23 mars 2024 | Local, Terrestre
Space Force sends Congress $1 billion list of unfunded projects
The list includes $846 million in classified projects.
11 novembre 2017 | Local, Aérospatial
Canadian air chief looks to speed up up fighter buy
DUBAI — Canada will kick start its competition for a future fighter jet in 2019 with the hopes of awarding a contract by 2021, but the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force wants the process to move as quickly as possible.
“The plan right now is to have a request for proposal out to industry by 2019. we're in discussions and have been in discussions with a number of the people who are considering competing for that, and what I'd like to see is that accelerated as much as possible,” said RCAF commander Lt. Gen. Michael Hood, in an exclusive interview with Defense News.
“A 2019 RFP would get us into contract probably by 2021, and certainly my advice to government is the sooner the better.”
The RCAF wants to procure 88 fighter jets to replace its current inventory of aging 76 F/A-18 Hornets, which are nearing the end of their lifespans.
Canada is an international participant in the F-35 joint strike fighter program and has helped pay for the development of the aircraft. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed not to procure the F-35 during his campaign, and his government has opened up the competition to industry instead of moving forward with a sole-source acquisition. The Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Boeing Super Hornet and Saab's Gripen E are all projected to compete for the opportunity.
To bridge the gap between its Hornet fleet and a future fighter, the RCAF initially intended to procure 18 F/A-18 Super Hornets from Boeing — a move some analysts speculated could trigger a larger procurement later on. However, the Canadian government suspended the deal due to Boeing's legal complaint against Canadian aerospace company Bombardier over its commercial business.
With a Super Hornet buy unlikely as long as Boeing and Bombardier feud, and Trudeau's promise not to buy the F-35, U.S. defense experts worry that Canada could be driven into the arms of a European fighter manufacturer, thus eroding Canada's long tradition of flying U.S. jets — a move that increases the militaries' interoperability.
However, Hood stated that interoperability with the United States continues to be “the most important thing to me as command of the Royal Canadian Air Force.”
“Every step less of interoperability is one step less of effectiveness, so interoperability is right at the top of the list beside operational advantage,” he said. “I want the young men and women that are going to be flying fighters into harm's way to have an operational advantage, and that will be key to me in the competition that's coming.”
That need for interoperability with the U.S. Air Force does not diminish the chances of European fighters, he added.
Canada continues to investigate alternative ways to acquire an interim fleet of F/A-18s, including potentially buying used Hornets from Australia. However, a potential deal for Super Hornets with Boeing is still on the table, Hood said.
“I think the government has been presented with the FMS case for Boeing. And as they're looking at options, that's one option,” he said. “The Australian aircraft are another, and the government has not made a decision yet.”
If the RCAF moves forward with a used Hornet buy from Australia, it will have to extend the lives of the airframes, which are meeting their structural ends, Hood noted. That business would likely go to L3 Technologies, which has done life extension work on the Canadian F/A-18s in the past. But Canada would still be able to acquire the aircraft “within the next couple of years” once a decision is made.
Lockheed officials have said that if Canada ultimately decided not to procure the F-35, it could end its industrial partnership with Canadian firms — which totals 110 Canadian companies with $750 million in contracts, according to Lockheed — that already help manufacture the F-35.
However, asked whether Canada was concerned about losing that business, Hood demurred.
“I'm not privy to the industrial aspects of our partnership with Lockheed Martin,” he said. “What I can say is Lockheed Martin is a fantastic partner for Canada and for the Royal Canadian Air Force, has been for years. We remain very, very strongly engaged both in the joint project office and helping to continue with the development of the F-35, and Canadian companies continue to bid and win on contracts with that.”
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17 septembre 2023 | Local, Sécurité
Canada to give C$33 million to help buy air defenses for Ukraine | Reuters
Canada will contribute C$33 million ($24.5 million) to a British-led partnership that is buying air defense equipment for Ukraine to help it fend off Russian missile and drone attacks, Defence Minister Bill Blair said on Sunday.
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15 février 2023 | Local, Autre défense
Déclaration conjointe des ministres de la Défense de l’Allemagne, du Canada, de l’Estonie, de la Lettonie, de la Lituanie et du Royaume-Uni
Le 15 février 2022 – Bruxelles (Belgique) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Nous, les ministres de la Défense des pays hôtes d’une présence avancée rehaussée (eFP), soit l’Estonie, la Lettonie et la Lituanie, ainsi que des pays-cadres respectifs, soit le Royaume‑Uni, le Canada et l’Allemagne, réaffirmons notre engagement à protéger nos populations et celles de nos Alliés. Nous continuerons de renforcer considérablement la posture de dissuasion et de défense dans la région de la Baltique dans le cadre des obligations de l’OTAN en matière de défense collective. La guerre d’agression non provoquée et injustifiable de la Russie contre l’Ukraine définira le contexte de sécurité de l’avenir en Europe et au-delà. La Russie est – et restera – la menace la plus importante et la plus directe pour la sécurité des Alliés. Nous, l’Estonie, la Lettonie, la Lituanie, le Royaume-Uni, le Canada et l’Allemagne, en respectant pleinement les différentes approches adoptées pour la présence adaptée dans les pays baltes, coordonnerons nos efforts entre nous et avec l’OTAN afin de parvenir à une posture de dissuasion et de défense optimale sur le plan de l’efficacité et de la crédibilité dans la région. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, nous voulons resserrer et renforcer notre collaboration comme suit : Intégration de l’eFP dans la poursuite de la mise en œuvre du concept de dissuasion et de défense de la zone euro-atlantique, y compris dans de nouveaux plans de défense, une structure de forces modernisée et des modalités de commandement et de contrôle, en coordination étroite avec l’OTAN. Collaboration étroite pour le prépositionnement d’équipement et de munitions dans les pays baltes. Nous mettrons nos approches en commun pour trouver la façon la plus convenable de préparer nos forces, y compris par le stockage et le prépositionnement d’armes, de munitions, de matériel et d’équipement. Amélioration de notre défense collective, y compris par une présence accrue des Alliés dans les États baltes, ainsi que par des exercices qui nous permettront d’être prêts pour mener des opérations de haute intensité et multidomaines ou pour assurer le renforcement d’un Allié à court préavis. Recherche active de moyens d’échanger l’information au sujet de l’instruction, des exercices, du déploiement des forces et d’autres initiatives majeures similaires. Coordination de nos communications stratégiques pour maximiser les effets de dissuasion et de défense de nos engagements ainsi que diffusion et promotion cohérentes des messages et des priorités de l’OTAN. Les pays baltes continueront d’investir dans l’infrastructure et les occasions d’entraînement pour assurer tout le soutien nécessaire de la part du pays hôte. Notre engagement à l’égard de l’article 5 est résolu et ferme. Nous, les ministres de la Défense de l’Allemagne, du Canada, de l’Estonie, de la Lettonie, de la Lituanie et du Royaume-Uni, nous engageons à mettre en œuvre les décisions du sommet de Madrid de 2022 et nous continuerons de travailler ensemble pour renforcer la posture de l’OTAN dans la région. https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2023/02/declaration-conjointe-des-ministres-de-la-defense-de-lallemagne-du-canada-de-lestonie-de-la-lettonie-de-la-lituanie-et-du-royaume-uni.html