Canadian government to lease two emergency towing vessels

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  3 juin 2019 | Local, Naval

  Naval contracts and technology developments on display at CANSEC 2019

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The CANSEC 2019 defence trade show in Ottawa has wrapped up, and while much of the focus and talk was on new fighter jets, the naval side of procurement didn't escape notice. A number of firms have recent contracts or technology advancements, as outlined in this article in Esprit de Corps magazine. ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH recently announced successful SeaSpider sea trials that were done in co-operation with the German Bundeswehr Technical Center for ships and naval weapons, maritime technology and research. The SeaSpider is the world's first dedicated Anti-Torpedo Torpedo. Trials in the Baltic Sea were conducted on a WTD 71 multipurpose vessel, according to the company. Those involved the full “sensor to shooter” chain with Torpedo Detection, Classification and Localisation, or TDCL sonar, being successfully demonstrated with the third generation SeaSpider prototype with its above water launcher. At the test range both a Mk37 torpedo derived AUV and torpedoes of the DM2A3 type served as the threats. Those were detected and localized with passive and active TDCL and the data was used to cue the SeaSpider launch. SeaSpider acquired the threats and homed in into closest point of approach, the firm noted. The successful “intercept” was verified by acoustic and optical means. Saab's Sea Giraffe AMB naval radar will be used for the Royal Canadian Navy's Joint Support Ships. Saab will do the work on the project both in Sweden and Halifax. Deliveries of the radars are to take place between 2020 and 2022. Seaspan Shipyards has awarded MAN Energy Solutions Canada of Vancouver, BC, a contract valued at $55 million for work on the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships or JSS. MAN is one of several major systems integrators that Seaspan is working with in order to meet its commitments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the firm noted. Under this contract MAN will provide propulsion and power generation components for the JSS. This will include two MAN 12V32/44CR (Common Rail) propulsion engines equipped with environmental protection SCR technology, reduction gears, propulsion shafts, propellers, ship service diesel generator sets, and an emergency diesel generator set. Work on these components will take place in Europe at MAN's manufacturing facilities. Work taking place in Canada will include MAN providing the integration for these systems, training, testing, and support during the harbour acceptance trials and the JSS sea acceptance trials, according to Seaspan. MDA, a Maxar company, announced that it has signed a $4 million contract with Lockheed Martin Canada. That deal is for the initial phase of design work for the Canadian Surface Combatant ship's Electronic Warfare system. The Águas Azuis Consortium, formed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, was selected by the Brazilian Navy for the construction of four defence ships in the Tamandaré Corvettes Class Program as preferred bidder. With thyssenkrupp Marine Systems' leadership and its naval systems expertise, the Águas Azuis Consortium companies will now form a specific purpose company for the implementation phase of the program, the firms noted. Atech, an Embraer Group company, will be the supplier of the Combat Management System and Integrated Platform Management System of the Tamandaré Class corvettes. It will be involved in the transfer of technology in cooperation with ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, and L3 MAPPS. Embraer Defense & Security will integrate sensors and weaponry into the combat system. Kognitiv Spark of Fredericton, NB will be providing the Royal Canadian Navy with the opportunity to test a Mixed Reality Remote Assistant Support system as part of a project that aims to improve maintenance and repairs aboard naval vessels. The system can be used by RCN marine technicians and weapons engineering technicians to ensure that RCN ships remain at a high-level of readiness for both routine training and operational deployments, according to the firm The project hopes to validate technology adopted from Kognitiv Spark, whose software is designed for use with the Microsoft HoloLens. The software leverages Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence to improve efficiencies with ship operations including repairs, maintenance and knowledge transfer, the firm added. For remote maintenance, a subject-matter expert using this system can see what the HoloLens wearer sees from anywhere in the world. The expert can provide guidance using real-time voice and video, interactive 3D holograms and content, and live IoT data. Alternatively, the technician can use locally stored data to assist with routine tasks when a remote expert is not available. The holographic support is designed to improve decision making by facilitating decisive action and reducing errors by providing clarity and certainty of comprehension. Kognitiv Spark says it was awarded the contract due in part to its reputation from ongoing work with the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/naval-contracts-and-technology-developments-on-display-at-cansec-2019

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  22 octobre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  JOUER LES MÉCHANTS PROFITE À TOP ACES

  JEAN-FRANÇOIS CODÈRE L'armée de l'air américaine a choisi vendredi sept entreprises, dont la montréalaise Top Aces, pour venir « jouer les méchants » lors de ses entraînements. Le contrat pourrait permettre à Top Aces de doubler sa taille et devrait confirmer qu'elle deviendra bientôt le premier opérateur privé au monde d'avions de chasse F-16. Fondée il y a 15 ans par trois anciens pilotes de chasse canadiens, Top Aces offre aujourd'hui aux armées canadienne et allemande des services d'entraînement pour leurs pilotes. Top Aces fournit ses propres pilotes, sélectionnés parmi les meilleurs de leur profession, et ses propres avions afin de servir d'adversaires. Le marché est prometteur. De 100 à 150 millions de dollars qu'il représentait jusqu'à tout récemment à l'échelle mondiale, il pourrait bientôt toucher les 3 milliards, gr'ce notamment à l'entrée en scène des Américains. Eux aussi ont découvert l'intérêt de sous-traiter le rôle de l'ennemi : coûts inférieurs et des heures d'entraînement plus productives pour les pilotes. « Un pilote qui joue à l'adversaire est limité et il n'utilise pas ses heures de vol à son plein potentiel », rappelle Didier Toussaint, cofondateur et chef des opérations de Top Aces. CONTRAT AMÉRICAIN Vendredi, l'armée américaine a retenu sept entreprises à l'occasion d'un appel d'offres pour un contrat-cadre d'une valeur maximale de 6,4 milliards US. Ces sept entreprises seront donc admissibles à participer aux appels d'offres à venir de 12 bases américaines. « Chacune de ces bases représente un contrat plus important que celui que nous avons pour l'ensemble du Canada. » — Didier Toussaint, cofondateur et chef des opérations de Top Aces Avec ses 29 appareils F-16 achetés de l'armée israélienne, Top Aces devrait être l'entreprise la mieux équipée du lot. Elle est déjà la plus importante en matière d'heures de vol effectuées. Elle devrait donc principalement se concentrer sur les bases aux besoins les plus évolués, celles qui abritent des F-35, par exemple. À elle seule, cette expansion américaine représente un investissement de 450 millions US pour Top Aces. En plus des appareils, il faudra embaucher des pilotes, des ingénieurs et des mécaniciens. Une cinquantaine de pilotes américains ont déjà reçu des promesses d'embauche. Un ancien officier américain de haut rang quittait le bureau de M. Toussaint au moment où La Presse y est entrée. Il venait de passer un entretien d'embauche. Top Aces s'apprête à accueillir de nouveaux investisseurs institutionnels, « dont certains québécois », qui lui permettront de franchir cette étape. Clairvest, de Toronto, et JPMorgan ont déjà une place dans son capital. D'autres bonnes nouvelles pourraient aussi survenir au cours de la prochaine année. Le Royaume-Uni est à la recherche de services du même genre, tout comme l'Australie, dont Top Aces a été le fournisseur pendant une période d'essai de deux ans. MOINS COÛTEUX Si les services de Top Aces représentent des économies pour les armées de l'air, ce n'est pas en raison du coût du personnel. Les pilotes sont rares et l'entreprise doit les payer à leur valeur, dit M. Toussaint. L'économie vient plutôt des appareils. En attendant ses F-16, Top Aces fournit ses services à l'armée canadienne avec 16 appareils Alpha Jet, des avions d'abord conçus pour l'entraînement et qui coûtent moins cher à manœuvrer que les F-18 de l'armée. Leurs performances moindres ne sont pas vraiment significatives dans la plupart des contextes, explique M. Toussaint. « On n'est pas à 50 % des F-18, on est plutôt autour de 90 %. C'est le dernier 10 % qui coûte cher. » — Didier Toussaint, cofondateur et chef des opérations de Top Aces Environ 2000 heures de vol sont encore effectuées par des F-18 qui servent d'adversaires dans les contextes où la performance de l'appareil est critique. Top Aces s'occupe du reste. Les jeunes pilotes, moins expérimentés, gagnent à affronter des avions inférieurs dirigés par des pilotes plus expérimentés, indique d'abord M. Toussaint. Les Alpha Jet sont aussi convenables dans des simulations impliquant de nombreux appareils, où la performance de chacun est moins importante. Finalement, l'entreprise fournit aussi des services à la marine, aux forces spéciales et à l'armée de terre. Les soldats s'entraînent à commander des frappes aériennes et la nature de l'appareil qui répond à leurs commandes importe peu. Quant à la marine, elle s'exerce à tirer sur des cibles en forme de missiles traînées par des avions d'affaires Learjet, au bout d'un c'ble. Si l'interminable saga du renouvellement de la flotte d'avions de chasse finit par aboutir, le Canada se retrouvera équipé d'avions encore plus performants que les F-16 que détiendra Top Aces. Encore là, pas de souci, selon M. Toussaint. « Ce qu'on réplique, ce sont des avions ennemis, essentiellement russes ou chinois pour être clair. Nos F-16, qui seront bien équipés, vont faire le travail. » http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/b56ec892-2a8d-495c-8972-04df52fe2b08__7C___0.html

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  30 octobre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

  Ottawa releases draft tender on purchase of new fighter jets

  Murray Brewster · CBC News It's the first sign of movement on the file since the competition was launched almost a year ago The effort to replace the air force's aging fleet of CF-18 fighters took a small step forward Monday when Public Services and Procurement Canada released a draft tender and asked for feedback from the makers of new jets. There are five companies in the running: France's Dassault Aviation; Saab of Sweden; Airbus Defence and Space out of Britain; and Boeing and Lockheed Martin in the U.S. The manufacturers will have about eight weeks to comment on various aspects of the proposed tender before the government finalizes the document. A full-fledged request for proposals is not expected to be released until the new year. The department said input from the manufacturers "is critical to the overall success of this procurement and for selecting the right fighter aircraft to meet Canada's needs." A slow process It has been almost a year since Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan formally "launched" competition to replace the CF-18s, which were originally purchased in the 1980s but have received significant upgrades in the decades since. At the same time, Sajjan also announced the federal government would buy used Australian F-18s of the same vintage as Canada's current fighter fleet. That purchase is meant to serve as a stopgap to ensure the air force can meet its NATO and NORAD commitments at the same time. The Liberal government is looking to buy 88 new jets, but the first ones aren't likely to arrive until the mid-2020s. The competition among manufacturers for Canada's business is expected to be fierce. Lockheed Martin will pitch its F-35 stealth fighter, which the former Conservative government was prepared to buy until the auditor general criticized both Public Works and National Defence in 2012. The AG said, among other things, that the departments had not done enough homework to justify the multi-billion-dollar purchase. Boeing is in line to offer the Super Hornet — a larger, more advanced version of the F-18 — but the Chicago, IL.-based company and the Liberal government traded blows last year in a dispute over passenger jets and Bombardier. The Liberals initially had planned to buy Super Hornets as a stopgap instead of the Australian fighters, but cancelled the purchase because of the dispute. Advantage: Europe? Airbus plans to offer its Eurofighter Typhoon. Saab will pitch the latest version of its Gripen, while Dassault has the Rafale. The European aircraft-makers all privately expressed optimism about the competition last spring at an Ottawa defence industry trade show. For years, Canada has been seen as favouring U.S. manufacturers because of what the military called "interoperability issues." But recent trade disputes and political tensions between Ottawa and Washington have given contractors outside of North America a morale boost. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-releases-draft-tender-on-purchase-of-new-fighter-jets-1.4882570