7 mai 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

Trump administration claims Ottawa's jet procurement plan is unfair to F-35, says report

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.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-administration-claims-ottawa-s-jet-procurement-plan-is-unfair-to-f-35-says-report-1.5125009

Sur le même sujet

4 décembre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

Top Aces secures approval for F-16 adversary air fleet
Posted on December 4, 2020 by Chris Thatcher Top Aces has received approval to acquire and import up to 29 F-16 aircraft from an undisclosed country, the company confirmed Thursday. The Dorval, Que.-based air combat training firm said in a statement that the Block 10 aircraft would be upgraded with its open architecture mission system and offered as a platform to support United States Department of Defense training beginning in 2021. While Top Aces would not yet confirm the country of origin, Israeli media on Dec. 2 claimed the seller is the Israeli Defense Ministry. According to CTech, the F-16s are 1980s-era aircraft that were retired as of 2016, and the Defense Ministry's export agency is overseeing the deal. The company has been pursuing a fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s for some time, to meet the training requirements of preparing next-generation pilots flying the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor. Top Aces confirmed in an interview in November 2019 that it was seeking to acquire 12 Block 15 A/B models from an undisclosed allied country. “The F-16 really is our growth platform for the future, especially for advanced adversary training,” said Paul Bouchard, president and chief executive officer. “It is the most prolific adversary aircraft in the Western world. It is the adversary aircraft of choice just because of its performance characteristics. It is a fourth-generation aircraft, so from an aircraft architecture standpoint, it can be equipped and configured in so many different ways. . . . And it is also scalable given there were more than 4,000 F-16s built. It is still a production aircraft. It has a lot of existing support in terms of sustainment.” If the deal with Israel is confirmed, the F-16 jets would be added to Top Aces' current fleets of Dornier Alpha Jets and Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, and initially based at the F-16 Center of Excellence near the company's U.S. headquarters in Mesa, Ariz. In October 2019, the company received an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract that will allow it to compete with Air USA, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, Blue Air Training, Coastal Defense, Draken International, and Tactical Air Support for adversary air services at 12 U.S. Air Force bases. Under the US$6.4 billion Combat Air Force Contracted Air Support (CAF CAS) contract, the Air Force can solicit individual tenders from those seven companies for advanced adversary air (ADAIR) capabilities as required, at 12 USAF bases. The contract runs until October 2024 and is estimated to involve between 40,000 to 50,000 flying hours. “As a named winner in the [CAF CAS] contract, Top Aces is uniquely positioned to offer the F-16 as the most capable and flexible ADAIR platform supporting the U.S. Department of Defense,” a spokesperson said on Thursday. Top Aces has been a pioneer in contracted aggressor or “red” air training for militaries, simulating hostile threats for fighter pilots, naval crews, and land forces for the Canadian Armed Forces since the mid-2000s. In October 2017, the company won a competition to retain the Canadian Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) program under a 10-year deal worth about US$480 million, which includes options to extend the service to 2031 and the value to as much as US$1.4 billion. The Canadian program is delivered with the Alpha Jet and Bombardier Learjet 35A aircraft, but Top Aces has proposed adding the F-16 when the Royal Canadian Air Force acquires its next-generation fighter. The high standards of the CATS program have opened the doors to international opportunities. The USAF contract would not have been possible without the “industry-leading” certification and airworthiness standards demanded by the RCAF and Transport Canada, Bouchard acknowledged in 2019. Top Aces secured a similar training support contract with the German Armed Forces in 2014 and, more recently, a two-year trial with the Australian Defence Force. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/top-aces-f16-adversary-air-fleet
23 janvier 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

LE MARCHÉ MILITAIRE À LA PORTÉE DES PME RÉGIONALES
SAGUENAY – La plupart des PME croient que le marché de la défense et des équipements militaires est complexe et inaccessible. En réalité, ce n'est pas le cas. C'est ce qu'ont expliqué Rock Lemay et Patrick Sirois de la firme Triodeaux quelque 40 entrepreneurs de la région lors d'un déjeuner-conférence organisé par la Société de la Vallée de l'Aluminium(SVA), ce matin, au Manoir du Saguenay. « Il est important pour les PME de comprendre que les contrats ne concernent pas les armements et les avions, par exemple. Il y a plein de petites et grandes entreprises qui ont découvert le marché militaire. Ce marché de la défense et des équipements militaires qui avait été délaissé pendant plusieurs années au Canada, connaît une recrudescence dans les investissements afin de renouveler les équipements nécessaires aux soldats. Il ne s'agit pas seulement des produits de haute technologie, mais également de produits et de l'équipement communs tels que les bateaux, les camions, les plateformes, les uniformes et bien d'autres. Par exemple, l'entreprise d'autobus Prévost a une division militaire. L'armée a acheté 1 500 camions en France et Prévost doit les habiller avec des équipements adaptés. C'est là que les sous-traitants rentrent en ligne de compte et peut fournir des équipements comme des coffres, échelle, pièces de métal, plateforme, etc. », explique Patrick Sirois, président de Triode. Forte croissance Au cours des 10 prochaines années, les besoins du marché de la défense connaîtront une forte croissance. Les budgets pour le renouvellement des équipements sont déjà votés et alloués et les différents départements de l'armée s'affairent à déterminer leurs besoins avant d'aller en appel d'offres. « Autre facteur intéressant, Développement économique Canada (DEC) a mis en place au cours des dernières années une politique de retombées industrielles et technologiques qui favorisent les PME et les régions. En gros, cette politique assure que même si le contrat est octroyé à des entreprises étrangères, celles-ci n'auront d'autre choix que de travailler avec des fournisseurs ou des partenaires locaux pour faire de la recherche ou de l'assemblage de produits. » En fait, les prochaines années promettent d'être très intéressantes dans ce marché. Nul besoin d'être impliqué dans des projets d'armement. « Il y a beaucoup d'équipements pour lesquels la défense canadienne cherchera des fournisseurs, tels que des remorques, des ponts, des ponceaux, des équipements logistiques, des conteneurs ainsi que l'ensemble de l'équipement nécessaire à installer et soutenir des campements temporaires. Tous ces projets représentent de belles opportunités pour les entreprises de la région », affirment M. Sirois et son collègue Rock Lemay en précisant que le marché de la défense et des équipements militaires est de plus en plus accessible pour les PME qui savent se préparer et qui ont un minimum de processus déployés dans leur organisation. Enfin, soulignons que ce déjeuner-conférence servait à démystifier le processus et de permettre aux PME qui le désirent d'êtres accompagnées tout au long de la démarche par la SVA et son créneau d'excellence. (Texte en collaboration avec Guy Bouchard) https://informeaffaires.com/regional/manufacturier-et-fournisseur/le-marche-militaire-a-la-portee-des-pme-regionales
8 avril 2022 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Le Canada va augmenter ses dépenses militaires et revoir ses objectifs de défense, il cite la guerre en Russie
Le Canada va légèrement augmenter ses dépenses militaires au cours des cinq prochaines années et revoir sa politique de défense globale à la suite de l'invasion russe en Ukraine, a déclaré le...

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