10 mai 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
By Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal government is planning to loosen its industrial requirements for fighter-jet makers in the $19-billion competition to replace Canada's aging CF-18s.
The planned modification follows recent U.S. complaints that the previous criteria violated Canada's obligations as one of nine partner countries in the development of the F-35, one of the small handful of planes expected in the competition.
Yet the proposed change has sparked complaints from some of the companies whose planes will be competing against the F-35, who say the new approach goes too far in the other direction.
Canada has long required companies bidding on major defence contracts to commit to re-investing back into the country, with those unable to make such a contractual commitment seeing their bids tossed out.
But in a presentation to companies on Thursday, the government said it plans to allow bids missing such a commitment in the fighter-jet competition — they will be just docked points in the assessment.
The plan is intended to maximize the number of bids in the competition to buy 88 new jets while still aiming for the largest-possible economic spinoffs, a senior government official told The Canadian Press.
The U.S. had threatened not to enter the F-35 into the competition if the requirement wasn't changed, noting that under the partnership agreement signed in 2006, companies in each member country instead compete for work.
The threat was contained in a letter sent to the government from the head of the Pentagon's F-35 office in December and published in a report from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank on Monday.
Canada has contributed roughly $500 million over the past 20 years toward developing the F-35, while Canadian companies have won nearly $1.5 billion in contracts associated with the stealth fighter. Canada will also be able to buy the plane for less than non-members.
The proposed new process will see the government evaluate bids on a scale, with 60 per cent of the points based on the plane's capability, 20 per cent on its full lifetime costs and the remaining 20 per cent on industrial benefits to Canada.
Bidders can still guarantee that they will re-invest back into Canada if their jet wins the competition and get all 20 points - which is the likely approach for Boeing's Super Hornet, Eurofighter's Typhoon and Saab's Gripen.
But those that can't make such a commitment will be asked to establish "industrial targets," lay out a plan for achieving those targets and sign a non-binding agreement promising to make all efforts to achieve them.
The government will study those plans and assign points based on risk. This is the likely approach for Lockheed Martin and the F-35, which the U.S. has said could provide Canadian companies with billions in work over the next 50 years.
The planned new approach has already stirred complaints from some of Lockheed Martin's competitors, who question why the F-35 should get points if the company can't guarantee re-investment back into Canada.
There are also concerns about how the government will decide how risky plans to achieve "industrial targets" actually are, with one industry source saying that question is entirely subjective.
Bidders were also told Thursday that the actual launch of the competition has been delayed until mid-July. Government officials had previously said they hoped the starting gun would be fired by the end of the month.
Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
2 mai 2022 | Local, Autre défense
Airline executives and industry groups have been prioritizing emission reduction goals as net-zero carbon emission targets get closer but are also voicing concerns about the longer-term challenge of securing enough sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is seen as a key to meeting emissions-reduction targets.
12 juin 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
News release May 7, 2020 – Ottawa – National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces Canadians can trust that, in times of need, their Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will be there for them. This is especially true right now, as people from coast to coast to coast come together to face the unprecedented challenges caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the CAF is no exception. As active members of our communities, we are proud to be there for our federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous partners when needed. Caring for elders and vulnerable people in Long Term Care Facilities As part of the response underway to help Canadians in the context of COVID‑19, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have been supporting civilian authorities in Quebec since April 20, 2020, and in Ontario since April 28, 2020, as agreed between the provincial and federal governments. Members deployed in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs, or CHSLD in Quebec) are working collaboratively with their provincial partners and with medical staff in the homes to maintain staffing levels and help with infection control and prevention. They are providing assistance with the day-to-day operations, helping with the coordination and provision of medical care, and providing general support at the identified facilities. Quebec In Quebec, on April 20th, the Canada Armed Forces were deployed in the originally requested five long-term care facilities following a request for assistance. Following this initial deployment, CAF scaled up to 13 long-term care facilities. And as of today, the 7th of May, the CAF will have over 1020 personnel committed to the support of 20 long-term care facilities in Quebec. Of this number, over 670 medical and support personnel are contributing inside the facilities, while nearly 350 individuals are providing essential day-to-day support, such as delivering personal protective equipment and other needed supplies, maintaining liaison with the Province, as well as planning to refine operations to better support the patients of the long-term care facilities. Additional CAF members will be deployed in the coming days to support Quebec's most vulnerable residents. We expect to have approximately 1350 CAF members dedicated to this task in support of up to 25 facilities when the deployment is complete. As requested by Quebec, the Canadian Armed Forces are currently serving in: Grace Dart Extended Care Centre (Montreal) CHSLD Vigi Reine-Elizabeth (Montreal) Résidence Berthiaume-Du Tremblay (Montreal) CHSLD Vigi Mont-Royal (Ville Mont-Royal) CHSLD Floralies-De-Lasalle (Lasalle) Centre d'hébergement de Saint-Laurent (Saint-Laurent) CHSLD Argyle (Saint-Lambert) CHSLD Benjamin-Victor-Rousselot (Montreal) Manoir de Verdun (Montreal) Centre d'hébergement Yvon-Brunet (Montreal) CHSLD Hôpital Sainte-Anne (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue) CHSLD Valéo (Saint-Lambert) CHSLD Villa Val des Arbres (Laval) CHSLD Auclair CHSLD de la Rive CHSLD Eloria-Lepage (Montréal) Centre d'Hébergement Jean-De-La-Lande (Montréal) Centre d'Hébergement Saint-Andrew (Montréal) CHSLD Denis-Benjamin Viger (L'île-Bizard) Le Bellagio (Longueuil) These task-tailored teams have been generated by the CAF from military bases across the country. Before being integrated, members have undergone instruction in how to integrate with health services staff, they have been trained on the use of medical-grade personal protective equipment, and they have also received a mandatory long-term care facility orientation facilitated by Quebec. Ontario Last week, the CAF has started to assist in five Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) across the Greater Toronto Area. This was in response to a Request for Assistance from the Province of Ontario. While the exact number of deployed personnel fluctuates, the CAF is employing approximately 265 medical and support personnel. As requested by Ontario, CAF members are now serving in: Orchard Villa (Pickering), Altamont Care Community (Scarborough), Eatonville (Etobicoke), Hawthorne Place (North York), and Holland Christian Homes Grace Manor (Brampton) Conditions at these LTCFs and others across the country are being monitored by the provinces and CAF support may be reassessed as required. The CAF's support to these LTCFs is intended as an interim measure to help Ontario and Quebec get through a critical situation over the short term. Canadian Rangers and the CAF's presence in remote areas The Canadian Rangers are active members of their communities and they are proud to help out during these difficult times. As a result of COVID-19, approximately 1,200 Rangers are employed throughout many communities across Canada. In Quebec, the Canadian Rangers have deployed to Nunavik, Côte-Nord and Basse-Côte-Nord to support these remote communities in their fight against COVID-19. Our Canadian Rangers are making a difference stop and slow the spread of COVID-19, preparing triage points to facilitate the work of healthcare personnel, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations,. In Northern Saskatchewan, the Canadian Rangers are providing logistical support including wellness checks, transportation and distribution of local supplies to community members. They are also assisting in staffing municipal/community-operated command posts and emergency centres, gathering data and statistics on the COVID-19 relief efforts, and supporting community food security through hunting, gathering and fishing. Some are also assisting community elders by cutting and delivering firewood, hauling and refilling water, and delivering medications and groceries. In British Columbia's Haida Gwaii archipelago, in Yukon, in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut, the Canadian Rangers are providing logistical support including wellness checks; gathering data and statistics on the current state of the community relative to the COVID-19 relief efforts; and delivering critical goods to people in need including groceries and prescription medications. The work the Rangers are doing on a daily basis provides valuable information to the Government about the on the ground situation in Northern, Indigenous and remote communities across the country. Quotes “We know many Canadians are worried about their loved ones in these facilities. They are concerned about the health and the added stress of the isolation that our parents and grandparents are experiencing. It is why when the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces are called to serve, they do so. The entire Defence Team has been working hard to support the requests from Ontario and Quebec. To confront the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians can be assured that the CAF will provide immediate support to health care workers and some of our most vulnerable populations within these facilities. Our country is going through difficult times during an unprecedented health crisis, and I want to salute the efforts of our troops as well as that of all frontline workers dedicated to ensuring the safety of their fellow Canadians.” — The Honourable Harjit S.Sajjan, Minister of National Defence Quick facts The health and safety of our people, and those they are supporting, is our top priority. Each deployment is carefully coordinated with on-site medical personnel. CAF members that will be deployed in these facilities are receiving proper training and medical-grade Personal Protective Equipment to limit their risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. As the situation across the country evolves, we will continue to work with civil authorities to make sure that CAF support is available where and when it is needed most — as part of Canada's pandemic response, or in the unfortunate event of a natural disaster. At the same time, the CAF is continuing to participate in international operations, including in NATO allied exercises as part of Operation Reassurance. Following last week's tragic helicopter accident off the coast of Greece, investigation and recovery efforts are ongoing, and recovered remains were repatriated to Canada this week. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2020/05/update-on-canadian-armed-forces-response-to-covid-19-pandemic.html
20 août 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded MDA two contracts related to the NASA led Lunar Gateway project which is part of the greater Artemis moon program. The contrast are a result of the Deep Space Exploration Robotics (DSXR) request for proposals the CSA had posted in April of this year. The DSXR initiative includes two Gateway External Robotic Interfaces. They include an “exploration large arm” (XLA) and an “exploration dexterous arm” (XDA). The first contract is for the development of robotic interfaces for the “exploration large arm” and is valued at $3,292,136.66. The second contract, also for the development of robotic interfaces, is for the “exploration dexterous arm” and is valued at $4,598,971.26. The Phase A work builds on the heritage of robotics MDA developed for the Canadarm on the Space Shuttles, and the Canadarm2 and Dextre on the International Space Station. The new Canadarm3 program will take robotic tools to another level, merging cutting edge robotic hardware with Artificial Intelligence software. http://spaceq.ca/mda-awarded-7-9-million-for-lunar-gateway-robotics-phase-a-contracts/