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02/03/2021 | 09:06am EST Ultra is delighted to announce a contract award to commence work on the key Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) system for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program - named the Towed Low Frequency Active Sonar (TLFAS). This subcontract moves the development of CSC's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability from the program definition phase into the full manufacture and delivery of the vessels suite of sonars. The TLFAS is a world-class towed sonar solution, optimized for the detection and tracking of stealthy submarines in challenging ocean environments. When delivered it will represent a step-change in Canada's anti-submarine warfare assets and will provide a level of sonar capability never before enjoyed by the Royal Canadian Navy. The TLFAS system is fully designed and manufactured by Ultra in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its design also includes components built by other Canadian companies, such that the industrial benefit of this system selection is spread across multiple Provinces. The selection of this system for CSC therefore means that Canadian industrial content is maximized in the delivery of the initial systems, and that the skillsets and facilities required to maintain the system through its operational life are also resident in Canada. More broadly, Ultra is proud that its work on the CSC program is proving to be an important vector for growth of Canadian jobs, innovation and investment. In the two years since having been originally awarded program definition studies for CSC, working in close partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Ultra's Canadian team has grown by over 150 employees, with another 80 high-tech roles expected to be made available in 2021 alone. The program is also triggering major Canadian investment decisions by Ultra in terms of facilities, inward technology transfer and research partnerships which will be announced through the course of 2021. Overall, Ultra's role on CSC is a very good example of the Industrial and Technological Benefits that the program is providing to Canada, and of the enduring impact that the program will have on sovereign naval capability for the nation. Bernard Mills, President of Ultra Maritime Sonar Systems commented: 'Ultra recognizes our responsibility to provide, through CSC, the highest possible level of ASW capability to the Royal Canadian Navy. We are therefore immensely proud of this contract award, especially because it is grounded in Canadian innovation and ingenuity, and because it will be an enduring driver of both operational capability and national industrial benefit. Most importantly, this is not just a success for Ultra but is one for the entire CSC enterprise, and I want to thank our strong partners in Lockheed Martin Canada, Irving Shipbuilding Inc., and all our peers on the CSC team who are as dedicated as we are to the delivery of a world-class naval capability to Canada, built by Canadians'. The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, noted: 'As we work to build the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy, we are pleased to see companies like Ultra stepping up to provide leading-edge technology for our shipbuilding projects. The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to provide opportunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes, from coast to coast to coast.' Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, highlighted the benefit of this contract award in his riding: 'I am delighted to see the positive economic impact of the National Shipbuilding Strategy across Nova Scotia. Companies like Ultra are playing an important role in the CSC program, while providing good quality jobs here in Dartmouth. Ultra's highly skilled employees will produce the technology needed to help ensure the capability of the Royal Canadian Navy's future fleet.' https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ULTRA-ELECTRONICS-9590141/news/Ultra-Electronics-awarded-Canadian-Surface-Combatant-subcontract-to-provide-Variable-Depth-Sonar-32347338/

Message de Philippe Huneault, Délégué du Québec à Los Angeles : L'accélérateur Boeing Launchpad Canada, développé par Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Canada et le Service des délégués commerciaux du Canada, prenait fin la semaine dernière. Je tiens à féliciter les dix entreprises canadiennes participantes, notamment les trois entreprises québécoises @KEITAS SYSTEMS, @Paladin AI et @Warp Solutions Inc. Des félicitations toutes particulières à Paladin AI (@Adofo Klassen et @Mikhail Klassen), qui ont été déclarés gagnants du programme ! La performance des entreprises québécoises à ce programme est un parfait exemple de la pensée novatrice et orientée vers les solutions que le Québec peut apporter à l'industrie aérospatiale en ces temps difficiles. J'ai très h'te de poursuivre les démarches que la Délégation du Québec à Los Angeles a entamées à Seattle et de continuer à supporter les entreprises québécoises qui visent ce marché à fort potentiel pour leurs produits et services.

By Justin Hendry v Drones give firies new imaging capabilities. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has set up a new drone unit to help firefighters better monitor fires and other emergencies from the air. The new aviation unit, which will initially consist of a squadron of four drones, became operational last month. Staffed by four Civil Aviation Safety Authority-qualified drone pilots and other specialists, the unit will support FRV across the state from its base in Melbourne suburb of Burnley. It builds on FRV's existing remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) unit, which consists of drones from the former Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and Country Fire Authority (CFA). MFB – which was the first fire and rescue services in Australia to develop a RPAS capability in 2011 – had at least nine drones before the merger with the CFA last year. However, unlike the previous drones, the new squadron will be able to stay in the air for up to 30 minutes and can withstand difficult wind conditions. They will also be able to carry both thermal and optical cameras at the same time, whereas the existing RPAS fleet can only carry a single camera. Having both thermal imaging and live streaming cameras will allow the drones to capture better quality footage to support firefighting efforts, the government said. “The technology means firefighters can better monitor fires and other incidents from the air, and get a fuller picture of complex fires, ultimately increasing community safety and contributing to saving lives,” it said. Since the unit became operational, the drones have already been used to support the FRV response to a recent industrial fire in the Melbourne suburb of Laverton North. Police and emergency services minister Lisa Neville said the unit and four new drones will “significantly add to [FRV's] firefighting arsenal”. “Thanks to this highly specialist aviation unit and these new highly specialised drones, our emergency services will have greater access to critical information and intelligence to efficiently contain fires, respond to emergencies and save lives,” she said. https://www.itnews.com.au/news/fire-rescue-victoria-sets-up-new-drone-unit-560393

The Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) project is the Royal Canadian Navy's acquisition programme to build 15 CSC multi-role ships which will replace both the retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates. The Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) project is the Royal Canadian Navy's acquisition programme to build 15 CSC multi-role ships which will replace both the retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates. The project is estimated to cost between $56bn and $60bn and the new warships are being built by Irving Shipbuilding at its Halifax Shipyard. The CSC has the capacity to conduct air, surface, sub-surface and information warfare missions simultaneously on both open ocean and highly complex coastal environments. The multi-mission combatant can be deployed in a range of missions such as delivering decisive combat power and supporting the Canadian Armed Forces. It can also conduct counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, interdiction and embargo missions for medium intensity operations. Canadian Surface Combatant development details The Canadian Surface Combatant project is part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy and is the biggest shipbuilding activity in the country since the World War II. Irving Shipbuilding was appointed as the prime contractor for the CSC project definition and implementation phases in January 2015. The Government of Canada and Irving Shipbuilding awarded a sub-contract to Lockheed Martin Canada for the design of CSC fleet in October 2018. In February 2019, the design of BAE Systems' Type 26 Global Combat Ship, the most advanced and modern anti-submarine warship, was selected for the CSC vessel. BAE Systems opened the first visualisation suite for the CSC vessel in Ottawa, US, in November 2020. The visualisation technology will create a virtual prototype which helps in better understanding of the vessel and offers detailed view of the ship's design from all angles. Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence facility based in Peterborough, Ontario was expanded for supporting the CSC acquisition project. Design and features of the Royal Canadian Navy's CSC ships The CSC will have a length of 151.4m, beam of 20.75m and a navigational draught of 8m. With a displacement of 7,800t, the warship will accommodate up to 204 crew members. The warship can carry a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and provide facilities for embarking remotely piloted systems. It will also feature reconfigurable mission and boat bays including a 9m rescue boat, two 9-12m multi-role boats, Rolls Royce' mission bay handling system, and modular mission support capacity. The Canadian Surface Combatant will also house a medical facility and dedicated gym/fitness facilities. Weapons The weapons suite for the CSC will include 127mm main gun, two stabilised rapid fire 30mm naval gun systems, LMC MK 41 missile vertical launch system, 32-cell MK54 lightweight torpedoes, twin launch tubes, and MBDA Sea Ceptor close-in air defence system. The warships can be armed with a wide range of missiles including Raytheon Standard Missile 2, Raytheon Evolved Sea Sparrow point defence missile, and Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile. Command and control of Canadian Surface Combatant The warship will be installed with various command and control systems including Lockheed Martin Canada's (LMC) CMS 330 combat management system with Aegis combat system, USN cooperative engagement capability, integrated cyber defence system, OSI integrated bridge and navigation system, and L3 Harris' internal and external communication suite. Sensors and countermeasures The LMC SPY-7 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar will be installed for continuous surveillance and protection against modern threats. The combat ship will also be fitted with MDA's solid state AESA target illuminator, X- and S-band navigation radars, electro-optical and infrared systems, laser warning and countermeasures system, radio frequency and electronic jammers, and electronic decoy system. Underwater warfare capabilities of CSC ships The Royal Canadian Navy's future combat ships will be equipped with an integrated underwater warfare system, which includes Ultra Electronics' S2150 hull-mounted sonar, towed low frequency active & passive sonar, and SEA SENTOR S21700 towed torpedo countermeasures. General Dynamics' sonobuoy processing system and expendable acoustic countermeasures will also be installed aboard the vessels. Propulsion and performance of Canadian Surface Combatant The CSC combat ship will be powered by a combined diesel-electric or gas propulsion system (CODLOG) integrating two GE electric motors, a Rolls Royce MT 30 gas turbine, and four Rolls Royce MTU diesel generators. The vessel will be able to sail at a maximum speed of 27k and achieve a maximum cruising range of 7,000nm. Contractors involved Lockheed Martin Canada is collaborating with BAE Systems, CAE, L3Harris, MDA and Ultra Electronics for the design of the global combat ship. MDA signed a $2.99m contract with Lockheed Martin Canada for the initial phase of design work of the Canadian Surface Combatant ships in April 2019. Lockheed Martin will also be responsible to provide the electronic warfare suite system. Ultra Electronics Maritime Systems will lead the integration of sensors with sonobuoys and other capabilities for wide-area underwater battlespace surveillance. https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/canadian-surface-combatant/

5 Canadian universities leading cutting-edge research at cost of $9M over 3 years David Burke From chameleon-inspired camouflage to clothing that mends itself when damaged, the Department of National Defence is looking to outfit Canadian troops with next-wave gear that provides better protection — and less detection — on the battlefield. Those are just two technologies in a long list of cutting-edge scientific advancements that DND is spending $9 million over three years to research, spearheaded by five Canadian universities. "Adaptive camouflage would be more like a chameleon where, depending on your background, your camouflage will modify itself. So if you are in front of a dark wall, your camouflage could be darker. If you are in front of a whiter wall, your camouflage would be lighter," said Eric Fournier, director general of innovation with DND. That technology exists and is being worked on right now, he said. Fournier and the researchers working for DND are tight-lipped on details about how effective this kind of technology is and exactly how it works. DND did not supply CBC with any images of the proposed designs. "I'm not sure we're allowed to talk about it all that much yet," said Shona McLaughlin, defence scientist portfolio manager with the federal Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program. Carleton University, Polytechnique Montreal, the University of Manitoba, the University of British Columbia and Université de Sherbrooke are leading the work. They have all received around $1.5 million so far, except for Polytechnique, which is working on two projects and has been given almost $3 million. Researching advanced materials A handful of businesses are also helping with the research, including athletic apparel manufacturer Lululemon Athletica and engineering and manufacturing firm Precision ADM. Each university is researching what's known as advanced materials, which are engineered to perform a variety of specific functions. Some of those materials can be fashioned into clothing that repairs itself. As an example, McLaughlin said a capsule could be embedded in a shirt or armoured vest that, when the garment or gear is damaged, bursts and releases a liquid or foam that solidifies and seals the hole. Research is also being done on new materials that may one day replace Kevlar and ceramics as the chief components of body armour. "Now we're looking at materials where we can actually tune the properties, we can make them lighter weight, stronger and less bulky," said McLaughlin. The goal is to have armour that holds up better to bullets, high-velocity ballistics and shrapnel, and is more comfortable for the wearer. Reducing weight of soldiers' equipment It's innovation that would be extremely helpful to troops on the battlefield, said Randy Turner, a retired special forces soldier with years of experience in combat zones. Turner was part of the Canadian Armed Forces Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), a highly trained unit that handles complex and risky missions throughout the world. He had tours of duty in Afghanistan and Bosnia. On average, Turner said soldiers carry around 60 to 65 pounds of equipment when they're on duty. "A soldier spends a lot of time on his feet and he's moving in and around vehicles. Anything that could be a little bit smaller, a little bit lighter, would also be a little less taxing on the individual's body," said Turner. The adaptive camouflage and self-repairing clothing are also of interest to Turner. He said anything that helps a soldier blend in is useful. Rips and tears in uniforms and damage to boots are also common, so clothing that repairs itself would be helpful. Still, he's apprehensive about the technology and questions whether wearable tech could distract military personnel from their job. "Has anyone asked, you know, what a soldier needs? Has anyone done a real hard needs assessment on what an infantry unit, for example, requires right now? I'm willing to bet the first thing that comes to mind is not going to be a uniform," said Turner. Other areas of protection He said the $9 million being spent on the research could be used for other things. "That's a lot of money that could be, in my opinion, better utilized to give an infantry unit some bullets so they can train and become proficient with their firearms," he said. "Give some quality training to soldiers, and that is a level of protection." At the universities, research continues with teams experimenting with fabrics that can block radio signals and printable electronics that can be woven into clothing. Printable electronics could perform a number of functions, according to McLaughlin, but she said monitoring a military member's health is high on the list. "It could be for health monitoring, if you want to make sure your soldiers are not overly stressed because they're in a hot environment ... the heat, the blood pressure, the actual stress from the exertion, those things you might want to keep tabs on," she said. Fournier has no doubt these new systems could help save lives. "Our soldiers go all over the world for all kinds of missions," he said. "Just to inform them, for example, [that] they're getting dehydrated ... It could have an impact on how missions would happen, for sure." 'Processing challenges' Teams have been working on this research for a little over a year and while progress is being made, no one has come forward with a finished project. Fournier said work like this can take years and there's no guarantee of a final product. He said the important thing is that researchers are moving the science of advanced materials forward. "In the end, we may not end up with a new protecting gear, but we will have learned a lot about making that protective gear in the future," said Fournier. McLaughlin also said people should temper their expectations. "It's not as simple as throwing everything in a pot, stirring it, and boom — you've got a material," she said. "There's processing challenges that [researchers] have to overcome. So that's one of the big things that they're working on right now ... how to actually create these things and how to evaluate them." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/military-research-technology-combat-protection-1.5889528

BY NATASHA MCKENTY | JANUARY 28, 2021 Estimated reading time 14 minutes, 58 seconds. Brandon Robinson's Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Top Aces fighter pilot exploits compare to those of a protagonist in a blockbuster movie. After graduating from the Royal Military College of Canada with First Class Honours, his career quickly skyrocketed from frontline fighter squadron to being selected for the prestigious Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC) – the Canadian version of Top Gun. He obtained an MBA at Royal Roads University, and then did a tour in Ottawa where he “managed over $4 billion in procurement projects for the Fighter Force.” He spent the next few years instructing for FWIC. “Think ‘Viper' from the movie Top Gun,” he laughed. I then completed our Joint Command and Staff College program for those flagged for senior leadership.” While instructing for FWIC, Robinson earned the CF-18 fighter pilot instructor role at 410 Squadron in Cold Lake, Alberta, leading into oversight of CF-18 Fleet Tactical Standards, and then onto senior project management with a deputy director role in multiple Air Force projects. Robinson is modest. He credits his competitive nature “and a lot of luck” for his success. “I fully acknowledge that without exceptionally talented and competitive friends, I would not have passed, let alone have been fortunate enough to fly jets,” he told Skies. He found Military College to be physically and emotionally demanding, having a way of teaching you your limits and how to “be at peace with them.” Despite the challenges, he was one of the top five engineers in the program all four years. For Robinson, aviation was innate. His grandfather, RCAF Capt Eric Robinson was a Second World War bomber pilot. His father, Brian Robinson, began flying at the age of 14, but his hopes of joining the Air Force were grounded when he learned his vision wasn't good enough. “My father was very young when he and [my grandfather] built from scrap metal what is now a family airplane — an old RC-3 Republic Seabee aircraft.” Brian retired from his day job to turn the family hobby into a successful custom aviation engineering business. There was always “an army of airplanes” in and around Robinson's home. The first time Robinson piloted a plane, he was three years old. His grandfather let him sit in the seat in front of him. “I couldn't sit. I had to stand,” he laughed. “He said, ‘OK, you have control, so take us over there.'” That experience “made an imprint” for Robinson. After high school, much to his “mother's chagrin,” he joined the RCAF to “fly fast jets.” After military training, “there's a big [graduation] ceremony where they hand out the slots, and I remember looking at the card and seeing the CF-18 symbol on the bottom,” he said. Internally, he was bursting. Not surprisingly, when asked about the memorable moments of his career, he said it's difficult to choose. Robinson recalled, after being on the Squadron for just three months in Bagotville, Quebec, he was deployed to Hawaii for a joint exercise with the U.S. Navy. “The U.S. Navy has this big exercise, and the Canadians were asked to go,” he said. “So, we ferried CF-18s across the country, from Quebec to Comox, British Columbia. We overnighted, met up with an aerial refueler and then the next thing I know I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, tanking off a refueler. There's a portion where, if you can't get gas, you're going to have to eject because you can't get back to land. I'm a 27-year-old kid who only has 200 hours of experience in this CF-18, and I'm over the middle of the ocean thinking, ‘OK, you better make this happen.' It's not the easiest maneuver either,” he laughed. Robinson shared the story of how he earned his call-sign: Repo. “I was flying, and my left engine essentially blew up; one of the main turbine hubs fractured. It severely crippled the aircraft, placing it into a reversionary control architecture. The engine was destroyed, and the aircraft was on fire,” he said. After 10 “very long seconds” of being “out of control,” he “dealt with the fire” and regained control. “I was able to land it safely back at the base. However, it was too badly damaged to fix. So, the joke was that the government had to repossess or repo it,” he laughed. “The damaged engine almost fell out when I landed.” He remembered flying low-level over the ocean while “shooting missiles at drones and dropping bombs on remote-controlled moving ships; being in front of 100 angry fighter pilots leading a NATO coalition strike mission; [and] early morning departures over Torrey Pines in California to dogfight over the ocean.” In 2018, with 20 years of service and a list of neck and spine injuries in his rear-view, he knew it was time to find adrenaline elsewhere. “You can't pull seven-and-a-half Gs for 20 years without hurting a few things,” he laughed. Leaving, he admitted, was a difficult decision, but entrepreneurship was also on his radar. The kid that grew up in rural Ontario, Canada, with an “army of airplanes” at his disposal and a military career most would envy, headed out to his next call of duty. He joined forces with his father to start Horizon Aircraft, an aerospace startup that is currently developing the Cavorite X5 — a new eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) design for the urban air mobility market. Horizon has been developing the Cavorite X5 for the past two years. The concept for the X5 came from the company's initial prototype, the X3 — an amphibious design with a hybrid electric power system. “When we were asked to push the performance even further, we naturally began investigating distributed electric propulsion and the potential for eVTOL modification of the core X3 concept,” explained Robinson. “That's how the X5 The five-seat Cavorite X5 is powered by an electric motor coupled with a high-efficiency gas engine, but is ultimately built for fully electric flight. Horizon is building the aircraft to fly at speeds up to 350 kilometers per hour, with a 450-km range. The focus is to produce an aircraft “able to do real work in harsh environments,” including disaster relief, medevac, air cargo and personnel transport. Today, Robinson has his hands full with multiple patents pending, including a “fan-in-wing design” that would allow the Cavorite X5 to fly either like a conventional aircraft or an eVTOL when required. The X5 “flies like a normal aircraft for 99 percent of its mission,” said Robinson. The wing design “allows the aircraft to return to normal wing-borne lift after its vertical portion is complete; when moving forward, the wings close up and hide the vertical lift fans.” Horizon is working towards a large-scale prototype it hopes to have flying by the end of 2021. Robinson has become comfortable fielding questions based on skepticism. He's built an army of support from his highly-skilled network, including Virgin Galactic test pilot and close friend, Jameel Janjua. “Our team is extremely experienced, formed out of my father's previous custom aviation engineering business. We also have an individual leading the technical development who has designed, built and tested two novel aircraft designs from scratch. https://skiesmag.com/news/first-class-fighter-pilot-evtol-entrepreneur

Aéro Montréal is working with McGill University's Master of Management in Analytics (MMA) to improve the capabilities of the SDQué​bec portal using artificial intelligence. A team of five McGill students are assessing the current status of the portal and developed a survey to collect information that will help with their assessment. This survey will be used to gather valuable insight on how we can enhance the user experience regarding the search engine tool already available on the portal. Answers are completely anonymous but if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to andrea.yzeiri@mail.mcgill.ca. ​ https://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/mMR5i7pn#/0 The survey closes on February 5th, 2021 at 11:30pm EST. It only takes 5 minutes, many thanks in advance for your help !

January 25, 2021 - Lieutenant General Theodoros Lagios, General Director for Defence Investments and Armaments of the Greek Ministry of Defence and Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, today signed a contract to provide the armaments for 18 Rafale combat aircraft intended for Greece's air force. A signing ceremony was held in Athens in the presence of the French Minister for Armed Forces, Florence Parly, and the Greek Minister for Defense, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos. The new aircraft's weapons will benefit from the strong commonality with those from the Mirage 2000s and Mirage 2000-5s currently in service in the Hellenic Air Force. Like these, the Rafales will be armed with SCALP cruise missiles, AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and MICA multi-mission air-to-air missiles. Additionally, MBDA will also supply Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, said: “The signing of this agreement turns a new page in our relationship with Greece, which we have had for more than half a century. The country was the very first customer of the Exocet missile in 1968, showing great confidence in it and in our predecessor companies. This confidence has been renewed over the years and is being renewed again today. It is our duty to do everything we can in order to continue delivering on this confidence into tomorrow. View source version on MBDA: https://www.mbda-systems.com/press-releases/mbda-to-arm-hellenic-air-forces-new-rafale-fighter-jets/

January 19, 2021 By Wings Staff At the AIx Space 2021 Conference, Saab outlined a proposed plan to establish a new facility in Canada as part of its offer for Canada's Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP). The facility would be known as the Saab Sensor Centre, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a focus on sensor technologies such as radar. The Saab Sensor Centre would provide career opportunities for Canadian engineering talent in the Vancouver area, as well offering research and development avenues for academia. One of the proposed projects is to develop a Space Surveillance Radar (SSR) in Canada, in co-operation with other companies within the Canadian space industry. It is envisaged that this surface radar will target the global market for greater awareness of objects in the Earth's orbit. “So much of modern life and military capability depends on space-based assets. Today space is anything but empty when it comes to the Earth's immediate vicinity with an increasing number of satellites and many more to come,” said Simon Carroll, President of Saab Canada Inc., in a statement. “We feel that Saab teamed with Canadian space partners are the perfect combination to co-develop a SSR for Canada and the global market.” A Saab radar demonstrator has been built and is the basis for a co-development opportunity of a SSR with Canadian companies. This demonstrator leverages radar technology as found in Saab's military radars that operate across the world including on Canadian and U.S. naval ships. Saab, in co-operation with the Swedish government, has offered 88 Gripen E fighter aircraft, for Canada's FFCP. The establishment of the Saab Sensor Centre is part of the associated Canada-wide Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) program from Saab. In co-operation with the Swedish government, Saab's Gripen E fighter bid includes a support and training package for FFCP. The proposal includes a another two proposed Saab centres in Montreal. Known separately as the Gripen Centre and the Aerospace Research & Development Centre, they would be co-located in the Greater Montreal Region. “These two centres, managed and staffed by Canadians, will provide prosperity and employment security, with several thousand new Canadian jobs across the Province of Quebec. This proposal will boost employment and generate valuable economic activity, as well as strengthening the aerospace sector,” stated Johansson, in an earlier statement. The Gripen Centre would be the fighter's ITB centerpiece, primarily staffed by the Gripen for Canada Team. Work at the centre will be conducted by Canadians to ensure Gripen meets NORAD and NATO requirements. The Gripen Centre will also act as a hub for supporting and sustaining Gripen, while allowing Canada to manage future upgrades in-country. The Aerospace R&D Centre will act as a focal point over decades for developing a rich ecosystem for research and innovation, representing a key component of Saab's long-term vision in Canada. The Aerospace R&D Centre will develop, test and produce next generation aerospace systems and components to complement the existing Canadian aerospace industry, which may include unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence and environmentally progressive aviation technologies. The Gripen for Canada Team was announced in March 2020 and consists of IMP Aerospace and Defence, CAE, Peraton and GE. https://www.wingsmagazine.com/saab-expanding-its-facilities-in-canada/