30 mai 2023 | Local, Autre défense
Analysis: Time to make defence firms pay for their failures to deliver equipment
Defence firms are failing the Canadian Forces on military procurement. They should face consequences.
7 mai 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
Trump administration claims Ottawa's jet procurement plan is unfair to F-35, says report
Murray Brewster · CBC News
The Trump administration fired two warning shots last year over the Liberal government's long-delayed plan to replace Canada's CF-18 fighters, saying the procurement process discriminates against the Lockheed-Martin-built F-35 stealth jet, according to a new academic report.
The study by a researcher at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) cites leaked Pentagon letters written last summer and late fall to officials at Public Services and Procurement Canada.
The report, released Monday, largely blames the Liberal government for the delays in the procurement, while making only a passing reference to the inability of the former Conservative government to deliver on the same program.
The report's major revelation involves the leaked letters — which are expected to inflame the debate over the nearly decade-long on-again, off-again plan to replace the air force's 1980s-vintage CF-18s with modern warplanes.
The source of the Pentagon's irritation is a federal government policy that insists defence manufacturers deliver specific industrial benefits to Canadian companies.
Canada accused of angling for better deal
That's not how the F-35 program is structured. Countries that participated in the development of the stealth jet — as Canada did — pay an annual fee to remain part of the program, which gives domestic aerospace companies in those countries the right to bid on F-35 work.
The U.S. undersecretary for defence acquisition and sustainment wrote to Canada's assistant deputy minister of defence procurement in Public Services and Procurement Canada last summer to complain about the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy.
Ellen Lord warned the policy runs contrary to the F-35 participation agreement and accused Canada of trying to leverage a better deal than its allies.
"This text basically stated that Canada had signed the [Memorandum of Understanding] clearly understanding these provisions and could not now try to renegotiate a better deal," said the Aug. 31, 2018 letter, leaked to MLI researcher Richard Shimooka.
Lord went on to say the current procurement process "would be fundamentally and structurally prejudicial to any F-35 bid."
The point was hammered home when former U.S. Vice-Admiral Mathias Winter, in charge of the Joint Program Office overseeing F-35 development, wrote to Canada's head of future fighter development at Public Services.
After reviewing the federal government's draft request for proposals, Winter wrote that the F-35 would not be able to participate given the way the system is structured now.
"Fundamentally, the F-35 program is different from Foreign Military Sales or Direct Commercial sales procurements," said the Dec. 18, 2018 letter.
"The current [Future Fighter Capability Program] does not allow the F-35 to participate in a fair and open competition that recognizes the special nature and distinct advantages of the partnership."
Lockheed-Martin is one of four manufacturers that plan to bid on the fighter jet replacement program. Several defence and defence industry sources told CBC News in a story published last month that the full tender was expected to be released at the end of May, with final bids to be delivered by the end of the year.
There is considerable uncertainty about the timeline, however, because of questions and disputes about the project's industrial expectations.
"A delay is inevitable," said one defence industry source on Monday.
With the release of the letters, the institute's analysis peels back the curtain on perhaps the most contentious of the disputes: how to reconcile the existing F-35 benefits package with the federal government's standard procurement model.
Lockheed-Martin would not confirm whether the issues raised in the letters remain active concerns, but sources within both the defence industry and the federal government say there is an ongoing dialogue.
The U.S. defence giant, in a statement, said it did not commission the report but acknowledged it had provided "factual information to several think tanks in Canada" about its various programs.
The company said the structure of the F-35 program means it is the U.S. defence department that does all of the talking.
"We continue to provide our feedback to the U.S. government, which leads all government-to-government discussions related to the Canadian fighter replacement competition," said Cindy Tessier, head of communications for Lockheed Martin Canada.
She touted the $1.25 billion in contracts already awarded to Canadian companies because of the F-35 program and said the potential is there for more work once the fighter aircraft reaches full production in a few years.
"As a valued current partner on the program, Canadian industry has the opportunity to produce and sustain components and systems to a fleet that is expected to grow to more than 4,000 aircraft," she said.
A spokeswoman for Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough did not address the Pentagon letters directly, but did say the government has engaged in continuous dialogue with potential bidders as it sought feedback on the proposed tender.
"The approach is inherently designed to encourage continuous supplier engagement," said Ashley Michnowski. "We do this so that suppliers are able to make informed business decisions.
"Our government has been hard working to address as much of the supplier feedback as possible to ensure a level playing field and a fair and open competition with as many eligible suppliers as possible."
The process is not yet complete, although it is nearing its conclusion and a final request for proposals will be issued soon, she added.
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29 juin 2023 | Local, Autre défense
La ministre de la Défense Anita Anand rencontre son homologue britannique et annonce le déploiement naval de l’OTAN
Le 29 juin 2023 – Londres (Royaume‑Uni) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Aujourd’hui, l’honorable Anita Anand, ministre de la Défense nationale, a rencontré le très honorable Ben Wallace, secrétaire d’État à la Défense du Royaume‑Uni, à Londres. La ministre Anand a remercié le secrétaire d’État Wallace d’avoir accueilli les membres des Forces armées canadiennes déployés dans le cadre de l’opération UNIFIER pour former les soldats ukrainiens, de même que le détachement de l’Aviation royale canadienne à Prestwick, en Écosse, qui a livré plus de dix millions de livres d’aide militaire destinée à l’Ukraine. Au cours de leur réunion, les ministres ont discuté des priorités en vue du prochain Sommet de l’Organisation du Traité de l’Atlantique Nord (OTAN) à Vilnius, notamment le renforcement du flanc oriental de l’OTAN, l’aide militaire offerte à l’Ukraine et la posture de dissuasion et de défense de l’OTAN. La ministre Anand a également annoncé que le 3 juillet, le Canada déploiera les navires canadiens de Sa Majesté (NCSM) Shawinigan et Summerside, qui quitteront leur port d’attache d’Halifax, en Nouvelle‑Écosse, pour aller rejoindre le 1er Groupe permanent de lutte contre les mines de l’OTAN (SNMCMG1) dans le cadre de l’opération REASSURANCE. Les deux navires comptent à leur bord des équipes de plongeurs-démineurs de la Marine royale canadienne provenant des Unités de plongée de la Flotte Atlantique et Pacifique, ainsi que des véhicules sous‑marins autonomes capables d’effectuer des opérations de recherche et de lutte contre les mines. La contribution des deux navires de défense côtière (NDC) de la classe Kingston dans le cadre des activités du SNMCMG1 témoigne de l’engagement continu du Canada à l’égard de la présence en mer continue à haut niveau de préparation de l’OTAN, et du rôle de premier plan joué par la Marine royale canadienne dans le renforcement de la sécurité dans les eaux européennes. Au cours de sa visite au Royaume‑Uni, la ministre a également prononcé une allocution devant les membres du Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), où elle a parlé du soutien militaire offert par le Canada à l’Ukraine, de la modernisation du système de défense canadien, ainsi que des défis et des possibilités dans la région indo‑pacifique. En outre, la ministre Anand a rencontré M. Charles Woodburn, président‑directeur général de BAE Systems, elle s’est entretenue avec le très honorable David Lammy, secrétaire d’État fantôme aux Affaires étrangères, du Commonwealth et du développement, et elle a visité l’école de Liphook ou elle a rencontré des élèves de huit et neuf ans qui effectuent des recherches sur un camp d’entraînement canadien qui se trouvait à Bramshott pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Le Canada et le Royaume‑Uni entretiennent une relation de défense et de collaboration étroite de longue date façonnée par nos valeurs et nos croyances communes. Citations « Le Royaume‑Uni est l’un des alliés les plus proches et les plus importants du Canada. Je remercie le secrétaire d’État Wallace pour son accueil chaleureux dans le cadre de ma première visite officielle au Royaume‑Uni à titre de ministre de la Défense du Canada, ainsi que pour les discussions productives que nous avons eues sur une série de priorités mutuelles. Nos deux pays jouent un rôle de premier plan dans le soutien à l’Ukraine, et en tant que membres dévoués de l’Alliance de l’OTAN, nos deux pays demeureront unis pour faire face aux nouveaux défis en matière de sécurité. » - L’honorable Anita Anand, ministre de la Défense nationale Faits en bref La relation de défense et de sécurité entre le Canada et le Royaume‑Uni est enracinée dans l’histoire et favorisée par le fait que les deux pays sont des alliés de l’OTAN et qu’ils collaborent étroitement au sein d’organisations internationales, y compris les Nations Unies et le Commonwealth. Les liens entre le Canada et le Royaume‑Uni ont été tissés en temps de paix et de guerre, notamment pendant les deux guerres mondiales, en Corée et au cours de presque tous les grands conflits depuis plus d’un siècle, y compris en Afghanistan et en Libye. Depuis août 2022, le personnel des Forces armées canadiennes déployé au Royaume‑Uni a formé environ 2 000 recrues des forces armées de l’Ukraine, en collaboration avec l’opération INTERFLEX menée par le Royaume-Uni. Les cours dirigés par le Canada durent plusieurs semaines et portent sur des sujets tels que le maniement des armes, les premiers soins sur le champ de bataille, les techniques de campagne, les tactiques de patrouille et le droit des conflits armés. Depuis le début de 2022, le Canada s’est engagé à fournir plus de huit milliards de dollars en aide à l’Ukraine, y compris 1,5 milliard de dollars en assistance militaire. Cela comprend 288 missiles AIM-7, 10 000 munitions d’artillerie de 105 mm, huit chars de combat principaux Leopard 2A4 et un véhicule blindé de dépannage, un système national de missiles surface-air perfectionné (NASAMS) accompagné de munitions, 39 véhicules blindés d’appui tactique, des armes antichars, des armes légères, des obusiers M777 accompagnés de munitions, des caméras pour drones à haute résolution, des vêtements d’hiver et bien plus encore. Le Canada se joindra au centre de maintenance et d’entretien des chars Leopard 2 en Pologne et contribuera aux efforts multinationaux visant à former des pilotes et à assurer la maintenance et le soutien des F‑16 de l’Ukraine par la mise à profit de l’expertise canadienne dans ces domaines. https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2023/06/la-ministre-de-la-defense-anita-anand-rencontre-son-homologue-britannique-et-annonce-le-deploiement-naval-de-lotan.html
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2 janvier 2019 | Local, Aérospatial
RCAF commander recaps 2018
The following is excerpted from the 2018 holiday message that LGen Al Meinzinger, commander of the RCAF, sent to Air Force personnel and the extended RCAF family. We can honestly say that 2018 has been an extraordinary year for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The year was bookended by the Sea King, with the last east coast operational flight of our maritime helicopter taking place in January and the official farewell and final flights taking place in December. It's hard to say farewell to an old friend such as the Sea King, but the Cyclone is proving to be a tremendous asset to the RCAF and the Royal Canadian Navy, and the first operational deployment of the Cyclone onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec was a tremendous milestone. This year also brought our participation in a major UN peacekeeping operation, with stellar work being carried out by our Air Task Force personnel in Mali under Op Presence. We also continued our contributions to Op Caribbe and Op Impact. On the space aspect of “air and space power,” we are now an integral part of the Combined Space Operations Centre in California, with a member of the RCAF serving as the combined deputy director. Meanwhile, at home, our ongoing, essential search and rescue (SAR) missions continued, as well as sovereignty operations and exercises in the North. We responded to several Op Lentus missions, including fires in British Columbia and Manitoba, flooding in Kaschechewan, Ont., and storm damage on les Îles de la Madeleine. We also participated in marking a number of significant anniversaries this year, including the 60th anniversary of NORAD. We also marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force and, as part of those celebrations, sent a contingent to the United Kingdom to undertake Public Duties–guarding the residences of Her Majesty the Queen. 2018 also brought the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid. In April, I was privileged to attend the opening of the International Bomber Command Centre in England, which is mandated to preserve and honour the memory of all those who served in the Command. I was reminded powerfully of the courageous contributions of our RCAF personnel, noting that we lost some 10,000 RCAF personnel during the bombing campaign. As we look forward to 2019, we must continue to focus on our anchor points: our people, our defence policy, our program and our posture. First and foremost among these are you, our people. Successful delivery of air and space power relies on well-led, robust, healthy and inclusive squadrons and tactical units. You and your families are our lifeblood, and your leaders will continue to create the right conditions to support you, retain your exceptional talents and attract personnel with the right skills and energy to continue your excellent work and move us into the future. We are extremely grateful for and proud of your enthusiasm, your dedicated service and your unparalleled professionalism. You may also rest assured that your work is deeply appreciated by Canadians, by your colleagues throughout the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence, and by our allies. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/rcaf-commander-recaps-2018