14 mai 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

Helicopter firm tries to revive cancelled Canadian deal with the Philippines

David Pugliese

Just months after a contract to sell military helicopters to the Philippines was cancelled, a Canadian firm is hoping it can revive the controversial deal.

The Liberal government ordered a review of the original contract involving Bell Helicopter Canada after human rights concerns were raised in February about the aircraft being used on the front lines of the country's various conflicts.

But that review angered Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, who cancelled the $234-million deal for 16 Bell 412 helicopters to be built in Mirabel, Que.

Bell says it is now back in discussions with the Philippines as a potential client for the same helicopters. Patrick Moulay, a Bell senior vice-president, told the aviation publication Flight Global that he can't get into specifics because the discussions are commercially sensitive. “We are still discussing to see how we can address the missions and operational needs of our customers,” he explained. “We are talking to them on a daily basis but you should wait for a few more weeks before we go into more details.”

In February, when the original deal became public, human rights advocates expressed disbelief that Canada was selling the aircraft to the Philippines considering the country's poor human rights record and its controversial leader Duterte.

The international criminal court has launched an initial inquiry into allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Duterte. The allegations relate to extrajudicial executions committed during the president's war on drugs, which has killed thousands. Duterte, who once boasted about throwing a man to his death from a helicopter, has also warned government officials they would face the same fate if he learned they were involved in corruption.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also raised concerns about extrajudicial killings while visiting the country in November, specifically those related to Duterte's violent crackdown on illegal drugs.

The Canadian Commercial Corporation, a federal government agency, brokered the original February deal to supply the 16 Bell 412 helicopters to the Philippines. But the corporation noted in an email Monday that the organization is not supporting Bell's latest efforts in the Philippines.

Bell Helicopter did not respond to a request for comment.

Some arms control advocates are worried that Bell might do an end-run around Canadian regulations by shipping portions of the helicopters to its U.S. facilities for assembly and eventual sale to the Philippines. “Canada's arms control policies are so weak that there are various ways to get these helicopters to Duterte,” said Steve Staples, vice president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa think tank. “Shipping semi-completed aircraft from Mirabel into the U.S. could be one way.”

The Liberal government said in February it was unaware the Bell helicopters were going to be used for military operations in the Philippines. It stated the original purpose of the aircraft was for search and rescue and disaster relief. The Liberals blamed the previous Conservative government for initiating the deal.

But the Philippine government never hid its intention to use the Canadian-built helicopters in military operations, even going as far as displaying the first batch of those choppers armed with machine guns during an official ceremony in 2015 attended by Canada's ambassador.

Philippines Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla, military chief of plans, also told journalists in Manila that the aircraft “will be used for the military's internal security operations.”

The Philippine military is keen to boost its capabilities as it fights Communist insurgents and Islamic extremists. It says it would use the Canadian helicopters to transport and supply troops and ferry wounded soldiers out of danger. Other uses would be for disaster relief.

Last summer, the Philippine air force used its older utility helicopters during intense fighting in the city of Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city.

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/helicopter-firm-tries-to-revive-cancelled-canadian-deal-with-the-philippines

Sur le même sujet

  • Canada faces fresh pressure on military spending as NATO chief eyes hard target

    17 février 2023 | Local, Autre défense

    Canada faces fresh pressure on military spending as NATO chief eyes hard target

    OTTAWA — The head of the NATO military alliance threatened to raise the heat on Canada and other laggards on Wednesday as he called on member countries to…

  • Military expert suggests Canada may want to consider its own space force

    7 janvier 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

    Military expert suggests Canada may want to consider its own space force

    By Peter Rakobowchuk MONTREAL — President Donald Trump's push to create a U.S. space force is being welcomed by military experts in Canada, and the executive director of one defence think tank says Canada should consider following suit. "At some point we might like to think about a space force," Matthew Overton, executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, said in an interview. "Thinking about space as a separate entity in itself that deserves attention and expertise, I think is a good idea." But it is not something that needs to be done immediately, he added, suggesting Canada should first develop a centre of excellence on space knowledge. Last month, Trump took a first step toward a space force when he signed an order to create a U.S. Space Command, which pulls together space-related units from across military services into a co-ordinated, independent organization. The move comes amid growing concerns that China and Russia are working on ways to disrupt, disable or even destroy U.S. satellites. The U.S. air force has operated a space command since 1982, and its mission is "to provide resilient, defendable and affordable space capabilities for the air force." It also operates the mysterious X-37B space plane, known simply as its orbital test vehicle. The unmanned plane has already completed four clandestine missions, carrying classified payloads on long-duration flights. Overton, who served in the Canadian Forces for 39 years, noted that Canada's Air Force already has a space component. It is led by Brigadier General Kevin Whale, Director General Space. Its mission, a spokesman said by email, is "to maintain space domain awareness, and to develop, deliver and assure space-based capabilities." Overton said Trump's space force makes a lot of sense, but he expects there will be tension as the new entity gets down to work with other branches of the military. He gave the example of the GPS network, which is crucial for land, air and sea forces, but could become a space force responsibility. "What is the relationship with other forces? How do you work out that dynamic?"" Wayne Ellis, who served in the Canadian military for 20 years, agrees that a U.S. space force is a good idea. "I think there's enough activity and potential activity to concentrate resources in that domain, which probably merits a separation from the air force," Ellis, a past president of the Canadian Space Society, said in an interview. "Perhaps now is a good opportunity to look at a totally separate branch — at least for the U.S." He noted that Canadian military personnel have worked side by side with the U.S. military for decades. "A lot of these positions are actually space positions at various bases so, at some point, our posted personnel are going to be interacting with the U.S. space force as it gets set up," he added. James Bezan, the Conservative defence critic, said he wants to see more details about the space capabilities Americans envision. "For Canada, my sense is that we need to watch this and see how it evolves," he said. Before Canada considers creating its own space force, Bezan added, it should focus on making Norad — the bilateral North American Aerospace Defence Command — more effective. "I would think that any co-operation that we do with the States as it relates to North American defence, as it relates to aerospace, should be part of the Norad discussions," he said. Randall Garrison, the NDP defence critic, criticized Trump's plan to launch a sixth branch of the U.S. military. "New Democrats are fundamentally opposed to the militarization of space and believe that space should only be used by all of humanity for peaceful purposes," he wrote in an email. "New Democrats urge the government of Canada to uphold the principles of peaceful space exploration and to engage with our allies on a renewed call for the drafting of an international treaty aimed at the prevention of an arms race in space." Overton pointed out that space has long been exploited for military purposes, and there's no way it can be avoided. "Communications satellites, GPS and intelligence communications, you name it — all that is there," he said. The office of the Minister of National Defence noted in a statement that "space-based capabilities have become essential to Canada's operations at home and abroad. "That is why Canada's defence policy ... commits to investing in a range of space capabilities such as satellite communications, to help achieve global coverage, including the Arctic." The statement goes on to say that "Canada will continue to promote the peaceful use of space and provide leadership in shaping international norms for responsible behaviour in space." — With files from The Associated Press. Peter Rakobowchuk, The Canadian Press https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/01/05/military-expert-suggests-canada-may-want-to-consider-its-own-space-force-2

  • Attribution d’un contrat de prolongation de la durée de vie du navire de la Garde côtière canadienne Terry Fox

    2 novembre 2022 | Local, Naval

    Attribution d’un contrat de prolongation de la durée de vie du navire de la Garde côtière canadienne Terry Fox

    Ottawa (Ontario) - Veiller à ce que le personnel de la Garde côtière canadienne dispose de l'équipement dont il a besoin pour maintenir les voies navigables du Canada ouvertes et sécuritaires est une priorité essentielle du gouvernement du Canada. Aujourd'hui, la Garde côtière canadienne (GCC) annonce l'attribution d'un contrat de prolongation de la durée de vie du navire de la Garde côtière canadienne (NGCC) Terry Fox à hauteur de 135,56 millions de dollars. Le navire sera placé en cale sèche et entamera une période d'entretien prolongée destinée à augmenter sa durée de vie opérationnelle. À la suite d'un processus concurrentiel ouvert, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada, au nom de la GCC, a attribué le contrat à Heddle Shipyards, de St. Catharines, en Ontario, pour effectuer les travaux de prolongation de la durée de vie du NGCC Terry Fox. Le contrat de prolongation de la durée de vie du navire comprend deux phases : une phase d'ingénierie et d'approvisionnement de 14 mois qui préparera le chantier naval pour la deuxième phase, et une période de travail de 18 mois, où le navire sera placé en cale sèche pour le projet de prolongation de sa durée de vie. Grand brise-glace polyvalent, le navire est capable de mener des opérations soutenues dans l'archipel arctique pendant les mois d'été, et des opérations d'escorte de déglaçage dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent et sur la côte est de Terre-Neuve en hiver. Le navire participe également à divers programmes de la GCC, notamment à des missions scientifiques dans l'Arctique. Pendant que le navire fait l'objet de travaux de prolongation de sa durée de vie de la fin de 2023 au printemps 2025, la Garde côtière canadienne réaffectera ses autres ressources maritimes, afin de s'assurer que les voies navigables du Canada continuent d'être sécuritaires pour tous les gens de la mer. Ce contrat s'inscrit dans le cadre du volet des projets de réparation, de radoub et d'entretien de la Stratégie nationale de construction navale, qui contribue à faire en sorte que le Canada dispose d'une flotte de navires sécuritaire et efficace pour servir et protéger les Canadiens dans les années à venir, tout en offrant des possibilités continues aux chantiers navals et aux fournisseurs dans l'ensemble du Canada. https://www.canada.ca/fr/garde-cotiere-canadienne/nouvelles/2022/11/attribution-dun-contrat-de-prolongation-de-la-duree-de-vie-du-navire-de-la-garde-cotiere-canadienne-terry-fox.html

Toutes les nouvelles