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Updated with comments from officials on June 10, 2019, at 9:21 a.m. ET. WASHINGTON — Raytheon and United Technologies Corporation will officially merge into a new entity called Raytheon Technologies Corporation, with the deal taking place in first half of 2020. Following Saturday reports that a merger was imminent, the two firms made the news official Sunday, launching a website about the planned all-stock deal. On Monday, Raytheon CEO Thomas Kennedy and UTC CEO Greg Hayes held a conference call, where the two revealed that discussions about a potential merger started in summer 2018, before taking off in earnest this January. “It's like a mirror,” Kennedy said of UTC, noting both companies invest heavily in new technologies while remaining “platform agnostic.” Hayes added that there is roughly a one percent overlap between the two firms portfolios. The new company will be roughly 50-50 defense and commercial, with plans to spend $8 billion on R&D after combining. Much of that funding will go towards high-end defense programs, including, per a news release, “hypersonics and future missile systems; directed energy weapons; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in contested environments; cyber protection for connected aircraft; next generation connected airspace; and advanced analytics and artificial intelligence for commercial aviation.” The new firm has a “tremendous opportunity to invest” in the future, Hayes said. “The resources of the combined company will allow us to do things on a stand alone basis that would have been very difficult” individually. Hayes also expressed his belief the Pentagon would not see major issues, given the limited overlap. However, other trouble may be brewing; during a Monday interview with CNBC, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern about the agreement. While being billed as a “merger of equals,” UTC shareowners will own approximately 57 percent and Raytheon shareowners will own approximately 43 percent of the combined company. A spokesperson for Raytheon confirmed to Defense News Sunday that the combined company will be based in the greater Boston area. Raytheon is based in the Boston suburb of Waltham, while UTC is based in Farmington, Conn. Per a news release, the new company will have approximately $74 billion in pro forma 2019 sales. The release also highlights that the merged company will be a major player in both the defense and commercial aerospace markets, giving greater market resiliency. Byron Callan, a defense analyst with Capital Alpha Partners, wrote Sunday in a note to investors that the merger may be a sign of market trends to come. “An RTN-UTX deal may be a signal (a siren?) that 1) this U.S. defense cycle is peaking, and firms need to start repositioning for growth in 2021 and beyond; 2) Maybe the commercial aerospace outlook is looking wobbly too and Western firms need to hedge against fallout from a U.S.-China trade split. A U.S. recession is overdue; 3) Defense firms will need to fund more of their own R&D in the future so joining a larger firm will limit margin pressure which could be evidenced in the 2020s,” Callan wrote. Callan also sees “some overlap in the defense portfolios” for the two companies, primarily through the Mission Systems segment of Collins Aerospace. That could require some small divestitures down the road as the deal is finalized, but there do not appear to be any major issues that would lead to objections from the Pentagon. “Both are active in defense communications, though Collins has a larger share. Both have imaging/IR products, though Raytheon has a larger product offering,” he wrote. “Collins provides large space imaging mirrors used in surveillance satellites but it's not clear to us if there is an overlap with Raytheon's classified space payload work.” The deal should create a mammoth defense contractor second only to Lockheed Martin. Raytheon already ranked number two on the most recent Defense News Top 100 list, with $23.5 billion in defense revenues, 93 percent of its overall revenue total; UTC has $7.83 billion in defense revenues, a mere 13 percent of its overall figures. However, that UTC number came before its acquisition of Rockwell Collins and its $2.28 billion in defense revenues, which will naturally increase United's overall number. The move comes after 18 months of major defense consolidation. In addition to UTC's move on Rockwell, there was the General Dynamics acquisition of CSRA, Northrop Grumman's acquisition of Orbital ATK, and L3 and Harris announcing in Oct. 2018 that they would combine to form what at the time appeared to be the seventh largest global defense firm. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2019/06/09/raytheon-technologies-corporation-utc-raytheon-make-marriage-official/

(B2) Les Européens doivent faire preuve d'une volonté politique forte pour faire face à leur environnement géostratégique en bouleversement, selon Louis Gautier, ancien secrétaire général pour la défense et la sécurité nationale (SGDSN). C'est ce qu'il a expliqué lors des entretiens de la défense européenne à Paris jeudi (16 mai) Un constat qui demande une réflexion politique Un environnement international délétère, une Europe fragilisée L'environnement international et stratégique est « délétère ». Des conflits qui semblaient oubliés reviennent et se rapprochent de la périphérie de l'Europe. De nouveaux dangers (cyber, spatiaux...) se développent. Le constat que fait Louis Gautier n'est pas engageant. D'autant que l'Union européenne est aujourd'hui « fragilisée », minée par ses divisions. La situation s'est « encore détériorée ces derniers mois » : l'Italie, membre fondatrice de l'Union, rejoint le camp des eurosceptiques, le Royaume-Uni persiste dans les errements du Brexit, etc. Le « plus inquiétant » concerne les inconnues qui pèsent sur l'équation de sécurité européenne : le démantèlement des accords conclus à la fin de la guerre froide, l'amoindrissement de la garantie américaine, ou ce qui est ressenti comme tel, et les provocations russes. Etre lucides ! Face à ces enjeux, c'est à un constat de lucidité qu'appelle Louis Gautier : « les Européens sont incapables de faire face collectivement à une crise majeure qui surviendrait sur leur sol ou à un conflit dans leur voisinage ». La nécessité d'agir de façon stratégique doit être repensée. « L'Europe, c'est en fonction du monde qu'on doit la faire. Et la défense européenne doit répondre à ces défis de sécurité ». L'Europe et sa défense, telles qu'elles avaient été imaginées au début, doivent être « réinterrogées ». Et n'envisager la défense européenne qu'au « prisme des capacités » est une erreur. On doit commencer par « dessiner un paysage stratégique, déterminer des enjeux, définir nos intérêts collectifs ». Une relance possible ? Certes, la relance du projet de défense européenne est bien engagée, avec une « multiplication des projets », entre 2016 et 2018. C'est « très positif ». Avec le fonds européen de défense (FEDef), « pour la première fois, il y aura sur la table de l'argent européen pour la défense et cela va changer la donne ». Mais ces projets n'ont un intérêt que si l'on a des organes de gouvernance, une définition des priorités. Il s'agit maintenant de faire attention à ce que cet élan ne retombe pas. On a « déjà connu des poussées similaires » lors du Traité de Maastricht, du sommet de Saint-Malo ou du retour de la France dans l'OTAN et du Traité de Lisbonne. Et l'élan a toujours fini par s'essouffler. Les objectifs sont « à chaque fois revus à la baisse, jamais mis en œuvre, restés en suspens dans les déclarations ». L'Union européenne reste « handicapée par les divisions européennes, le manque de volonté, les déficits capacitaires ». Les réticences, les habitudes et les conservatismes l'emportent sur le dynamisme. La clé : la volonté politique pour une intervention collective La volonté politique est donc la condition majeure pour obtenir des avancées durables. Aujourd'hui, l'Union serait « absolument incapable de gérer une crise majeure sur son sol ». L'Union reste faible dans la défense de ses intérêts, qu'ils soient industriels, économiques ou sécuritaires, martèle le spécialiste des enjeux stratégiques. En cas d'attaque, les États répondront avec des moyens nationaux, moyens inégaux en fonction des capacités de chacun. Ce alors que « les brèches chez les uns créeront des vulnérabilités chez les autres ». C'est bien le manque de vision stratégique de l'Union qui paralyse les efforts. En finir avec l'éternel débat UE – OTAN Il faut arrêter de se concentrer sur l'éternel débat UE-OTAN car il s'agit aujourd'hui d'une question qui concerne « les États, leur réponse collective, et le fait que l'Union européenne peut faciliter leur coordination ». Sans intervention collective des Européens, « nous ne pouvons pas obtenir les solutions de sortie de crise ». Alors même que certaines de ces solutions sont à la portée des États membres. Cela a été démontré lors du conflit au Kosovo : des conseils européens réguliers ont « rythmé les opérations par des décisions qui ont maintenu unis les Européens ». Des clarifications nécessaires Les Européens n'ont « jamais été collectivement capables de définir quelle devait être leur contribution collective à leur défense collective ». Quel que soit le cadre. Cerner les objectifs de la défense européenne Le concept même d'‘Europe de la défense' — un ‘mot valise',« très français », intraduisible pour nos partenaires — permet de mettre « un peu tout dans le même sac : des coopérations intergouvernementales, les projets communautaires, le pilier européen dans l'OTAN... » Sans spécifier suffisamment les aspects sur lesquels travailler. Clarifier les contours de cette défense européenne est nécessaire. Il faut « cerner les objectifs, car trop d'ambition effraie ». Une indispensable clarification entre l'OTAN et l'UE Cela implique aussi une « indispensable clarification » entre l'OTAN et l'UE. « Jusqu'à preuve du contraire », la défense collective européenne « se fait dans l'OTAN ». Mais l'Union doit vérifier qu'elle est en mesurer de gérer des attaques qui ne relèveraient pas de la responsabilité de l'OTAN. « Les réponses, elles sont européennes ». On ne peut pas se reposer sur une distribution des rôles dans laquelle l'OTAN s'occupe des questions militaires pendant que l'Europe « ne ferait que du capacitaire ». Parce que, déjà, « c'est faux » selon Louis Gautier. Et car le développement des capacités vient, avant tout, « au service d'une politique militaire, industrielle. » Cinq priorités pour la suite D'abord, « l'affirmation stratégique » des Européens. Qui doivent comprendre qu'ils ont des enjeux communs à défendre et que personne ne va les défendre pour eux. Mais aussi « la protection » des frontières, des citoyens, la capacité de « réaction aux crises », « le capacitaire » et « le renforcement de la BITD [Base industrielle et technologique de défense] ». Pour ce faire, il faut « consolider l'autonomie technologique » de l'Europe, anticiper plus et mieux, et améliorer la cohérence et cohésion des structures. Alors que le budget militaire européen est de « 230 milliards d'euros », supérieur à celui de la Chine, les duplications ont un prix : « l'absence de crédibilité ». Et « si les Européens ne s'activent pas, ils sont les grands perdants du 21ème siècle ». (propos recueillis par Coline Traverson, st.) https://www.bruxelles2.eu/2019/06/06/entretiens-leurope-doit-mieux-reflechir-a-sa-defense-l-gautier/

Please be advised that, in respect to the Defence and Security Accelerator competition: developing the Royal Navy's autonomous underwater capability, Dstl Commercial Services have offered a commercial clarification in respect to industry queries around the agreement of a Limitation of a Contractor's Liability to the proposed Framework Agreement: It is not possible to request a Limit of a Contractor's Liability (LoCL) under a Framework Agreement because it is impossible to calculate an appropriate LoCL amount with such a broad scope of work. Requests for a LoCL to the overarching framework agreement will be turned down, and proposals that include such requests will be deemed to be commercially non-compliant and excluded from the competition. However, in the event of placement of any Framework Agreement as a result of this Themed Competition, under the Tasking element of the aforementioned Framework Agreement (Item 2 of the proposed Framework Agreement only) on a Task by Task basis we will consider the risks associated with that Task and may consider it appropriate to agree a LoCL against that specific task only. This does not apply to Item 1 of the proposed Framework Agreement. Requests for a LoCL against Item 1 of the Framework Agreement will not be considered and proposals that include them excluded from the competition. Please be advised that this clarification explicitly applies to the Defence and Security Accelerator competition: developing the Royal Navy's autonomous underwater capability only. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/developing-the-royal-navys-autonomous-underwater-capability-commercial-clarification

QinetiQ has confirmed it has secured a new contract to provide the Royal Navy with advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training services using the latest target simulation technology from Saab. The new contract will extend QinetiQ's long-term partnership role at the MOD's British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) at the Kyle of Lochalsh into the training environment. Significantly, the new training service supports the Royal Navy's forthcoming introduction of Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and will increase ASW training opportunities while also maximising operational deployment of the submarine fleet. It will also provide unprecedented training analytics to optimise exercise outcomes and deliver world-leading training capabilities. With QinetiQ as the lead partner, the new contract is the result of a progressive and close collaboration between QinetiQ, Saab and Serco. The new programme will capitalise on Saab's state of the art AUV62-AT autonomous underwater vehicle system to provide full and effective simulation of an operational submarine in a wide range of training scenarios. Highly experienced QinetiQ personnel will coordinate, manage and control all deployment of the simulated target, with Serco providing the vessels for launch and recovery. De-risking trials were completed by the QinetiQ team at BUTEC, and two successful training serial events have already been completed off the south west coast of England. According to the Royal Navy's Lt Cdr Ben Costley-White, Staff Warfare Officer (Under Water) to Flag Officer Sea Training, the new contract led by QinetiQ will transform the Navy's ASW training capabilities. “This move will enable us to harness the expertise of QinetiQ and the very latest simulation technologies to deliver comprehensive and first class ASW training exercises without the limitations posed by the practicalities and cost of redeploying submarine assets for training purposes. This represents a major step change in our training options and our ability to harness analytical data for effective evaluation of all ASW training.” “We're delighted to be extending our test and evaluation capabilities into the training environment for the Royal Navy,” says QinetiQ's Stu Hider, Programme Director (Maritime). “Combining our expertise and experience in programme planning and delivery with the world's most advanced target simulation technology will help to ensure the Royal Navy benefits from the most versatile, cost-effective and sophisticated ASW training solution.” https://www.qinetiq.com/News/2019/06/New-contract-with-the-Royal-Navy-will-extend-QinetiQs-test-and-evaluation-capabilities-into-ASW-training

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY HDT Expeditionary Systems Inc., Solon, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $200,000,000 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial off-the-shelf shelters and tents. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a one-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Alabama, Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky, with a June 4, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1158). NAVY Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $79,074,099 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide program and project management; support of the Navy Tele-Mentoring Program; system administration; training; communications support; data analytics; tele-radiology; and support of the Health Experts Online Portal and Pacific Asynchronous TeleHealth in support of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Virginia (83 percent); San Diego, California (10 percent); Portsmouth, Virginia (2 percent); Camp Pendleton, California (2 percent); Lemoore, California (1 percent); Twentynine Palms, California (1 percent); and Bremerton, Washington (1 percent). The contract will include a 60-month ordering period that will begin July 2019, and is expected to be completed by July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Defense Health Procurement) (O&MDHP) funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and those funds will expire at the end of fiscal 2019. Subsequent task orders will be funded with the appropriate fiscal year O&MDHP funds. This contract resulted from a full and open competitive solicitation pursuant to the authority set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.504. The requirement was solicited through the Federal Business Opportunities and Navy Electronic Commerce Online websites, with 11 offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-19-D-Z024). Lockheed Martin Sippican Inc., Marion, Massachusetts, is awarded a $56,865,098 firm-fixed-price, cost, and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-6412 to exercise Option Year Three for the production of Mk 48 Mod 7 guidance and control (G&C) sections, Mk 48 Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) Functional Item Replacement (FIR) kits, spares, production support material, and related engineering services and hardware repair support for G&C sections and CBASS kits. Work will be performed in Marion, Massachusetts (88 percent); Braintree, Massachusetts (8 percent); and Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (4 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2017 weapons procurement (Navy); Foreign Military Sales; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $56,865,098 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Communication & Power Industries LLC, MPP Division, Palo Alto California, is awarded a $10,244,971 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for evaluation, repair, rebuild and new manufacture of L-Band Klystron microwave tubes required to support the AN/SPS-49 radar system. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Working capital funds (Navy) funding in the amount of $905,658 will be obligated at time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N0016419DWP32). ARMY General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $36,850,696 modification (0125) to contract W15P7T-10-D-C007 for post-deployment software support services. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 1, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. TRAX International LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, was awarded a $17,666,430 modification (P00312) to contract W9124Q-07-C-0504 for mission support services. Work will be performed in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,100,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The contract announced on May 31, 2019, for DirectViz Solutions LLC (DVS),* Chantilly, Virginia (W91RUS-19-C-0014), was not awarded. No new award date has been set. AIR FORCE AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, has been awarded a $24,318,602 undefinitized contract action for AC-208 contract logistics support and maintenance training. This contract provides for contractor logistics support and maintenance training for the AC-208 aircraft. Work will be performed at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. Fiscal 2018 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $7,406,993 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Training Aircraft Division, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8617-19-C-6234). Work Services Corp., Wichita Falls, Texas, has been awarded a $20,805,260 firm-fixed-price modification (P00002) to the previously awarded contract FA3020-18-C-0013 for food services. This contract modification provides full funding for the first option period. Work will be performed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $36,010,315. Fiscal year 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 82nd Contracting Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1864933/source/GovDelivery/

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The CANSEC 2019 defence trade show in Ottawa has wrapped up, and while much of the focus and talk was on new fighter jets, the naval side of procurement didn't escape notice. A number of firms have recent contracts or technology advancements, as outlined in this article in Esprit de Corps magazine. ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH recently announced successful SeaSpider sea trials that were done in co-operation with the German Bundeswehr Technical Center for ships and naval weapons, maritime technology and research. The SeaSpider is the world's first dedicated Anti-Torpedo Torpedo. Trials in the Baltic Sea were conducted on a WTD 71 multipurpose vessel, according to the company. Those involved the full “sensor to shooter” chain with Torpedo Detection, Classification and Localisation, or TDCL sonar, being successfully demonstrated with the third generation SeaSpider prototype with its above water launcher. At the test range both a Mk37 torpedo derived AUV and torpedoes of the DM2A3 type served as the threats. Those were detected and localized with passive and active TDCL and the data was used to cue the SeaSpider launch. SeaSpider acquired the threats and homed in into closest point of approach, the firm noted. The successful “intercept” was verified by acoustic and optical means. Saab's Sea Giraffe AMB naval radar will be used for the Royal Canadian Navy's Joint Support Ships. Saab will do the work on the project both in Sweden and Halifax. Deliveries of the radars are to take place between 2020 and 2022. Seaspan Shipyards has awarded MAN Energy Solutions Canada of Vancouver, BC, a contract valued at $55 million for work on the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships or JSS. MAN is one of several major systems integrators that Seaspan is working with in order to meet its commitments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the firm noted. Under this contract MAN will provide propulsion and power generation components for the JSS. This will include two MAN 12V32/44CR (Common Rail) propulsion engines equipped with environmental protection SCR technology, reduction gears, propulsion shafts, propellers, ship service diesel generator sets, and an emergency diesel generator set. Work on these components will take place in Europe at MAN's manufacturing facilities. Work taking place in Canada will include MAN providing the integration for these systems, training, testing, and support during the harbour acceptance trials and the JSS sea acceptance trials, according to Seaspan. MDA, a Maxar company, announced that it has signed a $4 million contract with Lockheed Martin Canada. That deal is for the initial phase of design work for the Canadian Surface Combatant ship's Electronic Warfare system. The Águas Azuis Consortium, formed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, was selected by the Brazilian Navy for the construction of four defence ships in the Tamandaré Corvettes Class Program as preferred bidder. With thyssenkrupp Marine Systems' leadership and its naval systems expertise, the Águas Azuis Consortium companies will now form a specific purpose company for the implementation phase of the program, the firms noted. Atech, an Embraer Group company, will be the supplier of the Combat Management System and Integrated Platform Management System of the Tamandaré Class corvettes. It will be involved in the transfer of technology in cooperation with ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, and L3 MAPPS. Embraer Defense & Security will integrate sensors and weaponry into the combat system. Kognitiv Spark of Fredericton, NB will be providing the Royal Canadian Navy with the opportunity to test a Mixed Reality Remote Assistant Support system as part of a project that aims to improve maintenance and repairs aboard naval vessels. The system can be used by RCN marine technicians and weapons engineering technicians to ensure that RCN ships remain at a high-level of readiness for both routine training and operational deployments, according to the firm The project hopes to validate technology adopted from Kognitiv Spark, whose software is designed for use with the Microsoft HoloLens. The software leverages Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence to improve efficiencies with ship operations including repairs, maintenance and knowledge transfer, the firm added. For remote maintenance, a subject-matter expert using this system can see what the HoloLens wearer sees from anywhere in the world. The expert can provide guidance using real-time voice and video, interactive 3D holograms and content, and live IoT data. Alternatively, the technician can use locally stored data to assist with routine tasks when a remote expert is not available. The holographic support is designed to improve decision making by facilitating decisive action and reducing errors by providing clarity and certainty of comprehension. Kognitiv Spark says it was awarded the contract due in part to its reputation from ongoing work with the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/naval-contracts-and-technology-developments-on-display-at-cansec-2019

By Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The Canadian Coast Guard's recent struggles resupplying northern communities and rescuing ice-jammed ferries appear set to continue despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promise to spend $15.7 billion on "a complete fleet renewal." That's because none of the 18 vessels the government announced last week that it plans to buy will be an icebreaker, meaning the coast guard will be forced to continue relying on its existing icebreaker fleet for the foreseeable future. Many of those are nearing — or have already exceeded — their expected lifespans, which has resulted in breakdowns and other problems that have affected coast-guard operations, such as resupply runs and assisting ferries in winter. Federal procurement minister Carla Qualtrough acknowledged on the sidelines of the annual Cansec arms-trade show this week "there's definitely a capability gap on icebreakers," but wouldn't say when it would be addressed. Qualtrough instead indicated that any announcement on more ships for the coast guard would likely come after the government adds a third shipyard to the two that are already partners in the federal shipbuilding plan. "There's definitely more ships coming," she said on Thursday. "It will really be dependent on how long it takes the third yard to get itself ready to build the kind of ships we need." The search is expected to start in the coming weeks, but while many observers expect Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec City to emerge victorious, a senior government official maintained a decision is unlikely before October's election. The government's planned $15.7-billion investment unveiled last week includes two Arctic patrol ships to be built by Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax and 16 so-called multipurpose vessels from Seaspan Shipbuilding in Vancouver. But those vessels are what officials describe as "ice-capable," rather than icebreakers, meaning the coast guard will need to continue to rely on its existing fleet for many of its operations. The icebreaker fleet did receive a boost on Thursday, when the Canadian Coast Guard officially welcomed the CCGS Molly Kool to its ranks after several months of conversion work at Davie. The CCGS Molly Kool is the first of three second-hand icebreakers that Davie has sold to the government, which the coast guard has said it plans to use for the next 15 to 20 years to fill any gaps until replacements are built. But while the government is spending millions to refit its current icebreakers, which are on average 35 years old, and keep them running as long as possible, the question remains when those replacements will arrive. The only new icebreaker currently in the government's multibillion-dollar shipbuilding plan is the polar-class CCGS John G. Diefenbaker, which was expected in 2017 before various delays pushed it back to the next decade. "We haven't built a coast guard-designed icebreaker since 1983. That was the last time," said Rob Huebert, an expert on the coast guard at the University of Calgary. "And anything we have bought is usually second-hand from industry." The coast guard doesn't have clout in Ottawa, Huebert said, which has translated into a lack of long-term planning or investment by successive governments — except when there are political points to be scored. And while the addition of a third yard to the federal shipbuilding plan should mean icebreakers will follow soon after, Huebert said it is all ad hoc and will simply lead to the same problems down the road. "I get incensed by the fact that we do not have any form of a long-term coast-guard renewal for icebreakers." Documents obtained by The Canadian Press warned more than a third of the coast guard's 26 large vessels, including its icebreakers, had exceeded their expected lifespans — and that many wouldn't survive until replacements arrived. The fleet's advanced age was also already affecting the coast guard's ability to do its job, including reduced search-and-rescue coverage, ferry-service disruptions and cancelled resupply runs to Arctic and coastal communities. —Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/05/31/no-icebreakers-in-federal-governments-15-6b-plan-for-new-coast-guard-ships/#.XPFqzBZKiUl

(CercleFinance.com) - Thales, dans son rôle d'intégrateur, annonce avoir attribué des contrats clés pour les nouveaux navires de soutien interarmées du Canada. Des contrats ont ainsi été attribués à DRS Technologies Canada, située à Ottawa (Ontario), et à OSI Maritime Systems, située à Burnaby (Colombie-Britannique). ' Dans le cadre de son contrat avec Thales, OSI fournira et facilitera l'installation d'un système intégré de passerelle et de navigation (IBNS). Le système intégré de navigation et tactique d'OSI est un système entièrement évolutif conforme aux normes de l'OMI (Organisation maritime internationale) et de l'OTAN. DRS Technologies Canada Ltd., quant à elle, fournira les systèmes de communication internes, qui comprennent le système de communication vocale et tactique sécurisée, le système téléphonique du navire et le système principal de diffusion et d'alarme ', explique Thales. https://www.abcbourse.com/marches/thales-attribue-des-contrats-pour-des-navires-canadiens_472019_HOp.aspx

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin has decided not to submit a version of its Freedom-class littoral combat ship for the Navy's next-gen frigate design competition. The contractor's move to abandon its bid to become the prime contractors on the FFG(X) deal leaves four rivals in the running — Huntington Ingalls Industries, Austal USA, Fincantieri and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. But the world's largest defense firm still intends to bid on capabilities involved in the FFG(X). “After careful review, we have decided to focus our attention on the FFG(X) combat system, delivering Lockheed Martin technologies such as the Aegis-derived weapon system, MK 41 Vertical Launching System, anti-submarine warfare processing, and advanced electronic warfare,” the company said in a statement released late Tuesday. “We will continue to serve as a shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy, and we're exploring opportunities including unmanned surface vessels and the large surface combatant.” The news was first reported by USNI on Tuesday. The FFG(X) grew out of a 2014 requirement for an up-gunned frigate that could survive brutal combat at sea, a problem critics raise about the LCS, a vessel that was developed for sneaky missions near shorelines. The goal of the new frigate design is to both integrate with, and complement, the carrier strike group and operate as a distributed node in a sensor network, officials say. Planned capabilities include anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, electromagnetic maneuver warfare and air warfare. The Navy asked for $1.3 billion for the first FFG(X) hull in 2020 but estimates each subsequent frigate will run closer to $800 million. David B. Larter in Scotland contributed to this story https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/05/29/lockheed-declines-to-bid-for-ffgx-design