National Defence executives rake in almost $3.5 million in bonuses

Sur le même sujet

• 

  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

• 

  24 septembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  'Shields Up': Defence Department looks for new ways to protect Canada's satellites, with a nod to Star Trek

  Enemy action against satellites could include cyber-attacks, jamming, lasers or missiles, while natural threats could be solar flares or space weather The Defence Department wants to take a page out of Star Trek and has asked researchers to develop ways to protect Canadian satellites from such threats as laser attacks and missiles. Dubbed the “Shields Up” project, the plan would see the development of innovative capabilities that could be incorporated into the design and operation of Canada's space-based systems. The Shields Up terminology is a nod to the sci-fi TV and movie series Star Trek in which the USS Enterprise starship is protected by deflector shields that can be instantly activated in response to a threat. “Satellites are vulnerable to natural and artificial threats as well as, increasingly, threats from adversaries who seek to disrupt or destroy allied space systems,” said Dan Le Bouthillier, a spokesman for the Department of National Defence. Enemy action against satellites could include cyber-attacks, jamming, lasers or missiles, while natural threats could be solar flares, space weather or collisions with debris in space. The Defence Department and the Canadian Forces are the only Canadian entities with the mandate of protecting and defending the country's space capabilities, Le Bouthillier noted. The call for proposals is part of a DND science innovation program. Ideas that are accepted will receive $200,000 to further the proposal over a six-month period. The most promising solutions could receive another $1 million for additional development, Le Bouthillier said. Most satellite services are commercial in nature and defensive measures have not been a primary criteria in their design. But the DND wants that to change. The concepts or designs have to provide a reasonable method to deal with the threat. They also have to take into account Canada's international relations and obligations and the fact that various satellites operate in different orbits, which could influence the type of threats they face. There are 1,950 operational satellites in Earth orbits. Le Bouthillier said militaries are increasingly dependent on space-based systems for communication, surveillance, environmental monitoring and navigation. The DND has a growing interest in keeping Canadian space systems safe. In August the department put out a request to Canadian scientists to try to come up with a way to rid the Earth's orbit of the millions of pieces of space junk that pose a threat to satellites and other spacecraft. But the task is daunting; no other researcher has figured out how to collect the debris, which can be as small as one millimetre. The DND noted that the request at this point is not about funding a system but investigating new ideas to eliminate the space junk. The total number of “debris objects” in orbit is estimated to be about 129 million. That includes 34,000 objects greater than 10 centimetres in size, 900,000 objects one cm to 10 cm, and 128 million objects one mm to one cm, according to the DND. The debris has been created by decades of space travel and operations. In 2007, for instance, China conducted a military test using a missile to destroy one of its satellites. The warhead obliterated the spacecraft, creating an estimated 300,000 pieces of debris. The U.S., Russia and India have conducted similar military experiments. “There are no operational debris removal capabilities in use, globally, and existing prototypes lack important capabilities and have proven ineffective,” the DND noted in its request to researchers. DND is also interested in ways to track some of the smaller pieces of space junk as well as methods to remove multiple pieces of debris of any size. Space surveillance networks regularly track about 22,300 objects in Earth orbits. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/shields-up-defence-department-looks-for-new-ways-to-protect-canadas-satellites-with-a-nod-to-star-trek

• 

  18 juillet 2022 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

  It’s time to get serious about fixing defence procurement: opinion

  By Alan Williams In the recent debate over Canada's troubled defence procurement system some have advocated for the need for more flexible rules to expedite delivery of military equipment. For example, the suggestion has been made that there is a requirement to provide Treasury Board Ministers with the ability to recommend waiving or amending policies to allow military equipment to be purchased to meet urgent requirements. Such action is unnecessary as the government currently has this capability. Under section 513 1 (d) of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), the government can bypass competition and sole source acquisitions when, “if strictly necessary, and for reasons of urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the procuring entity, the goods or services could not be obtained in time using open tendering.” This clause is often used to provide the military with the goods and services it needs during wartime.