14 janvier 2019 | Local, Terrestre
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
he Canadian Army's new armoured vehicles have been plagued by rollovers and fires, the latest in a series of problems to affect the $600-million fleet.
Since April 2014, there have been 10 incidents when Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles have tipped on to their sides, six where they have rolled over completely, and four where they have caught fire.
Pat Finn, the assistant deputy minister in charge of procurement at the Department of National Defence, told Postmedia there have been no serious injuries as a result of the incidents. But the problems are not the first to hit the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles or TAPVs.
The TAPV program has “experienced a number of significant technical issues, particularly affecting vehicle mobility,” then-defence minister Rob Nicholson was told in August 2014. There have been problems with the suspension, steering and other items on the vehicle, according to a briefing document released under the Access to Information law.
The technical issues significantly delayed the test program for the vehicles, the document added. “These accumulating incidents, which relate to the vehicle's ability to travel distances on medium cross country terrain, led the project office to conclude the existing testing could no longer continue.”
The Conservative government announced the TAPV contract in 2012 as part of its re-equipping of the Canadian Army. Canada bought 500 TAPVs from Textron, a U.S.-based defence firm, at a cost of $603 million. The TAPV is a wheeled combat vehicle that will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance, security, command and control, and armoured transport of personnel and equipment.
Finn said as a result of the various incidents further quality assurance tests are being done. “It's kind of high off the ground so it can be more agile,” he explained about the vehicle. “(But) it brings with it a high centre of gravity.”
“It may be it's about training and understanding the vehicle,” Finn added.
None of the vehicles have been written off because of the incidents, according to the Canadian Army. “Upon review of the major TAPV incidents, it has been identified that the most common contributing factors of these incidents tends to be human error due to limited familiarity time operating the vehicles,” the army noted in an emailed statement to Postmedia.
The army pointed out that investigations into the incidents did not reveal any design or mechanical faults. “Primary reports on the majority of these incidents (rollover and tip-overs) were attributed to a combination of factors, such as operator experience, the vehicle's high centre of gravity, weather conditions, and/or vehicle speed,” the email noted.
The army did not provide any explanation for the four fires on the TAPVs.
The army noted that it is considering limits on the speeds the vehicles can operate at as well as “rollover hazard mitigations” and “recommendations such as the use of new technology to enhance experience for new drivers and crew.”
The army did not provide further details on those new technologies or initiatives.
The TAPV project will cost taxpayers a total of $1.2 billion, which not only includes the vehicles but also includes the building of infrastructure to house them, as well as the purchase of ammunition and service support for the equipment.
The initial problems with steering and other issues delayed the delivery of the vehicles. After those were dealt with, the army had to contend last year with concerns about brakes and the distance the vehicles needed to stop. The TAPV is a heavy vehicle and requires longer stopping distances at higher speeds than most new drivers are familiar with, noted DND spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier in July 2018.
The fleet of TAPVs have been distributed across seven bases and 24 units throughout Canada. The Canadian army has said it expects to declare full operational capability by mid-2020, following training of all operators. TAPVs were first deployed in spring 2017 to assist communities affected by the flooding in Quebec.
dpugliese@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/davidpugliese
29 avril 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
The Canadian government is allocating funding for the next five years to overhaul NORAD amid new-generation threats such as low-flying cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons.
16 juillet 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Nous sommes à la recherche de fournisseurs technologiques qui pourraient répondre aux besoins présentés ci-après. Les compagnies sélectionnées seront alors mis en relation avec le donneur d'ordre pour présenter leur technologie lors d'un webinaire. Tactical Systems Innovative ID Technology Small SWAP cooperative ID Systems Use of Quatum Technologies for secure comms/ID Processing Independent multi-core processing Dal B capability Additional Opportunities: Small efficient GaN transmitters Crypto capability-IP/FPGA-based CSAC Time Standards-Printed Flex Circuits Any technology that could provide SWAP enhancements Mission Computer Product needs and Collaboration Opportunities Innovative Thermal packaging Solutions Additional Opportunities Rugged OpenVPX capability Fast prototyping-switches and processors Cybersecurity and multi-level security Optical ISR Product Needs and Collaboration Opportunities Image Processing Hyperspectral sensors and processing Focus on low cost low SWAP expendable Additional Opportunities for innovative technologies supporting WAMI Enhancement-sensitivity, SWAP, Affordability Focal planes Optical components Beam steering Antenna Product Needs and Collaboration Opportunities Meta-Material Capabilities Reduced profile Wider Bandwidth Increased Radiated power FSS-based metamaterials for cavity resonators RF absorption Patch antennas with better directivity STAP Algorithms Support for controlled radiation pattern antenna products Materials for extreme environment Ultra high temp RF materials Ultra high temp adhesive Thermal protective radome material High tempRF connectors Space Systems Challenge problems Modelling and models for single event effects on semiconductor components space packaging for thermal management, use of non-hermetic packaging in space Rad-tolerant FPGA software-defined radio technology beyond 2012-generation devices small size laser bean director for 100 urad class open loop repeatability low cost precision optical assembly methods for small quantity complex designs suitable for field environmental conditions Communications and Navigation Solutions Technical Challenges Communications in congested spectrum Dynamic spectrum access, interference mitigation (signal processing and nulling) Efficient Use of Processing Resources Dynamic Partial FPGA Reconfiguration, efficient auto code generation Navigation Assured position navigation and timing techniques Networking Technologies Directional networking, mesh networking, network management of Link 16 systems Open architecture systems 3U VPX open architecture hardware, software, and waveforms Other Technologies Link 16 for LEOs, free space optical communications, multi-band power amplifiers for VHF, UHF and L-band Communications, multi-function phased arrays and phased array enabling technologies Si vous pensez avoir les capacités demandées, envoyez vos informations à : Pauline Breyton pauline.breyton@aeromontreal.ca
13 juin 2019 | Local, C4ISR
CAMBRIDGE, ON and ATHENS, Greece, June 13, 2019 /CNW/ - exactEarth Ltd. ("exactEarth") (XCT:TSX), a leading provider of Satellite-AIS data services, and MarineTraffic, a leading global provider of ship tracking and maritime intelligence, announce that they have entered into a three-year channel partner agreement (the "Agreement"). Under terms of the Agreement, MarineTraffic will deploy exactEarth's exactView RT data into its online maritime services products to help bring real-time, business-critical and actionable vessel information to maritime industry participants. exactView RT consists of 58 operational payloads and seven orbital spares that were designed and built by Harris Corporation and that are hosted onboard the Iridium NEXT constellation of satellites, which is owned and operated by Iridium Communications Inc. exactView RT's advanced maritime payloads cover the entire maritime VHF radio band and leverage the unique cross-linked architecture of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation to deliver AIS and other vessel-based VHF data services from more than 500,000 vessels, anywhere on the globe, relaying that data securely to customers in real-time. MarineTraffic owns the world's preeminent ship-tracking website, which attracts approximately six million unique visitors per month. The company operates 2,000 AIS stations in more than 165 countries around-the-world, delivering the most comprehensive AIS coastal tracking facility available today. For companies in the maritime sector, MarineTraffic is a preferred tool for fleet management, alert and notification systems, vessel particulars, port statistics and actionable intelligence through API. "MarineTraffic is a leading provider of vessel movement information services and we look forward to contributing to their ongoing efforts to enhance their customer experience," said Peter Mabson, President & CEO of exactEarth. "This Agreement opens-up another channel for our Satellite-AIS data services and is a further positive indication of the response we have received from customers, prospects and partners regarding the real-time functionality of exactView RT. With its superior vessel detection, rapid update rate and reliability, exactView RT is becoming a "must-have" data source on major data platforms throughout the maritime industry." Argyris Stasinakis, Partner Business Development, MarineTraffic said, "The addition of exactEarth's high resolution, real-time AIS data means that MarineTraffic is now the go-to source for any professional seeking the most comprehensive view of shipping movements. Users of our platform exploiting our ocean coverage services will see enhanced functionality thanks to the higher frequency, coverage and less than one-minute latency delivered by the exactView RT satellite constellation. This means that our popular predictive services will be more accurate than ever before, allowing our customers to monitor and plan more precisely." About MarineTraffic With headquarters in Athens and international offices in the UK and Singapore, MarineTraffic is the global ship tracking and maritime intelligence provider. Leveraging AIS technology, MarineTraffic is at the forefront of a movement taking shipping into a new digital era. The company's range of services deliver increased transparency to the shipping markets through the provision of high-quality data for analysis, which supports forecasting and informed decision making. MarineTraffic receives analyses and stores millions of vessel positions every day. This data is collected through the world's most extensive network of AIS stations before being enriched to deliver business-critical information. Current positions and vessel's tracks are displayed on a Live Map, with historical positions, vessel details, port conditions and statistics being made available throughout the website. www.marinetraffic.com About exactEarth Ltd. exactEarth is a leading provider of global maritime vessel data for ship tracking and maritime situational awareness solutions. Since its establishment in 2009, exactEarth has pioneered a powerful new method of maritime surveillance called Satellite-AIS and has delivered to its clients a view of maritime behaviours across all regions of the world's oceans unrestricted by terrestrial limitations. exactEarth has deployed an operational data processing supply chain involving a constellation of satellites, receiving ground stations, patented decoding algorithms and advanced "big data" processing and distribution facilities. This ground-breaking system provides a comprehensive picture of the location of AIS equipped maritime vessels throughout the world and allows exactEarth to deliver data and information services characterized by high performance, reliability, security and simplicity to large international markets. For more information, visit www.exactearth.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of historical fact, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding exactEarth's future plans, our ability to continue as a going concern, objectives or economic performance, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, including statements regarding, among other things, expectations of our exactView RT offering relative to competitors, timing of the achievement of real-time global vessel tracking via our second-generation constellation, timing expectations with respect to launch of satellites, expectations of the exactView RT capabilities driving growth, growth opportunities for the Company in the maritime information services market and the cost and revenue share in connection with the Harris Agreement. exactEarth uses words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by exactEarth in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors exactEarth believes are appropriate under the relevant circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to exactEarth's expectations and predictions is subject to any number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Many factors could cause exactEarth's actual results, historical financial statements, or future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors include, without limitation: uncertainty in the global economic environment; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; delays in the purchasing decisions of exactEarth's customers; the competition exactEarth faces in its industry and/or marketplace; the further delayed launch of satellites; the reduced scope of significant existing contracts; and the possibility of technical, logistical or planning issues in connection with the deployment of exactEarth's products or services. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/exactearth-and-marinetraffic-announce-channel-partner-agreement-865863568.html