Nouvelles

By Ben Forrest & Mike Reyno On a given day in the remote, sparsely-populated terrain over Happy Valley-Goose Bay and rural Labrador, it is often cloudy or snowing, or both. The winters are brutal and long; the summers are warm and wet, and militaries from all over the world have used this rugged patch of land for austere weather training. If something goes wrong in one of these training exercises–an injury or any other kind of disaster–the pilots and medical technicians from 444 Combat Support Squadron are there in a hurry. This small but effective crew of 35 military personnel and five civilians provides rapid response during training exercises at 5 Wing Goose Bay using three CH-146 Griffon helicopters. On occasion, aircrews also perform utility transport and secondary search and rescue (SAR). “We try to have a real team-oriented atmosphere,” said Maj Ryan Snider, commanding officer of 444 Squadron. “You're not two ships passing in the night, as many other squadrons and Wings are. You get a chance to interact with people on a regular basis, and get to know them far better than you would at a normal [posting.]” The squadron, one of three Combat Support squadrons in the Air Force, draws a mix of new recruits and pilots and technicians with previous Griffon experience. Postings usually last three years, and they can be an effective way for new pilots to get their feet wet. “I love it,” said Capt Marc Saucier. “The area can be really challenging, just because everything's so remote. I don't think you find terrain like this anywhere else in Canada, where everything's so far apart. “But it's been really good. There's not enough people in Labrador to necessitate us being called out that often in the first place, but what we do, it's pretty different each time.” Pilots in 444 Squadron average about 300 flying hours a year, and the posting can also be a refreshing change for seasoned pilots who transfer from other bases. “This is nice with the family, because I'm home all the time, other than the odd night,” said Capt Neil Gabourie, a Griffon pilot who has also spent time with 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ont. 444 Squadron traces its history to 1947, where it was originally activated in Rivers, Man. It later transferred to St-Hubert, Que., where it operated the Sabre fighter jets, and then moved to Baden-Soellingen, Germany as part of Canada's commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The squadron disbanded in 1963, but was stood up about two months later and equipped with the CF-104 Starfighter, which it operated until 1967 before being disbanded again. Five years later the squadron was re-activated and renamed 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron flying the CH-136 Kiowa. Stood down on Apr. 1, 1992, the squadron was reactivated in Goose Bay in 1993, now equipped with the CH-135 Twin Huey in a rescue and support role. The CH-135 was replaced by the CH-146 in 1996. Today, the squadron operates out of two large hangars that make up a fraction of 5 Wing's massive infrastructure footprint, supporting NORAD's North Warning System radar sites on utility missions and supporting SAR efforts in the area when CH-149 Cormorant helicopters from 9 Wing Gander are not available. “JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) Halifax will call upon us from time to time,” said Snider. “They understand we're not a Cormorant ... there are limitations. But they still give us a call and say, ‘What can you provide?' And then we'll do our best.” A major development at 444 Squadron over the last year has been the ongoing replacement of SAR Technicians with Medical Technicians on Griffon flight crews. The transition began in 2018 and once complete, Griffon crews will have two pilots, a flight engineer and a med tech on board. Similar transitions are taking place at 417 Combat Support Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., and 439 Combat Support Squadron at 3 Wing Bagotville, Que. “The med techs will come to us having already undergone their medical technician training,” said Snider. “We'll top up that training to give them familiarization ... to operate at the back of the cabin of the aircraft. We'll train them on spotter duties, and then we'll also train them on how to function on the hoist.” Whereas SAR techs can jump out of helicopters to perform rescues at sea, med techs are not trained in skydiving or water diving and are geared toward land-based operations, said Sgt Adam Blackwell, a med tech. They also use specific hoist, insertion and extraction methods for land-based operations. Med techs are trained as primary care paramedics and have diverse backgrounds that make them extremely versatile. “We also do a lot of clinical and hospital kind of work–not just emergent care, not just tactical care,” said Blackwell. “We are jacks of all trades in the medical field, and used as such in different postings.” Instructed originally by SAR techs during the initial transition, med techs at 444 Squadron have now reached a point where there is a senior lead med tech able to train the more junior members. Recruiting med techs to the relatively isolated community of Goose Bay can be difficult, but many are quickly attracted to the squadron's warm, tight-knit culture once they arrive. “It's a bit different,” said Blackwell. “But honestly, it's pretty fun. If you are an outdoorsy person, this is the place to snowmobile or have an ATV. The fishing here is pretty amazing, too.” The squadron may have experienced a shift in focus in recent years, but its core mission remains the same. “It's that standby response to military operations,” said Snider. “Different customers, different tactics, but the same purpose.” https://www.skiesmag.com/features/444-combat-support-squadron-combat-support-from-above/?utm_source=skies-daily-news-top-story

The takeover of the Canadian company Provectus Robotics Solutions Inc. expands Rheinmetall's technological capabilities in the field of robotics and autonomous driving. In future, both halves of the Group – Automotive and Defence – will benefit from the know-how of the newly acquired robotics specialist. Automation and digitization are among the vital Group-spanning technology clusters which Rheinmetall is systematically working to expand, concentrating knowledge and capacities in order to exploit additional future growth potential. Effective 1 June 2019, Rheinmetall Canada Inc., a subsidiary of the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group, took over a 100% stake in the Ottawa-based company. Founded in 2010, Provectus Robotics Solutions is a young company specializing in the development of advanced robotic systems and software. Though now owned by Rheinmetall Canada, Provectus will continue to operate under its previous managing director, Paul Rocco. In recent product presentations, Rheinmetall has generated great interest with its Mission Master unmanned multi-mission vehicle, which is based on Provectus technology, modified for military use by Rheinmetall Canada. Everything points to unmanned ground vehicles playing an increasingly important role in future military operations on land, much like unmanned air vehicles in an aviation context. Some will serve in an unarmed logistic or reconnaissance role; others will function as mobile weapon platforms. “We have already been working closely with Provectus in our unmanned ground vehicle project. This vertical integration gives us a decisive advantage in the field of autonomous mobility technology", said Stéphane Oehrli, president and CEO of Rheinmetall Canada. “Since this capacity is also a key enabler for the Automotive division, the whole Rheinmetall Group will hence benefit from Provectus' expertise. The automation of other Rheinmetall mobile platforms is actually an innovation we are already thinking of.” As Paul Rocco from Provectus, explains, “Rheinmetall Canada is the ideal platform for accelerating our growth while simultaneously strengthening our presence in Canada as well as internationally. This is a unique opportunity for the Provectus team to significantly improve our market potential in the world of autonomous driving and to take advantage of new opportunities.” The buyout is part of Rheinmetall's strategy of positioning itself as a preferred supplier of cutting-edge technology – around the world but particularly in Canada, where the Group is a longstanding, tried-and-tested partner of the country's armed forces. Rheinmetall is eager to apply expertise from Provectus Robotics Solutions in implementing ISTAR, a major project of the Canadian armed forces now underway. (The acronym ISTAR stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance.) http://www.canadiandefencereview.com/news?news/2708

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The U.S. government announced that Canada is purchasing new radios as part of its upgrade of CF-18 fighter jets and Hercules transport planes. The Canadian government will spend $58 million ($44 million) U.S. buying the 152 MIDS-JTRS radios. “Canada intends to upgrade its current inventory of CF-18 Aircraft, CC-130J, and the Royal Canadian Air Force's Ground Stations with the purchase of these MIDS JTRS (5) terminals to be fully interoperable with U.S. and allied forces to support and compliment joint operations in a net-enabled environment; have modernized electronic protection and secure, jam-resistant wave forms; and be capable of improved Link 16 message exchange and information fidelity including support to advanced weapon employment,” the U.S Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted. Also included are spare cables and MIDS batteries; Link-16 mobile racks; diagnostic support tools; technical documentation; training and engineering technical support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. Viasat, Incorporated, headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, and Data Link Solutions, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA, will provide the equipment. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/royal-canadian-air-force-aircraft-to-get-new-radios-at-a-cost-of-58-million

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the first time in the 30-year history of the Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber program, a cockpit tour narrated by the pilot in-flight, as well as a start to finish aerial refueling video recently filmed in a B-2A “Spirit” stealth bomber cockpit while in-flight, is available for viewing at JeffBolton.org. The video is a product of Dallas-based film producer and radio personality Jeff Bolton, who is the only person in the 30-year history of the program to be allowed to fly and film in the ultra-secret jet. Bolton is working in partnership with Defense News in producing a multi-media series about the United States military's nuclear arsenal. The B-2 stealth bomber is a multi-role heavy bomber capable of deploying both conventional and nuclear weapons anywhere in the world from its home base at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. “It's no coincidence that the B-2 bomber's capabilities are being highlighted here in this new era of rising nation-state tensions between the United States, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. This new in-flight cockpit video – demonstrating the global reach of the B-2 with aerial refueling – is why the B-2 remains one of the most feared weapons in the world,” said producer Jeff Bolton. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190729005196/en

OTTAWA, July 30, 2019 /CNW/ - Coastal and waterway communities across Canada are affected by wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels. These problem vessels can pose hazards to the environment, public health and safety, and local industries such as fishing and tourism. Most vessel owners are responsible and maintain and dispose of their vessels properly. However, the small percentage who are not responsible can create significant impacts on our coastal communities, with the burden for costly clean-up often falling on Canadian taxpayers. That is why the Government of Canada, through its Oceans Protection Plan, is taking action to deter irresponsible vessel owner behaviour. The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, are pleased to mark the coming-into-force of the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act. The Act prohibits vessel abandonment and brings into Canadian law the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007. It increases owner responsibility and liability for their vessels, addresses irresponsible vessel management, and enables the Government of Canada to proactively intervene to address problem vessels that pose hazards. Not complying with the Act can result in an administrative monetary penalty of up to $50,000 for individuals and up to $250,000 for companies or corporations. Convictions of more serious offences could result in a maximum fine of $1 million for individuals and up to $6 million for companies or corporations. The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made to protect Canada's coasts and waterways. This national plan is creating a world-leading marine safety system that provides economic opportunities for Canadians today, while protecting our coastlines and clean water for generations to come. This work is being done in close collaboration with Indigenous peoples, local stakeholders and coastal communities. Quotes "This significant legislation is making vessel owners responsible under the law for the safe disposal of their vessels. Most owners are responsible, but for those few who are not, we now have the ability to hold them to account. Canada's coastal waters are home to many communities including indigenous communities who have lived by the water for countless generations. We are taking concrete actions to protect and restore these sensitive ecosystems." The Honourable Marc Garneau Minister of Transport "Wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels can pose risks to the environment, clutter our shorelines, affect sensitive marine habitats and species, and disrupt community activities and local economies. Our new strengthened law ensures these problems are addressed quickly, before they become more serious. With the Oceans Protection Plan, we are taking action so that our coasts and oceans will be safe, clean and healthy for future generations." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick Facts In addition to the new legislation, as part of the National Strategy to Address Canada's Wrecked and Abandoned Vessels, the Government of Canada launched two short-term funding programs in 2017 to support eligible recipients in removing and disposing of high-priority vessels: Transport Canada's Abandoned Boats Program, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program. Transport Canada's program also supports education and awareness activities and research on vessel recycling and design. Transport Canada's Abandoned Boats Program is investing $6.85 million for abandoned boat assessment, removal and disposal, and for research and education initiatives. Since May 31, 2017, the program has launched four calls for proposals for projects to be funded through grants and contributions, the most recent of which remains open until March 31, 2020. To date, funding has been approved to assess 102 boats for a total of $342,560, and to remove 78 boats for a total of $1,796,038. Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program is providing up to $1.325 million over five years to Harbour Authorities and other eligible recipients to remove and dispose of abandoned and wrecked vessels located in federal small craft harbours. To date, 23 vessels have been removed and disposed of across the country, and funding has been awarded to gain legal possession which could lead to the removal of an additional eight vessels, under the program. Other measures under development within the National Strategy include improving vessel owner identification, creating a national inventory of problem vessels and developing a risk assessment methodology to prioritize response, and establishing a polluter pays approach for vessel clean-up through creation of an owner-financed long-term fund. Since the Oceans Protection Plan started in November 2016, over 50 initiatives have been announced in the areas of marine safety, research and ecosystem protection that span coast-to-coast-to-coast https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-marks-the-coming-into-force-of-the-wrecked-abandoned-or-hazardous-vessels-act-872449738.html

BY DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Final preparations are being made for the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team's biggest-ever tour to North America, which includes performances or flypasts over 6 Canadian cities, according to the British government. The team will perform over Halifax, Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Vancouver, and Victoria. The first public event of the tour will be a flypast with aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force over the Halifax waterfront on Sunday, Aug. 11. That will be followed on Aug. 13 by a flypast of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and an aerobatic display at Aero Gatineau-Ottawa. The team will then visit a number of cities in the U.S. and later fly over Niagara Falls on Aug. 28. On Saturday Aug. 31 and Monday Sept. 2 they will perform at the Canadian International Air show in Toronto. On Sept. 26 the Red Arrows will do a flypast over Vancouver harbour. The same day the team will do a flypast over Victoria's harbour. It is the first time the Red Arrows have been to Canada and the US since 2008. The team consists of 11 pilots, nine of whom fly in the display, and more than 100 support personnel and technicians. Each of the pilots has previous fast-jet, operational experience flying the Tornado, Typhoon or Harrier. Flying Hawk T1 jets, the team is based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/red-arrows-aerobatic-team-coming-to-canada-flypast-of-parliament-hill-set-for-aug-13

DAVID PUGLIESE BMT Canada Ltd. has been awarded a $77.8 million contract to provide engineering, logistics, management, and support services to the Royal Canadian Navy's fleet. The contract initially runs for five years but there are options to extend that. The Ottawa-based company will provide a wide variety of work such as standards development and logistics services for equipment sustainment, according to the Department of National Defence. This contract will support the RCN's current and future fleet in instances where DND does not have the capacity to perform all of this work in-house, the department noted. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/ottawa-company-receives-navy-support-contract

By DAVID PUGLIESE Viking Air Limited of Victoria, BC has announced its plans to hold a world demonstration tour for its Guardian 400 aircraft, the special missions variant of the Viking Series 400 Twin Otter. The world tour will include detailed briefings and demonstration flights in Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, South East Asia, Oceania, and North America, according to Esprit de Corps magazine. The company unveiled the special mission variant last month at the 2019 Paris International Airshow. Here are more details of what I wrote for Esprit de Corps: For the past six months, a production Series 400 Twin Otter has been undergoing modifications to transform into Viking's Guardian 400 demonstrator aircraft for the proposed world tour, the firm noted. It will feature a left-hand SCAR pod with Hensoldt Argos EO/IR imaging turret, multi-spectral HDTV camera, mega- pixel HD Thermal imager, laser range finder, multi-mode auto tracker, and Remote Image Bus (RIB) video feed for display on the cockpit MFD or crew workstation. The demonstrator will also feature a right-hand SCAR pod with Leonardo Osprey Radar System and Sentient Vidar Camera system. In addition to its mission sensor package, the Guardian 400 prototype will be equipped with an Airborne Technologies' tactical workstation with high-definition touchscreen monitors, data/voice/video recorder, Mission Management Unit (MMU), mission radio communications, intuitive hand controller for MCU & SLR camera targeting, CarteNav AIMS mission system software, Kestrel MTI targeting software, and IKHANA ergonomic mission seat for optimized crew comfort. The prototype will also be equipped with Viking conformal bubble windows, left and right wing-mounted hard points by IKHANA, Thunder Bay Aviation stretcher racks, and an aft lavatory for crew comfort. The tour is expected to start in September. It will end in May 2020 at CANSEC 2020 to be held in Ottawa. Nexter has been selected by the Canadian government to supply the Canadian Army with 88 multi-purpose robots. The deal includes the delivery of 79 NERVA-LG and nine NERVA-XX robots. It is worth $6 million. The medium-sized robot can be controlled from any standard PC, tablet or smartphone, according to the company. Nexter Systems is the prime contractor and will work with Nexter Robotics and ECA Robotics. Deltic Group of Oakville, Ontario will handle in-service support. Leonardo announced that it has signed a contract with QinetiQ to provide a number of PicoSAR Active Electronically Scanned Array radars for the Canadian military's new drones. The firm noted that the PicoSAR radar is ideally suited for installation aboard the Canadian Forces new system, which is based on the lightweight UMS Skeldar V-200 Unmanned Aerial System. The radar will provide all-weather ground mapping and surveillance capability for missions. Seaspan Shipyards has awarded BCS Automation Ltd. a contract for work on the Canadian government's new Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV). BCS is the most recent supplier to partner with Seaspan in its work on the OOSV program. BCS is a family owned Canadian small business located in Belleville, Ontario, Seaspan pointed out. The firm is supplying a state of the art ship control and monitoring system for the OOSV. The system is designed to provide ship personnel with all the basic alarms and status information they require in order to maintain the safe and efficient operation of the machinery, auxiliary systems and other relevant equipment. The system features built-in self-diagnostics, an intuitive, user-friendly interface and a fail-safe redundant network to enhance safety and reliability. BCS has previous experience working on NSS projects having been subcontracted by Hawboldt Industries to design and build the winch drive system for the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV). Two NATO member nations have opted to purchase Rheinmetall's ROSY rapid smoke/obscurant system for protecting their vehicle families. This versatile modular system thus continues to expand its presence in the global force protection market. The two orders are worth several million euros. Delivery of 126 systems to Spanish defence contractor URO Vehículos Especiales S.A. (UROVESA) has already begun. UROVESA will be installing these systems in 126 out of 139 VAMTAC protected patrol vehicles purchased by the Portuguese armed forces in July 2018, according to Rheinmetall. Delivery of the systems will be complete in March 2020. Pre-series delivery in response to another order begins in May 2019, this time from Belgium. Here, Rheinmetall is acting as subcontractor for the British company Jankel, which is supplying the Belgian Army with the Light Troop Transport Vehicle, or LTTV. All 199 of the vehicles are being prepared for integration of the system, in addition to the supply of control units and launchers for 167 vehicles. Series production commences in February 2020 and will be complete the same year. These two orders mean that ROSY will soon be in service in no fewer than eleven countries. ROSY provides protection from surprise attacks by creating a wall of smoke/obscurant that renders vehicles invisible to the enemy. Unlike conventional smoke/obscurant systems, it not only produces an instantaneous, extensive, multispectral interruption in the line of sight, but also generates a dynamic smoke screen that provides moving assets with long-lasting protection. Ocean Industries Inc. will build four tugs for the Royal Canadian Navy. The firm from Isle‑aux-Coudres, Quebec, was awarded the contract for $102 million under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The new tugs will provide towing, firefighting and other critical support services to the Royal Canadian Navy. They will replace the navy's five civilian-crewed Glen-class large tugs and two Fire-class rescue boats. Two of the tugs will go to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in British Columbia. The other two will be delivered to CFB Halifax in Nova Scotia. The first two tugs are scheduled to be delivered in 2021. The last two tugs will be delivered in 2023. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/viking-to-put-special-missions-aircraft-on-tour-updates-on-defence-industry-developments

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (NNS) -- Members of Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet staff and the U.S Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command joined Canadian Armed Forces' Joint Task Force Atlantic for the 2019 Tri-Party Staff Talks at Canadian Armed Forces Base Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 18-20. This year's staff talks culminated with Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet (C2F) taking the lead role for the staff talks, as well as Frontier Sentinal, the yearly exercise conducted by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy. The tri-party rotates acting as the lead for the exercise every two years. Until the reestablishment of C2F in 2018, U.S. Fleet Forces command represented the U.S. Navy in the cohort. The talks evaluated the joint organizations' ability to conduct inter-organizational communications at the operational and tactical levels, achieve and maintain shared maritime domain awareness, and conduct collaborative operational planning. All groups will be required to identify any problems, considerations, constraints, and restraints they are likely to encounter within this scenario. Honing these skills is increasingly important as U.S. 2nd Fleet steps into the role previously occupied by U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “I consider our tri-party relationship to be foundational to 2nd Fleets ability to effectively operate,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander U.S. 2nd Fleet. “We need to be seamless in scenario in order to effectively work together in real world operations. We must transcend interoperability to complete integration between our organizations.” Frontier Sentinel is an annual exercise between all three organizations that serves as the cornerstone for validating the interoperability of the tri-party commands and tactical assets, highlighting challenges to interoperability and identifying solutions. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=110346&utm_source=phplist3026&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=Headlines