Retour aux nouvelles

23 novembre 2018 | Local, Naval

Frigate design decision challenged in Federal Court, putting $60B program in limbo

Murray Brewster · CBC News

Winning bid 'incapable of meeting three critical mandatory requirements,' says Alion Canada

One of the losing bidders in the competition to design the navy's next generation of warships has asked the Federal Court to overturn the recent decision to award the contract to a group of companies led by Lockheed Martin Canada.

Alion Science and Technology Corp. and its subsidiary, Alion Canada, asked for a judicial review on Friday — a challenge that could mean more delays to the $60 billion program.

The company had pitched the Dutch-designed De Zeven Provinciën Air Defence and Command (LCF) frigate as their solution for the Canadian navy.

It's asking the court to set aside an Oct. 19 decision to select Lockheed Martin Canada the preferred bidder and to prevent the federal government from entering into negotiations with the company, which has offered up the BAE Systems-designed Type 26 frigate.

In their court filing, Alion officials argue that the winning bid was "incapable of meeting three critical mandatory requirements" of the design tender.

Notably, they say the Type 26 cannot meet the mandatory speed requirements set out by the navy and that both Public Services and Procurement Canada and Irving Shipbuilding, the yard overseeing the construction, should have rejected the bid outright.

Alion said it "submitted a fully-compliant and conforming bid at enormous expense" and argued it "has been denied the fair treatment (it was) owed."

The court application also points out that the design tender was amended 88 times during the 22 months it was under consideration and that the changes "effectively diluted the [warship] requirements" and allowed the government and Irving to select "an unproven design platform."

Rising cost estimates

Over two years ago, the Liberal government said it wanted to select a "mature design" for the new frigates, rather than designing a warship from scratch. Former public works minister Judy Foote said it would be a faster, cheaper solution.

Unlike its two competitors, the Type 26 has yet to enter service with the Royal Navy and competitors have privately knocked it as "paper ship."

Navantia, a Spanish-based company, was the other failed bidder. It headed a team that included Saab and CEA Technologies and proposed the F-105 frigate design, a ship in service with the Spanish navy.

The Liberal government plans to build 15 new warships and hoped to get construction underway in the early 2020s. The program, which has been beset with delays and rising cost estimates, is intended to replace the navy's aging Halifax-class frigates, the backbone of the nation's maritime fighting force.

Federal procurement officials had hoped to nail down a complete design contract with Lockheed Martin by the winter. The court challenge now puts that timeline in doubt.

It also has enormous implications for Irving, which has been concerned about a slowdown in warship production between the current Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship program and the frigate replacements, which are formally titled 'Canadian Surface Combatants'.

No one at Public Works or Lockheed Martin was immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frigate-design-decision-challenged-in-federal-court-putting-60b-program-in-limbo-1.4915501

Sur le même sujet

  • Canada's WWII-era pistols dangerously unreliable — but the quest to find a replacement drags on

    10 décembre 2018 | Local, Terrestre

    Canada's WWII-era pistols dangerously unreliable — but the quest to find a replacement drags on

    Tristin Hopper The Canadian Army brought 20 pistols to an Arkansas shooting competition. Before events had even officially kicked off, 15 of those pistols had jammed so badly during the warmup they couldn't be used. “It was so bad, the guys coming off (the range) were handing over their (remaining five) pistols to the next team because they couldn't trust the others,” said Ken Pole, who wrote about the incident for a feature in Canadian Army Today. On average, Pole found that the Canadians' handguns has jammed once every 62 shots. Their British competitors, by contrast, squeezed off 5,620 rounds without a hitch. This is all pretty standard for the Browning Hi-Power, the 74-year-old pistol still carried as the primary sidearm of the Canadian Armed Forces. Unlike most pistols carried by G7 militaries, Brownings have a tendency to rattle and soldiers have been advised not to fully load the pistol because it will wear out the springs. When a Canadian soldier is deployed to a war zone such as Afghanistan or Mali, they're issued with whatever Browning Hi-Power is deemed to be least likely to give out. That's why some have joked that if they're ever forced to use their sidearm in combat, they'd be better off throwing it than shooting it. “If you give me a choice of a sharp stick or a Browning, I'll ... sadly take the Browning but will look fondly at the stick,” Bob Kinch, a former competitive marksman with the Canadian Armed Forces, wrote in a September Quora post. Like many times when the Canadian military tries to buy something, however, the quest to replace the Browning is now held up in a years-long procurement limbo. A 2016 statement by the Department of National Defence estimated that soldiers wouldn't be able to get their hands on new pistols until at least 2026. Canada's Hi-Powers are so desperately obsolete, however, that the army has been forced to greenlight a stopgap program to buy up some working pistols in the meantime. Known as the “Army Interim Pistol Program,” it will buy about 7,000 sidearms to immediate plug what the army is calling its “current pistol capability gaps.” Full article: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadas-wwii-era-pistols-dangerously-unreliable-but-the-quest-to-find-a-replacement-drags-on

  • Minister of National Defence Remarks at the Responsible AI in the Military domain (REAIM) Summit 2024

    17 septembre 2024 | Local, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Minister of National Defence Remarks at the Responsible AI in the Military domain (REAIM) Summit 2024

    I’d like to begin my remarks by offering my sincere thanks to our hosts for all the work that they have done in organizing the summit and bringing this very important discussion together.

  • PAL Aerospace wins government aerial surveillance contract

    5 mars 2019 | Local, Aérospatial, C4ISR

    PAL Aerospace wins government aerial surveillance contract

    PAL Aerospace is pleased to be awarded a contract to provide aerial surveillance for Canada's inland, coastal and offshore waters on behalf of the Government of Canada. The expanded contract, delivered on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, covers an initial five-year period and includes opportunities for PAL Aerospace to earn contract extensions that increase the life of the agreement to 10 years. PAL Aerospace has been providing this critical service under contract to the government since 1990. “This contract award confirms the Government of Canada's confidence in our company's ability to execute the most advanced maritime surveillance program of its type in the world,” said PAL CEO Brian Chafe. “The program is an excellent example of the successful public-private partnership that continues to drive innovation and support employment in Canada.” Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for the monitoring, control, and surveillance of Canada's fisheries waters, as well as certain international areas, such as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area, and the North Pacific. “PAL Aerospace's work on behalf of the Government of Canada will ensure highly skilled employment and important economic benefits from coast to coast,” said Jake Trainor, chief operating officer of PAL Aerospace. “From St. John's to Campbell River, our operations and employees look forward to delivering this important work for Canadians.” PAL Aerospace's critical role in the delivery of Canada's aerial surveillance program provides the Government of Canada with the capability to monitor domestic and foreign vessel activities and detect potential violations. The program also contributes significantly to pollution surveillance, environmental monitoring, and marine security for a number of other federal departments and agencies. “This contract is a significant investment in the Newfoundland and Labrador economy that will support our bright future in the community,” said Derek Scott, vice-president of Program Development for PAL Aerospace. “Ensuring we meet Fisheries and Oceans Canada's service expectations for this contract will push us to improve and expand our already significant core capabilities. In doing so, PAL Aerospace will be better positioned to continue developing and delivering value added Canadian technology and innovative practices to domestic and export markets.” Under the new contract, PAL Aerospace will provide Fisheries and Oceans Canada with service through a combination of Beechcraft King Air B200 medium-range aircraft and Dash 8-100 series long-range aircraft, all associated ground support and other related services. The aircraft will operate from bases in St. John's, N.L.; Halifax, N.S.; and Campbell River, B.C. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/pal-aerospace-wins-government-aerial-surveillance-contract

Toutes les nouvelles