Quebec defends $30 million Flying Whales investment

Sur le même sujet

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  14 septembre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR

  Here’s why Canada’s defence industry is such an innovation powerhouse

  Christyn (Chris) Cianfarani In late 2011, the Department of National Defence decided that the rafts it was using to carry out search and rescue operations in open water were due for an update. Part of DND's sea rescue kit, the new rafts needed to be compact and durable, but they also had to inflate reliably at temperatures as low as -50 C in the frozen expanses of Canada's North. If they didn't, lives could hang in the balance. Enter Benoit Corbeil and his team at Tulmar Safety Systems, who found a way to create a light, durable raft that could be safely airdropped, and would inflate manually on the ice or automatically in water. With a fully enclosed canopy, those rescued can now be immediately sheltered from the cold wind and freezing ocean spray. The responsibility to save lives is what drives people like Benoit and thousands of other Canadians working in the defence and security industries to continue creating innovative solutions to complex problems. In my role as the head of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), I'm often struck by the sheer level of creativity and talent in our sector. But it shouldn't come as a surprise because we've been gathering evidence on this for a few years now. Flexible, collaborative and fruitful In May, CADSI – in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and Statistics Canada – released the latest State of Canada's Defence Industry report. We found that defence and security companies were behind $400 million worth of research and development (R&D) in 2016, resulting in an R&D intensity close to 4.5 times higher than the Canadian manufacturing average. Our members – now more than 900 of them across Canada – aren't doing this work in a vacuum, of course. They are collaborating with partners in academia, government and supply chains to push boundaries and develop brand new technologies. DND's new Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) Program will help encourage even more of this type of cooperation, allocating $1.6 -billion over two decades to innovative solutions that address Canada's defence and security challenges. Sixteen initial challenges have been identified, and start-ups, SMEs, corporations and academics have all been invited to apply. The first contracts were awarded in August, with more coming in fall 2018. But our industry's work is already having tangible, real-world impacts for average Canadians. In July, for instance, global satellite operator Telesat – a company headquartered right in Ottawa – launched the Telstar 19 VANTAGE. This powerful satellite will connect communities across Nunavut with faster and more reliable broadband, opening the territory to the world. We featured Telesat vice-president Michele Beck's contributions to this project in our My North, My Home campaign. Full article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-why-canadas-defence-industry-innovation-cianfarani/

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  27 juin 2023 | Local, Autre défense

  La ministre de la Défense Anand visite le Royaume-Uni pour approfondir la relation de défense

  Le 27 juin 2023 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes La ministre de la Défense nationale, l’honorable Anita Anand, sera au Royaume-Uni du 27 au 29 juin 2023. Pendant son séjour, la ministre rencontrera le secrétaire d’État à la Défense du Royaume‑Uni, le très honorable Ben Wallace, et d’autres responsables britanniques, de sorte à discuter des efforts visant à soutenir l’Ukraine, à promouvoir l’ordre international fondé sur des règles et à développer la solide relation de défense qu’entretiennent le Canada et le Royaume‑Uni. Le 28 juin, la ministre Anand visitera l’école de Liphook pour rencontrer des élèves qui effectuent des recherches sur l’entraînement canadien réalisé au Royaume-Uni durant la Première Guerre mondiale. Elle tiendra également une réunion bilatérale avec le porte-parole de l’opposition officielle en matière de défense, le très honorable John Healey, et des représentants de BAE Systems. Le 29 juin, la ministre Anand visitera le camp d’entraînement militaire de Lydd pour rencontrer des membres des Forces armées canadiennes en déploiement au Royaume-Uni en vue d’entraîner le personnel des forces armées ukrainiennes dans le cadre de l’opération UNIFIER du Canada. Par après, elle adressera la parole à des membres du Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) – groupe de réflexion sur les questions de défense et de sécurité. Le 29 juin, la ministre tiendra aussi une réunion bilatérale avec le secrétaire d’État Wallace et participera à un point de presse conjoint avec ce dernier. Enfin, la ministre prononcera une allocution lors d’une réception à l’occasion de la fête du Canada, à la Maison du Canada. Le 29 juin 2023 (heure locale) 13 h. La ministre Anand présentera une allocution sur les priorités du Canada en matière de défense à des membres du Royal United Services Institute. Remarques à l’intention des médias : Lieu : Army & Navy Club, 36 Pall Mall, Londres Veuillez vous inscrire en communiquant avec le RUSI, à l’adresse rusip@rusi.org. Renseignements supplémentaires : https://www.rusi.org/events/members-events/ukraine-indo-pacific-exploring-canadas-defence-priorities (en anglais seulement) 15 h 45. La ministre Anand et le secrétaire d’État à la Défense du Royaume‑Uni, Ben Wallace, tiendront un point de presse. Ils prononceront des allocutions et répondront à des questions des représentants des médias y participant en personne. https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2023/06/la-ministre-de-la-defense-anand-visite-le-royaume-uni-pour-approfondir-la-relation-de-defense.html

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  26 décembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  Deal allows Canada to continue operating aging RCAF VIP aircraft in U.S. airspace

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Two RCAF Challenger aircraft are too old to be upgraded with the modern systems required to meet new regulations for civilian airspace. Canada has cut a deal with the United States to allow two of the military's aging Challenger jets to continue to operate in American airspace despite not having the required new air traffic control equipment on board. The two Royal Canadian Air Force Challenger aircraft, used for VIP transportation and other military duties, are too old to be upgraded with the modern systems required to meet new flight regulations for civilian airspace. The new rules come into effect for the U.S., Mexico, Columbia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 1. For most of Europe, those rules will apply starting June 7. In Canada, the rules are being phased in between Jan. 1, 2021, and Jan. 1, 2023. The aviation rules call for increased reliance on data links, new air traffic control surveillance technologies and satellite-based navigation. The regulatory changes are being implemented worldwide and are commonly referred to as ADS-B. Canada had been in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. government and its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the continued use of the Challengers in U.S. airspace. “The RCAF has confirmed with the United States Department of Defense and the FAA that we will continue to operate our aircraft in U.S. airspace under a Memorandum of Understanding,” Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said. “This interim measure will allow the RCAF to continue operating its Challenger aircraft in U.S. airspace with established processes and is a reflection of our strong relationship with our American partners.” The memorandum covers a five-year period. “Since two of our Challenger aircraft are not ADS-B compliant, they may still be subject to suboptimal flight routings in parts of the U.S., depending on location, density of air traffic and other factors,” Le Bouthillier added. That could mean, for instance, that the Canadian aircraft might need to be rerouted or take a different flight path if the level of air traffic in an area is high. The RCAF operates four Challenger jets, with the two more modern aircraft already outfitted with the new equipment. The Liberal government has been reluctant to buy new aircraft since it is expected Conservative MPs will try to score political points about planes being purchased for VIPs such as the prime minister before new fighter jets are bought for the RCAF. When the Liberals were in opposition, they criticized the Conservative government's use of VIP aircraft. Some within the RCAF support either replacing the two older Challenger jets or purchasing a new fleet of four aircraft, noting the planes are also used for military missions such as medical transportation of injured personnel. The older Challenger planes are not the only aircraft in the VIP fleet that have faced problems. The RCAF's specialized VIP aircraft used by the prime minister won't be flying until August 2020 because of an accident this fall. On Oct. 19, while being towed into a hangar at 8 Wing Trenton by contracted maintenance personnel, the Polaris aircraft was significantly damaged when it rolled into the back wall of a hangar. Engineering teams from Airbus, the original manufacturer of the aircraft, and General Electric, which made the engines, assessed the damages and have provided an initial repair plan. “We do not have sufficient detail about potential costs, or the attribution of those costs, to provide any detail at this time,” RCAF spokesman Lt.-Col. Steve Neta stated in an earlier email. Neta said the RCAF was confident it could meet travel needs of the prime minister and other VIPs. The RCAF has other aircraft that can be used for VIP transport, including other Polaris planes and as the CC-144 Challenger fleet, depending on the requirements, Neta added. In early December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used another Polaris aircraft to fly to a NATO summit in the United Kingdom. After that plane arrived, though, problems were discovered in one engine and the aircraft was deemed temporarily “unserviceable” while it was repaired. Another RCAF Polaris, which had taken Governor General Julie Payette to Europe for a tour, was instead used to transpot Trudeau and government officials back to Canada. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/deal-allows-canada-to-continue-operating-aging-rcaf-vip-aircraft-in-u-s-airspace