26 décembre 2019 | Local, Naval
Murray Brewster
The Department of National Defence has faced some tough, pointed questions about whether it has chosen the right radar, main gun and close air defence systems for the navy's new frigates, which will soon hit the drawing board.
An unsolicited defence industry slide deck presentation, obtained by CBC News, questions each of those key components in the planned $60 billion modernization of the fleet.
It was circulated earlier this year and put in front of the senior federal officials in charge of the program.
The defence industry briefing presentation points out that the Lockheed Martin-built AN/SPY-7 radar system — an updated, more sophisticated version of an existing U.S. military system — has not been installed and certified on any warship. A land-based version of the system is being produced and fielded for the Japanese government.
The briefing calls it "an unproven radar" system that will be "costly to support," and claims it comes at a total price tag of $1 billion for all of the new ships, which the undated presentation describes as "an unnecessary expenditure."
Lockheed Martin Canada and British-based BAE Systems Inc. were chosen earlier this year by the Liberal government to design and help build 15 new warships to replace the country's existing patrol frigates — the backbone of the navy.
The briefing raises concerns about DND's choice of a main gun for the frigates — a 127 millimetre MK 45 described by the briefing as 30-year-old technology that will soon be obsolete and cannot fire precision-guided shells.
The briefing also singles out as inadequate the Sea Ceptor close air defence system, which is meant to shoot down incoming, ship-killing missiles.
Given the Canadian government's past missteps with military procurement — buying used equipment or opting for developmental systems that take years to get into service — a defence expert said the caution being expressed by the industry now is legitimate, but in some respects it's coming years too late.
"There's a risk anytime you try to do something new for the first time," said Dave Perry, an analyst who specializes in procurement at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
The navy struggled for years to get second-hand British submarines up to Canadian standards. The air force also sat on its hands while the manufacturer of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopters worked out all of the developmental bugs.
The presentation, Perry said, essentially tries to re-litigate decisions made by federal officials over three years ago, when the government's request for proposals was mapped out.
"This is calling into question whether the government set down [technical] markers in an appropriate spot or not," he said. "There is always the possibility that these issues can be revisited, but I think at this point the ship has sailed because a competition was run, it did produce a preferred bidder."
The pressure to get the new frigate design right is enormous, given the enormous expense involved and the changing nature of warfare, Perry added.
The briefing presentation apparently was circulated by a rival radar-maker which was not part of the bidding process. Federal officials declined to name the company.
Raytheon Canada Ltd. and its U.S. parent are among the biggest electronics and radar manufacturers in the world. A request for comment sent to their international business division went unanswered last week.
The concerns in the briefing were presented last summer to: Pat Finn, former head of materiel at DND; Andre Fillion, the assistant deputy minister of defence purchasing at Public Services and Procurement Canada; and Rear Admiral Casper Donovan, the navy's director general for "future ship capability."
DND confirmed the existence of the briefing presentation but refused to say who received it or which defence contractor was pushing it.
"It is not uncommon for companies to present unsolicited material to our department when they are unsuccessful in a competitive process," spokesman Andrew McKelvey said recently.
"We do not comment on these unsolicited documents as they are provided outside the scope of our established procurement process."
Both the department and the commander of the navy stand behind the decisions that were made and the systems chosen for the new frigate.
"We did our homework. We talked to other navies. We engaged our allies," said Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, who added DND was aware of other options on the market.
Delivering the warships on schedule and on budget in the mid-2020s is a constant preoccupation in the department, he said. He would not say whether the choice of radar system might mean a delay in delivery.
A senior executive at Lockheed Martin Canada said the company's radar system is identical to one selected by the U.S. government and other countries.
Much of the system's hardware, and some of its software, have been used on U.S. Aegis-type guided missile destroyers and cruisers. The difference between the radar system chosen for Canada's frigates and conventional systems is in its array: the Lockheed Martin system sweeps around and above the vessel, rather than only horizontally.
"The work that remains is to integrate it into the ship and integrate it into the ship's combat system," said Gary Fudge, general manager and vice president of Lockheed Martin Canada.
"We worked for two years with BAE during the proposal stage to optimize the ship design with this particular radar."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frigate-gun-radar-canadian-navy-1.5405054
8 juillet 2021 | Local, Naval
Le gouvernement du Canada s'est engagé à enlever les épaves et les b'timents abandonnés ou dangereux constituant une menace de pollution pour le milieu marin, qui ont des répercussions sur les collectivités côtières et qui représentent un danger pour...
12 décembre 2017 | Local, Aérospatial
DANIEL LEBLANC OTTAWA PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGOUPDATED 2 DAYS AGO The federal government is vowing to make it harder for companies that harm Canada's "economic interests" to win major contracts, starting with the $26-billion competition to provide 88 new fighter jets to the Canadian Armed Forces. The new requirement will be fleshed out in coming months, with Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough acknowledging that it will include a mix of "objective and subjective elements." Officially, the new "economic impact test" will apply to all bidders in major competitions, with Ms. Qualtrough and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains insisting the requirement complies with Canadian and international law. Still, the new test was quickly dubbed the "Boeing clause" as it comes in response to U.S.-based Boeing Co.'s unresolved trade dispute with Canada's Bombardier Inc. Boeing said last April that the Canadian plane maker used unfair government subsidies to clinch an important contract for 75 CS 100 planes to Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines at "absurdly low" sale prices. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the trade dispute will affect Boeing's future dealings with the government, which is now giving itself leverage to fight back in disputes with foreign companies. "Anyone can apply, but we've been very clear with this new policy: If there is economic harm to Canada, if there's an impact on Canadian jobs, if there's an impact to some of the key sectors in the Canadian economy, you will be at a distinct disadvantage," Mr. Bains said at a news conference. The new test was announced as the federal government confirmed it has cancelled plans to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing. The government is buying second-hand Australian fighter jets as an "interim" measure to help Canada's fleet of CF-18s to meet the country's international obligations. Defence analyst David Perry said the new economic impact test stands to create a new layer of complexity in military procurements that are already beset by delays. "If this is not a superficial, political assessment about whether or not the government of Canada likes this company or not, this will require bureaucratic time and effort to come up with a detailed assessment that will pass legal review," Mr. Perry said. Mr. Perry, a senior analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, added that companies such as Boeing, which do billions of dollars of business and provide thousands of jobs in Canada, will be hard to box in specific categories. "Just coming down with some neat, clean assessment that says, on balance, this company is providing economic harm to Canada will be really difficult," Mr. Perry said. Boeing said that it is awaiting further details on the new economic impact test before deciding how to proceed on the upcoming competition for new jets. "We will review the Future Fighter Capability Project requirements for 88 jets, including the 'Boeing Clause,' and make a decision at the appropriate time," company spokesman Scott Day said. The federal government announced new details on the competition to replace Canada's fleet of CF-18s on Tuesday. A formal request for proposals is scheduled to be unveiled in spring, 2019, with a winning bidder announced in 2022. In addition to Boeing, other potential bidders include Lockheed Martin (F-35), Saab (Gripen), Dassault (Rafale) and Eurofighter (Typhoon). The opposition focused its attacks on the fact the government will be buying second-hand planes at an unspecified price instead of quickly launching a competition for new fighter jets. "We know these eighties-era jets are rusted out because a 2012 Australian report said corrosion was so bad that the number of active flying days had to be cut. This is not a bucket of bolts; this is a bucket of rusted-out bolts," Conservative MP Tony Clement said during Question Period. The government responded by blaming the Harper government for its failed attempt to buy F-35s without going to tenders. General Jonathan Vance, the Chief of the Defence Staff, said the requirements for the full fleet of new fighter jets have been redrawn since the days in which only the F-35 could qualify. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/federal-government-to-link-economic-interests-to-bids-for-fighter-jets/article37303772/
28 mai 2020 | Local, Sécurité
Posted on May 28, 2020; by Leonardo Helicopters During the spread of COVID-19, Leonardo has seen operators of its aircraft adapt, react and overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic across geographies. Air ambulance operators Ornge and STARS have managed to continue conducting life-saving missions across Canada throughout the emergency. Both of these healthcare organizations have shared with Leonardo how they were adapting to the ‘new normal' and how the Leonardo AW139 helicopter has been supporting their patient transportation missions during these difficult times. STARS serves Western Canada, catering to remote areas and communities as well as highways and passenger transportation. The provinces STARS operates in includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The air ambulance operator is seeing around 12 per cent of its missions involve patients with influenza-like illnesses, which may include COVID-19. “Our team has adapted very well to the challenges posed by COVID-19. We have undertaken significant efforts to develop and train crews on enhanced procedures and secure supplies of critical equipment to protect our crews,” said Mike Haska, director of marketing and communications at STARS. Ornge also shared similar sentiments and emphasized how the great people behind these organizations are ensuring it is business as usual despite these trying times. “Like every healthcare organization, the health and safety of Ornge staff and patients is our top priority. Ornge staff have adapted to the pandemic and helped implement a number of innovative solutions including enhanced telemedicine support, an expanded critical care land ambulance program and more,” said Joshua McNamara, public relations officer at Ornge. Ornge is a vital lifeline to the people of Ontario and its AW139 fleet, comprising of a dozen helicopters alongside aircraft and land ambulances, performs duties from one of 12 bases across the province. Both operators are adhering to guidelines and directives from the provinces' health authorities as well as Transport Canada regulations. The twin-engine AW139 is operated around the world and, in September 2019, the 1,000th helicopter of the type was delivered. The helicopter is an ideal EMS platform with its spacious and configurable cabin which can accommodate up to 15 people. “The AW139 is a state of the art aircraft allowing Ornge to access patients in remote locations. Additionally, the AW139 travels faster and allows our crews to transport patients safely due to state of the art navigation and on board technology,” added McNamara. “The range, speed, and versatility of the aircraft allow us to respond to a variety of types of patient transports, which is critical as we respond to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients across the province.” Within the STARS fleet portfolio are three AW139s, alongside other aircraft, which enable the air ambulance operator to operate 24-7. “The AW139 is a modern and capable helicopter for EMS operations. We continue to see steady mission volumes across our bases so ensuring we are ready to respond to patients in need, whether their medical circumstances involve COVID-19 or not, is crucial,” Haska commented. The AW139 has been adapted to the challenges posed by the pandemic — not only are the crew more adept and learned with wearing PPE but they have adapted the helicopter's configuration and equipment placement within each aircraft to suit the mission, Haska explained. He continued that “select equipment or supplies [can] be off-loaded prior to responding to a COVID-19 positive or suspected patient to reduce the amount of decontamination required post-mission.” STARS' air medical crews are extremely experienced and highly trained to deal with many types of infectious diseases, so the team's existing processes were able to deal with the COVID-19 threat well. However, the frequency has increased by which the crews use PPE such as masks, gowns and gloves on all types of missions during this time. “This is to ensure our staff are not required to self-isolate in the event a patient is later found to have been COVID-positive. This helps us ensure we can maintain 24-7 operations across our bases,” explained Haska. This approach is similar to Ornge which has enhanced its cleaning to high touch areas. “Leonardo has provided Ornge with instruction for approved methods of disinfection in the cockpit and cabin for the AW139. The company remains supportive and responsive and continues to provide seamless support for maintenance activities since the onset of COVID-19,” said McNamara. “We're also grateful that, as the world faces a strain on the supply chain due to numerous requests and organizational shutdowns, Leonardo's supply chain remains uninterrupted and Ornge continues to receive the necessary parts to maintain our aircraft.” As operators like STARS and Ornge continue to meet the threat of COVID-19 head-on, Leonardo plays a key role in the work of the air ambulance services and the crucial role they play in transporting people by providing and supporting helicopters which undertake life-saving missions around the world, day after day. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/leonardos-aw139-supporting-covid-19-operations-in-canada/