16 mars 2021 | Local, Aérospatial
Well-maintained infrastructure and well-supported operations are essential to ensure Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) defence capability and capacity. To...
https://www.miragenews.com/canada-awards-wing-support-services-and-528420/
21 janvier 2024 | Local, Aérospatial
The lifetime cost of buying, owning and operating the air force's troubled CH-148 Cyclones is now expected to top $14.87 billion, according to leaked internal Department of National Defence briefing documents obtained by CBC News.
30 septembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
Once again this year, nearly 150 players in the aeronautics industry met at the Centre d'excellence sur les drones (CED) for the second edition of Tech Demo, where the remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) community got together to share technological advances. During this event, which took place on Sept. 25 and 26 in Alma, Que., participants learned more about the latest developments from Transport Canada, the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy, and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). They also attended various conferences exploring drone image recognition, multi-mission systems, the niche of excellence in civil and commercial UAVs, ways to reduce time to market through drone simulation and trends in the drone ecosystem. Guests also had the opportunity to discuss issues related to operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), and take part in three panels about anti-UAV systems and airspace management. Seven system demonstrations were also carried out during the event, including one featuring a mastodon weighing more than 300 kilograms. “This autonomous system was developed for various surveillance and civil security missions by Quebec company Laflamme in collaboration with the American company General Dynamics. It was the first public technological demonstration of this system in Quebec, which generated a great deal of interest from the stakeholders present,” commented CED director general Marc Moffatt. He also added that, once again this year, the activity welcomed several major manufacturers, including Bell Helicopter, Bombardier, General Atomics, CAE, L3, Leonardo, and many others. According to CED president Alain Fortin, hosting an event like Tech Demo is very significant for the industry. “The drone community needs events around which to gather to feed each other. We are obviously thrilled with the scope of this second edition and, above all, very proud of the quality of the speakers in attendance. Several actors who orchestrate the development of drone regulation in Canada were among us over the past two days to listen to what the community had to teach them and to learn more about the potential of the CED,” said Fortin. “Our speakers come from all over the world, including the United States, England, Italy and even Ukraine. Over the years, the CED and its partners have built a whole regional ecosystem around the drone and we can see now that its strategic role in the development of this sector is recognized and well established,” he added. Made possible with the financial support from the Ministère de l'Économie et de l'Innovation as well as General Dynamics Missions Systems, Kongsberg Geospatial Ltd. and CAE, the event has become a major annual event that is eagerly awaited by the industry. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/rpas-community-gathers-for-tech-demo-2
17 février 2021 | Local, Aérospatial
BY CHRIS THATCHER | FEBRUARY 16, 2021 Estimated reading time 7 minutes, 45 seconds. The Canadian government is inviting aerospace and other interested companies to qualify for the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC) project. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) posted the notice on the government Buy and Sell website Feb. 12 as a first step in a three-phase procurement process to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris strategic airlift fleet. The invitation to qualify (ITQ), which closes on Feb. 26, is intended to identify respondents able to meet the project's security and other core requirements before moving to the tender phase. Once a qualified suppliers list is established, Procurement Canada and the Air Force will then review and refine the project requirements with companies before developing a draft request for proposal (RFP), to be issued by fall 2021. The review phase “is intended to be a collaborative process and may involve interactions such as workshops, one-on-one sessions (commercially confidential meetings), and written questions and answers,” according to the ITQ documents. “Canada will consider the feedback provided by qualified suppliers.” A formal RFP, the third phase, is expected by late 2021 or early 2022. While the process means only qualified suppliers will be invited to submit bids, the government “reserves the right . . . to re-evaluate any aspect of the qualification of any Qualified Supplier at any time during the aircraft procurement process and change their status to ‘unqualified' if they no longer meet the requirements provided in this ITQ,” according to the document. In addition, “Canada may, at its sole discretion, re-open Phase 1 – ITQ.” The RCAF is seeking a multi-role platform that can be configured for air-to-air refueling, personnel airlift, strategic government transport, aeromedical evacuations and freight movement, among other roles. The aircraft may also be used to support disaster relief, search-and-rescue and contributions to peace operations; it must also include the capacity to detect, avoid and defeat air-to-air and air-to-ground threats. In its tanker role, the aircraft must be able to refuel allied fighter jets on NATO and NORAD operations. Though the ITQ does not specify a quantity, the fleet must be large enough to concurrently provide support to three lines of tasking of “unrestricted global air mobility movements” over a 24-hour period. The STTC project was outlined in the Liberal government's June 2017 defense policy as initiative 47 to recapitalize strategic tanking and airlift with a next generation platform to replace the CC-150. The Polaris is a modified variant of the Airbus A310-300 built in the late 1980s, and operated by 437 Transport Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario. A fleet of five was acquired in 1992 from Canadian Airlines, and two were converted to tankers in 2008. While the two CC-150Ts have been providing air-to-air refueling globally (their crucial role alongside other coalition tankers in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria was highlighted in a recent RAND research brief), they only recently received full operational capability to conduct mid-air refueling on NORAD operations — a role that had previously only been done by the CC-130H Hercules tankers operated by 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron from 17 Wing Winnipeg, Manitoba, and U.S. Air Force aircraft. Boeing and Airbus have indicated interest in the program. Boeing is offering the KC-46 Pegasus, a militarized variant of the 767 widebody, while Airbus is promoting the A330 multirole tanker transport (MRTT), a variant of the A330-200 airframe. CBC has reported the government may also be assessing “whether any deal can be found among commercial airlines that are currently looking for financial relief from Ottawa,” including Air Canada. “We look forward to working with the government of Canada and engaging in [the] Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project,” Boeing Defense, Space & Security said in a statement. “Boeing's KC-46A is a wide-body, multi-role tanker, and is already certified to refuel Canadian, allied and coalition military aircraft. In addition to serving as an aerial refueling tanker, the KC-46 can be configured to accommodate cargo, passengers, or to serve as an aero-medical evacuation aircraft or any combination of all three. . . . The KC-46 offers superior interoperability, supportability and affordability benefits – coupled with a robust industry plan that will bring real, guaranteed jobs to companies all across Canada. With 183 aircraft on order and growing international interest, we expect the fleet to surpass 200 aircraft by 2029.” “We welcome Canada's invitation to qualify for the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project,” said Simon Jacques, president of Airbus Defence and Space Canada, in a statement. “We believe that our A330 MRTT multirole-tanker is the best option in the market, and are confident that our offer will fulfill all current and future requirements for this key capability for the RCAF.” Prospective bidders will be expected to provide aircrew and maintenance training programs, and establish initial sustainment and long-term in-service support “that assures operational readiness and maintains mission effectiveness of the capability throughout its service life,” according to the ITQ. As part of the STTC project, the Air Force will improve infrastructure for 437 Squadron. In December, the government released an advanced procurement notice for a new or renovated hangar at the main operating base in Trenton, as well as upgrades to the apron and taxiways. A request for proposals is expected by summer 2021. Contenders will also have to comply with Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits policy, which requires the successful bidder to make investments in Canadian industry and academic research equal to the value of the contract. With STTC, the government will be seeking investments that align with key industrial capabilities, including aerospace systems, systems integration, in-service support and training and simulation. https://skiesmag.com/news/canada-seeking-qualified-bidders-polaris-replacement/