11 janvier 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
By: Harjit Sajjan
For any military force, maintaining an advantage requires innovation and investment. It is why Canada is modernizing our Army, Navy and Air Force while putting our serving members in the Canadian Armed Forces at its core. To ensure our people have the most advanced capabilities and tools for the future, Canada is putting a greater focus on research and development, supporting innovators in industry and in government, and building a closer relationship between these two worlds.
Since 2017, when we published our fully funded 20-year defense policy “Strong, Secure, Engaged,” we have seen significant changes in the global security environment. These new challenges underscore the need to invest in defense as a matter of national security and economic vitality. “Strong, Secure, Engaged” was released at a time when the dominant forces of the current security environment were just beginning to take shape. Today, Canada faces a world defined by great power conflict, rapid military modernization by states set on upending the international rules-based order, and advances against disruptive technologies in which North American geography no longer affords the protection it once did.
While we have traditionally been able to address threats abroad before they reach our shores, our security requires reinforcement. While this new space has many unknowns, we know that multilateralism and supporting the rules-based international order is critical to our success and our safety. Since 2017, Canada has increased our support to NATO partners through Operation Reassurance — which has seen Royal Canadian Navy ships deployed in the Black Sea region, the Royal Canadian Air Force supporting air policing in Romania, and Canadian Armed Forces members leading the Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Latvia — as well as through our work leading NATO Mission Iraq and our support for the coalition.
We also know that this changing security landscape means we need to take a thorough look at how we can secure North America against the threats of today and the future. It is why Canada continues to work with our American partners on the modernization of North American Aerospace Defense Command to build continental resiliency. This critical work will ensure that Canada and the United States of America have the ability to detect, deter and respond to threats, and that the only binational command in the world can meet the challenges of the 21st century.
For many years now, the Department of National Defence has worked hard to keep defense industries informed of future investment opportunities that will continue generating jobs and improving Canada's capacity for innovation. It is one reason that we have a forward-looking, 10-year defense investment plan that is updated every three years. This engagement with industry has become an integral part of the procurement process, providing critical insights while showing industry that we are a predicable partner.
Despite the unexpected challenges during 2020, Canada reached important milestones for key defense projects. In July 2020, the first Arctic and offshore patrol ship was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy, followed in the fall by delivery of the first new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Construction of armored combat support vehicles for the Canadian Army began in May 2020, with the first vehicle delivered to the Armed Forces in December 2020. We also continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into equipping members of our armed forces.
We now see unprecedented innovation in all corners of the world, which militaries can harness to quickly understand and respond to potential threats before they cause harm. It is why new and emerging technologies in cyber and artificial intelligence are becoming an integral part of defense projects. Canada is growing its defense industry by leveraging research and development from both industry and government to achieve the best results. By working together, we can come up with innovative solutions to increase Canada's operational effectiveness while showing that defense is forging a path to the future.
In addition to embracing innovation within defense institutions and industry, more work is needed to support our people. The Canadian Armed Forces is a diverse institution, and our equipment needs to recognize that. It is why the Gender-based Analysis Plus process looks at factors such as gender, race, religion and ethnicity so that our defense projects better meet the needs of armed forces members.
These changes help get the best out of our people, producing meaningful results. For example, changes made to the brake pedal assembly in the new armor-protected cab of the Standard Military Pattern vehicle ensure all soldiers, no matter their size, can safely operate these vehicles.
By building an agile, well-educated, flexible, diverse, combat-ready military, we will be able to deal with threats abroad to protect stability at home. This historic investment through “Strong, Secure, Engaged” allows Canada to modernize our military by putting our people at its core as we continue to step up our contribution to North American and global security. When our partners and allies call upon Canada, we will be there for them.
Harjit Sajjan is Canada's minister of national defense.
26 mai 2022 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) is the national industry voice of more than 900 Canadian defence and security companies.
26 juin 2018 | Local, Naval
De : Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada Communiqué de presse Contribuer à protéger les eaux canadiennes 22 juin 2018 – Gatineau (Québec) – Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada Le gouvernement du Canada s'est engagé à munir les membres de la Garde côtière canadienne de l'équipement dont ils ont besoin pour protéger la population et les eaux canadiennes. Au nom de la Garde côtière canadienne, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada a publié un préavis d'adjudication de contrat (PAC) indiquant son intention de retenir les services de Chantier Davie, de Lévis (Québec), pour l'acquisition et la conversion de trois brise-glaces commerciaux de taille moyenne. Ce PAC s'inscrit dans un processus concurrentiel équitable, car il permet aux fournisseurs ayant une solution comparable de soumettre une proposition avant l'attribution du contrat. Le PAC confirme que le Canada a l'intention de passer un contrat avec Chantier Davie. Les autres fournisseurs intéressés à soumissionner les travaux disposent de 15 jours calendaires pour déclarer leur intérêt en soumettant un « énoncé des capacités » qui satisfait aux exigences définies dans le PAC. Avec ces navires, la Garde côtière canadienne disposera d'une capacité provisoire pendant que les prochains brise-glaces permanents sont construits dans le cadre de la Stratégie nationale de construction navale. Les brise glaces sont essentiels au maintien de l'activité économique maritime du Canada tout au long de l'année. Citations « Notre gouvernement s'est engagé à soutenir la Garde côtière canadienne dans la conduite de ses activités importantes pour le compte de toute la population canadienne. Nous faisons un pas de plus vers l'acquisition de la capacité de déglaçage provisoire requise, à temps pour la prochaine saison de déglaçage. » L'honorable Carla Qualtrough Ministre des Services publics et de l'Approvisionnement « La Garde côtière canadienne a des besoins uniques en raison des diverses conditions de glace difficiles qu'elle rencontre dans les eaux du sud du Canada et l'Arctique. Nous nous assurons de la munir de l'équipement et des outils dont elle a besoin pour protéger les eaux canadiennes et faire en sorte que les voies commerciales demeurent ouvertes pendant la saison des glaces du Canada. » L'honorable Lawrence MacAulay Ministre de l'Agriculture Faits en bref Cette acquisition consistera en l'achat d'une série de trois brise-glaces ravitailleurs-remorqueurs-manipulateurs d'ancres existants. Ces navires remplaceront les navires de la Garde côtière canadienne lorsque ceux-ci font l'objet de travaux d'entretien, de remise en état et de prolongation de la durée utile. Ils seront affectés aux t'ches de déglaçage critiques dans les eaux du sud durant l'hiver, et ils seront déployés dans les eaux de l'Arctique durant l'été, au besoin. Le premier navire est requis rapidement en vue de la prochaine saison de déglaçage (2018-2019). https://www.canada.ca/fr/services-publics-approvisionnement/nouvelles/2018/06/le-canada-fera-lacquisition-de-trois-brise-glaces-provisoires.html
21 octobre 2018 | Local, Naval
DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Canadian Surface Combatant project will see the Halifax-based Irving build 15 warships, which will form the backbone of the future Royal Canadian Navy The Canadian government has selected a consortium closely linked to Irving Shipbuilding to provide it with a new warship design for the most expensive defence project the country has ever seen. Canada announced Friday it had chosen the Type 26 warship design by British defence firm BAE for the $60-billion program to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigates. Lockheed Martin Canada is leading the BAE consortium and will be the prime contractor. The group's win had been anticipated since 2016, however, after rival defence firms raised concerns that the competition had been rigged in favour of the British design. The Canadian Surface Combatant project will see the Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding build 15 warships, which will form the backbone of the future Royal Canadian Navy. It will be the largest and most complex procurement in Canadian history. However, it is seen as a major departure from previous procurement processes, as Irving is playing a significant role in selecting the winning design. The previous federal procurement minister, Judy Foote, had said only mature existing designs or designs of ships already in service would be accepted for the bidding process, on the grounds they could be built faster and would be less risky — unproven designs can face challenges as problems are found once the vessel is in the water and operating. But the Liberal government and Irving accepted the BAE design into the process, though at the time it existed only on the drawing board. Construction began on the first Type 26 frigate in the summer of 2017 for Britain's Royal Navy, but it has not yet been completed. Both Irving and the federal government have insisted the procurement was being conducted in a way that ensures all bidders are treated equally, overseen by a fairness monitor with no unfair advantage given to any individual bidder. Nonetheless, while three consortiums submitted bids for the surface combatant program, several European shipbuilders decided against participating because of concerns about the fairness of the process. Others raised concerns about BAE's closeness with the Halifax firm. Last year a French-Italian consortium also declined to formally submit a bid and instead offered Canada a fleet of vessels at a fixed price. Officials with Fincantieri of Italy and Naval Group of France said they don't believe the procurement process as it is currently designed will be successful. The federal government, however, rejected the deal. The federal government had to remind Irving about the potential for conflict of interest when the firm joined forces with BAE in late 2016 to bid on a multi-billion dollar contract to provide maintenance and support for the navy's new Arctic patrol and supply ships. The Irving-BAE alliance was not successful in that bid, but it led the government to remind Irving it had an obligation to “ensure that the Canadian Surface Combatant competition is conducted in a manner that is free from real or perceived conflicts of interest,” according to February 2017 documents prepared for defence minister Harjit Sajjan and released to the Conservatives under the Access to Information law. Andre Fillion, assistant deputy minister for defence and marine procurement at Public Services and Procurement Canada, said Friday's decision is not a contract award. “It's an important step to getting to contract award in the coming months,” he said. Negotiations will now begin with Lockheed Martin. if negotiations proceed accordingly a contract is expected to be signed sometime between January and March 2019. But Fillion said if there are issues with those negotiations and an agreement is not reached, the government will then turn to the next highest-ranked bidder. The government has declined to identify that firm, but the other bidders were from the U.S. and Spain. The Canadian Surface Combatant program has already faced delays and rising costs. In 2008 the then-Conservative government estimated the project would cost roughly $26 billion. But in 2015, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, then commander of the navy, voiced concern that taxpayers may not have been given all the information about the program, publicly predicting the cost for the warships alone would approach $30 billion. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/british-design-selected-for-canadas-60b-warship-replacement-program-amid-concerns-about-winners-links-to-irving/