14 février 2019 | Local, Terrestre
There seems to be some revisionism underway in the Canadian Army about the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) program as well as changes to the role of the wheeled vehicle.
When it was originally announced part of the stated goal of the TAPV was to take on the role of reconnaissance, with 193 of the vehicles being a reconnaissance variant that would replace the Army's Coyote vehicle. The remaining 307 TAPVs would serve as armoured personnel carriers for battlefield troop transportation, according to the Army.
In addition, the $1.2 billion project, when it was announced in 2012, was clearly part of the Conservative government's defence program (The original TAPV plans also emerged under the Conservatives in 2008/2009).
The situation has changed in the meantime. The Army says it is expanding the role of the vehicle. The TAPV is being assigned to headquarters and military police units for use as protected and mobile transport. It will be used as well for command and control, VIP transport and patrolling.
As for the more sophisticated reconnaissance capability fielded by the Coyotes, the Army notes that it has the new LAV 6 and its Reconnaissance Surveillance System (LRSS) Project.
“The remaining Coyote fleet will be divested upon the fielding of the LAV 6.0 LRSS which are expected to be delivered in 2021 and 2022,” it added in an email to Postmedia.
As for the TAPV project, as pointed out below in the Army Facebook posting last year, that program is now being credited to the Liberal government and its Strong, Secure and Engaged defence policy.
16 septembre 2022 | Local, Terrestre
The U.S. wants to gather information on firms to determine which might be able to help build 12,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition a month.
4 février 2021 | Local, Naval
02/03/2021 | 09:06am EST Ultra is delighted to announce a contract award to commence work on the key Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) system for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program - named the Towed Low Frequency Active Sonar (TLFAS). This subcontract moves the development of CSC's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability from the program definition phase into the full manufacture and delivery of the vessels suite of sonars. The TLFAS is a world-class towed sonar solution, optimized for the detection and tracking of stealthy submarines in challenging ocean environments. When delivered it will represent a step-change in Canada's anti-submarine warfare assets and will provide a level of sonar capability never before enjoyed by the Royal Canadian Navy. The TLFAS system is fully designed and manufactured by Ultra in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its design also includes components built by other Canadian companies, such that the industrial benefit of this system selection is spread across multiple Provinces. The selection of this system for CSC therefore means that Canadian industrial content is maximized in the delivery of the initial systems, and that the skillsets and facilities required to maintain the system through its operational life are also resident in Canada. More broadly, Ultra is proud that its work on the CSC program is proving to be an important vector for growth of Canadian jobs, innovation and investment. In the two years since having been originally awarded program definition studies for CSC, working in close partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Ultra's Canadian team has grown by over 150 employees, with another 80 high-tech roles expected to be made available in 2021 alone. The program is also triggering major Canadian investment decisions by Ultra in terms of facilities, inward technology transfer and research partnerships which will be announced through the course of 2021. Overall, Ultra's role on CSC is a very good example of the Industrial and Technological Benefits that the program is providing to Canada, and of the enduring impact that the program will have on sovereign naval capability for the nation. Bernard Mills, President of Ultra Maritime Sonar Systems commented: 'Ultra recognizes our responsibility to provide, through CSC, the highest possible level of ASW capability to the Royal Canadian Navy. We are therefore immensely proud of this contract award, especially because it is grounded in Canadian innovation and ingenuity, and because it will be an enduring driver of both operational capability and national industrial benefit. Most importantly, this is not just a success for Ultra but is one for the entire CSC enterprise, and I want to thank our strong partners in Lockheed Martin Canada, Irving Shipbuilding Inc., and all our peers on the CSC team who are as dedicated as we are to the delivery of a world-class naval capability to Canada, built by Canadians'. The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, noted: 'As we work to build the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy, we are pleased to see companies like Ultra stepping up to provide leading-edge technology for our shipbuilding projects. The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to provide opportunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes, from coast to coast to coast.' Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, highlighted the benefit of this contract award in his riding: 'I am delighted to see the positive economic impact of the National Shipbuilding Strategy across Nova Scotia. Companies like Ultra are playing an important role in the CSC program, while providing good quality jobs here in Dartmouth. Ultra's highly skilled employees will produce the technology needed to help ensure the capability of the Royal Canadian Navy's future fleet.' https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ULTRA-ELECTRONICS-9590141/news/Ultra-Electronics-awarded-Canadian-Surface-Combatant-subcontract-to-provide-Variable-Depth-Sonar-32347338/
16 janvier 2019 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval
DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Here are some updates on defence and aerospace industry contracts and appointments, outlined in the latest issue of Esprit de Corpsmagazine: Textron's TRU Simulation and Training has developed the world's first full flight simulator for the CL-415 water bomber. The CL-415 is a mainstay of a number of international fleets of aerial fire-fighting units, with some of aircraft being operated by various air forces, such as those in Greece and Spain. TRU has delivered the first system to Ansett Aviation. The CL-415 was built by Canadair/Bombardier but Viking Air has acquired the rights to aircraft. TRU believes the simulator will significantly increase safety of CL-415 operations as the previous lack of a full-flight simulator for the plane meant that pilot training had to take place in the cockpit. That, in turn, has resulted in fatalities. Fifty per cent of all CL-415 crashes have taken place during training. The simulator will replicate the CL-415 on the water and in flight. The system also simulates different types of forest fires and environmental conditions that can be created by such blazes. Pratt & Whitney Canada announced recently that it started delivering PW127G engines to Airbus Defence and Space in support of Canada's Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement Project. The engines will be installed on specially configured Airbus C295 aircraft, which will be designated the CC-295 in Canada. The Department of National Defence is scheduled to receive the first of 16 CC-295 aircraft by the end of 2019. Canada has a search area of 18 million square kilometers, making search and rescue operations challenging. With low fuel burn during cruise, the PW127G engine will provide the CC-295 aircraft with exceptional range and endurance for time-critical missions, Pratt and Whitney points out. Pratt & Whitney Canada has delivered more than 400 PW127G engines to Airbus Defence and Space for numerous C295 customers and variants. The PW100 engine family powers several aircraft families around the world, performing a variety of missions in diverse climates and flying conditions. L3 MAS has announced that it has been awarded two contracts to provide in-service support services for international F/A-18 fleet operators. RUAG Aviation recently awarded L3 MAS a contract for the provision of preventive modifications for high-priority structural locations on the inner wings of the Swiss Air Force F/A-18 aircraft fleet. These modifications are part of the Structural Refurbishment Program, as part of the strategy to ensure their F/A-18 fleet safely reaches its planned life objective. L3 MAS was also selected by Mississippi-based Vertex Aerospace LLC to perform depot-level modifications and repairs on three NASA F/A-18 aircraft based out of the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. L3 MAS will conduct all on- aircraft work at its Mirabel facility. Seaspan Shipyards has awarded BluMetric Environmental Inc. of Ottawa a contract valued at more than $4.16 million for work on the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships. BluMetric represents one of more than 60 Ontario suppliers that Seaspan is working with to meet its commitments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the company noted. BluMetric is providing Shipboard Reverse Osmosis Desalination (SROD) Water Purification Systems for the new supply ships. BluMetric's SROD water purification systems are designed to bring cutting edge desalination technologies to naval vessels, resulting in significant fleet energy savings while almost doubling output, Seaspan pointed out. In addition to being selected to provide new SROD units, BluMetric will also provide harbour acceptance trials and sea acceptance trials. As a result of its work under the shipbuilding strategy, Seaspan has developed nearly $650 million in committed contracts with approximately 520 Canadian companies. In the meantime, Seaspan Corporation also announced that Torsten Holst Pedersen and H. Theodore (“Ted”) Chang have been appointed to its executive team. Pedersen will be joining as Executive Vice-President, Ship Management and Chang will be joining as General Counsel. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/updates-on-defence-and-aerospace-industry-contracts