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Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Published Monday, January 29, 2018 2:03PM EST Last Updated Monday, January 29, 2018 4:31PM EST OTTAWA -- Six years after his explosive report on the F-35 derailed the Harper government's plan to buy the controversial stealth aircraft, federal auditor general Michael Ferguson is diving back into the fighter-jet file. Ferguson's staff have been going over internal government records for several months, though the auditor general's office won't reveal exactly what aspects of the program are under the microscope. The final report is scheduled for release in the fall. Ferguson's last report on fighter jets in April 2012 was a bombshell which found senior defence officials twisted rules, downplayed problems and withheld information about the Harper government's plan to buy 65 F-35s. The report forced the government to suspend the project pending a complete review, which eventually pegged the full cost of buying and operating the F-35s at more than $45 billion. Six years later, Canada still has not chosen a new fighter jet to replace its aging CF-18s. It is unlikely the auditor general will find the kind of serious problems with the government's efforts to buy fighter jets as the last time, as the overall procurement system has been revamped with a variety of checks and balances. The new review could instead turn on the government's plan to buy interim fighter jets and its arguably slow progress in holding a competition to replace the CF-18s, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "How much benefit and at what cost will Canada obtain fighter aircraft by virtue of going through an interim fighter purchase as well as doing a life extension?" Perry said. "For me, one of the biggest concerns is that the process from this point forward is not exactly lightning quick." The Liberals announced in November that they plan to buy used fighter jets from Australia -- rather than new Super Hornets from Boeing -- as a stop-gap until the entire CF-18 fleet can be replaced. The new planes were originally expected by 2025, but documents provided to industry last week show the new target is 2031, as the government plans to take its time with a competition. The delay is almost certain to mean another round of expensive and complicated life extensions to the CF-18s, which will be 50 years old by the time the last are retired. Previous reports have determined that any life extensions to the CF-18s beyond 2025 would be "a high-risk option in terms of cost, schedule and technical factors." Many defence analysts and retired military officials have questioned the need for interim fighters and urged an immediate competition, rather than waiting several years. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/auditor-general-to-issue-new-fighter-jet-report-in-the-fall-1.3780244

Halifax, NS – Monday January 29th 2018: Today, Davie Shipbuilding and Federal Fleet Services announced that following an intensive period of at-sea trials and testing, Asterix has been formally accepted by the Department of National Defence and has now entered full operational service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). As planned, Asterix performed daily replenishment-at-sea (RAS) exercises with the RCN and conducted extensive RCAF CH-148 Cyclone helicopter operations to prove and demonstrate the world-leading capabilities of the Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship. These exercises have included everything from dual RAS operations to helicopter landing, take-off and vertical replenishment trials. Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services commented “To deliver the first Canadian naval ship in over twenty years, the first supply ship in almost 50 years, and to reach FOC so efficiently and in such a short period of time is a testament to the hard work, dedication and dynamism of the teams at Davie and FFS. We are all very proud of our achievement and appreciative of the professional support we have received from DND and PSPC.” Fraser added, “We promised the government that we would fill a strategic gap in an expedited manner, that we would save the Canadian taxpayer money with our solution, and most importantly, that we would provide the men and women of the RCN and RCAF with a world-class capability they could be proud of. Today marks that achievement and we stand ready to assist the Government of Canada to do more.” Alex Vicefield, Chairman of Davie commented, “We would like to thank Prime Minister Trudeau for the confidence and trust he placed in Canada's largest shipbuilder with the award of this program. We are proud to have delivered, as promised, on this vital defence capability which will serve Canada for years to come.” Over 900 Canadian companies from coast-to-coast participated in the build of Asterix, and the Resolve Class has been hailed worldwide for the innovative Canadian solutions integrated onboard. Participation in this project has assisted the exports of many of Davie's Tier 1 sub-contractors; Hepburn of Toronto designed and built the RAS equipment, L3 MAPPS of Montreal designed and installed the Integrated Platform Management System and OSI of Vancouver designed and built the Integrated Bridge System. By participating in the project, these and other innovative Canadian companies have been able to win export opportunities. Asterix is now ready for global deployment to support combat and humanitarian operations as directed by the Government of Canada. Photographs of the RCN and RCAF trials are available for download in high-resolution here: http://www.davielibrary.com/Project-Resolve-/First-Navy-Trials/i-XHjt2VJ http://www.davie.ca/news/asterix-completes-royal-canadian-navy-trials-achieves-full-operational-capability-foc/

News Release From National Defence January 26, 2018 – Esquimalt, B.C. – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces The Government of Canada is committed to providing the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment they need, as outlined in Canada's new defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged. Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced the award of a contract in support of weapons systems that will protect Canadian ships and sailors over the next two decades. Valued at $704 million, this contract will also benefit Canadians, as it is expected to create and maintain more than 450 well-paid, skilled jobs across the country. Under this contract, Raytheon Canada Limited will upgrade and support 21 Close-In Weapons Systems for the Royal Canadian Navy. These rapid-fire, radar-guided gun systems provide the most effective naval self-defence system available against close-in threats such as missiles, small ships, and aircraft. These systems are currently in use on the Navy's Halifax-class frigates, and will also be installed on the Protecteur-class joint support ships following their construction. Quotes “Today's announcement is aligned with the goals we set out in Strong, Secure, Engaged – we are making strategic investments in the Royal Canadian Navy that will help protect our sailors as they conduct the full spectrum of operations in a modern security environment.” – Minister of National Defence, Harjit S. Sajjan “As a result of the government's ITB policy, Raytheon Canada Limited will make important investments in Canada to support well-paying, middle class jobs, foster economic growth and help spur innovation across the country in small and medium enterprises. That's how we ensure innovation works for all Canadians.” – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains Quick Facts The Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) In-Service Support contract will be valid until late 2037, and comprises an initial 10-year service period with three options of five, three and two additional years, respectively. The CIWS is the world's most widely deployed close-in weapons system and currently in service with 24 nations. This level of interoperability will allow the Navy to take advantage of future improvements made by our allies. The Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy (ITB), including the Value Proposition, applies to this contract and will support the growth of a sustainable Canadian defence and marine industry. In addition, Raytheon Canada Limited has committed to investing in Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises and research and development activities. Contacts Byrne Furlong Press Secretary Office of the Minister of National Defence Phone: 613-996-3100 Media Relations Department of National Defence Phone: 613-996-2353 Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811 Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2018/01/weapons_system_supportcontracttohelpprotectcanadianshipssailors.html

News Release From National Defence Members of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) unload new Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV) in Petawawa, Ontario, on January 23, 2018. Delivery of these vehicles will continue through to April 2018. Photo Credit: CSOR Imaging ©2018 DND/MDN January 25, 2018 – Ottawa – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces In the Strong, Secure, Engaged defence policy, the Government of Canada committed to ensuring the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have the support and equipment they need to carry out their important missions. The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) has accepted delivery of its first Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV). These vehicles, which were procured from Polaris Industries Limited, will help protect members of Canada's Special Operations Forces as they conduct missions in challenging environments. It will provide them with fast, mobile transportation over demanding terrain, and has been specifically configured to support rapid deployment by most Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, particularly the CH-147F Chinook helicopter. This procurement – which was completed on time and on budget – will help ensure special forces operators have the tools they need to succeed for years to come. Additional Multimedia Members of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) unload a new Ultra-Light Combat Vehicle (ULCV) in Petawawa, Ontario, on January 23, 2018. The ULCV procurement initiative will help ensure special forces operators have the tools they need to maintain field superiority for years to come. Photo Credit: CSOR Imaging ©2018 DND/MDN New Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV) are positioned in a storage facility in Petawawa, Ontario, soon after delivery. Procured from Polaris Industries Limited, a total of 62 ULCVs were purchased at a value of approximately $23M. Photo Credit: CSOR Imaging ©2018 DND/MDN Quotes “The women and men of our Special Operations Forces deserve the best equipment to do the tough job we ask of them. We are proud of them, and through Strong, Secure, Engaged, our government will continue to make investments ‎in our most important asset: our people.” - Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan “The acquisition of the ULCV is a tremendous step forward in light mobility for the men and women of CANSOFCOM. This platform will serve as a unique complement to our existing mobility arsenal and assist CANSOFCOM in its delivery of agile special operations forces effects for years to come.” - Major-General Mike Rouleau, Commander, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command Quick Facts In December, 2016, the Government of Canada announced that a contract valued at approximately $20.6M was awarded to Polaris Industries Limited for the acquisition of 52 ULCV with the option to procure an additional 26 vehicles over a two year period at an additional cost. In July, 2017, CANSOFCOM exercised the option to procure an additional 10 ULCV, bringing the total number of ULCV under this acquisition to 62 and value of the contract to approximately $23M. The ULCVs are being delivered as planned and on budget. Delivery of these vehicles will continue through to April 2018. The contract with Polaris Industries Limited includes technical support services, and integrated logistics support for two years. This includes everything from publications and manuals, to spare parts and driver training. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2018/01/cansofcom_takes_deliveryofultra-lightcombatvehicleulcv.html

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN More from David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen It's going to take a while to do but the RCAF plans to extend the life of its Griffon helicopters out to the 2030s. “The project will replace obsolete cockpit instruments and avionics with components that are supportable to the mid-2030s,” the RACF noted. Adaptation and integration of existing avionics and electronic flight instruments in the aircraft will enable an extension of the life of the Griffon. Griffon flight simulators will be modified to conform to the fleet. Finally, the project will ensure integrated logistic support, supply of initial spares and training. The anticipated timeline is as follows: 2018 – Definition Approval (Definition is what should be done to meet the capability need, to determining how the preferred option will be implemented) 2020 – Implementation Approval, Request for Proposal Release, Contract Award 2024-2025 – Initial Operating Capability for Life-extended Griffons 2026 – Final Delivery It should be noted that this project has been delayed from its previous schedule. In 2015, the RCAF put definition approval for 2016. In addition, implementation, issuing of an RFP and awarding a contact were all to be done in 2018. Final delivery of the upgraded helicopters was to have taken place in 2024 under the old schedule. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/determining-how-to-upgrade-the-griffon-helicopter-a-focus-for-rcaf-this-year

Justin Trudeau a annoncé jeudi que le chantier naval Davie, à Lévis, obtiendra «probablement» des contrats pour construire des brise-glaces du gouvernement fédéral. «On sait très bien que le travail qui se fait à Davie est de grande qualité», a-t-il soutenu sur les ondes de Radio-Canada. Présent toute la journée à Québec, le premier ministre du Canada a soutenu que des négociations commenceront vendredi entre la Garde côtière et la Davie au sujet d'un achat de brise-glaces. Selon lui, le chantier Davie ne souffre pas de préjugés défavorables auprès de son gouvernement, comme plusieurs l'ont affirmé ces dernières semaines. M. Trudeau a également affirmé qu'il sera présent le 29 janvier pour la vigile visant à commémorer la tuerie de la Grande Mosquée. Sur les ondes du FM93, le premier ministre du Canada a soutenu qu'il était important de se souvenir de ce triste événement. «Il faut reconnaître qu'il y a encore des actes haineux, il y a encore des propos intolérants.» M. Trudeau dit toutefois être encore «en réflexion» sur la possibilité ou non de créer une Journée nationale contre l'islamophobie à cette date, tel que demandé par la communauté musulmane de tout le Canada. Sur la légalisation du cannabis, le premier ministre a tenté de convaincre les auditeurs des deux stations de radio qu'il posait un geste pour protéger les jeunes et non pour encourager la consommation de cette drogue. Selon lui, il faut que le pays reconnaisse qu'il a un problème d'accessibilité actuellement à cette drogue. «Le système actuel, ça ne fonctionne pas, ça ne protège pas nos jeunes.» M. Trudeau sera omniprésent à Québec jeudi. Après ses entrevues radio, il rencontrera le maire de Québec Régis Labeaume vers 11h15 à l'hôtel de ville. Le maire a déjà indiqué cette semaine qu'il souhaitait parler du pont de Québec, du tramway et des artéfacts de Parcs Canada avec M. Trudeau. En soirée, M. Trudeau tiendra une soirée de rencontre informelle avec les citoyens, qui aura lieu à l'école secondaire De Rochebelle, à Sainte-Foy. Cette façon de faire, qui s'inspire des États-Unis, vise à rendre M. Trudeau plus «accessible», explique Filip Novakovic, attaché de presse du député fédéral de Louis-Hébert, Joël Lightbound. «Je peux vous dire qu'il y a énormément d'engouement», lance M. Novakovic, qui soutient que des centaines de citoyens ont déjà effectué leur préinscription. La salle peut contenir un maximum de 1000 personnes et il est toujours possible de s'inscrire sur place, à partir de 16h30. M. Novakovic assure qu'il n'y aura un filtrage des questions. Les gens n'auront qu'à lever la main et c'est M. Trudeau lui-même qui donnera les tours de parole. Plus de détails à venir... https://www.lesoleil.com/actualite/politique/davie-aura-probablement-des-contrats-de-brise-glaces-dit-trudeau-66016c8dd2d1281f382381dd0efd39bd

By Tim Naumetz. Published on Jan 11, 2018 4:49pm Canadians don't have to wring their hands over whether the country should sign on to the U.S. ballistic missile defence system, says a former top defence adviser to President Barack Obama. Washington is paying more attention to bigger Canadian defence issues such as the long-delayed acquisition of a fleet of new modern fighter jets, Lindsay Rodman, former director of defence policy and strategy for Obama's National Security Council, said in a Canadian interview streamed earlier this week. Rodman, a temporary U.S. expatriate who now is an international affairs fellow at the University of Ottawa, said in a podcast interview with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute that the missile defence question is not a major issue in U.S. military and security circles. “The question of ballistic missile defence has been really surprising to me since I came to Canada a little over a year ago now,” Rodman said in the interview with Global Affairs institute vice-president David Perry. “It is just not on the forefront of anyone's mind in the United States, but it is one of the first things that any Canadian wants to talk to you about the U.S. American alliance,” said Rodman, an attorney who also served in the Pentagon as Obama's senior adviser for international humanitarian policy. “The U.S. is much more concerned with just making sure that NORAD is healthy, that the NATO alliance is healthy, that our homeland defence is being well supported, and we know that we don't depend on Canada for ballistic missile defence. “We do depend on Canada's fighter capability in terms of how we've planned our North American defence, so making good on the promises that Canada has made is going to be more important than new promises that Canada could make in the future, which would be something like ballistic defence.” The Global Affairs Institute offered the podcast up earlier this week, but the interview was recorded on Dec. 18, the same day U.S. President Donald Trump released his administration's first national security strategy. It was only two years after President Obama released his second national security strategy, which Rodman said should have been in place for four years under the normal U.S. four-year cycle for renewing national security and military strategies. While explaining U.S. views on Canadian defence positions — particularly the first Canadian defence strategy released by the Trudeau government last June — Rodman told Perry that while Canada's overarching defence positions have rarely diverged after a change of government, Trudeau's new personal and political approaches to Canada's role in the world may have made a difference. “I would say that Justin Trudeau, just by nature of his international sort of celebrity status, brought a new cachet to Canada, and that's pretty useful,” she said. “Certainly, being in Canada now and learning the ins and outs about the political system a little bit more, I can appreciate the nuances in Canada's position much better.” Canada's new defence policy specifically ruled out Canadian involvement in U.S. ballistic missile defence, even after the topic had been raised multiple times in four months of cross-country consultations that preceded the defence review in 2016. Still, by last December, even Trudeau signalled that the government has not yet ruled the possibility out, and several military experts have advocated Canada's participation in a series of House of Commons and Senate committee hearings. “For a very close ally like Canada, the most important thing is interoperability,” said Rodman. “We not only depend on Canada to potentially help us out in the world, but in terms of our homeland defence there's no one we depend more on than Canada. We really need everything to be interoperable.” The most important question facing the government as it slowly moves toward a 2025 target for acquiring a fleet of 88 new fighter jets could be how the most sophisticated warplane in the world — the Lockheed Martin F-35 strike fighter — fares as it goes through a competition that will decide which aircraft Canada will buy. Interoperability with U.S. warplanes has been a central part of the argument favouring the F-35 acquisition for Canada. https://ipolitics.ca/2018/01/11/u-s-isnt-worrying-canada-missile-defence-says-obama-adviser/

A European report forecasting a surge in billions of dollars worth of missile and missile defence sales worldwide over the next 10 years could renew Canadian debate over signing on to the U.S. missile defence system, a defence analyst says. The forecasting agency based in Amsterdam is offering a market report on missile systems to global defence production companies that forecasts a rise in the value of sales to $93 billion for 2027 — compared to $55 billion in 2018 — for a total of $725 billion in sales over the decade. In the summary of its industry report, ASDMedia BV says the main driver for missile production, including all types of missiles from ballistic to short range and air-to-air missiles, is an increase in “territorial conflicts.” “The market for missile defence systems is anticipated to be the largest category primarily due to the ongoing procurement of missile systems by countries of the Asia Pacific, North American and European regions,” the report says. The report was published recently, during the escalation of tension over North Korean nuclear missile launches, but prior to the missile attack scare from a false alarm in Hawaii on Saturday. The missile spending forecast could also be of interest to participants in an international conference the Canadian government is hosting in Vancouver this week on the North Korean standoff. Senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, David Perry, says the market forecast of missile sales reflects a concern the Department of National Defence included about missile proliferation in the Liberal government's first national defence policy earlier this year, which at the same time included no specific plans for a response to the problem. Although the Liberal strategy included references to ballistic missile defence and modernizing northern defence warnings systems along with the U.S., it did not take a position on the long-sensitive question of whether Canada should sign on to the U.S. ballistic missile defence system. “It was one of those strange bits of the policy where there was an identification of an increased concern and a threat, but then not really any specific itemization of what was going to be done about it,” said Perry. Perry, who took part in closed-door consultations with experts in the lead-up to the review, said the market forecasts, along with the ongoing North Korea crisis, indicate ballistic missile defence should be renewed in Canadian defence discussions, following a short-lived flirtation with the idea by the last Liberal government in 2005. This past August, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to almost rule out any chance of discussions with the U.S. over ballistic missile defence, but in September said Canada was not considering the idea “for the time being.” “Based on the comments by the Prime Minister, I'm not expecting any urgent movement on ballistic missiles,” said Perry, who argued for Canadian involvement in missile defence during the policy consultations. “I'm curious in a strategic sense, international market observers are saying there's a growing market for this technology because the potential threat of missiles is proliferating, and you've got that (ambiguous) language reflected in the defence policy,” he told iPolitics. The head of Ottawa's Rideau Institute, founded as an advocate for the rule of international law and disarmament, said Perry's desire to renew ballistic missile defence discussions is a reflection of the defence industry's views. “In my view, there isn't actually a debate,” said Rideau Institute president Peggy Mason. “The defence industry lobby keeps raising it, but I think it's absolutely clear that this government, the Liberal government, the Justin Trudeau government, has no interest in reviewing this issue, so long as President Trump is President,” said Mason. “There are so many good reasons not to review it,”Mason told iPolitics, “but just the difficulty of trying to sell this, getting closer to the U.S. on a very controversial and very costly area while President Trump is in office...” https://ipolitics.ca/2018/01/16/report-renew-canadian-debate-u-s-missile-defence-system-defence-analyst/

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Jan. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, January 12, Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a stated maximum value of $641,758,000. Under this contract, the contractor will perform ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) test related activities for multiple radar platforms that includes planning, executing, and analyzing sensor performance in BMDS flight tests and ground tests for each test event defined in the BMDS integrated master test plan. The radar test contract effort also includes sensors modeling and simulation activities to include Open Systems Architecture Sensor Model (OSM) and Open Systems Architecture Signal Injector (OSI) development and maintenance, integration of OSI with hardware-in-the-loop radar representation, integration of OSI and OSM with the simulation framework, verification and validation support, and stakeholder/event support. This award is the result of a competitively awarded acquisition in which two offers were received. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,451,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-18-D-0003). About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 95 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter. Media Contact Jackie Gutmann 1.781.879.2789 idspr@raytheon.com SOURCE Raytheon Company http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/2018-01-15-Missile-Defense-Agency-selects-Raytheon-for-Ballistic-Missile-Defense-System-testing-modeling-and-simulation-work