14 mai 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

RCAF change of command marks new era

Against a backdrop of a Douglas DC-3, a Bombardier Challenger 604, a McDonnell Douglas CF-188B and a Boeing CH-113 Labrador, LGen Michael Hood passed command of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to LGen Al Meinzinger on May 4, 2018.

The ceremony was conducted at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa and included an honour guard parade from 8 Wing Trenton, Ont., which Hood led from 2007 to 2009, and a Colour Party from 429 Tactical Airlift Squadron, the last squadron he commanded.

It also featured the central band of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the pipes and drums of 8 Wing. A planned flyover of two CH-146 Griffon helicopters, two CF-188 Hornets and one CC-130J Hercules was cancelled due to poor weather.

The transfer of command from Hood, an air combat systems officer, to Meinzinger, a helicopter pilot, marked the first time the new RCAF colours were paraded since they were presented by the Governor General in September. The former colours were passed to the custody of the Toronto Maple Leafs in a ceremony in February.

The setting of historic Air Force and Canadian airframes was a fitting reminder of the importance of the RCAF legacy, a history both commanders referenced in remarks to an audience of several hundred personnel, families and dignitaries, including seven former commanders, three former Chiefs of the Defence Staff (CDS), and three former deputy commanders of NORAD.

The change of command is more than passing a torch, “it's poignant,” said CDS Gen Jonathan Vance. “[It] marks the very cadence of life in the armed forces.”

Hood assumed command of the RCAF in July 2015, culminating a 33-year career that included many years in a CC-130 Hercules as well as staff tours with the Governor General, the United States Air Force, and in senior positions with the CAF and RCAF.

He praised the “exceptional people” of the Air Force and their skill on operations. “You are inheriting a great team you helped build,” he told Meinzinger.

Hood's one lament, he said, was the pace and lack of political agreement on vital procurement programs, in particular the replacement of the CF-188 Hornets.

“While I'm happy [the new] defence policy has a lot of great opportunity for the Air Force, and we have a vision moving forward for an open and transparent competition for the replacement of the fighter, I can tell you it is not happening fast enough,” he said.

“And I am going to continue to encourage, in my role as a civilian, the government to try and accelerate the acquisition of that replacement fighter.”

Vance thanked Hood for his “sound and clear” advice on a number of complex files, including acquisition projects such as fighter jets and fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft, “ferocious advice” that was delivered in private and “honest execution delivered in public.”

He also commended Hood for his efforts to instill a new generation of innovators within the RCAF by seeking out ideas from across the Air Force and seconding non-commissioned and junior officers to an entrepreneurial environment in a technology hub in Waterloo, Ont. “It speaks to your care for the future ... of the RCAF,” said Vance.

Meinzinger, who served as deputy commander of the RCAF for two years under Hood, also applauded the innovation agenda and said he would, “continue to focus on innovation as we look to the future.”

A CH-135 Twin Huey and CH-146 Griffon pilot with four flying tours, Meinzinger has served in a variety of senior staff roles in the CAF, RCAF and NORAD, most recently as director of staff in the Strategic Joint Staff under Gen Vance.

He commanded the Joint Task Force Afghanistan air wing in Kandahar in 2011, overseeing air wing support to combat operations, and has led both the training and education systems as commanding officer of 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron in 2006 and later, in 2013, as commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada.

His experience taught him the importance of “flying in formation” and working “as one team,” said Meinzinger. Born in Trenton and raised on the base, he said he was “indentured for life” and learned at an early age “what it means to be part of a military family.”

His father, a chief warrant officer, served 36 years in the CAF.

Meinzinger said he intends to maintain the RCAF reputation for excellence on operations.

“Our ability to deliver air power effects in an integrated manner with precision, agility and professionalism is our true calling card.”

But he also emphasized people as a personal priority at a time when the Air Force is wrestling with recruitment and, perhaps more challenging, retention.

“In my view, the RCAF can only be successful ... if we have well-led, healthy, robust and inclusive squadrons and tactical units. I firmly believe that if we can get it right within our 39 flying units and 85 tactical units, our future will be all that brighter,” he said, pledging that decisions would be made with the understanding that squadrons “remain the life blood of the RCAF.”

https://www.skiesmag.com/news/rcaf-change-command-marks-new-era/

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7 décembre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

Attribution d’un contrat d’efficacité énergétique relatif à la 14e Escadre Greenwood
Le 7 décembre 2018 – Greenwood (Nouvelle-Écosse) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes En vertu de la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, le gouvernement du Canada écologise les infrastructures de défense et lutte contre les changements climatiques. Le ministère de la Défense nationale (MDN) élargit le recours aux contrats de rendement énergétique afin d'améliorer l'efficacité énergétique de nos infrastructures militaires et de fournir à notre personnel des installations modernes et écologiques dans lesquelles travailler et s'entraîner. Au nom de Harjit S. Sajjan, ministre de la Défense, Colin Fraser, député de Nova-Ouest, a attribué aujourd'hui un contrat de rendement énergétique relatif à la 14e Escadre Greenwood. Dans le cadre du projet de 20,5 millions de dollars, 102 b'timents seront mis à niveau avec des mesures d'efficacité énergétique allant de nouvel éclairage à DEL à des systèmes de ventilation efficaces. L'installation de chauffage central de l'escadre sera également mise à niveau vers une source de carburant plus propre au gaz naturel. On s'attend à ce que ces mises à niveau réduisent les coûts énergétiques annuels de l'escadre d'environ 900 000 $, soit 13 %, et réduisent les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de près de 7 500 tonnes par année. Le MDN a un certain nombre de contrats de rendement énergétique qui se trouvent à diverses étapes d'élaboration et de mise en œuvre dans des bases partout au Canada. Dans le cadre de ces contrats, une entreprise est engagée pour payer et exécuter un projet de rénovation énergétique dans une base ou une escadre. L'argent économisé en coûts énergétiques est ensuite utilisé pour rembourser l'entreprise sur une période de cinq à quinze ans, ce qui réduit au minimum les coûts initiaux pour le contribuable, et garantit que les mises à niveau produisent des économies. Citations « Ces contrats de rendement énergétique représentent les formidables travaux en cours à l'échelle du Canada afin de rendre notre infrastructure de défense plus durable et éconergétique. Ces travaux profitent à notre personnel en modernisant les endroits où ils travaillent et s'entraînent, tout en diminuant considérablement nos émissions de carbone afin de nous aider à atteindre un avenir plus vert pour tous les Canadiens. » Harjit S. Sajjan, ministre de la Défense « Je suis ravi de voir ce projet d'énergie verte aller de l'avant pour la base Greenwood. Cet investissement de 20,5 millions de dollars créera des possibilités économiques pour la communauté du comté de Kings, tout en démontrant que des opérations gouvernementales plus écologiques et plus durables sont aussi bénéfiques pour l'économie que pour l'environnement. » Colin Fraser, député de Nova-Ouest Faits en bref Le contrat relatif aux mises à niveau et aux rénovations énergétiques à la 14e Escadre Greenwood a été attribué à MCW Custom Energy Solutions Ltd. Des contrats semblables sont en cours d'élaboration pour Bagotville, Shilo, Alert, Comox, Borden, Trenton, Kingston, Gagetown, Halifax, Montréal, Saint-Jean et Goose Bay. En plus de Greenwood, des projets sont en cours à Valcartier, à Esquimalt et à Petawawa. On s'attend à ce que le projet réduise les émissions annuelles de GES de la 14e Escadre de 7 500 tonnes, ce qui équivaut à éliminer 1 600 véhicules de la circulation. Comme il est énoncé dans la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, le MDN améliore son infrastructure pour obtenir une réduction de 40 % des émissions de gaz à effet de serre (par rapport aux niveaux de 2005) d'ici 2030. La mise en œuvre de nouveaux contrats de rendement énergétique dans les bases et les escadres dans l'ensemble du Canada appuie l'objectif de faibles émissions de carbone du gouvernement et le nouvel objectif de réduction des émissions de 80 % d'ici 2050. La stratégie générale en matière d'énergie et d'environnement de la Défense renforce la capacité du MDN à écologiser ses opérations et à s'adapter aux répercussions des changements climatiques en intégrant des mesures d'adaptation, y compris des contrats de rendement énergétique, à ses politiques et à ses pratiques. Construction de Défense Canada et Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada sont les partenaires du MDN pour l'acquisition des services auprès de sociétés de services énergétiques afin de moderniser et d'écologiser les infrastructures de défense. https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2018/12/attribution-dun-contrat-defficacite-energetique-relatif-a-la-14e-escadre-greenwood.html
17 mars 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Important Notice about CAF Outlooks 2020
Important Notice about CAF Outlooks 2020 As a membership organization, CADSI always puts the health and safety of our community first. As event organizers, we are closely monitoring developments related to COVID-19 and adjusting to its impact hourly. On Sunday, March 15, Ottawa's Medical Officer of Health recommended the immediate suspension of events of all sizes. We are following this recommendation and as such, CADSI will no longer have a face-to-face aspect of the 2020 CAF Outlooks, which had been planned for the Shaw Centre on April 7-9. We are currently exploring all options with our government partners on ways forward to deliver an alternative program. CADSI will provide updated information on this program on April 1. Cancellations and refunds will be accepted until April 6, 2020. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging and unprecedented time. We will share updates via email, our website, and CADSI's twitter account (@CADSICanada). Posted 2020-03-16 Last Modified 2020-03-16 16:58 https://www.defenceandsecurity.ca/media/article&id=361&t=c
24 décembre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Mattis resignation not likely to damage Canada-U.S. security ties: experts
THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' decision to resign creates a void for Canada, says former Defence Minister Peter MacKay, because of Mattis's deep understanding of Canada's role in joint NATO and UN missions and good ties with Canadian security officials. His years of experience in the U.S. military and on-the-ground understanding of the parts of the world where he served as a Marine general, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, are “virtually irreplaceable,” MacKay said. After serving for two years at the top of the U.S. military machine, Mattis announced Thursday that he'd resign as of the end of February, in a move widely seen as a rebuke of Trump's decision to abrupt withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. The retired general has been considered a moderating influence on Trump over his last two years as Pentagon chief, which is why concerns have been raised by ally nations about how his departure could affect U.S. security and foreign policy. These concerns are particularly focused on America's role in the NATO transatlantic alliance after Trump said this week that not only will the U.S. military pull out of Syria, but the number of U.S. troops will also be cut in half in Afghanistan, where the U.S. is part of the NATO-led joint mission Operation Resolute Support. “In spite of the moniker ‘Mad Dog Mattis' he was anything but. He was a highly intelligent, highly rational guy and he saw first-hand the integration of defence, diplomacy, development that Canada was doing and was very full of praise and admiration for that,” MacKay said. Mattis's departure is even more keenly felt in light of the departures of H.R. McMaster and John Kelly, who U.S. President Donald Trump also appointed to serve in his administration, MacKay added. McMaster was an army general who was Trump's national-security adviser for a year; Kelly is a retired Marine general who served as secretary of homeland security and then Trump's chief of staff. McMaster resigned last April; Kelly is to leave the White House at the end of this year. “Jim Mattis and the others have and feel an abiding respect for Canada and our role in NATO and in NORAD, for our niche capabilities, what we were able to do along with others in the coalition, both the UN and NATO coalition in Afghanistan, our support role in other missions,” MacKay said. “That, too, is in some jeopardy depending on who replaces Gen. Mattis.” But in spite of ongoing political tensions at the top, Canada's defence and security relationship with the U.S. is hardwired at the bureaucratic and institutional levels and has not materially changed with the election of Donald Trump, said Fen Hampson, director of the global security and politics program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Mattis' resignation will not alter those ties, he said. “There's a constant flow of exchanges and communication on, I would say, almost an hourly basis. That's not really going to change in substantive terms,” Hampson said. “I think where it's going to be probably felt most keenly is at the cabinet-to-cabinet level where our officials have met with Mattis and (Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo on a pretty regular basis and that's where the hole is going to be felt.” Dave Perry, a senior defence analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, echoed this, saying he has heard of little change on the ground when it comes to the day-to-day bilateral work and partnerships between Canadian and American officials. “It's a relationship that's pretty embedded at the working level in institutional agreements, exchanges, all the Canadians that work directly within the U.S. defence structure in the United States — so I think the degree of change has probably been overstated with this administration,” he said. “A lot of things on the defence front have continued to work quite well quietly and will likely do so in the future.” While many analysts agree that Canada should be concerned about losing an ally in the Trump administration like Mattis, who acted as a stabilizer at the highest levels, this concern could be eased depending on whom Trump nominates as his replacement. “The void now, within the defence and security world, will hopefully be filled with someone of his ilk and his acumen,” MacKay said of Mattis. “Hope burns eternal. I remain very optimistic about the resilience of the Canada-U.S. relationship. It'll survive this administration, but boy, there's a lot of damage being done.” https://leaderpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/mattis-resignation-not-likely-to-damage-canada-u-s-security-ties-experts/wcm/bead703a-ee27-44e6-8fca-31f19603259f

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