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  12 décembre 2017 | Information, Aérospatial

  Intégration de chasseurs australiens à la flotte actuelle de l’Aviation royale canadienne

  Document d'information De Défense nationale Le 12 décembre 2017 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Le Canada a annoncé récemment son intention de faire l'acquisition de chasseurs F-18 australiens pour compléter sa flotte actuelle. Ces appareils sont d''ge et de configuration similaires aux CF-18 de la flotte canadienne, et pourront donc être intégrés rapidement avec peu de mises à niveau, de formation et de modifications d'infrastructures. Afin d'intégrer ces chasseurs aux opérations de l'Aviation royale canadienne (ARC), les étapes suivantes seront franchies. Une fois terminées, les chasseurs acquis de l'Australie s'intégreront sans difficulté dans la flotte actuelle de CF-18. Mise à niveau et prolongement de la durée de vie utile Les F-18 seront modifiés et des travaux techniques seront réalisés pour que leur configuration soit similaire à celle des CF-18 canadiens, et pour veiller à ce qu'ils soient disponibles pour compléter la flotte de CF-18 jusqu'à l'acquisition d'une nouvelle flotte de chasseurs. Le Canada a beaucoup d'expérience dans ce type de modification avec sa flotte actuelle de chasseurs. La mise à niveau et l'entretien de la flotte actuelle de CF-18 seront toujours nécessaires. Le gouvernement du Canada a évalué la nature des travaux requis et les coûts associés pour entretenir la flotte actuelle et les appareils supplémentaires. Au fil des ans, l'Australie et le Canada ont fait d'importants investissements dans le développement de modifications structurelles et de capacités qui ont permis de prolonger la durée de vie structurale de leur flotte de F-18. Récemment, le Canada a investi dans le développement de modifications structurales supplémentaires, ce que l'Australie n'a pas fait. Ces modifications sont actuellement appliquées sur les appareils canadiens, et elles le seront également sur les avions australiens acquis par le Canada, ce qui permettra de prolonger leur durée de vie utile. Ces appareils sont actuellement employés dans le cadre d'opérations. Les inspections menées ont confirmé que leur durée de vie peut être prolongée et qu'ils peuvent être mis à niveau pour s'intégrer à notre flotte actuelle. Acquisition de pièces de rechange Le Canada fera aussi l'acquisition auprès du gouvernement australien de pièces de rechange pour maintenir en puissance les appareils supplémentaires et la flotte actuelle de CF-18 jusqu'à ce qu'une nouvelle flotte de chasseurs soit prête à l'action. Le Canada dispose également d'une chaîne d'approvisionnement déjà établie pour les pièces de F-18, qu'il continuera d'utiliser. Formation et personnel La formation requise pour piloter un F-18 australien est la même que pour la flotte actuelle de CF-18. Un plus grand nombre d'aéronefs requiert un plus grand nombre de pilotes, et plus de techniciens pour les entretenir. Tel qu'indiqué dans la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, des efforts soutenus sont déployés en matière de recrutement et de maintien en service pour répondre aux besoins en personnel. Opérations Dans le cadre de la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, les Forces armées canadiennes sont appelées à remplir leurs missions au pays, en Amérique du Nord et ailleurs dans le monde, et ce, simultanément. En ce qui concerne la capacité des chasseurs canadiens, l'Aviation royale canadienne doit pouvoir générer un nombre suffisant d'avions prêts à être déployés pour pleinement respecter les engagements pris par le Canada envers le NORAD et l'OTAN. À l'heure actuelle, le Canada ne dispose pas de suffisamment d'avions, ni de personnel pour respecter ces engagements simultanément. L'ajout d'avions supplémentaires permettra d'obtenir la capacité requise pour respecter nos engagements sans difficulté avec notre flotte actuelle. On prévoit que les premiers avions seront prêts à l'action au début des années 2020, après l'achèvement des mises à niveau structurelles pour les intégrer à la flotte de CF-18. Infrastructures Les appareils seront employés à la 4e Escadre Cold Lake et à la 3e Escadre Bagotville. Le MDN examine actuellement quels sont les besoins en matière d'infrastructures pour accueillir les nouveaux appareils. On s'attend à ce que les modifications requises soient minimales, étant donné que les chasseurs supplémentaires sont d''ge et de configuration similaires aux CF-18. Documents connexes Communiqué : Le Canada annonce son intention de remplacer la flotte de chasseurs Documentation : Mobilisation de l'industrie et des partenaires alliés Documentation : Définition du processus d'approvisionnement : le remplacement de la flotte de CF18 du Canada Documentation : Assurer des retombées économiques pour le Canada Documentation : Le rôle de la flotte de chasseurs CF-18 du Canada Lien pertinent CF-188 Hornet Contact Relations avec les médias Ministère de la Défense nationale Téléphone : 613-996-2353 Sans frais : 1-866-377-0811 Courriel : mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2017/12/integration_de_chasseursaustraliensalaflotteactuelledelaviationr.html

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  17 septembre 2020 | Information, Autre défense

  Defense Innovation Board Adopts AI Testing, Digital Workforce Recruitment Resolutions

  Mila Jasper The Defense Innovation Board convened for its fall public meeting Tuesday and approved resolutions for two key federal technology issues in addition to broadening its work on space. The board, which is comprised of national security technology innovators, formed a new space subcommittee to support the Space Force and heard from Michael Kratsios, acting undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, and U.S. chief technology officer. But the need for better testing protocols for artificial intelligence systems and strategies the Defense Department could adopt in order to attract digital talent took center stage at the meeting. The board adopted resolutions after robust discussions for both issues. Challenges in AI Testing No proven methods for testing and evaluating nondeterministic AI systems—meaning less predictable, more adaptable AI systems—exist. Daniela Rus, a roboticist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said it is critical to have strong procedures for testing, evaluation, verification, and validation, or TEV/V, of artificial intelligence in order to create enough confidence in the technology to deploy it. “The department has been articulating the importance of accelerating the deployment of these systems,” Rus said, citing DOD's adoption of the board's AI ethics principles. “We have seen a lot of efforts in developing AI accelerator programs that will take the latest and greatest advancements in AI from research organizations and map them into processes and procedures for the department. We hope to have these in place, but in order to get there we need to have rigorous, robust procedures for testing.” The main reason testing for these types of autonomous systems is so challenging is uncertainty. Board member Danny Hillis, a pioneer in parallel computing, said uncertainty comes in three directions: from the function, the inputs and the outputs. Hillis suggested the board should use these three areas of uncertainty to guide its thinking when it comes to providing recommendations for TEV/V. The resolution adopted by the board argues DOD must develop its own TEV/V solutions as soon as possible, rather than wait for external solutions, in order to be ready to deploy AI systems in the short term. The board's science and technology subcommittee hopes to have two reports—one for a backgrounder and another for recommendations—on TEV/V for AI by December of this year. “Without a strong push for education and training on this topic and a diverse range of testing programs at the developmental and operational levels, DoD will have difficulty assessing its current TEV/V processes and determining next steps to improve its AI TEV/V capability,” the resolution reads. Competing for Digital Talent Later in the meeting, the DIB turned its attention to workforce issues. Jennifer Pahlka, a founder of the U.S. Digital Service and Code For America, led the group's discussion on competing for digital talent. Pahlka said the coronavirus pandemic and remote work trends could help the department attract talent if it develops new strategies to help it compete with the private sector. “As private sector remote work trends are changing how employers compete for digital talent, DOD has the opportunity to take advantage of these trends and be more competitive for civilian talent in this new environment,” Pahlka said. DOD and the federal government in general struggles to fill talent gaps for several reasons, including long hiring timelines. A recent report by the Partnership for Public Service found the average hiring timeline for the federal workforce is 98 days, or more than twice the private sector average. The paper DIB released to accompany the discussion detailed five recommendations for what to do to attract digital talent. Overall, DOD should develop strategies to maintain a remote and distributed workforce even beyond the pandemic. Pahlka added that though the recommendations focus on attracting digital talent, she hopes the same principles outlined can be expanded across the workforce. In the past, common wisdom said the Pentagon couldn't do mass telework. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, DOD had to adapt, and fast. Lisa Hershman, the chief management officer for the Defense Department, said in July the pandemic “shattered the myth” DOD couldn't support remote work. According to the DIB's report, DOD should now focus on expanding its IT infrastructure and make sure it has the tools it needs to maintain remote work as well as expand the agency's capabilities to do classified work remotely. The report also recommends DOD work on improvements to the remote hiring process, prioritize changing the agency's culture around remote work and “consider dedicated remote work pilot programs to recruit and fill critical civilian technical talent gaps at priority organizations.” “The subcommittee believes the DOD is really at an inflection point for talent management,” Pahlka said. Pahlka and three other members of the DIB including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ended their terms on the board. Member terms last four years. https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2020/09/defense-innovation-board-adopts-ai-testing-digital-workforce-recruitment-resolutions

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  17 septembre 2020 | Information, Autre défense

  Coronavirus has kept us close to home. It’s a helpful lesson for strengthening national defense.

  Justin P. Oberman Despite being warned, with impressive precision, about the dangers of so-called black swan events, America tends to ignore or downplay them because they seem remote, or the perceived financial, societal and political costs are too great. In the aftermath of 9/11, of Hurricane Katrina and other major domestic tragedies, we too often learn that our relevant capabilities have atrophied. Now, following perhaps the most devastating such event — the COVID-19 pandemic — the defense industrial base is actively seeking billions of dollars to prop it up without necessarily committing to making step-function leaps forward in a highly complex threat environment. And while keeping the thousands of small companies that support the defense primes alive is important, the Pentagon — flush with cash and a mandate to act quickly to react to the pandemic — should use this opportunity to refine its technology acquisition approach, in part by doing more to engage nontraditional defense firms. The reasons for bringing in new ideas for defense are clear. Just last week, the Department of Defense released its annual report to Congress on China, which states that “China has already achieved parity with — or even exceeded — the United States in several military modernization areas.” Even more concerning, DoD analysts describe China's military-civil fusion development strategy as “a nationwide endeavor that seeks to ‘fuse' its economic and social development strategies with its security strategies to build an integrated national strategic system and capabilities in support of China's national rejuvenation goals.” The United States doesn't need and shouldn't pursue a “fusion” strategy; rather, we need a better approach to strengthening the defense industrial base and engaging with innovators. The United States is at risk of losing its ability to manufacture critical national security technology thanks to a combination of byzantine domestic procurement processes, offshoring and overseas competitors. To counter these and other negative trends, the DoD needs a sustainable, continuous innovation model. In Silicon Valley, everyone from the biggest players to the youngest startups view working against or around slow, tired establishment organizations as almost a prerequisite to success (Uber vs. taxis, Tesla vs. legacy automakers, Amazon vs. everybody). Despite the Pentagon's attractive budget and important missions, many innovators are repelled by restrictive requirements, lengthy sales cycles, high costs of bidding and a deck often stacked in favor of large prime contractors. The DoD must throw open its doors to innovators and free itself to make bets; if it does, it will get more world-class tools for its mission owners. The department should: Make requirements less prescriptive, easier to understand and run two ways. Develop an outreach program for innovators that uses channels they're already occupying, in language they understand, with requirements that are compelling. Encourage two-way communication that surfaces non-obvious solutions to critical defense missions. At the Transportation Security Administration, we worked with an In-Q-Tel-backed company that was founded in Las Vegas to catch casino cheats; the Pentagon should look for similar outside-the-box opportunities. Engage substantively with private sector innovation experts. The best investors and executives back successful entrepreneurs, mentor them as they refine their offerings and support world-changing scale. The DoD needs these skill sets and should set up (unpaid) innovation mentoring boards. Insert flexibility into contracting and financing. To remove barriers to entry without sacrificing quality, the DoD should: Create “off-campus” labs to mitigate procurement and security clearance delays. Build on the work of Dr. Will Roper, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics. to ensure innovators don't run out of funding. In what would be a great advancement and threshold change, work with Congress to arrange for private sector investment in key technologies to bolster programs of record. Lift government price and margin controls. Cost, often controlled through the anti-innovation technique of lowest-price, technically acceptable contracts, is not the key metric, particularly in emerging, dynamic technologies. What matters are outcomes and value. Restricting profit to a bureaucrat-calculated rate of 15 percent will drive innovative and nimble companies away from the DoD. Cost does not effectively incorporate other important metrics, including risk, prior investment and return on investment. Order quantities and frequency are also critical in determining reasonable costs, as these factors underpin business cases. It's not a coincidence that the world's largest, most innovative economy belongs to the same country that has the world's largest, most lethal military and is the world's most attractive target for emerging threats. The threat environment (intensified by the pandemic) makes clear that we need to change our approach; the state of our economy means that we need to start now. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/09/16/coronavirus-has-kept-us-close-to-home-its-a-helpful-lesson-for-strengthening-national-defense/