U.S. President Joe Biden's visit puts Canadian defence spendinh and Norad modernization back under microscope

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  22 mai 2019 | Local, Naval

  Federal government to buy two more Arctic ships from Irving to prevent layoffs

  By Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce Wednesday that the federal government is buying two more Arctic patrol ships on the top of the six it has already ordered from Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding. However, unlike the first six ships, which are being built for the navy at a total cost of $3.5 billion, a government source said the seventh and eighth will be built for the Canadian Coast Guard. The source, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said the move is intended to address the Canadian Coast Guard's desperate need for new ships. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press earlier this year warned that more than a third of the coast guard's 26 large vessels have exceeded their expected lifespans — and many won't survive until replacements arrive. And that advanced age is already affecting the coast guard's ability to do its job, including reduced search-and-rescue coverage, ferry-service disruptions and cancelled resupply runs to Arctic and coastal communities. The second problem is the threat of layoffs, which Irving has long warned will happen unless the government fills a gap between when the last Arctic patrol ship is finished and construction on the navy's new $60-billion warship fleet, the source said. The government sought to address that gap in November when it ordered the sixth Arctic patrol vessel for the navy from Irving and agreed to pay the shipyard to slow production for a total cost of $800 million. Government officials at the time defended the high cost of that move, saying a third-party assessment commissioned by the government, which has never been made public, indicated it would cost even more to allow a gap to persist. "Ultimately what happens is the workforce gets laid off, you rehire people, it's not the same people so you're retraining, and then you have this learning curve," Patrick Finn, the Defence Department's head of procurement, said in January. "From some of the data we've run, doing what we've done, if we don't do it, we're probably going to pay that much money anyways in inefficiencies and get nothing for it. So the analysis shows that this is really a prudent way forward." Even then, federal bureaucrats and Irving both warned more would need to be done as even with those measures, there was still the threat of an 18- to 24-month gap between construction of the two fleets. Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/05/21/federal-government-to-buy-two-more-arctic-ships-from-irving-to-prevent-layoffs-2/#.XOVcKshKiUm

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  16 janvier 2019 | Local, Aérospatial

  Top Aces Achieves Record-breaking 75,000 Hours of Air Combat Training

  MONTREAL, Jan. 16, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Top Aces Inc. announced today that it reached an unprecedented 75,000 hours of operational air combat training. The historic milestone was achieved in December during a deployment to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Top Aces Alpha Jet aircraft supported Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Exercise PUMA STRIKE, providing both Red Air and electronic attack training for Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake 410 Fighter Squadron operational training unit and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. This exercise featured RCAF units including CF-18s and KC-130s, supported by RCAF Air Weapons Controllers. Top Aces teams were also recently deployed to Holloman Air Force Base in support of RCAF 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron Exercise TIPIC STRIKE where they flew mutually beneficial training exercises with the USAF 8th, 311th and 314th Fighter Squadron F-16 Replacement Training Units (RTU) and worked with Canadian and American Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC). Top Aces aircraft participated in combined close air support operations with CF-18, Alpha Jet and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft that included inert weapon deliveries. Top Aces deploys annually to meet its clients' needs wherever they perform their exercises. "Thanks to the trust of our clients and the dedication of our team, we have just established a world record in the number of hours flown by an adversary air provider," said Paul Bouchard, President and CEO and founder of Top Aces. "Reaching 75,000 hours is unparalleled in our industry worldwide. We are very proud of this milestone and of our industry-leading safety record and airworthiness standards. We are ready to deliver the next generation of highly-representative adversary air to all our customers worldwide." To meet the needs of its customers, Top Aces intends to introduce the next generation of aggressor training using the supersonic F-16 Fighting Falcon equipped with advanced radar, electronic attack (EA) and on-board systems. Top Aces is committed to the continued delivery of the industry-leading standards of quality and performance demanded by the world's air forces. About Top Aces Top Aces provides advanced airborne training to the world's leading air forces. Founded in 2000 by a small group of highly accomplished former fighter pilots, Top Aces has the largest worldwide footprint of privately-held operational fighter aircraft that provide advanced adversary, air-defence and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training services around the globe. The mission-critical training offered by Top Aces enhances the operational readiness of combat forces by providing a realistic real-world experience while prolonging fleet life. The company is changing the face of air combat training with its unparalleled safety record, outstanding team and an industry-leading 75 000 hours of operational training flown in support of its customers worldwide. Top Aces has the experience that matters. For Further Information please visit www.topaces.com. SOURCE Top Aces Inc For further information: Media contact: Rachel Andrews, Director of Marketing, rachel.andrews@topaces.com, +1 514-694-5565 ext. 2201, +1 514-451-5131 https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/top-aces-achieves-record-breaking-75-000-hours-of-air-combat-training-808279562.html

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  24 septembre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial

  Canadian military ditches plan to paint new search-and-rescue planes grey, will stick with familiar yellow

  David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Canada's military has reversed its plan to abandon the familiar yellow paint scheme for the country's new search-and-rescue planes after debate within the ranks over the aircraft's need to be visible on such missions. The new fleet of 16 Airbus C-295W planes will replace the main Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue fleet of Buffalo aircraft as well as the Hercules transport planes which are also used at times in a search-and-rescue role. Postmedia reported last year that RCAF leadership had requested the new planes be painted tactical grey, asking for a change to the original contract which had stipulated the familiar yellow colour scheme, because they wanted the aircraft to be available for other missions, including combat. But the move to the grey paint scheme has now been reversed. “While there was, last year, a stated interest in painting the C-295W grey, a decision was made following further consultation to maintain the iconic yellow colour scheme of the RCAF's current SAR fleet, such as the Buffalo, Twin Otter, Cormorant and Griffon,” the Department of National Defence said in a statement Wednesday. “This colour, which provides a higher level of visibility and recognition in the ground and the air, is also widely known by Canadians — especially those who might find themselves in a situation requiring our aid.” Asked last year about the plan to ditch the yellow paint scheme, the Forces said in a statement to Postmedia that “the RCAF has made the decision to use a grey colour scheme for the C-295W fleet to enable surging flexibility for the very wide range of missions the RCAF is required to conduct, from humanitarian and disaster relief missions, to security missions with partners, and all the way to full spectrum operations.” Military sources said RCAF leadership wanted to redirect some of the planes for use on international missions instead of search-and-rescue. But that unilateral decision sparked heated debate inside the military and DND and, sources said, the air force was forced to abandon its plans. When the federal government awarded the contract to Airbus in December 2016, cabinet ministers highlighted the importance of having the right aircraft for the search-and-rescue job. “With this technology, we are giving our women and men in uniform the tools they need to continue to deliver effective and essential search and rescue operations,” defence minister Harjit Sajjan said at the time. Construction of the first aircraft began in 2017 and the first new planes are expected to be delivered in 2019. They are outfitted with sensors that allow RCAF personnel to share real-time information with searchers on the ground. Equipment also includes sensors for searching in low-light conditions. A centre, equipped with simulators, is being built at Comox, B.C. to support training for the air crews. The RCAF's Buffalo and Hercules aircraft assigned to search and rescue perform more than 350 missions annually, according to the Canadian Forces. The Canadian military is responsible for providing aeronautical search and rescue operations. But the project to purchase the new planes has faced a rough road over the years. The competition was announced in 2004 by the then-Liberal government and re-announced by the Conservative government in 2006. But it took another decade before it could be completed and Airbus declared the winning company. Even then, Leonardo, an Italian aerospace firm, launched a lawsuit against Canada over what it claimed was a rigged purchase that favoured Airbus. That lawsuit was dropped earlier this year, shortly before the federal government awarded Leonardo a new sole-source deal potentially worth billions of dollars to upgrade Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters. Officials with the Canadian Forces and Leonardo say the ending of the legal action in May had nothing to do with the company being picked for the new project the same month. https://nationalpost.com/news/canadian-military-ditches-plan-to-paint-new-search-and-rescue-planes-grey-will-stick-with-familiar-yellow