News

OSI Maritime Systems is pleased to announce that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) will deploy ECPINS® Warship 6.2 on all ships and submarines. ECPINS is recognized as the most advanced Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS), with military capabilities well beyond NATO WECDIS STANAG 4564. STANAG 4564 defines the primary function of WECDIS, which is to contribute to safe navigation and to enhance the conduct of warfare. Further, OSI has received Marine Equipment Directive (MED) Type Approval certification from DNV GL for ECPINS against new International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for ECDIS. These international maritime standards are a requirement of NATO WECDIS STANAG 4564. “We are proud of our relationship with the RCN which began in 2001 with a fleet-wide installation of ECPINS,” said Ken Kirkpatrick, President & CEO. “We attribute that beginning with where OSI is today, a leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions to many of the NATO and Allied navies. In addition, OSI is now a major player in the warship Integrated Bridge System (IBS) market – in fact, we are presently delivering IBS to the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship project.” Headquartered in Burnaby, BC, OSI is the only 100 percent Canadian company that produces and delivers a complete range of naval integrated navigation and tactical solutions across four continents. For more information: Simon Wills +1 778-373-4655 simon.wills@osimaritime.com http://osimaritime.com/mediaReleases/OSI_release20171024_RCN_ECPINS_Upgrade.pdf

oday, Thales announced the creation of the Centre of Research and Technology in Artificial Intelligence eXpertise (cortAIx). Led by Thales, cortAIx, in collaboration with the MILA (Artificial Intelligence Institute of Quebec), the IVADO (Institute of Data Valorization) and the Vector Institute of Toronto, will be located in Montreal, one of the world's leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystems. This investment supports Thales' global strategy of technology leadership. Key Points The creation of cortAIx is another building block of our digital strategy, one of the key initiatives for company-wide growth Investment of 50 new world class experts in AI who will work together to strengthen the use of artificial intelligence in Thales products With the support of our partners, we will empower our customers with better decision making capabilities This new centre supports the creation of approximately 50 new world class jobs of AI researchers and developers. Their mission will be to advance the safe and ethical applications of artificial intelligence across Thales' vast product portfolio. cortAIx will focus on creating solutions to help airlines, satellite operators, air traffic controllers, mainline and light rail operators, armed forces and critical infrastructure managers, make the best decisions in decisive moments – from the bottom of oceans to the depths of space and cyberspace. cortAIx supports Thales' goal of being a world leader in AI while delivering future economic benefits to Canada. Leveraging the combined expertise of MILA, IVADO and the rich ecosystem of AI universities and laboratories, make Montreal and Canada the perfect place to develop cortAIx. With Thales' leadership and the support of our partners, we will leverage Montreal's unique ecosystem of world class talent and creativity to advance the applications of ethical artificial intelligence world-wide. Patrice Caine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Thales The biggest challenge faced by AI experts today is to perfect the understanding of the mechanisms behind AI developments, while simultaneously evaluating human behaviors as people interact with these new systems. The key mission of Thales' cortAIx is to build “AI inside” solutions that are safe and ethical while granting full authority to the human decision makers. Building on Thales' recent acquisition of Guavus earlier this year and Vormetric last year, the creation of cortAIx is yet another example of how Thales is strengthening its positioning in one of the key technologies at the heart of global digital transformation. In the last three years, Thales has invested over €1 billion in key digital technologies and recently announced the launch of its high-tech Digital Factory in Paris. This activity brings together leading technology experts who support the injection of big data and artificial intelligence into Thales solutions, while also ensuring data security – a fundamental requirement of the modern digital economy. https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/group/press-release/thales-selects-canada-new-global-hub-boost-artificial-intelligence

QinetiQ Target Systems has received a new order from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) to deliver more than 40 units of Hammerhead unmanned surface vehicle (USV) targets and several payloads. The latest C$4.7m ($3.86m) order is part of an existing C$35m ($28.75m) framework contract with the Canadian Department of National Defence. http://www.naval-technology.com/news/newsqinetiq-target-systems-to-supply-over-40-hammerhead-targets-to-canadian-navy-5925606

The Quebecois company Advanced Powders and Coatings (AP&C), which is owned by 3D printing giant Arcam AB, has now officially opened this second factory in Saint-Eustache. It is expected to create over 100 new jobs, and at least half of these positions should be filled by the end of the year. http://www.3ders.org/articles/20170914-ap-and-c-opens-new-am-factory-in-quebec-to-meet-demand-for-its-3d-printing-materials.html

L3 WESCAM has won a series of MXTM-Series electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) product and inservice support contracts valued at more than $200 million USD during the first half of 2017. http://www.asdwire.com/press-release-9331/L3-WESCAM-Wins-Contracts-Valued-at-More-Than-US-$200-Million-During-First-Half-of-2017.htm

Elbit Systems announced that it was awarded an approximately $11 million contract to supply an integrated maritime C4ISR system to an Asia-Pacific navy. http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Elbit-Systems-Awarded-an-Approximately-11-Million-Contract-to-Provide-an-Integrated-Maritime-C4ISR-System-to-an-Asia-Pacific-Navy-1002304953

PSPC Minister announced the signing of a new bilateral security arrangement with the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria. This arrangement will support trade between the two countries and contribute to international security http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-new-bilateral-security-arrangement-with-bulgaria-642471603.html