times. Government investments in innovation are always a smart allocation of our resources that will ensure promising Québec startups with global appeal remain competitive and build further prosperity for all of us,” said the CEO and co-founder of Zetane, Guillaume Hervé. A more efficient means to foresee and prevent mechanical problems Several major industries--such as construction, aerospace, municipal works and mining--require managing fleets of heavy-duty vehicles. Whether it be trucks, planes or trains, ensuring these vehicles are well maintained avoids accidents and project delays. Being well maintained also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring that vehicles function at peak performance. A challenge these industries face today is an inability to customize maintenance schedules for individual vehicles, as well as an inability to predict equipment breakdowns with accuracy. AI provides a new means to analyse past maintenance requirements and process data from sensors on vehicles in order to predict mechanical wear-and-tear before problems arise. AI-powered machine vision technology also enables the automation of certain tasks in routine vehicle inspections. Zetane's particular strength in the project stems from the company's provision of a software platform designed specifically for a more intuitive and streamlined development of enterprise applications of AI. Once delivered, Rheinmetall Canada will gain unique AI technologies to better serve its clients with more efficient, accurate and less costly maintenance services and supply more performant transport vehicles. “Our strengths at Rheinmetall Canada stem from our embrace of technological change. Partnering with intrepid start-ups like Zetane not only gives us access to cutting-edge yet practical AI tools developed for enterprises, but also enables us to rapidly execute experimental proofs of concept that address specific customer needs” said Roger Bolduc, Senior Director of Engineering at Rheinmetall Canada. Benefits beyond innovation This innovation project aims to optimize Zetane's capacities to introduce predictive maintenance to diverse industries. Once complete, Zetane will use their experience with Rheinmetall to market AI predictive maintenance to new clients, enabling the Québecois start-up to expand service offerings both here and internationally. Additional future benefits of the project identified in the funding application include important social and environmental factors. One benefit is retaining and expanding rewarding job opportunities in technology both in Montreal and in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Environmental factors include lowered greenhouse gas emissions due to better-maintained vehicles. Health and safety factors include the possibility for safer work environments thanks to expected decreases in accidents caused by equipment failures. In addition to reducing operating costs in the for-profit sector, savings accrued from predictive maintenance for municipal vehicles have the potential to reduce the costs of tax-payer funded municipal works and civic services. About Zetane Systems Zetane Systems is a software technology company specializing in artificial intelligence. Our proprietary software easily integrates into existing AI platforms and provides a visual, intuitive workspace for building technology products in the AI subdomains of machine learning; the Zetane software provides a digital workspace to produce AI innovations. Zetane aims to make AI development more accessible and promote the technology industry's abilities to explain the inner workings of AI innovations. We do this by making AI more available to diverse professionals and industry verticals through our easy-to-learn-and-use software that complements and works with current popular AI development tools. About Rheinmetall Canada Rheinmetall Canada is a proud member of Germany's Rheinmetall Group, Europe's foremost supplier of army technology and a longstanding partner of armed forces. As an internationally recognized systems integrator, Rheinmetall Canada creates technologically advanced, fully-customised solutions for the global defence and security market. Located in its facilities in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Ottawa, and other locations throughout the world, over 375 employees put their expertise to work and push back their limits to ensure innovation and the success of each mandate. Ministry of Economy and Innovation on social media Facebook : facebook.com/EconomieQc LinkedIn : linkedin.com/company/économie-québec Twitter : twitter.com/economie_quebec Press contact: Jason Behrmann Director of Marketing and Communications info@zetane.com

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Chris Thatcher Top Aces has received approval to acquire and import up to 29 F-16 aircraft from an undisclosed country, the company confirmed Thursday. The Dorval, Que.-based air combat training firm said in a statement that the Block 10 aircraft would be upgraded with its open architecture mission system and offered as a platform to support United States Department of Defense training beginning in 2021. While Top Aces would not yet confirm the country of origin, Israeli media on Dec. 2 claimed the seller is the Israeli Defense Ministry. According to CTech, the F-16s are 1980s-era aircraft that were retired as of 2016, and the Defense Ministry's export agency is overseeing the deal. The company has been pursuing a fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s for some time, to meet the training requirements of preparing next-generation pilots flying the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor. Top Aces confirmed in an interview in November 2019 that it was seeking to acquire 12 Block 15 A/B models from an undisclosed allied country. “The F-16 really is our growth platform for the future, especially for advanced adversary training,” said Paul Bouchard, president and chief executive officer. “It is the most prolific adversary aircraft in the Western world. It is the adversary aircraft of choice just because of its performance characteristics. It is a fourth-generation aircraft, so from an aircraft architecture standpoint, it can be equipped and configured in so many different ways. . . . And it is also scalable given there were more than 4,000 F-16s built. It is still a production aircraft. It has a lot of existing support in terms of sustainment.” If the deal with Israel is confirmed, the F-16 jets would be added to Top Aces' current fleets of Dornier Alpha Jets and Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, and initially based at the F-16 Center of Excellence near the company's U.S. headquarters in Mesa, Ariz. In October 2019, the company received an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract that will allow it to compete with Air USA, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, Blue Air Training, Coastal Defense, Draken International, and Tactical Air Support for adversary air services at 12 U.S. Air Force bases. Under the US$6.4 billion Combat Air Force Contracted Air Support (CAF CAS) contract, the Air Force can solicit individual tenders from those seven companies for advanced adversary air (ADAIR) capabilities as required, at 12 USAF bases. The contract runs until October 2024 and is estimated to involve between 40,000 to 50,000 flying hours. “As a named winner in the [CAF CAS] contract, Top Aces is uniquely positioned to offer the F-16 as the most capable and flexible ADAIR platform supporting the U.S. Department of Defense,” a spokesperson said on Thursday. Top Aces has been a pioneer in contracted aggressor or “red” air training for militaries, simulating hostile threats for fighter pilots, naval crews, and land forces for the Canadian Armed Forces since the mid-2000s. In October 2017, the company won a competition to retain the Canadian Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) program under a 10-year deal worth about US$480 million, which includes options to extend the service to 2031 and the value to as much as US$1.4 billion. The Canadian program is delivered with the Alpha Jet and Bombardier Learjet 35A aircraft, but Top Aces has proposed adding the F-16 when the Royal Canadian Air Force acquires its next-generation fighter. The high standards of the CATS program have opened the doors to international opportunities. The USAF contract would not have been possible without the “industry-leading” certification and airworthiness standards demanded by the RCAF and Transport Canada, Bouchard acknowledged in 2019. Top Aces secured a similar training support contract with the German Armed Forces in 2014 and, more recently, a two-year trial with the Australian Defence Force. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/top-aces-f16-adversary-air-fleet