Major defence contractor lobbying feds on procurement opportunities

Sur le même sujet

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  21 juillet 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

  Un nouveau logiciel montréalais au cœur des avions

  La hausse fulgurante de la complexité du développement de logiciels pour les avions a expliqué beaucoup de retards et de dépassements de coûts au cours des dernières années. Une entreprise montréalaise, Mannarino, s'y attaque en présentant cette semaine un nouveau système d'exploitation qui pourrait réduire les coûts de moitié. Publié le 21 juillet 2020 à 8h00 Spécialisée en services informatiques, principalement dans le domaine aéronautique, depuis 20 ans, l'entreprise a reçu il y a deux ans un investissement de 10 millions de dollars US provenant de Lockheed Martin afin de concevoir un nouveau système d'exploitation en temps réel (RTOS) à partir d'une page blanche. Le résultat est apparu lundi, jour d'ouverture de la version virtuelle du Salon aéronautique de Farnborough, qui aurait dû avoir lieu cette semaine en banlieue de Londres. Au cours des années, Mannarino a conçu sur commande des logiciels pour le contrôle des moteurs, la gestion de vol, les communications ou le réapprovisionnement en carburant en vol, par exemple. Chaque fois, elle était limitée par la vétusté des systèmes d'exploitation employés. Le système d'exploitation est le logiciel maître, auquel font appel les autres applications, un peu comme Windows dans un ordinateur ou iOS dans un iPhone. Les exigences envers un système installé à bord d'un appareil sont toutefois nettement plus élevées en termes de fiabilité, ce qui en multiplie les coûts. « Le principal commentaire que l'on recevait de nos clients, c'était que ces systèmes étaient trop chers », explique John Mannarino, fondateur de l'entreprise. « Nous essayons de réduire les coûts de 50 %. » Comme ces systèmes n'étaient pas conçus spécialement pour l'aéronautique, et que les volumes sont relativement faibles dans cette industrie, les clients se plaignaient aussi de la pauvre qualité du service qu'ils recevaient, affirme M. Mannarino. Système plus rapide et moins gourmand En partant d'une page blanche, l'entreprise a conçu un système qu'elle estime être deux fois plus rapide et moins gourmand de moitié en mémoire. Il pourra être employé sur tous les types d'appareils, des avions commerciaux aux hélicoptères militaires, en passant par les avions d'affaires et les drones de taille suffisante pour nécessiter une certification. L'un des marchés pour lesquels on anticipe la plus forte demande est celui des drones. John Mannarino, président de Mannarino Les clients principaux du nouveau logiciel seront vraisemblablement des fabricants d'avionique, dont Lockheed Martin. Le géant américain a fourni 10 millions US dans le cadre du programme de contreparties mis en place par le gouvernement fédéral. En vertu de ce programme, les contrats militaires obtenus par des entreprises étrangères doivent faire l'objet de contreparties équivalentes dans l'industrie locale. De l'entente avec Mannarino, Lockheed Martin n'obtient rien de plus que des crédits lui permettant de combler les exigences de ce programme, assure M. Mannarino. Elle n'est pas propriétaire du logiciel et ne détient aucun droit sur lui. Des discussions sont toutefois en cours pour faire de Lockheed Martin un client. Bien que l'entreprise entende d'abord se concentrer sur le marché aéronautique, dans lequel elle a le plus d'expertise, son système d'exploitation sera éventuellement aussi offert dans d'autres industries, dont la santé et le transport ferroviaire, ou même pour des applications industrielles. https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/entreprises/2020-07-21/un-nouveau-logiciel-montrealais-au-coeur-des-avions.php

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  18 décembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  Lockheed Martin, Canadian UAVs to improve beyond visual line of sight operations

  The ability to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) significantly improves their effectiveness and potential. The increased range of BVLOS operations requires real-time airspace situational awareness for the UAV pilot and support crew to ensure safe, repeatable operations. Canadian UAVs and Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide an unmanned traffic management solution to meet this challenge. This solution will build a complete airspace picture necessary to conduct unmanned operations beyond visual line of sight in Canada and beyond. “A complete airspace picture is an absolute necessity to conduct unmanned flights beyond visual line of sight,” said Dustin Engen, Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems business development manager. “When combined, Canadian UAV's Sparrowhawk radar and our VCSi product will offer all users this complete picture and provide the necessary situational awareness for BVLOS flights in Canada and abroad.” Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems will provide integration support for the vehicle control station software called VCSi, a universal ground control system based on more than 1.5 million flight hours in military and commercial flight operations. Canadian UAVs will integrate their low-cost, ground-based radar, Sparrowhawk, into VCSi to provide users with a complete airspace picture of manned and unmanned aviation tracking with collision avoidance. Sparrowhawk has been instrumental in Canadian UAVs' first permitted BVLOS flights outside of restricted airspace in Canadian history. The company will also develop hardware and artificial intelligence software as part of Project Skysensus, a five-year investment from Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefit (ITB) Policy. “With Canadian UAVs' advanced market position in BVLOS operations, we are seeing a lot of gaps in what the general market offers to solve fundamental technological issues in unmanned aviation,” said Sean Greenwood, president of Canadian UAVs. “As a result, we developed a technology road-map that invests in a comprehensive tool set to increase flight safety and repeatability as these operations increase in volume and airspace complexity. We have been working with Lockheed Martin CDL Systems for several years and we are very excited by this agreement to formalize the relationship.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/lockheed-martin-canadian-uavs-to-improve-beyond-visual-line-of-sight-operations

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  7 mai 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  Trump administration claims Ottawa's jet procurement plan is unfair to F-35, says report

  Murray Brewster · CBC News The Trump administration fired two warning shots last year over the Liberal government's long-delayed plan to replace Canada's CF-18 fighters, saying the procurement process discriminates against the Lockheed-Martin-built F-35 stealth jet, according to a new academic report. The study by a researcher at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) cites leaked Pentagon letters written last summer and late fall to officials at Public Services and Procurement Canada. The report, released Monday, largely blames the Liberal government for the delays in the procurement, while making only a passing reference to the inability of the former Conservative government to deliver on the same program. The report's major revelation involves the leaked letters — which are expected to inflame the debate over the nearly decade-long on-again, off-again plan to replace the air force's 1980s-vintage CF-18s with modern warplanes. The source of the Pentagon's irritation is a federal government policy that insists defence manufacturers deliver specific industrial benefits to Canadian companies. Canada accused of angling for better deal That's not how the F-35 program is structured. Countries that participated in the development of the stealth jet — as Canada did — pay an annual fee to remain part of the program, which gives domestic aerospace companies in those countries the right to bid on F-35 work. The U.S. undersecretary for defence acquisition and sustainment wrote to Canada's assistant deputy minister of defence procurement in Public Services and Procurement Canada last summer to complain about the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy. Ellen Lord warned the policy runs contrary to the F-35 participation agreement and accused Canada of trying to leverage a better deal than its allies. "This text basically stated that Canada had signed the [Memorandum of Understanding] clearly understanding these provisions and could not now try to renegotiate a better deal," said the Aug. 31, 2018 letter, leaked to MLI researcher Richard Shimooka. Lord went on to say the current procurement process "would be fundamentally and structurally prejudicial to any F-35 bid." The point was hammered home when former U.S. Vice-Admiral Mathias Winter, in charge of the Joint Program Office overseeing F-35 development, wrote to Canada's head of future fighter development at Public Services. After reviewing the federal government's draft request for proposals, Winter wrote that the F-35 would not be able to participate given the way the system is structured now. "Fundamentally, the F-35 program is different from Foreign Military Sales or Direct Commercial sales procurements," said the Dec. 18, 2018 letter. "The current [Future Fighter Capability Program] does not allow the F-35 to participate in a fair and open competition that recognizes the special nature and distinct advantages of the partnership." Lockheed-Martin is one of four manufacturers that plan to bid on the fighter jet replacement program. Several defence and defence industry sources told CBC News in a story published last month that the full tender was expected to be released at the end of May, with final bids to be delivered by the end of the year. There is considerable uncertainty about the timeline, however, because of questions and disputes about the project's industrial expectations. "A delay is inevitable," said one defence industry source on Monday. With the release of the letters, the institute's analysis peels back the curtain on perhaps the most contentious of the disputes: how to reconcile the existing F-35 benefits package with the federal government's standard procurement model. Lockheed-Martin would not confirm whether the issues raised in the letters remain active concerns, but sources within both the defence industry and the federal government say there is an ongoing dialogue. The U.S. defence giant, in a statement, said it did not commission the report but acknowledged it had provided "factual information to several think tanks in Canada" about its various programs. The company said the structure of the F-35 program means it is the U.S. defence department that does all of the talking. "We continue to provide our feedback to the U.S. government, which leads all government-to-government discussions related to the Canadian fighter replacement competition," said Cindy Tessier, head of communications for Lockheed Martin Canada. She touted the $1.25 billion in contracts already awarded to Canadian companies because of the F-35 program and said the potential is there for more work once the fighter aircraft reaches full production in a few years. "As a valued current partner on the program, Canadian industry has the opportunity to produce and sustain components and systems to a fleet that is expected to grow to more than 4,000 aircraft," she said. A spokeswoman for Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough did not address the Pentagon letters directly, but did say the government has engaged in continuous dialogue with potential bidders as it sought feedback on the proposed tender. "The approach is inherently designed to encourage continuous supplier engagement," said Ashley Michnowski. "We do this so that suppliers are able to make informed business decisions. "Our government has been hard working to address as much of the supplier feedback as possible to ensure a level playing field and a fair and open competition with as many eligible suppliers as possible." The process is not yet complete, although it is nearing its conclusion and a final request for proposals will be issued soon, she added. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-administration-claims-ottawa-s-jet-procurement-plan-is-unfair-to-f-35-says-report-1.5125009