7 janvier 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

Installing Canadian software on Australian F-18s first order of business when aircraft arrive, says defence official

One of the first things that will be done to the used Australian F-18s that Canada is purchasing is that the aircraft will be outfitted with different ejection seats and software.

The first two F-18s that Canada is buying from Australia will arrive sometime in the spring and will be sent to Cold Lake, Alta, said Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister for materiel at the Department of National Defence.

“They land, they (the Australians) will remove their software and we'll install our software,” Finn explained in an interview. Also to be installed are ejection seats and a lighting system that is used on the CF-18s.

“Ultimately the intent is the 18 aircraft are indistinguishable from our 76 aircraft,” Finn said.

Canada has finalized its deal to buy the 25 used fighter jets from Australia,

Eighteen of the Australian F-18 aircraft will eventually be flying while another seven will be used for testing and spare parts.

The Department of National Defence still has to figure out how to get the aircraft over from Australia. “We would rather fly them over,” Finn said. “Or have them (the Australians) fly them over.”

The Liberal government had originally planned to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing to augment the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s until new aircraft can be purchased in the coming years.

But in 2017 Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its C-series civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the Trump administration brought in a tariff of almost 300 per cent against the Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada cancelled the deal to buy the 18 Super Hornets. That project would have cost more than US$5 billion.

Instead of buying the new Super Hornets, the Liberals decided to acquire the used Australian jets.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the extra jets are needed to deal with a “capability gap” as Canada does not have enough fighters to handle its commitments to NATO as well as protecting North America.

But Conservative MPs say the capability gap didn't exist and was concocted by the government to delay a larger project to buy new jets, a competition that might end up selecting the F-35 stealth fighter the Liberals vowed never to purchase.

In November 2018 Auditor General Michael Ferguson issued a report noting that the purchase of the extra aircraft would not fix the fundamental weaknesses with the CF-18 fleet which is the aircraft's declining combat capability and a shortage of pilots and maintenance personnel.

“The Australian F/A-18s will need modifications and upgrades to allow them to fly until 2032,” the report noted. “These modifications will bring the F/A-18s to the same level as the CF-18s but will not improve the CF-18's combat capability.”

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/installing-canadian-software-on-australian-f-18s-first-order-of-business-when-aircraft-arrive-says-defence-official

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10 juin 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

Héroux-Devtek announces acquisition of Québec-based Alta Précision Inc.
Héroux-Devtek Inc., the world's third-largest landing gear manufacturer, announced that it has concluded the acquisition of all the outstanding shares of Montreal-based Alta Precision Inc., a manufacturer of high-precision landing gear components. The transaction, which is subject to final purchase price adjustments, is valued at $23 million and was funded through the corporation's credit facilities. Héroux-Devtek, with its head office in Longueuil, Que., has 1,960 employees around the world, of which approximately 800 are located in Québec following the acquisition of Alta Precision Inc. Since its inception in 1942, Héroux-Devtek has grown from a small repair and overhaul facility to a world-class supplier of landing gear and actuation systems, delivering on major platforms such as the Boeing 777 and 777X. This acquisition, along with those of CESA, Beaver and Tekalia announced over the last year, strengthen its leadership position around the world. “The acquisition of Alta Precision Inc. expands our portfolio of commercial products by providing both access to new programs and additional content on existing platforms. It also comes with the backlog and manufacturing capacity necessary to grow the existing business”, said Martin Brassard, president & CEO of Héroux-Devtek. “We would like to welcome the Alta Precision Inc. employees and its president Guillermo Alonso who will join the growing Héroux-Devtek team. Together, we are confident in our ability to add value to Alta Precision Inc.'s operations and meet growing demand for our world-class landing gear offering”, added Brassard. “We are delighted to join Héroux-Devtek, a leading landing gear manufacturer for the global aerospace industry. With its growing customer base in North America and Europe, we will play a strong role in accelerating the growth of the corporation,” said Alonso, president of Alta Precision Inc. Founded in 1980, Alta Precision Inc. is a privately owned company which operates a state-of-the-art 72,000 square foot facility located in Montreal, Que. The company has approximately $18 million in annual revenues and employs 110 highly skilled personnel. Alta Precision Inc. manufactures complex landing gear components and assemblies for large customers such as Embraer, Safran, Liebherr and the United States Air Force. Alta Precision's strong backlog is comprised mainly of commercial aircraft landing gear components for the new E-2 and Airbus A-220 programs and for the Boeing 787 and Airbus A-350, two recent and growing commercial platforms. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/heroux-devtek-announces-acquisition-of-quebec-based-alta-precision-inc/
10 décembre 2018 | Local, Naval

L'Assemblée nationale du Québec adopte à l'unanimité une motion soutenant la réforme de la Stratégie nationale de construction navale du gouvernement fédéral
QUÉBEC, le 7 déc. 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - L'Assemblée nationale du Québec a adopté à l'unanimité une motion soutenant la réforme de la Stratégie nationale de construction navale du gouvernement fédéral. La motion presse le gouvernement fédéral d'adhérer aux recommandations de la Chambre des Communes et du Sénat qui réclament la construction immédiate au Chantier Davie d'un deuxième navire ravitailleur de la classe Resolve ainsi que d'une nouvelle flotte de brise-glaces pour la Garde côtière canadienne. Au cours de l'année 2017, le gouvernement fédéral a passé en revue la Stratégie nationale de construction navale afin de pallier aux lacunes détectées et de comme ncer à livrer des navires pour le Canada de manière rentable et dans les meilleurs délais. Les travailleurs et fournisseurs de l'industrie maritime du Québec attendent maintenant la refonte longuement espérée de cette politique. James Davies, président de Chantier Davie Canada, a déclaré, « Le premier navire ravitailleur de la classe Resolve, Astérix, est utilisé à sa pleine capacité depuis son entrée en service en janvier 2018. Afin de garantir la réussite de la politique de la défense du gouvernement - Protection, Sécurité, Engagement - ainsi que du plan Landmark 2050 de la Marine, nous devons débuter la construction du deuxième navire dès maintenant. Je voudrais également souligner le leadership exemplaire de l'adjoint parlementaire du premier ministre du Québec, M. Donald Martel, dans ce dossier de première importance pour le nouveau gouvernement du Québec ainsi que du député des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Joël Arseneau, pour avoir appuyé la motion visant l'inclusion du Québec au sein de la Stratégie de construction navale. » Jacques Létourneau, président de la CSN a ajouté, « Le temps a démontré qu'une stratégie de construction navale qui laisse de côté 50 % de la capacité de production canadienne ne sera jamais « nationale » et encore moins couronnée de succès. Sept ans plus tard, aucun navire n'a été livré et des milliards de dollars ont été gaspillés. » Richard Tremblay, vice-président de l'Association des fournisseurs de Chantier Davie Canada, a déclaré, « Le rapport Emerson (2016) est catégorique : les navires de la Marine et de la Garde côtière rouillent plus rapidement qu'ils ne peuvent être remplacés. Même si le gouvernement actuel a hérité de cette stratégie vacillante, il est maintenant responsable de trouver une solution et les 879 fournisseurs québécois de Chantier Davie sont prêts à aider. » NOTE AUX ÉDITEURS : À propos de Davie Davie et Federal Fleet Services font partie du groupe Inocea. Alors que Davie se concentre sur la construction de navires, Federal Fleet s'assure de l'obtention de contrats et de la location des navires. Davie est le plus grand chantier naval et le plus expérimenté du Canada. Il est aussi celui qui dispose de la plus grande capacité de production, c'est-à-dire 50 % de la capacité totale du pays. Au cours des cinq dernières années, Davie a généré plus de 2 milliards de dollars en retombées économiques au Canada et employait jusqu'à tout récemment, directement et indirectement, plus de 3 000 Canadiens, dont plus de 1 400 travaillant au chantier de Lévis, au Québec. Depuis plus d'un siècle, Davie s'occupe de la construction navale et de la réparation de navires au Canada pour chaque classe de b'timent naval majeur. Aujourd'hui, Davie est un chef de file dans le domaine du déglaçage, du GNL et de la technologie de positionnement dynamique, ainsi que de la construction de navires militaires et d'autres navires essentiels. Davie est certifié ISO 9001:2015 en assurance qualité ainsi que ISO 14001:2015 en gestion environnementale. Le premier navire ravitailleur construit par Davie, l'Astérix, a été le premier navire militaire à joindre les rangs de l'Alliance verte, le plus important programme volontaire de certification environnementale pour l'industrie maritime en Amérique du Nord. SOURCE Chantier Davie Canada Inc. Renseignements : Frédérik Boisvert, Vice-président, Affaires publiques, Chantier Davie, Tel : +1-418-455-2759, frederik.boisvert@davie.ca; François L'Écuyer, Directeur des communications de la CSN, Tel : +1-514-949-8973, francois.lecuyer@csn.qc.ca https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/lassemblee-nationale-du-quebec-adopte-a-lunanimite-une-motion-soutenant-la-reforme-de-la-strategie-nationale-de-construction-navale-du-gouvernement-federal-702204121.html
10 mars 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Government doesn’t know when a defence procurement agency might be created
In the last election campaign the Liberals promised to create a defence procurement agency as part of its efforts to improve purchasing of equipment for the Canadian Forces. No details were released at the time. In December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his mandate letter to Procurement Minister Anita Anand, outlined how she would lead an effort to bring “forward analyses and options for the creation of Defence Procurement Canada, to ensure that Canada's biggest and most complex National Defence and Canadian Coast Guard procurement projects are delivered on time and with greater transparency to Parliament.” Anand would do this with the support of the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, according to her mandate letter. At the time Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan claimed much of the work was already underway. “A lot of work has already started on (Defence Procurement Canada) and the goal of this is to make sure that we get the procurement projects done as quickly as possible to make sure the Canadian Armed Forces has what they need,” Sajjan told iPolitics the day before his mandate letter was released. Strangely, when asked about that work, Sajjan's department pointed out that he wasn't specifically referring to the DND and that Anand's Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) had the lead on the file. So, Defense Watch requested the timetable for this effort. Among the questions asked of Anand's department was when the new agency could potentially be expected to be stood up, will there be consultations done and whether there were any concepts already put forward for the agency that could be shared with the public? If this were such an important effort then of course the department would have an idea of at least a timeline on how things might unfold. Here is the answer provided by PSPC: “The Minister of Public Services and Procurement has been tasked to work with partner departments to bring forward analyses and options for the creation of Defence Procurement Canada. Public Services and Procurement Canada is leading this work with support from National Defence, Canadian Coast Guard, and Innovation Sciences and Economic Development Canada. This initiative is aimed at ensuring that Canada's biggest, most complex procurement projects are delivered on time and with greater transparency to Parliament. Work on this important initiative has just begun.” This answer provides little more than what was in the mandate letter. No details on what actual work was being contemplated or taking place was provided. There is no schedule or target date for even producing options and reporting back to government on those. In fact, this PSPC answer seems to undercut Sajjan's earlier claims that “a lot” of work had already started even before the mandate letters were released. Some in the defence industry don't expect much to come from the Liberal election promise of a single defence procurement agency. They point out their case is bolstered when the department leading the initiative doesn't know, or can't provide, even a timetable for such an initiative. The public, as well as industry, will have to wait and see whether Defence Procurement Canada ever becomes a reality. (Analysis) https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/government-doesnt-know-when-a-defence-procurement-agency-will-be-created

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