17 janvier 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
Maxar announced it signed a definitive agreement to sell its Canadian business, MDA, to Northern Private Capital (NPC). You can read the details in our press release.
I would like to assure you that MDA is committed to continuously delivering the high-quality of service that our customers expect. Maxar and MDA will continue normal operations through the expected close of the transaction, which we believe will happen within 12 months, after the standard U.S. and Canadian regulatory approval.
After the close, the MDA team will operate as a private, stand-alone company within NPC's portfolio, retaining its name and standing as the leading space and defence company in Canada. MDA will remain an important business partner and supplier to Maxar, and Maxar will be MDA's largest customer. Additionally, the companies will continue to sell each other's complementary satellite data.
NPC is a Toronto-based investment firm led by John Risley and Andrew Lapham. It has created a Canadian investment fund to finance this transaction. NPC views Canada's renewed commitment to utilizing space for its civil and defence needs as a strong opportunity to bring MDA home to Canada. MDA will remain dedicated to its work for the Canadian government and as a merchant supplier to the international community.
Maxar's leadership team and Board of Directors believe this transaction best positions Maxar for growth in the future. Once closed, it will enable Maxar to reduce its debt load and focus on substantial growth opportunities in its core markets of Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. And likewise, MDA will be able to focus on capturing large, Canadian programs in the future, in addition to addressing commercial and export markets.
30 novembre 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
Today, the Government of Canada will give an update on work to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the tools that they need to do their jobs, and protect Canadians in a changing world.
23 novembre 2018 | Local, Naval
Murray Brewster · CBC News Winning bid 'incapable of meeting three critical mandatory requirements,' says Alion Canada One of the losing bidders in the competition to design the navy's next generation of warships has asked the Federal Court to overturn the recent decision to award the contract to a group of companies led by Lockheed Martin Canada. Alion Science and Technology Corp. and its subsidiary, Alion Canada, asked for a judicial review on Friday — a challenge that could mean more delays to the $60 billion program. The company had pitched the Dutch-designed De Zeven Provinciën Air Defence and Command (LCF) frigate as their solution for the Canadian navy. It's asking the court to set aside an Oct. 19 decision to select Lockheed Martin Canada the preferred bidder and to prevent the federal government from entering into negotiations with the company, which has offered up the BAE Systems-designed Type 26 frigate. In their court filing, Alion officials argue that the winning bid was "incapable of meeting three critical mandatory requirements" of the design tender. Notably, they say the Type 26 cannot meet the mandatory speed requirements set out by the navy and that both Public Services and Procurement Canada and Irving Shipbuilding, the yard overseeing the construction, should have rejected the bid outright. Alion said it "submitted a fully-compliant and conforming bid at enormous expense" and argued it "has been denied the fair treatment (it was) owed." The court application also points out that the design tender was amended 88 times during the 22 months it was under consideration and that the changes "effectively diluted the [warship] requirements" and allowed the government and Irving to select "an unproven design platform." Rising cost estimates Over two years ago, the Liberal government said it wanted to select a "mature design" for the new frigates, rather than designing a warship from scratch. Former public works minister Judy Foote said it would be a faster, cheaper solution. Unlike its two competitors, the Type 26 has yet to enter service with the Royal Navy and competitors have privately knocked it as "paper ship." Navantia, a Spanish-based company, was the other failed bidder. It headed a team that included Saab and CEA Technologies and proposed the F-105 frigate design, a ship in service with the Spanish navy. The Liberal government plans to build 15 new warships and hoped to get construction underway in the early 2020s. The program, which has been beset with delays and rising cost estimates, is intended to replace the navy's aging Halifax-class frigates, the backbone of the nation's maritime fighting force. Federal procurement officials had hoped to nail down a complete design contract with Lockheed Martin by the winter. The court challenge now puts that timeline in doubt. It also has enormous implications for Irving, which has been concerned about a slowdown in warship production between the current Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship program and the frigate replacements, which are formally titled 'Canadian Surface Combatants'. No one at Public Works or Lockheed Martin was immediately available for comment on Wednesday. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frigate-design-decision-challenged-in-federal-court-putting-60b-program-in-limbo-1.4915501
18 décembre 2018 | Local, Terrestre
NORMAN DE BONO If the contract to supply Saudi Arabia with London-built military vehicles were cancelled, the impact would also be deeply felt in the hundreds of suppliers that feed General Dynamics and its Oxford Street East factory. Armatec Survivabilty in Dorchester supplies most of the seats to the General Dynamics Land Systems Canada armoured vehicles going to the Middle East, and a “substantial number” of its workers would lose their jobs if it's cancelled, said Rod Flick, manager of business development at Armatec. “We're putting seats in those vehicles. It would have a big impact,” said Flick, adding it now employs just over 100. GDLS has said its suppliers nationwide — including 240 in the London region alone — employ 13,500 people directly or indirectly. “There are other ways Canada can exert pressure than to cancel this. The Saudis will just go and buy vehicles from somewhere else,” Flick said. Flick will be in Ottawa this week pressing Global Affairs Canada not to cancel the deal, he added. Flick has also met with several MPs and MPPs, making the case to defend the agreement. At Abuma Manufacturing on Admiral Drive in London, about half its business is tied to General Dynamics and cancelling the contract would be “a real blow” to its 26 employees, said president Ben Whitney, who is also head of its sister plant, Armo-Tool. Abuma makes parts for GDLS's light armoured vehicles. “I am extremely concerned., It would make things very difficult for us. It would put us in a difficult position,” said Whitney. “It would be a blow, a real blow.” Armo-Tool bought Abuma in May and would keep it afloat by sharing work, but without that partnership, Abuma would shut down if the Saudi deal is cancelled, he added. “When this deal was struck, it was because the Saudis were seen as a stable partner in that region. If we want to engage in that region, there is no perfect democracy there. We can engage and build relationships or we can cancel deals and be seen as not reliable,” said Whitney. “It is tough. Last week, we made a donation to the Salvation Army and now about half our people may need them. It is a tough situation.” CANADA'S SAUDI ARMS DEAL: A CHRONOLOGY February 2014: The federal government under the Stephen Harper-led Conservatives announce the deal to supply light armoured military vehicles to Saudi Arabia, with London defence giant General Dynamics Land Systems Canada building the vehicles for a federal crown corporation, the Canadian Commercial Corp., selling the equipment to the desert kingdom. October 2015: The Conservatives, under fire from human rights critics for selling arms to Saudi Arabia despite its human rights abuses, lose the general election to Justin Trudeau's Liberals. The Liberals green-light the deal, despite growing calls to rescind it in light of Saudi Arabian political and human rights abuses, including in neighbouring Yemen. 2016: Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion quietly approves export permits covering most of the deal, as criticism mounts of Canada doing arms business with Saudi Arabia. October 2018: Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist, is killed at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Suspicion instantly rises that the killing was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The killing increases heat on Ottawa over its Saudi arms deal. After first denying Khashoggi was killed, Saudi Arabia admits his slaying was “premeditated” and orders an investigation. Trudeau, facing new pressure to scuttle the Saudi deal in light of Khashoggi's murder, says it would cost $1 billion to scrap the deal. The Liberals say they're reviewing the export permits for the deal. December 2018: Trudeau says publicly for the first time that the Liberals are looking for a way out of the Saudi deal, prompting heightened worry and alarm in London. GDLS: BY THE NUMBERS 1,850: Employees in London 13,500: Jobs supported among its suppliers 500: Suppliers nationwide 240: Suppliers in London region https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/saudi-arms-deal-supplier-says-80-of-employees-jobs-at-risk-if-cancelled