6 septembre 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
Canada takes delivery of first CC-330 Husky aircraft - Skies Mag
The first of nine CC-330 Husky aircraft — the Royal Canadian Air Force version of the Airbus A330 MRTT — has arrived in Canada.
24 septembre 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
'Shields Up': Defence Department looks for new ways to protect Canada's satellites, with a nod to Star Trek
Enemy action against satellites could include cyber-attacks, jamming, lasers or missiles, while natural threats could be solar flares or space weather
The Defence Department wants to take a page out of Star Trek and has asked researchers to develop ways to protect Canadian satellites from such threats as laser attacks and missiles.
Dubbed the “Shields Up” project, the plan would see the development of innovative capabilities that could be incorporated into the design and operation of Canada's space-based systems.
The Shields Up terminology is a nod to the sci-fi TV and movie series Star Trek in which the USS Enterprise starship is protected by deflector shields that can be instantly activated in response to a threat.
“Satellites are vulnerable to natural and artificial threats as well as, increasingly, threats from adversaries who seek to disrupt or destroy allied space systems,” said Dan Le Bouthillier, a spokesman for the Department of National Defence.
Enemy action against satellites could include cyber-attacks, jamming, lasers or missiles, while natural threats could be solar flares, space weather or collisions with debris in space.
The Defence Department and the Canadian Forces are the only Canadian entities with the mandate of protecting and defending the country's space capabilities, Le Bouthillier noted.
The call for proposals is part of a DND science innovation program.
Ideas that are accepted will receive $200,000 to further the proposal over a six-month period. The most promising solutions could receive another $1 million for additional development, Le Bouthillier said.
Most satellite services are commercial in nature and defensive measures have not been a primary criteria in their design. But the DND wants that to change.
The concepts or designs have to provide a reasonable method to deal with the threat. They also have to take into account Canada's international relations and obligations and the fact that various satellites operate in different orbits, which could influence the type of threats they face.
There are 1,950 operational satellites in Earth orbits.
Le Bouthillier said militaries are increasingly dependent on space-based systems for communication, surveillance, environmental monitoring and navigation.
The DND has a growing interest in keeping Canadian space systems safe. In August the department put out a request to Canadian scientists to try to come up with a way to rid the Earth's orbit of the millions of pieces of space junk that pose a threat to satellites and other spacecraft.
But the task is daunting; no other researcher has figured out how to collect the debris, which can be as small as one millimetre.
The DND noted that the request at this point is not about funding a system but investigating new ideas to eliminate the space junk.
The total number of “debris objects” in orbit is estimated to be about 129 million. That includes 34,000 objects greater than 10 centimetres in size, 900,000 objects one cm to 10 cm, and 128 million objects one mm to one cm, according to the DND.
The debris has been created by decades of space travel and operations. In 2007, for instance, China conducted a military test using a missile to destroy one of its satellites. The warhead obliterated the spacecraft, creating an estimated 300,000 pieces of debris. The U.S., Russia and India have conducted similar military experiments.
“There are no operational debris removal capabilities in use, globally, and existing prototypes lack important capabilities and have proven ineffective,” the DND noted in its request to researchers.
DND is also interested in ways to track some of the smaller pieces of space junk as well as methods to remove multiple pieces of debris of any size. Space surveillance networks regularly track about 22,300 objects in Earth orbits.
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6 septembre 2017 | Local, Aérospatial
Press Release - Omni-Lite Industries Reports Strong Six Month Financial Results and Significant New Orders
For the six months ended June 30, 2017, Omni-Lite Industries Canada Inc. is pleased to report revenue of $3,479,191 US. https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/06/1108409/0/en/Omni-Lite-Industries-Reports-Strong-Six-Month-Financial-Results-and-Significant-New-Orders.html
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4 novembre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
Boeing outlines $61B in Future Fighter benefits
Boeing on October 27 stated its bid in the Government of Canada's ongoing Future Fighter Capability Project procurement competition, if successful, would provide $61 billion and nearly 250,000 jobs to the Canadian economy. Required by the competition's RFP, the economic benefits outlined by Boeing are largely based on five new agreements with its Canadian aerospace partners involved in the bid. Canada's Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) aims to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's ageing fleet of CF-188 Hornet's with 88 new-generation fighters. The competition centres around three fighter jets in the Saab Gripen E, Boeing F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. “Canada is one of Boeing's most enduring partners and has continuously demonstrated that they have a robust and capable industry supporting both our commercial and defence businesses,” said Charles “Duff” Sullivan, managing director, Boeing Canada. “The large scale and scope of these Canadian projects reinforces Boeing's commitment to Canada and gives us an opportunity to build on our motto of promises made, promises kept.” Boeing explains that, based on new data and projections from economists at Ottawa-based Doyletech Corp., the total economic benefits to Canada and its workforce for the acquisition of the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet will last for at least 40 years and benefit all regions based of the country. Fifth-generation build of the F-35 Lightning II “Boeing and its Super Hornet industry partners have a long track record of delivering economic growth to Canada, which gave us the confidence that our data and detailed projections are extremely accurate,” Rick Clayton, economist at Doyletech Corp. The $61 billion in economic benefits outlined by Boeing with a Block III Super Hornet selection in the FFCP are largely based on partnerships with five Canadian-based aerospace operations, including: CAE (Montreal, Quebec) Boeing and CAE's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlines the implementation of a training solution for the Block III Super Hornet based in Canada and under full control of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). This includes full mission simulators and part task training devices for pilot training and maintenance technician training, courseware, as well as Contractor Logistics Support, Training Support Services, and Facilities Services to support RCAF training. L3Harris Technologies (Mirabel, Quebec) Boeing and L3Harris' MOU includes a range of sustainment services, including depot and base maintenance, engineering and publications support for the Canadian Super Hornet fleet; potential for other Super Hornet depot work; and maintenance scope for Canada's CH-147 Chinook fleet. Peraton Canada (Calgary, Alberta) Boeing and Peraton currently work closely together on CF-18 upgrades. This work will expand to include a full range of Super Hornet avionic repair and overhaul work in Canada. Raytheon Canada Limited (Calgary, Alberta) Boeing and Raytheon Canada's MOU outlines the implementation of large-scale supply chain and warehousing services at Cold Lake and Bagotville to support the new Super Hornet fleet, as well as potential depot avionics radar support. GE Canada Aviation (Mississauga, Ontario) In cooperation with its parent organization, GE Canada will continue to provide both onsite maintenance, repair and overhaul support services for the F414 engines used on the Super Hornet, as well as technical services and engineering within Canada in support of RCAF operations and aircraft engine sustainment. With its past partners, Boeing notes it has delivered on billions of dollars in industrial and technological benefits obligations dating back more than 25 years. The work started with the sale of the F/A-18s in the mid-1980s and progressed through more recent obligations including acquisition of and sustainment work on the C-17 Globemaster and the CH-47F Chinooks to meet Canada's domestic and international missions. Boeing states its direct spending in Canada in 2019 rose to $2.3 billion, a 15 per cent increase in four years. When the indirect and induced effects are calculated, Doyletech states this amount more than doubles to $5.3 billion, with 20,700 jobs. Boeing notes its partnership with Canada dates back to 1919, when Bill Boeing made the first international airmail delivery from Vancouver to Seattle. Today, Canada is among Boeing's largest international supply bases, with more than 500 major suppliers spanning across country. With nearly 1,500 employees, Boeing Canada supplies composite parts for all current Boeing commercial airplane models and supports Canadian airlines and the Canadian Armed Forces with products and services. https://www.wingsmagazine.com/boeing-outlines-61b-in-future-fighter-benefits/