4 reasons why fuel threatens our lethality — and what we can do about it

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  24 avril 2018 | Information, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR

  Bridging the ­Procurement Divide

  CHRIS MACLEAN © 2018 FrontLine Defence (Vol 15, No 2) A critically honest and engaged discussion about government and industry engagement, was held recently at the Telfer School of Management as part of the new Complex Project Leadership Programs. The program participants (mostly federal civil servants who are involved in procurement) interacted with executive-level industry leaders – Joe Armstrong, Vice President and General Manager at CAE; Jerry McLean, Vice President and Managing Director of Thales Canada; Iain Christie, Vice President of AIAC; and Kevin Ford, CEO of Calian – who shared their leadership insights, as well as what it is really like to do business in Canada. Through the highlighting of mutual pain points and frustrations, as well as identifying what is being done well and ways to move forward together, efficiently, each party gained insight and understanding that is sure to improve communication and future progress. It was evident that both sides wanted to learn from each other and pinpoint the principles that would help achieve mutual success; ultimately impacting the national economic footprint and saving taxpayer dollars. From the industry perspective, dependability equals direction. When a company can be assured that it has a fair opportunity to compete for a contract, it can set its sights on that goal and will make the necessary investments to ensure the best possible outcome. When government programs start and stop and change and restart, companies find it difficult to justify the extended costs because they lose their competitive edge and/or any ability to make a profit. Instability does not save the taxpayer, but it does have the potential to impact both quality of product and sustainability of the bidders (therefore employment numbers). Contracts equal sustainability and confirmation that the company direction is on track for success. Profit equals growth and further investment. Employment and supply chain purchases depend on a profit margin that allows growth. This “number one” business requirement conflicts with the government's prime directive is to ensure its bidders make a bare minimum of profit. When asked what they need from their government counterparts in order to create a better working relationship and foster a robust industry that can contribute to a strong GDP, the industry panelists identified two key elements. One was “more accuracy in the procurement process” and the other was “predictability”. Industry must be able to foresee where profits and sustainability could potentially come from. The time it takes to award large projects is also a limiting factor to success. It was noted that, since the beginning of time, a cornerstone of success for industry has always been ensuring the satisfaction of its client. It is believed that trust in the quality of the product and ease of customer service will lead to sustainability in the form of continued business. Not so with government contracts, which seem skewed to ensure previous successes gain no advantage, and must in some cases be hidden from decision-makers. Not taking into account a company's excellent past delivery performance, was said to contribute to industry's lack of incentive to perform to the best of its ability at all times. A company's ability to invest goes beyond individual contracts, which means the prospect of being evaluated for value can be a powerful incentive for going that extra mile – if exploited, not suppressed. Government employees were encouraged to exhibit courage in pursuing ways to truly streamline the procurement process, rather than repeatedly adding more and more layers of approvals and meetings. Industry leaders across the spectrum have commented on a palpable “lack of trust” on the part of government negotiators. Does this mistrust come from contract negotiators feeling the pursuit of profit is somehow un-Canadian? Or does it mean a company does not care enough about its customers? Neither assumption is accurate, and this may be one area where a culture change could make a world of difference. As one audience member exclaimed: “This was the best, most transparent conversation regarding the procurement process, I have ever heard.” While large-scale procurements will always be contentious due to the huge dollars and risk at stake, embracing the concept of open and unreserved dialogue, like what was experienced by this small group, has the potential to uncover procurement pitfalls and create a more progressive process. The Telfer School of Management's Complex Program Leadership programs focus on the hard and soft skills necessary to successfully deliver inherently complex programs and projects, while emphasizing strategic thinking, creative problem solving, stakeholder engagement, and leadership skills as key building blocks for this goal. http://defence.frontline.online/article/2018/2/9586-Bridging-the-vast-%C2%ADProcurement-Divide

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  12 décembre 2017 | Information, Aérospatial

  Intégration de chasseurs australiens à la flotte actuelle de l’Aviation royale canadienne

  Document d'information De Défense nationale Le 12 décembre 2017 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Le Canada a annoncé récemment son intention de faire l'acquisition de chasseurs F-18 australiens pour compléter sa flotte actuelle. Ces appareils sont d''ge et de configuration similaires aux CF-18 de la flotte canadienne, et pourront donc être intégrés rapidement avec peu de mises à niveau, de formation et de modifications d'infrastructures. Afin d'intégrer ces chasseurs aux opérations de l'Aviation royale canadienne (ARC), les étapes suivantes seront franchies. Une fois terminées, les chasseurs acquis de l'Australie s'intégreront sans difficulté dans la flotte actuelle de CF-18. Mise à niveau et prolongement de la durée de vie utile Les F-18 seront modifiés et des travaux techniques seront réalisés pour que leur configuration soit similaire à celle des CF-18 canadiens, et pour veiller à ce qu'ils soient disponibles pour compléter la flotte de CF-18 jusqu'à l'acquisition d'une nouvelle flotte de chasseurs. Le Canada a beaucoup d'expérience dans ce type de modification avec sa flotte actuelle de chasseurs. La mise à niveau et l'entretien de la flotte actuelle de CF-18 seront toujours nécessaires. Le gouvernement du Canada a évalué la nature des travaux requis et les coûts associés pour entretenir la flotte actuelle et les appareils supplémentaires. Au fil des ans, l'Australie et le Canada ont fait d'importants investissements dans le développement de modifications structurelles et de capacités qui ont permis de prolonger la durée de vie structurale de leur flotte de F-18. Récemment, le Canada a investi dans le développement de modifications structurales supplémentaires, ce que l'Australie n'a pas fait. Ces modifications sont actuellement appliquées sur les appareils canadiens, et elles le seront également sur les avions australiens acquis par le Canada, ce qui permettra de prolonger leur durée de vie utile. Ces appareils sont actuellement employés dans le cadre d'opérations. Les inspections menées ont confirmé que leur durée de vie peut être prolongée et qu'ils peuvent être mis à niveau pour s'intégrer à notre flotte actuelle. Acquisition de pièces de rechange Le Canada fera aussi l'acquisition auprès du gouvernement australien de pièces de rechange pour maintenir en puissance les appareils supplémentaires et la flotte actuelle de CF-18 jusqu'à ce qu'une nouvelle flotte de chasseurs soit prête à l'action. Le Canada dispose également d'une chaîne d'approvisionnement déjà établie pour les pièces de F-18, qu'il continuera d'utiliser. Formation et personnel La formation requise pour piloter un F-18 australien est la même que pour la flotte actuelle de CF-18. Un plus grand nombre d'aéronefs requiert un plus grand nombre de pilotes, et plus de techniciens pour les entretenir. Tel qu'indiqué dans la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, des efforts soutenus sont déployés en matière de recrutement et de maintien en service pour répondre aux besoins en personnel. Opérations Dans le cadre de la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, les Forces armées canadiennes sont appelées à remplir leurs missions au pays, en Amérique du Nord et ailleurs dans le monde, et ce, simultanément. En ce qui concerne la capacité des chasseurs canadiens, l'Aviation royale canadienne doit pouvoir générer un nombre suffisant d'avions prêts à être déployés pour pleinement respecter les engagements pris par le Canada envers le NORAD et l'OTAN. À l'heure actuelle, le Canada ne dispose pas de suffisamment d'avions, ni de personnel pour respecter ces engagements simultanément. L'ajout d'avions supplémentaires permettra d'obtenir la capacité requise pour respecter nos engagements sans difficulté avec notre flotte actuelle. On prévoit que les premiers avions seront prêts à l'action au début des années 2020, après l'achèvement des mises à niveau structurelles pour les intégrer à la flotte de CF-18. Infrastructures Les appareils seront employés à la 4e Escadre Cold Lake et à la 3e Escadre Bagotville. Le MDN examine actuellement quels sont les besoins en matière d'infrastructures pour accueillir les nouveaux appareils. On s'attend à ce que les modifications requises soient minimales, étant donné que les chasseurs supplémentaires sont d''ge et de configuration similaires aux CF-18. Documents connexes Communiqué : Le Canada annonce son intention de remplacer la flotte de chasseurs Documentation : Mobilisation de l'industrie et des partenaires alliés Documentation : Définition du processus d'approvisionnement : le remplacement de la flotte de CF18 du Canada Documentation : Assurer des retombées économiques pour le Canada Documentation : Le rôle de la flotte de chasseurs CF-18 du Canada Lien pertinent CF-188 Hornet Contact Relations avec les médias Ministère de la Défense nationale Téléphone : 613-996-2353 Sans frais : 1-866-377-0811 Courriel : mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2017/12/integration_de_chasseursaustraliensalaflotteactuelledelaviationr.html

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  24 septembre 2020 | Information,

  AIA’s Fanning: Civil aviation’s nosedive endangers Pentagon supplies

  Joe Gould WASHINGTON ― The Pentagon's shared supply chains with battered commercial aviation companies will suffer if Washington doesn't provide that sector with aid soon, the Aerospace Industries Association warned Wednesday. The trade group released its recovery plan for the broad aerospace and defense sector as Congress has begun a fierce Supreme Court replacement battle, shifting attention away from passing another stimulus package to defray the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. But AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning suggested some aviation companies have little time to wait. “If the commercial side doesn't get some relief, you are going to see companies in the supply chain go out of business, and that will impact the defense side,” Fanning said in a teleconference with reporters. “We're going to see bankruptcies, consolidation, closures in the supply chain, and she of them are single points of failure.” The defense subsector, declared essential at the pandemic's start, enjoys steady demand from the Pentagon, which has accelerated payments to prime contractors and directed stimulus funds toward its suppliers. However, sagging demand for commercial air travel will fuel a $100 billion revenue loss in the U.S. this year, Fanning said. AIA's analysis concluded another 220,0000 civil aviation jobs are at risk beyond 100,000 already lost. The study and its recommendations were prepared by Avascent, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey & Company, combined with input from AIA member companies. Beyond any federal aid, the civil aviation industry, the agency said, can highlight the steps it's taken to make air travel safer; increase communication between original equipment manufacturers, prime contractors, and suppliers, and support flexibility in the supply chain if private companies offer balance-sheet support and share inventory risk. The report called for stable Defense Department funding from Congress, but also said DoD can relieve stress on the industrial base by accelerating procurements of systems and services, with a focus on suppliers with notable commercial aerospace exposure. DoD can also keep making increased payments against ongoing contracts as they reach development and production milestones. AIA also continues to advocate for industry reimbursements for costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, as authorized by Section 3610 of the CARES Act. Defense officials have said they need roughly $10 billion, and that without added funding from Congress, the Pentagon would have to dip into modernization and readiness funds. AIA's call comes a day after key House progressives, Reps. Marc Pocan and Barbara Lee, demanded an investigation and public hearings into the use of economic stimulus funding for defense contractors, calling it a “Pentagon misuse of COVID funds.” The Pentagon, which reported its intent to Congress in May, refuted that characterization. When asked, Fanning said it was important for the Pentagon to shore up previously identified supply chain weaknesses that the pandemic might exacerbate. “This money was put into contracts, so the war fighter is getting something for that,” Fanning said. “But I think the important thing is the critical nature of this industrial base, not just to the nation's economy, which is the health and safety of American's citizens writ large, but also to our nation's security.” A larger obstacle to winning further aid for the sector is that Congress has deadlocked over continued stimulus funding overall. AIA's report proposed that the government establish an investment fund that would send government-backed capital to civil aerospace suppliers; subsidize the airlines' major maintenance, repair, and overhaul visits, and continue to payroll assistance to support employees. Fanning told reporters that AIA found bipartisan backing for the idea of a payroll cost-share program, but there has been no legislative vehicle behind it. “The real problem is there's no bill,” Fanning said. “Congress hasn't been able to come together with the administration and itself to get a bill in place.” https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2020/09/23/aias-fanning-civil-aviations-nosedive-endangers-pentagon-supplies/