29 juin 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Jun 25, 2020 5:03 PM ET | Last Updated: June 26
One of the companies bidding to sell Canada a new fleet of fighter jets made a public pitch today highlighting its long-standing, cross-country economic relationships and history of delivering high-paying aerospace jobs.
The presentation by Boeing executives and an independent research firm arrives against a background of a pandemic-ravaged economy and a looming federal deadline to submit bids to replace the air force's aging CF-18 fleet.
The aerospace giant, headquartered in Chicago, Ill., is one of three companies that will hand in their final submissions at the end of July with the aim of delivering new jets by 2025.
The other two are Lockheed Martin — with its F-35 stealth jet — and Saab, which will offer up the latest version of its Gripen fighter.
Boeing plans to pitch its Super Hornet fighter. The most up-to-date version of the jet, known as the Block 3, was delivered recently to the U.S. Navy for use on aircraft carriers.
In its presentation, the company estimates the value of its direct economic activity in Canada — both commercial and defence — at $2.3 billion, resulting in 11,000 jobs across the country. The independent report estimates that when indirect spending is taken into account, the U.S. multinational contributes $5.3 billion and 20,700 jobs to Canada's economy.
Boeing's decision to make its case publicly is significant in part because federal finances are reeling under the weight of an anticipated $252 billion deficit and staggering levels of unemployment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defence spending tends to suffer whenever federal governments — regardless of their political stripes — grapple with high deficits.
There has been bad blood between the Liberal government and Boeing ever since the U.S. company led the charge against Quebec aerospace manufacturer Bombardier in a trade complaint over passenger jets. The disagreement led to the federal government cancelling a planned sole-source order for a handful of Super Hornets as an interim arrangement while the replacement competition continued.
The U.S. Navy, one of Boeing's biggest customers for fighter jets, recently said it wanted to begin focusing on a replacement for the Super Hornet, which was designed and entered service in the early 2000s.
Jim Barnes, a senior Boeing executive, told a conference call of reporters on Thursday that there is no planned retirement date for the Super Hornet. He claimed the warplane offers the most economical solution for Canada in terms of the cost of flying and operating fighter aircraft.
He said he foresaw the fighter being in service with the U.S. Navy for "decades to come."
The company's argument was recently given a boost when Germany decided to buy 45 Super Hornets as a replacement for its Tornado fighters.
The deadline for final submissions in Canada's competition is now July 31, after it was pushed back on at least two occasions.
Barnes said Boeing is ready to submit and will meet the deadline. He acknowledged the company asked for the latest extension because of the pandemic.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/boeing-jet-fighters-cf18-1.5627353
26 avril 2021 | Local, Naval
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- All 10 Provinces and one Territory were represented among the 680+ participants in Irving...
17 août 2020 | Local, Naval
Quebec-based shipbuilder Davie Shipyard welcomed on 11 August the Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS St. John for major refit and upgrade. The event marks the start of a long-term naval maintenance and upgrade program that will keep the Halifax-class frigates operational until the arrival of the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) in the 2040s. According to the shipyard, the event was a key milestone in Davie's near 200-year history marking the return of Canada's primary surface combat ships to Québec. Three of the 12 frigate fleet were built at Davie in the 1990s (HMCS Ville de Quebec, HMCS Regina and HMCS Calgary). The $500 million performance-based contract to carry out an extensive mid-life refit on the Royal Canadian Navy's patrol frigates is for an initial five-year period. It is expected to increase in duration and value as new work packages are added. Davie Shipyard, alongside Seaspan Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia and Irving Shipyards in Nova Scotia are all participating in the $1.5-billion maintenance and upgrade program. Over the past 12 months a major facility upgrade program was completed at the West end of Davie shipyard and in the historic Lorne drydock to provide a long-term maintenance home for Canada's surface combat fleet and its supporting naval staff. Davie Shipyard added in a statement that docking maintenance work periods are critical to ensure the RCN has at least 8 of its 12 patrol frigates ready for deployment at all times until the class is replaced by the Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) in the early 2040s. According to Timothy Choi, naval analyst at the University of Calgary in Canada, the mid-life refit work will focus on the hull, mechanical, and electrical works that were not included as part of the FELEX upgrades. “The only substantial new component that I'm aware of are the four .50cal remote weapons system” Choi added. Raytheon Canada Limited was awarded in March 2016 a contract to install up to 58 Naval Remote Weapon Stations (NRWS) on Royal Canadian Navy surface vessels. The NRWS are .50 cal Mini typhoon RWS by Israeli company Rafael, modified and adapted by Raytheon. About Halifax-class Frigates HMCS Regina sailing past the Greater Victoria Shoreline en route to Hawaii. Photo credit: MS Dan Bard The 12 Canadian-built Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates are considered the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy. They can deploy anywhere in the world in support of the Government of Canada. Under the Halifax-class Modernization / Frigate Life Extension project, the frigates received a number of upgrades to ensure they have the capabilities to meet the new threats and changing operating environments of today. Enhanced capabilities include: new Combat Management System (CMS 330) 57mm Mk3 naval gun system MASS decoy launchers new Integrated Platform Management System CH-148 Cyclone helicopter capability Advanced Harpoon Weapon Control System new ESM Smart-S Mk2 radar CEROS 200 fire control radar The first modernized Halifax-class frigates were delivered in late 2014, and the last ship in 2018. Halifax-class specifications Length: 134 metres Beam: 16 metres Complement: 225 personnel https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/08/davie-shipyard-begins-halifax-class-frigate-mid-life-refit-program/
18 octobre 2023 | Local, Sécurité
National Defence claims documents don't exist are false, major general says