31 octobre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

Ottawa sticking to F-35 program as it gets ready for full fighter competition

Canada is facing a complex challenge as it gets ready to launch a full competition for new fighter jets stemming from its long-standing involvement in the international coalition that is building the Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 stealth aircraft.

The federal government confirmed on Monday that it will maintain its membership in the F-35 consortium. At the same time, Ottawa is getting ready to send out requests for proposals for new fighter jets to five potential bidders, including Lockheed Martin.

Federal officials insist that all bidders will have to adhere to Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits policy (ITB), which requires the winning supplier to “make investments in Canada equal to the value of the contract." The cost of replacing the Royal Canadian Air Force's current fleet of CF-18s is estimated at $26-billion.

Under the rules of the F-35 consortium, however, partner countries such as Canada must forego such regional offset programs, which have long been a central element of Canadian military acquisitions. Earlier this year, Canada paid $54-million to remain in the F-35 buyers' pool.

“We're keeping our involvement alive to get access to that product at the best possible terms,” Pat Finn, an assistant deputy minister at the Department of National Defence, said in an interview on Monday. “If the F-35 were to win, the lowest cost access to the aircraft is through the partnership. Having been involved from the outset, we don't want to lose the privilege of that."

Since 1997, Canada has paid nearly half a billion dollars to stay in the F-35 consortium.

Jeff Waring, a director-general at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, said it will be up to Lockheed Martin to determine how it can meet Canada's requirement for regional offsets if it wants to bid on the contract.

“The ITB policy is a market-driven approach; it doesn't prescribe to bidders how they need to invest in Canada,” he said.

The federal government has nearly finalized its request for proposal for the new fighter jets. It is now waiting for industry feedback over the next six weeks before launching the formal competition next year.

Three European companies (Dassault Aviation, Saab Automobile and Airbus) and two American companies (Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co.) have said they intend to bid on the contract.

In the draft request for proposal, the government has laid out new details on its “economic impact test” that will penalize companies that are deemed to have a negative effect on the Canadian economy. When it was announced last year, the test was dubbed the “Boeing clause” because of U.S.-based Boeing's trade dispute with Canada's Bombardier Inc., which Bombardier subsequently won.

The new measure is expected to look at whether companies have launched a trade action in the two previous years against a Canadian company. Given Boeing launched its case against Bombardier in 2017, it will likely be in the clear by the time it would have to submit a final bid in 2020.

The previous Conservative government had committed to buying F-35 fighter jets, which were deemed at the time to be the only aircraft able to meet Canada's requirements, in large part because of their stealth capabilities.

The current Liberal government has modified the requirements to make sure there can be competition between the various manufacturers.

“If your aircraft cannot meet [a requirement] today, we are not saying automatically that you're out; but you have to tell us what is your solution to meet it, at what price and what schedule,” said Mr. Finn.

In the last federal election, the Liberals said in their platform that they would not buy the F-35, promising instead to select “one of the many, lower-priced options that better match Canada's defence needs.”

However, the Liberals also promised to launch an “open and transparent” competition, which is now scheduled to be launched in May.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-sticking-to-f-35-program-as-it-gets-ready-for-full-fighter/

Sur le même sujet

23 septembre 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, C4ISR, Sécurité

NEW DEADLINE EXTENTION: IDEaS fifth Call for Proposals for six Competitive Projects challenges closes October 5, 2021 // NOUVELLE DATE LIMITE PROLONGÉE : Le cinquième appel de propositions IDEeS pour les six défis de projets compétitifs se prend fin l
NEW DEADLINE EXTENTION: IDEaS fifth Call for Proposals for six Competitive Projects challenges closes October 5, 2021 The deadline to apply for the CFP5 challenges has been extended to Tuesday, October 5, 2021. The Department of National Defence (DND) is hoping for more applications to help find the best technology to solve its newest challenges covering a wide scope of DND/CAF needs from real-time surveillance, rotary blade maintenance, antennas, and greenhouse gas reduction: • Worth a thousand sources: A fused picture for continental surveillance • We Sea You: Digital tracking and accounting on navy vessels • Erosion from Motion: Reducing wear and tear on rotary blades • Wireless is where it's at: Secure and Seamless Wireless Network Onboard Ships • High Bandwidth, Low Profile: Next generation point-to-point communication solutions for the field • Less GHGs on the Seas: Practical solutions to measure and record energy consumption Apply now or share the news! To learn more about what our Program offers, visit the IDEaS website. The IDEaS Team NOUVELLE DATE LIMITE PROLONGÉE : Le cinquième appel de propositions IDEeS pour les six défis de projets compétitifs prend fin le 5 octobre 2021 La date limite pour postuler aux défis ADP5 a été prolongée au mardi 5 octobre 2021. Le ministère de la Défense nationale (MDN) espère recevoir un plus grand nombre de soumissions afin de trouver la meilleure technologie pour résoudre ses nouveaux défis couvrant un large éventail de besoins du MDN/FAC de la surveillance en temps réel, l'entretien des pales rotatives, les antennes et la réduction des gaz à effet de serre : • Une image vaut mille sources: image fusionnée pour la surveillance continentale • On vous voit: Suivi et comptabilité numérique sur les navires de la marine • Érosion due au mouvement: Réduire l'usure des pales de la voilure tournante • Le sans-fil est là où il se trouve: Réseau sans fil sécurisé et transparent à bord des navires • Large bande passante, courte portée: Solutions de communication point à point de nouvelle génération pour le terrain • Moins de GES en mer: des solutions pratiques pour mesurer et enregistrer la consommation d'énergie Appliquez dès maintenant ou passez le mot! Pour en savoir plus sur ce que propose notre programme, visitez le site Web IDEeS. L'équipe IDEeS IDEaS website.
19 novembre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

Military has no documents about fighter jet 'capability gap,' a claim used to justify aircraft purchase
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Neither Canada's top soldier nor the commander of the air force had or produced any records about a fighter jet “capability gap” in the year leading up to the Liberal government's announcement that such a critical issue had to be dealt with by spending billions to buy aircraft. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan used the capability gap argument in November 2016 to justify a $5-billion program to buy new Super Hornet jets, a deal since scuttled, and later a $500-million program to purchase used F-18 planes from Australia. But in the year leading up to Sajjan's announcement about the urgent need to acquire such planes, neither Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance nor Lt.-Gen. Mike Hood, then head of the Royal Canadian Air Force, produced any documentation indicating there was ever a capability gap, according to Department of National Defence's Access to Information branch. In addition, no such documents exist among the records of various members of Sajjan's staff, according to the department. It would be normal practice to have hundreds, if not thousands of pages of records, discussing such a key defence issue or gap if it existed, military insiders tell Postmedia. But records obtained by Postmedia through the Access law do show that just before Sajjan's announcement that the 18 jets were needed in the “interim” to deal with the capability gap, the minister was told the existing fleet of CF-18s was in better shape than expected and could keep flying until 2032. Conservative MPs allege 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. When asked about the lack of documentation about the capability gap, a DND official said the department could not comment. Taxpayers may get more information Tuesday when the Auditor General's office releases its examination of the fighter jet plan. Full article: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/military-has-no-documents-about-fighter-jet-capability-gap-claim-used-to-justify-aircraft-purchase
22 février 2024 | Local, Sécurité

Minister Blair participates in Fifth North American Defence Ministerial meeting
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met virtually with U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, Mexico’s Secretary of Defence (SEDENA), General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González, and Mexico’s Secretary of the Navy (SEMAR), Admiral José Rafael Ojeda Durán, for the fifth trilateral meeting of North American Defence Ministers (NADM).

Toutes les nouvelles