Sur le même sujet

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  4 février 2021 | Local, Naval

  Ultra Electronics : awarded Canadian Surface Combatant subcontract to provide Variable Depth Sonar

  02/03/2021 | 09:06am EST Ultra is delighted to announce a contract award to commence work on the key Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) system for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program - named the Towed Low Frequency Active Sonar (TLFAS). This subcontract moves the development of CSC's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability from the program definition phase into the full manufacture and delivery of the vessels suite of sonars. The TLFAS is a world-class towed sonar solution, optimized for the detection and tracking of stealthy submarines in challenging ocean environments. When delivered it will represent a step-change in Canada's anti-submarine warfare assets and will provide a level of sonar capability never before enjoyed by the Royal Canadian Navy. The TLFAS system is fully designed and manufactured by Ultra in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its design also includes components built by other Canadian companies, such that the industrial benefit of this system selection is spread across multiple Provinces. The selection of this system for CSC therefore means that Canadian industrial content is maximized in the delivery of the initial systems, and that the skillsets and facilities required to maintain the system through its operational life are also resident in Canada. More broadly, Ultra is proud that its work on the CSC program is proving to be an important vector for growth of Canadian jobs, innovation and investment. In the two years since having been originally awarded program definition studies for CSC, working in close partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Ultra's Canadian team has grown by over 150 employees, with another 80 high-tech roles expected to be made available in 2021 alone. The program is also triggering major Canadian investment decisions by Ultra in terms of facilities, inward technology transfer and research partnerships which will be announced through the course of 2021. Overall, Ultra's role on CSC is a very good example of the Industrial and Technological Benefits that the program is providing to Canada, and of the enduring impact that the program will have on sovereign naval capability for the nation. Bernard Mills, President of Ultra Maritime Sonar Systems commented: 'Ultra recognizes our responsibility to provide, through CSC, the highest possible level of ASW capability to the Royal Canadian Navy. We are therefore immensely proud of this contract award, especially because it is grounded in Canadian innovation and ingenuity, and because it will be an enduring driver of both operational capability and national industrial benefit. Most importantly, this is not just a success for Ultra but is one for the entire CSC enterprise, and I want to thank our strong partners in Lockheed Martin Canada, Irving Shipbuilding Inc., and all our peers on the CSC team who are as dedicated as we are to the delivery of a world-class naval capability to Canada, built by Canadians'. The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, noted: 'As we work to build the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy, we are pleased to see companies like Ultra stepping up to provide leading-edge technology for our shipbuilding projects. The National Shipbuilding Strategy continues to provide opportunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes, from coast to coast to coast.' Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, highlighted the benefit of this contract award in his riding: 'I am delighted to see the positive economic impact of the National Shipbuilding Strategy across Nova Scotia. Companies like Ultra are playing an important role in the CSC program, while providing good quality jobs here in Dartmouth. Ultra's highly skilled employees will produce the technology needed to help ensure the capability of the Royal Canadian Navy's future fleet.' https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/ULTRA-ELECTRONICS-9590141/news/Ultra-Electronics-awarded-Canadian-Surface-Combatant-subcontract-to-provide-Variable-Depth-Sonar-32347338/

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  13 mai 2019 | Local, Aérospatial, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Government of Canada awards contract for new space-based search and rescue technology

  SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BELLEVUE, QC, May 10, 2019 /CNW/ - Through Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is ensuring that our women and men in uniform have the equipment they need to do their jobs and to protect Canadians. Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport and Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Louis, on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, announced that the Government of Canada has awarded a $39-million contract to Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation (MDA) of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, to design, build and deliver 10 search and rescue repeaters for National Defence's Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) system. This contract will help create or maintain 44 jobs over the length of the contract, which will stimulate economic growth in Quebec. Deployed on a satellite, a repeater detects signals from distress beacons across the country and along Canada's coastlines and relays them to a ground station. As part of an agreement between National Defence and the United States Air Force (USAF), the Canadian repeaters will be hosted on USAF's next-generation GPS satellites. The MEOSAR system is expected to deliver improved response times for search and rescue activities and increase accuracy to locate people, ships or planes in distress. It will replace Canada's current search and rescue system, which has been in place for several decades. Quotes "Our Government is committed to providing the Canadian Armed Forces with cutting-edge technology for search and rescue operations to save those in distress in Canada. These repeaters will be designed and built with homegrown Canadian aerospace expertise, supporting our aerospace sector and stimulating economic growth in Quebec." The Honourable Marc Garneau Minister of Transport "Through this investment, our government is supporting the Canadian Armed Forces in their important work to help save people's lives both on land and sea. The contract with MDA will also help sustain economic growth in our community with 44 good middle-class jobs. ." Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Louis "This project builds on the successful partnership between National Defence and MDA to develop innovative solutions that are vital to Canada's sovereignty and security. Once qualified as operational, this system will dramatically improve both the speed and location accuracy for detecting beacons, and as a result, greatly enhance the coordination and dispatch of search and rescue teams to help people in distress." Mike Greenley Group President of Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation Quick facts The Government of Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, reaffirms Canada's commitment to invest in our military, and sustain our search and rescue capabilities. Alongside the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Armed Forces responds to more than 9,000 search and rescue calls annually, approximately 1,000 of which result in the launching of search and rescue air assets. The contract will run until February 1, 2029. The government may extend the contract to August 1, 2034, if it elects to acquire an additional 12 repeaters. The contract was awarded following an open, fair and transparent competitive procurement process, which included a fairness monitor who observed the procurement process. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-awards-contract-for-new-space-based-search-and-rescue-technology-832448437.html

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  14 mai 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

  Helicopter firm tries to revive cancelled Canadian deal with the Philippines

  David Pugliese Just months after a contract to sell military helicopters to the Philippines was cancelled, a Canadian firm is hoping it can revive the controversial deal. The Liberal government ordered a review of the original contract involving Bell Helicopter Canada after human rights concerns were raised in February about the aircraft being used on the front lines of the country's various conflicts. But that review angered Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, who cancelled the $234-million deal for 16 Bell 412 helicopters to be built in Mirabel, Que. Bell says it is now back in discussions with the Philippines as a potential client for the same helicopters. Patrick Moulay, a Bell senior vice-president, told the aviation publication Flight Global that he can't get into specifics because the discussions are commercially sensitive. “We are still discussing to see how we can address the missions and operational needs of our customers,” he explained. “We are talking to them on a daily basis but you should wait for a few more weeks before we go into more details.” In February, when the original deal became public, human rights advocates expressed disbelief that Canada was selling the aircraft to the Philippines considering the country's poor human rights record and its controversial leader Duterte. The international criminal court has launched an initial inquiry into allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Duterte. The allegations relate to extrajudicial executions committed during the president's war on drugs, which has killed thousands. Duterte, who once boasted about throwing a man to his death from a helicopter, has also warned government officials they would face the same fate if he learned they were involved in corruption. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also raised concerns about extrajudicial killings while visiting the country in November, specifically those related to Duterte's violent crackdown on illegal drugs. The Canadian Commercial Corporation, a federal government agency, brokered the original February deal to supply the 16 Bell 412 helicopters to the Philippines. But the corporation noted in an email Monday that the organization is not supporting Bell's latest efforts in the Philippines. Bell Helicopter did not respond to a request for comment. Some arms control advocates are worried that Bell might do an end-run around Canadian regulations by shipping portions of the helicopters to its U.S. facilities for assembly and eventual sale to the Philippines. “Canada's arms control policies are so weak that there are various ways to get these helicopters to Duterte,” said Steve Staples, vice president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa think tank. “Shipping semi-completed aircraft from Mirabel into the U.S. could be one way.” The Liberal government said in February it was unaware the Bell helicopters were going to be used for military operations in the Philippines. It stated the original purpose of the aircraft was for search and rescue and disaster relief. The Liberals blamed the previous Conservative government for initiating the deal. But the Philippine government never hid its intention to use the Canadian-built helicopters in military operations, even going as far as displaying the first batch of those choppers armed with machine guns during an official ceremony in 2015 attended by Canada's ambassador. Philippines Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla, military chief of plans, also told journalists in Manila that the aircraft “will be used for the military's internal security operations.” The Philippine military is keen to boost its capabilities as it fights Communist insurgents and Islamic extremists. It says it would use the Canadian helicopters to transport and supply troops and ferry wounded soldiers out of danger. Other uses would be for disaster relief. Last summer, the Philippine air force used its older utility helicopters during intense fighting in the city of Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city. http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/helicopter-firm-tries-to-revive-cancelled-canadian-deal-with-the-philippines