News

Par Challenges le 08.02.2018 à 08h45 Régénérer les hommes et moderniser les équipements, durement sollicités, tout en préparant l'avenir : c'est l'ambition du nouveau projet de loi de programmation militaire (LPM) français, qui prévoit de consacrer 295 milliards d'euros à la défense de 2019 à 2025. Régénérer les hommes et moderniser les équipements, durement sollicités, tout en préparant l'avenir : c'est l'ambition du nouveau projet de loi de programmation militaire (LPM) français, qui prévoit de consacrer 295 milliards d'euros à la défense de 2019 à 2025. Objectif de cet "effort budgétaire inédit", selon les propos du président Emmanuel Macron : porter les dépenses de défense de la France à 2% du PIB en 2025, conformément à ce que réclame l'Otan de la part de ses membres, selon cette LPM présentée jeudi matin en conseil des ministres dont l'AFP a obtenu les détails. Le budget des armées, de 34,2 milliards d'euros en 2018, va bénéficier d'une hausse de 1,7 milliard d'euros par an jusqu'en 2022, avant des "marches" de 3 milliards par an à partir de 2023. Soit après la prochaine élection présidentielle. Cette trajectoire budgétaire ascendante contraste avec les réductions d'effectifs et les tensions financières endurées pendant plus d'une décennie par l'institution militaire, avant un redressement amorcé après les attentats de 2015. Reste une incertitude quant à la forte hausse des moyens programmée en 2024 et 2025, au-delà du quinquennat Macron. Pour l'heure, ce sont 198 milliards d'euros de besoins, de 2019 à 2023, qui sont "couverts de manière ferme", souligne-t-on au ministère. Les montants des années suivantes seront "précisés" lors d'une actualisation de la LPM en 2021. L'ancien chef d'Etat-major des armées Pierre de Villiers a appelé à la vigilance mercredi soir sur France 3, en soulignant que la mise en oeuvre de ces projections budgétaires était rarement fidèle aux engagements initiaux. "Nous sommes sur une pente à 1,7 milliard jusqu'en 2022 et ensuite la pente est à 3 milliards à partir de 2023 (...) Evidemment, nous avons l'expérience, il faudra être vigilant" sur l'exécution de ces engagements, a lancé le général, qui a démissionné en juillet 2017 après un conflit avec le chef de l'Etat en raison de coupes budgétaires. Le projet de LPM érige en priorités l'amélioration du quotidien du soldat et à la modernisation d'équipements à bout de souffle, alors que la France est engagée tous azimuts, au Sahel (opération Barkhane), au Levant (Chammal) et sur le territoire national (Sentinelle). Livraisons accélérées et augmentées Après quelque 60.000 suppressions d'effectifs entre 2005 et 2015, le ministère des Armées ambitionne de créer quelque 6.000 postes d'ici à 2025, en particulier dans la cyberdéfense (1.500) et le renseignement (1.500). Pour améliorer la condition des quelque 200.000 militaires français et les fidéliser, la LPM augmente nettement les crédits consacrés aux petits équipements (+34% sur 2019-23) -- gilets pare-balles, treillis... --, à l'entretien du matériel (+30%) et aux infrastructures (+71%), longtemps négligés. Deuxième grand axe : la modernisation accélérée des matériels existants, nombreux à aligner plusieurs décennies de service, a été privilégiée, et l'accent mis sur les capacités de renseignement (avions, drones, satellites...) susceptibles d'accroître l'autonomie stratégique française et européenne. L'armée de Terre va voir le renouvellement accéléré de ses véhicules blindés médians (programme Scorpion), dont 50% des nouveaux modèles seront livrés d'ici à 2025. Les fameux VAB, 40 ans au compteur, seront remplacés par les blindés Griffon, dont 150 exemplaires supplémentaires seront commandés. La Marine obtient quatre pétroliers ravitailleurs nouvelle génération, dont deux d'ici à 2025, un b'timent spécialisé dans le recueil de renseignement, et 19 patrouilleurs au lieu des 17 prévus pour surveiller les zones économiques exclusives françaises outre-mer. L'armée de l'Air se voit allouer 8 avions légers de surveillance, et le renouvellement accéléré de sa flotte quinquagénaire d'avions ravitailleurs Boeing KC-135 par 15 A330 MRTT, dont 12 auront été livrés en 2023. Pour préparer l'avenir, la France va lancer des études sur le remplacement de son unique porte-avions, qui sera retiré du service vers 2040. Seront également financées des études sur le système de combat aérien du futur et sur le char de combat du futur. Sur le plan de la dissuasion nucléaire, clé de voûte de la défense française, les travaux de renouvellement des deux composantes (navale et aérienne) seront engagés au cours du quinquennat. Budget estimé : 37 milliards d'euros entre 2019 et 2025. (Avec AFP) https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/defense/la-france-veut-consacrer-pres-de-300-milliards-d-euros-a-sa-defense-en-sept-ans_566000

Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for the oversight of major aircraft procurement initiatives, including: Replacing and supplementing Canada's CF-18 fleet National Fighter Procurement Secretariat Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement Project Other major projects - Air The department is also responsible for acquiring a wide range of complex aerospace systems, including military and civilian aircraft, and related mechanical systems, equipment, aircraft trainers and simulators and logistic spares. It also acquires various services such as engineering, repair and overhaul, maintenance, modifications, component repair, publications maintenance and revision services. https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/amd-dp/air/index-eng.html

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN More from David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen The US government is looking for a company to conduct future depot level repair of F-35 components for the North American region. Since Canada is still part of the F-35 program, Public Services and Procurement Canada is providing details to Canadian industry. The US government wants information from the firms and whether they can do the job. Key criteria include: existing capability, ability to grow, and labour costs. “The Canadian Government, as for all F-35 Participant nations, has been asked to distribute this RFI (Request for Information), collect responses, ensure completeness, and forward to the United States Joint Program Office,” Public Services and Procurement Canada noted. “The Canadian Government is not involved in the selection process. Completed responses will be required by the Canadian Government no later than 16 March 2018.” There are approximately 400 different parts and components to repair. Work would continue until 2040. What are the chances of a Canadian firm being selected? Canada's aerospace industry has the skills to do the work. But the Canadian government hasn't committed to buying the F-35 so that could be a factor. It would be certainly controversial among F-35 users to select a Canadian firm for this role, considering the government's decision not to buy the F-35, at least at this point. However, if the US government wanted to solidify the purchase of F-35s by Canada, providing Canadian firms with this job would make it increasingly difficult to ignore the industrial benefits resulting from the F-35. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-firms-could-be-considered-to-repair-f-35-parts-but-will-they-succeed-in-such-a-bid

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

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

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

Abbotsford, BC – Cascade Aerospace Inc. (Cascade) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract for the avionics modernization of one Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (FAM) L-100 (C-130) Hercules aircraft. This contract follows on the recent delivery of two modernized C-130K Hercules aircraft delivered to the FAM and fitted with advanced digital avionics from Rockwell Collins. This program will be contracted through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) under the auspices of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canadian and Mexican governments. ”Completing the C-130 fleet modernization represents a significant milestone for Cascade and affirms our excellent relationship with the Mexican Air Force as a support provider of choice since 2013,” said Cascade's EVP & COO, Kevin Lemke. “The upgrade of this aircraft will establish a common cockpit configuration for the entire FAM C-130 fleet thereby enhancing fleet capability, as well as providing efficiencies in maintenance, training, and operational availability.” This modernization program includes the installation and integration of an advanced Rockwell Collins Flight2 TM digital avionics suite. In addition, Cascade will provide operational and technical training for Mexican Air Force personnel at the company's facility and headquarters in Abbotsford, British Columbia. About Cascade Aerospace Cascade Aerospace, an operating unit of IMP Aerospace & Defence, is a leading Canadian specialty aerospace contractor that provides long-term integrated aircraft fleet support and program management, aircraft maintenance, modification, engineering & integrated logistics support to domestic and international military, government, and commercial customers. About Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) Established in 1946, the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) is a Federal Crown corporation of the Government of Canada that acts as Canada's international contracting and procurement agency. CCC reports to Parliament through the Minister of International Trade. CCC acts as the prime contractor for foreign governments who wish to contract with Canadian companies and expertise through a government-to-government channel. CCC's strong relationships with international buyers and access to Canada's innovative industrial base, puts CCC in a unique position to facilitate and promote international trade. Media Contacts: Kim Tamminga Cascade Aerospace Direct: +604-557-2646 ktamminga@cascadeaerospace.com www.cascadeaerospace.com https://www.impgroup.com/newsitem.aspx?mid=3D58A7E8-8A48-4F41-B2A8-39AAFF70ABF6