9 octobre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial
By: Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has cleared a pair of proposed military sales — armed helicopters for Iraq and surveillance planes for Canada — with a joint price tag of more than $380 million.
The two notifications were posted on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday evening. Notifications are not guaranteed sales; members of the Senate could still choose to block the potential sale, and once it passes Congress, sale negotiations can change quantities and dollar figures.
The larger of the two packages is the Canadian one, which covers three King Air 350ER aircraft with “customer unique post-modifications for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance” requirements.
Along with the platforms comes a package of equipment, including three WESCAM MX-15D electro-optical and infrared imaging sensors; three AN/AAR-47B(V)2 missile and laser warning systems; three AN/ALE-47 countermeasure dispenser systems; three VORTEX Dual RF Ku LOS transceivers; three COMSEC modules (KGV-135A); two APM-424(V)5 transponder test sets; five KIV-77 Mode 4/5 crypto applique computers for identification friend or foe (IFF); three AN/APX-119 IFF digital civil and military transponders; six ARC-210 multimode voice and data transceivers; and three KG-250X National Security Agency-certified type 1 inline network encryptors, per DSCA.
Work will primarily be done at the Wichita, Kansas, facility of Beechcraft, a subsidiary of Textron. There is expected to be an industrial offset included in the deal.
Iraq was cleared to purchase five Bell 407GX helicopters, configured with M240 7.62mm machine guns, with an estimated cost of $82.5 million. The DSCA notification notes these would help “compensate for the combat loss of seven IA407 helicopters in recent years and increase the Iraqi Security Forces' combat effectiveness against ISIS and other terrorist elements in Iraq.”
“The 407GX variant — an upgrade from the current IA407 configuration — includes Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) launchers,” DSCA writes. “Providing Iraq with this capability supports U.S. security goals by furthering the Iraqi Army Aviation Command's ability to counter terrorism and protect critical infrastructure.”
Also included in the package are five RF-7850A secure communications radios; five AN/AAR-60 MILDS automatic plume detectors; five AN/ALE-47 airborne countermeasure dispenser systems; five M3P .50-caliber machine guns; five M260 rocket launchers (APKWS configuration); five MX-15Di EO/IR sensors; five GAU-19 .50-caliber machine guns; and various other components.
Work will be done at Bell's Fort Worth, Texas, location; L3 WESCAM's location in Ontario, Canada; Tekfusion Global's Williamsburg, Virginia, location; Harris' Melbourne, Florida, facility; and Fulcrum Concepts' office in Mattaponi, Virginia. There are no known offsets.
29 novembre 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
François-Philippe Champagne told industry upgrades to Aurora aircraft a 'Canadian success story' but cautioned not to tell Boeing
20 juin 2023 | Local, Naval
Le 20 juin 2023 – Ottawa – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Aujourd’hui, les Forces maritimes de l’Atlantique (FMAR[A]) et la Force opérationnelle interarmées (Atlantique) (FOIA) ont accueilli leur nouvelle commandante, la contre‑amirale (cam) Josée Kurtz. La Cam Josée Kurtz a pris la relève du Cam Brian Santarpia au cours d’une cérémonie tenue à l’arsenal canadien de Sa Majesté à Halifax, en Nouvelle‑Écosse. La commandante des FMAR(A) et de la FOIA est responsable de la Marine royale canadienne (MRC) sur la côte Est, ainsi que de l’exécution des opérations courantes et nationales, et de la direction des opérations continentales des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) dans tout le Canada atlantique, en vue de défendre les intérêts et les valeurs du Canada, tant au pays qu’à l’étranger. Note aux rédacteurs en chef Veuillez communiquer avec les Affaires publiques des FMAR(A) au sujet des photos de la cérémonie de passation de commandement. Citations « Je suis très honorée de prendre le commandement d’un groupe de marins, d’aviateurs, de soldats et de membres de l’Équipe de la Défense dévoués qui sont l’exemple même de la rigueur, du dévouement et du professionnalisme que les Canadiens attendent des Forces armées canadiennes. En tant que commandante, je veillerai fidèlement et résolument au respect des normes de professionnalisme et de dévouement que le contre-amiral Santarpia a maintenues pendant son mandat. » Contre-amirale Josée Kurtz, nouvelle commandante des Forces maritimes de l’Atlantique et de la Force opérationnelle interarmées (Atlantique) « C’est avec fierté que j’ai représenté les marins, les soldats, les aviateurs et les membres civils, qui sont les piliers des Forces maritimes de l’Atlantique et de la Force opérationnelle interarmées (Atlantique). Les Forces maritimes de l’Atlantique ont toujours mené efficacement leurs opérations au pays et à l’étranger dans le plus grand respect des engagements du Canada, en persévérant dans les moments difficiles, et je suis reconnaissant d’avoir pu travailler aux côtés de ces incroyables membres des Forces armées canadiennes et de l’Équipe de la Défense. » Contre-amiral Brian Santarpia, ancien commandant des Forces maritimes de l’Atlantique et de la Force opérationnelle interarmées (Atlantique) Faits en bref Le Cam Josée Kurtz assume le commandement des Forces maritimes de l'Atlantique et de la Force opérationnelle interarmées de l'Atlantique et deviendra le commandant de la composante maritime au sein du Commandement des opérations interarmées du Canada. La Cam Josée Kurtz s’est enrôlée dans les FAC en 1988 en tant qu’officière de la MRC. Après avoir reçu son instruction initiale, elle a obtenu son certificat de quart à la passerelle et s’est spécialisée en navigation. En 1997, la Cam Josée Kurtz a suivi le cours d’officier de la salle des opérations et a servi comme officière de l’armement et officière de combat à bord du Navire canadien de Sa Majesté (NCSM) Vancouver. La Cam Josée Kurtz a été commandante en second du NCSM Ville de Québec de 2007 à 2009 et commandante du NCSM Halifax de 2009 à 2011. Au cours de cette période, le NCSM Halifax a été déployé pour participer à la mission d’aide humanitaire et de secours en cas de catastrophe en Haïti en 2010. La Cam Josée Kurtz a été commandante de l’École des opérations navales des Forces canadiennes de 2011 à 2012 et commandante du 2e Groupe maritime permanent OTAN (SNMG2) au sein de la flotte alliée, dans la région de la Méditerranée et de la mer Noire, de juin à décembre 2019. La Cam Josée Kurtz est titulaire d’un baccalauréat ès arts de l’Université d’Ottawa et d’une maîtrise en études de la défense du Collège militaire royal. Elle est également diplômée du Programme de sécurité nationale du Collège des Forces canadiennes à Toronto. Avant de prendre le commandement des FMAR(A) et de la FOIA, la Cam Josée Kurtz a été nommée commandante et vice-chancelière du Collège militaire royal du Canada en 2021. Liens connexes Marine royale canadienne Forces maritimes de l’Atlantique Force opérationnelle interarmées (Atlantique) https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2023/06/du-nouveau-a-la-barre-des-forces-maritimes-de-latlantique-et-de-la-force-operationnelle-interarmees-atlantique.html
5 janvier 2021 | Local, Aérospatial
BY KEVIN M. BAERSON After years of experimentation and analysis, the government of Canada has procured a new Hermes 900 StarLiner from Israeli UAV manufacturer Elbit Systems that can withstand and patrol its massive, inhospitable Arctic territory. Extreme weather with high winds and low temperatures, limited and unreliable satellite communication and navigation, and continuous darkness during the winter months make controlling UAVs in the Arctic especially challenging. Combined with a lack of ground infrastructure, both line of sight and satellite control of a UAV can become nearly impossible. The hope is that the Starliner can conquer these harsh Arctic conditions. This version of Elbit's Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) military UAV is fully certified to operate in civilian airspace and will take off from and land on civilian airfields. It will perform myriad operations to reduce harmful environmental impacts, including detection of oil pollution and wildlife surveying, as well as ice patrol and reconnaissance. It will also support search and rescue, humanitarian efforts and illegal fishing enforcement, and will aid the development and regulation of Canada's drone industry. The $36.16 million contract includes communication links, ground control stations, sensor packages, training and the optional purchase of spare parts. The Starliner is expected to be delivered by December 2022, but procurement has been years in the making. Arctic Takeoff In 2017, Canadian officials began research and development test flights using a Sea Hunter drone produced by Alabama-based Griffon Aerospace. The data collected, including BVLOS results, contributed to developing requirements for the eventual Hermes purchase. Timothy Choi, a maritime strategy expert and Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, has said the Canadian government had limited options in its search for a proven maritime drone with Arctic capabilities. “Large maritime surveillance drones—that is, ones equipped with downward-looking radar and AIS [automatic identification system] receivers to detect shipping—have not been as prevalent in the global drone market as their land-centric counterparts,” Choi told the website Eye On The Arctic. “Of these, there are even fewer that have been tested in Arctic conditions.” The model Canada is acquiring has been undergoing operational trials in Iceland via the European Maritime Safety Agency since summer 2019. At 1.6 tons, the StarLiner includes detect and avoid (DAA) systems, redundant datalinks and an advanced terrain avoidance warning system. Its ability to automatically take off and land in near-zero visibility, and to sustain deicing procedures and direct lightning strikes, makes it ideal for the Arctic's extreme weather challenges. According to Canadian officials, the new UAV can operate at up to 72 degrees north latitude and has a range of more than 1,400 nautical miles. It comes equipped with back-up command and control and navigation systems, electrical optical infrared camera, synthetic aperture radar and a mapping camera system. For now, the majority of Canada's Arctic surveillance data will continue to come from RADARSAT, the country's remote sensing earth observation satellite program. But while the satellites can detect emergencies such as an oil spill, their brief visits over the Arctic make it difficult to identify causes and consequences. The same is true for identifying nefarious activities such as illegal dumping and unpermitted fishing. “The ability of a drone to loiter for long periods of time with higher resolution sensors will help fill this gap,” Choi explained. “Operationally, the new drone will greatly help ‘connect the dots' when it comes to surveilling Arctic waters and enforcing Canadian regulations.” Drone Diplomacy While this Hermes version will be used in civilian missions, its acquisition is just one part of Canada's Arctic Unmanned Aircraft System Initiative, and it will join the country's National Aerial Surveillance Program's manned aircraft fleet. With 75% of Canada's coastline and 55% of its landmass located in the Arctic, Canada and its main regional rival, Russia, potentially contest for resources and the new shipping routes being created by global warming. Russia is deploying a fleet of dual-use extreme-weather UAVs featuring a GIRSAM alternative navigation system. China, which is talking about a “Polar Silk Road,” also is developing dual-use UAVs optimized for Arctic conditions. “Canada is committed to protecting our endangered species and our marine environment,” Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement. “Integrating remotely piloted aircraft into Transport Canada's fleet will make federal surveillance operations more robust than ever.” https://insideunmannedsystems.com/canadas-new-drone-can-better-surveil-its-challenging-arctic-environment/