German air chief urges haste in fielding strike, utility drones

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  6 octobre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

  Government awards design contract for future fighter infrastructure in Bagotville

  From: National Defence News release October 2, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces As outlined in Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is providing Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel with the infrastructure they require to support their future operations. Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced a $12.1-million contract award to EllisDon-EBC Inc. Joint Venture of Ottawa for the design of a new fighter jet facility at 3 Wing Bagotville, one of two main operating bases for Canada's future fighter aircraft. This infrastructure, along with the facilities being built at 4 Wing Cold Lake, will support the long-term maintenance and operation of 88 new aircraft being procured for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) through the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP). This contract is an important milestone in preparing Bagotville for the future fighter, and delivering the infrastructure our aviators will need. Both the Cold Lake and Bagotville infrastructure projects will provide significant economic opportunities for the Canadian construction industry, as well as their respective communities. In total, approximately 900 jobs are expected to be created during the design and construction of both facilities. The Bagotville facility will host two tactical fighter squadrons and will cover approximately 12,500 m2, providing space for daily operations, maintenance, administration, mission planning, and simulator training. Quotes “Modern infrastructure is a critical step to remaining operationally ready for the future, and this project is another guarantee that we will continue protecting Canadian sovereignty while standing with NORAD and NATO, today and tomorrow. We are well on our way to constructing the modern facilities we need to house our future fighter fleet.” The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence “By investing in infrastructure for the future fighter aircraft and the Canadian Armed Forces, the government is also investing in the Bagotville community. The design and construction of this new facility will provide economic benefits for Canadian industry and the Bagotville region, while ensuring our military remains strong, secure, and engaged.” Anita Vandenbeld, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence Quick facts A $9.2-million contract was awarded in August 2020 to EllisDon Construction Services for the design portion of the Cold Lake future fighter infrastructure. Construction is expected to begin at both bases in summer 2022. Both the Bagotville and Cold Lake design contracts will include options for the contractors to build the new facilities, and any additional infrastructure once the future fighter is selected, should Canada decide to exercise these follow-on options. By awarding these infrastructure design contracts now, before the future fighter is selected, necessary work can proceed and bases will be ready for the first aircraft deliveries. These facilities will be designed and constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver standards and will use energy efficient options wherever possible. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2020/10/government-awards-design-contract-for-future-fighter-infrastructure-in-bagotville.html

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  9 octobre 2018 | Local, C4ISR

  String of radar stations in Canadian Arctic nearly obsolete — and modernizing them will cost billions

  David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen The radar sites detect potential threats entering North America's airspace and transmit a stream of data to military command centres in the south CAMBRIDGE BAY, Nunavut — The white domes that rise from the tundra look innocuous enough, and yet they play a critical role in protecting millions of Canadians and Americans thousands of kilometres away. Inside, where photographs are forbidden, they are like a time capsule from the late 1980s, the décor still reflecting the late Cold War era when the Canadian and U.S. governments established the North Warning System, the chain of mostly unmanned radar sites of which the Cambridge Bay facility is a part. Spanning Canada's northern coastline across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Labrador, the radar sites exist to detect potential threats entering North America's airspace, transmitting a stream of data to military command centres in the south. At the Cambridge Bay site, dozens of civilian contractors — employees of Raytheon Canada — work around the clock to keep the installation operating in temperatures that can dip to -60 C in January or February. At times during the winter, Arctic storms almost completely cover some of the sites in snow, requiring contractors to climb through hatches in the roofs of the buildings to conduct maintenance work. But the North Warning System now faces a threat greater than the harsh Arctic environment. In seven years the radar system is expected to be obsolete. The Canadian and U.S. governments are trying to figure out how to upgrade the radars for modern times — opening the door that the sensors could be plugged in to the Pentagon's missile defence system as well as be modernized so they can track a new generation of Russian cruise missiles. Canada and the U.S. are trying to figure out technological improvements for the early warning system and are in the midst of discussions on the topic. A joint study on continental defence is expected to be finished by next year, Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier told Postmedia. “Following the completion of the study, Canada and the United States will determine the next steps for the replacement of the NWS and update the project timelines accordingly,” he added. But that could emerge as yet another point of contention between Canada and the Trump administration in the U.S., which has already admonished Canada for not spending enough on defence. The last time the U.S. and Canada modernized the radar system was during the tenure of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, when relations between the two nations were on a solid footing. “Negotiating with the Trump administration is going to be a lot different than with the Reagan government,” explained defence analyst Martin Shadwick. “Trump will be the wild card.” Shadwick said details about funding and what the radars need to do in the future could become sticking points. The Liberal government has recognized it has to do something about what it calls the capability gaps in the North Warning System. “While the current NWS is approaching the end of its life expectancy from a technological and functional perspective, unfortunately the range of potential threats to the continent, such as that posed by adversarial cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, has become more complex and increasingly difficult to detect,” the government's defence strategy, released last year, pointed out. But the Liberals did not include funding for the modernization of the NWS in that policy, saying it would come later. Canada is currently responsible for 40 per cent of the cost of the North Warning System, with the remaining 60 per cent falling to the Americans. Canada owns the sites and provides the site operations and maintenance while the U.S. owns the radar and radio equipment. Ernie Regehr, a senior fellow in Arctic security and defence at The Simons Foundation, has found that while the cost for upgrading the North Warning System is unknown at this time it can be expected to run into the billions of dollars. Canada and the U.S. share the responsibility for a credible contribution to the defence of North America, Regehr pointed out. “And the American definition of credible is the one that counts,” he wrote in a March briefing for the Simons Foundation. Full article: https://nationalpost.com/news/modernizing-warning-radars-in-the-arctic-will-cost-canada-and-the-us-billions-of-dollars

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  27 août 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  RCAF to get 2 more CH-149 Cormorants as part of fleet modernization

  The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is to get at least two new Leonardo CH-149s as part of the Canadian government's $1.39 billion mid-life upgrade for its Cormorant fleet. Announcing the move Aug. 22 in Comox, B.C., Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the upgrades to the existing fleet of 14 Cormorants, which are primarily used for search and rescue (SAR) operations, would extend their life to at least 2042. The upgrade program will bring the Cormorants to the latest AW101-612 standard, currently being delivered to Norway to provide that country's new search and rescue fleet. The capability enhancements and equipment improvements in the upgrade include upgraded avionics in a new glass cockpit; new sensors, radar and search enhancement technology; more powerful digitally-controlled engines; wireless in-cabin communications; LED lighting; and rescue hoist upgrades. “Canadians rely on the women and men of the Royal Canadian Air Force to conduct successful search and rescue operations in challenging circumstances,” said Sajjan. “These enhancements to the CH-149 Cormorant fleet will ensure that search and rescue crews have the right equipment to continue providing these life-saving services.” The upgrade program also includes synthetic training solutions delivered by CAE, including Canada's first AW101 full motion simulator. Other companies working to deliver the upgrade include IMP Aerospace and Defence, GE Canada (which will provide the new engines), and Collins Aerospace (which will provide the new cockpit displays and avionics). “Every year, the Royal Canadian Air Force flies about 1,000 missions in support of search and rescue, a core mission of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said LGen A.D. Meinzinger, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. “These upgrades to the CH-149 Cormorant, and an increase in fleet size ensures the RCAF will continue to deliver search and rescue services in the challenging Canadian environment.” Canada's Cormorant fleet began service in 2000, and are currently based at 19 Wing Comox, B.C,; 9 Wing Gander, N.L.; and 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S. In 2005, CH-149s from the Trenton main operating base were redistributed to those three bases, but with the addition of at least two CH-149s to the fleet, the type will return to Trenton and replace Bell CH-146 Griffons in the SAR role. Leonardo said the upgrade program will be delivered with “no interruption or reduction” in Canada's rotary search and rescue capabilities. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/rcaf-to-get-2-more-ch-149-cormorants-as-part-of-fleet-modernization/