Nouvelles

Murray Brewster · CBC News The Liberal government has decided to pull out all the stops on the construction of the navy's planned permanent supply ships — a move that's raised questions about how quickly the Canadian Coast Guard will get a critical oceanographic science vessel. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) issued a statement Tuesday that announced the re-sequencing of the construction schedules for vessels being built at the Vancouver Shipyard, which is owned by Seaspan. The company has already started preliminary construction work on the first of the navy's long-awaited Joint Support Ships and the federal government says the work will continue until the vessel is completed. Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Seaspan was suppose to first construct three small fisheries research ships and a larger oceanographic vessel before working on the navy's long-awaited supply ships. Adhering to that plan in the face of repeated organizational delays meant delivery of those supply ships — which are considered critical to allowing the navy to operate beyond Canadian shores — would not happen until 2023 at the earliest. The PSPC statement said that once the first supply ship is finished, Seaspan will turn its attention to the coast guard oceanographic ship and then build the last planned naval supply ship. "Given the complexity of this build, this change in sequencing will ensure focused engineering resources on each of the projects, while allowing for time between construction of the first and second [Joint Support Ship] to incorporate lessons learned," said PSPC spokesman Pierre-Alain Bujold in a statement. "Moreover, this allows for uninterrupted work at the shipyard, mitigating the risk of potential layoffs and production gaps between builds." Bujold said additional details on the construction schedule will be released at a later date. The change to the schedule was, according to sources in the defence industry, agreed upon at the recent Trudeau government cabinet retreat in Sherbrooke, Que. Rob Huebert, a defence expert at the University of Calgary, said the decision "leaves most people scratching their heads" because of the difficulty involved in getting a shipyard to switch up construction between different types of vessels. "Why you would interrupt the building of ships by putting another style and class of vessel in the middle completely boggles my mind," said Huebert, a noted expert on the Arctic. "I don't know why you would do it." If anything, he said, the federal government should simply build both naval ships and then move on the coast guard ship. The re-sequencing means the navy could be waiting until the late 2020s for its second supply vessel, which would make the program a multi-decade odyssey. The Liberal government of former prime minister Paul Martin originally ordered the replacement of the auxiliary ships in 2004, but the program was cancelled in 2008 by the Conservatives when cost estimates exceeded the budget envelope. Huebert said Tuesday's announcement also raises questions about when Canadians will see the heavy icebreaker that Seaspan is also slated to build. The PSPC website says the program is under review and "no activities are planned until work on other projects has advanced." The federal government apparently has not yet formally notified Seaspan of the schedule change, although the shipyard has awarded a series of sub-contracts to companies such as INDAL in Mississauga, Ont., and L3 MAPPS in Montreal, for supply ship components. Seaspan is expected to announce another contract on Wednesday with Lockheed Martin Canada related to the supply ships. Ever since the Conservatives cancelled the first iteration of the supply ship project, the federal government has struggled to get it back on track, setting and missing several deadlines. The supply ships were supposed to arrive in 2017. The date was pushed back to 2019, and then to 2022. The absence of a supply ship prompted the Davie shipyard, in Levis, Que., to pitch a converted civilian cargo ship for navy use. That $668 million lease deal is at the centre of the breach-of-trust case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Davie is pitching the federal government on leasing another cargo ship. A spokesman for Davie, Frederik Boisvert, called Tuesday's decision "an insult to taxpayers" and claimed that Seaspan has failed to deliver on the supply ship project and "should be blacklisted by the government and not rewarded for failure." The effect of switching up the schedule means the navy might not need a second supply ship leasing deal. Sources within the coast guard and the defence industry have said that the design and project coordination for the fisheries science vessel is not as far advanced as the navy supply ship program and that is an important factor in the federal government's timing decision. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-pushes-navy-s-planned-supply-ships-to-the-front-of-the-construction-queue-1.5006785

By The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The Royal Canadian Air Force is hoping to pull the trigger on the purchase of new drones within six years after spending nearly two decades weighing different options. The Canadian Forces has been working since the early 2000s to find unmanned aerial vehicles that can conduct surveillance over Canada's vast territory and support overseas missions. Yet aside from purchasing a small number of temporary, unarmed drones for the war in Afghanistan, the military has never been able to make much progress on a permanent fleet. Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger says he believes that is about to change after the Trudeau government became the first to officially authorize the acquisition of a fleet of armed UAVs through its defence policy. In an interview, Meinzinger says the air force is nearly finished drawing up options — where it has been stuck for years — and will soon move into the next phase by presenting its proposals to procurement officials. While the military has welcomed Canada's decision to buy armed drones and promised to abide by international laws, some arms-control advocates have expressed concern about the legal grey zone such weapons inhabit. The Canadian Press https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/02/06/air-force-aiming-to-have-armed-drones-in-the-air-in-next-six-years-commander-3/#.XFsws1xKiUl

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will be seeking an upgrade to its CH-146 Griffon maintenance and flight training simulators as part of a life extension project for the multi-role utility helicopters. The first phase of the project, which is intended to keep the fleet of 85 Griffons flying until at least 2031, took off on Jan. 26 with the award of a $90 million contract to Bell Helicopter Textron Canada to develop and design options for the avionics systems, engines, integrated sensors and cockpit displays. A follow-on contract to install new systems and upgrade others is expected in 2022. Around the same time, the federal government will be inviting industry to respond to a request for proposals to modernize the Griffon simulators, according to a Department of National Defence spokesperson. “The upgrade to the flight simulation devices will be procured under a separate contract,” she said in an emailed response. The CH-146 simulators were built by CAE and delivered to the RCAF in the mid-1990s, shortly before the helicopters entered service between 1995 and 1997. CAE continues to provide in-service support. As part of what is being called the Griffon Limited Life Extension (GLLE) project, the RCAF wants to replace a number of the helicopter's avionics systems, including communications radios and cryptographic equipment, cockpit voice and flight recorders, the navigation systems, the automatic flight control systems, and the control display units. Obsolescence of critical components has been a problem for maintenance technicians for several years now. The design phase will also look at upgrades to the engines and to the sensor suite. The CH-146, which is based on the Bell 412, performs a variety of transport, close fire support and armed escort missions for tactical aviation and special operations forces. However, it has a top speed of around 260 kilometres per hour, well below that of the Boeing CH-147F Chinook that it escorts during missions such as Operation Presence in Mali. “These helicopters have performed extremely well over the years and with these new upgrades, they will continue to be a valuable asset that will allow our personnel to carry out missions and operations successfully well into the future,” RCAF commander LGen Al Meinzinger said in a statement. While aircrews would like more speed, more lift and bigger guns as part of any upgrade program, the current platform meets most of their needs, Col Travis Morehen, commanding officer of 1 Wing, the RCAF's tactical aviation headquarters in Kingston, Ont., told Skies in a recent interview. “I think we have done a really good job of exploiting what we can do with the Griffon,” said Morehen, who is currently serving as commander of the Canadian Armed Forces task force in Mali. “I don't think there are many nations that have been as agile and flexible with that type of platform as we have, whether it is the combat service support role for search and rescue, or precision insertion for special operations . . . or what we are doing in terms of utility lift, or providing, with the GAU-21 (.50 Cal machine gun), stand off fires.” Whatever the changes that are ultimately accepted as part of the initial design phase now being conducted by Bell, the helicopters will require upgraded flight training and maintenance simulators to match. The GLLE project, including modernized simulators, is expected to reach initial operational capability by 2024 and be fully operational by 2026. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/griffon-life-extension-program-to-include-upgraded-sims/

The CDA Institute, in collaboration with the 13thDefence and Security Economists Workshop, hosted two panel discussions on the themes of Building Security and Defence in the Canadian Economy and a discussion of the book Small Wars, Big Data, published by Princeton University Press in 2018. This morning of roundtables brought both scholars and practitioners together for a stimulating session of dialogue on the challenges of generating the economic capacity needed to protect Canadians wherever they might be and the role that empirical data can play in shaping military strategy and defence policies in asymmetric conflicts. The CDA Institute provided student rapporteurs for the event whose summaries of the proceedings follow. https://cdainstitute.ca/building-security-and-defence-in-the-canadian-economy-and-small-wars-big-data/

Over the past decade, the cyber security of elections and democratic institutions has become a critical issue both at home and globally. Canadian elections have proved to be relatively robust so far. Be that as it may, in 2017 Canada's Communications Security Establishment reported a series of major threats to the country's electoral system, including media manipulation and data privacy. Moreover, the urgency of addressing cyber security is clear from incidences of interference in countries as diverse as the United States, Kenya, Estonia and Latvia. This day-long workshop sponsored by the Royal Military College of Canada, SERENE-RISC, the CDA Institute and the Telfer School brought scholars and experts in the field together at the University of Ottawa to explore the range of security challenges posed by new and emerging technology, what solutions are out there and what role Canada's defence community can play in combating these new threats. The CDA Institute provided rapporteurs to record the day's proceedings and their summaries can be found here. https://cdainstitute.ca/17931/

BY ROBIN BILLINGHAM © 2019 FrontLine (Vol 16, No 1) The global shift to full-spectrum warfare and in-and-out mission fighting have given rise to an evolution in training requirements and methodologies. Previous training technologies were helpful in many ways, including cost savings on operational equipment, but were limited in scope and time-consuming to prepare. Innovative developers have now taken the simulation option to the next level. Digitally-simulated training environments can enhance a soldier's real-time decision-making abilities and improve the likelihood of mission success when confronted by an unconventional enemy – and that was the aim of previous generation technologies. Significant cost-savings are also achieved through these training systems and is a major reason why they have been widely implemented. The evolution of large scale digital training exercises developed quite rapidly once it became feasible to exercise without the huge expense of sending brigades or divisions into the field. Soon, digital exercises were set up to improve responses and efficiencies for all aspects relating to the warfighting effort. Exercise Unified Resolve was initiated in 2012 and has become an annual computer-assisted exercise designed to test command and control capabilities within the Canadian Army. Speaking about Unified Resolve back in 2016, Brigadier-General Trevor Cadieu noted the criticality of simulation exercises for the leadership of the brigade. “It allows us to stress test some of our planning and procedures without needing to pull 4,000 troops into the field, away from their families and other duties,” said then-Commander of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. Full article: https://defence.frontline.online/article/2019/1/11101-Evolving-battlespace-triggers-training-innovation

Murray Brewster · CBC News The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has dismissed a complaint by one of the companies that was competing for the job of designing and helping to build the navy's next generation of warships. Alion Science and Technology Corp. and its subsidiary, Alion Canada, filed the complaint in November and asked that the signing of the contract with the preferred bidder be postponed until the matter could be heard. The trade tribunal, in a decision rendered late Thursday, said the company did not "have standing to file a complaint" before the agency. Last fall, the Liberal government announced plans to award the design contract to a group of companies led by Lockheed Martin Canada and opened negotiations with the intention of completing a full contract this winter. Alion, Lockheed Martin Canada and the Spanish company Navantia were all in the running for the Canadian Surface Combatant project, which will be built at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax. The federal government issued a statement Friday and indicated progress towards a final contract was ongoing. "Public Services and Procurement Canada is pleased with the CITT's ruling," said department spokesman Pierre-Alain Bujold. "We have full confidence in our process, and continue to work toward awarding a contract for the design and design team for the future Canadian Surface Combatants." Alion had pitched its De Zeven Provinciën Air Defence and Command (LCF) frigate, a Dutch-designed warship, for the Canadian competition and has pointed out that the warship is already in service in other countries. The company had asked the CITT to investigate the procurement deal, saying the preferred warship design — the British-built Type 26 — would need substantial changes and and further claimed it doesn't meet the navy's requirements as outlined in the government tender. Alion also had filed a Federal Court challenge of the project last fall. The design competition went on for almost two years as Public Services officials and executives at Irving worked with bidders to ensure a fair competition and to avoid post-decision court fights. The first of the new warships, intended to replace the navy's frigates, are not expected to be in the water until the mid-2020s, at the earliest. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trade-tribunal-warship-alion-1.5002298

Le 1er février 2019 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Le ministère de la Défense nationale (MDN) investit dans la recherche et le développement en matière de défense afin de trouver des solutions novatrices aux défis de surveillance auxquels les Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) sont confrontées, particulièrement dans le Nord canadien. À l'appui de cet objectif, le député de York-Centre, Michael Levitt, a annoncé aujourd'hui, au nom du ministre de la Défense Harjit S. Sajjan, que le ministère de la Défense nationale, par l'entremise de Services publics et Approvisionnements Canada, a accordé deux contrats à Raytheon Canada Limitée et au laboratoire de vol spatial de l'Institut universitaire d'études aérospatiales de l'Université de Toronto (UTIAS SFL) dans le cadre de la Connaissance de la situation dans tous les domaines (CSTD) du programme de sciences et technologie (S et T), pour un total de 46,2 millions de dollars. Raytheon Canada Limited a obtenu un contrat de 31,2 millions de dollars pour la construction d'appareils électroniques d'émission et de réception destinés à une étude sur la détection radar à longue portée au-delà de l'horizon. Un contrat de 15 millions de dollars a également été attribué au UTIAS SFL pour le développement d'un prototype de microsatellite multifonctionnel équipé d'une technologie de détection de pointe pour la surveillance aérienne et maritime. Comme le souligne la politique de défense Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, l'aptitude à mener des travaux de pointe en recherche et développement dans le domaine des technologies relatives aux satellites et aux radars est essentielle au soutien des capacités des FAC, tout particulièrement dans des régions éloignées comme l'Arctique canadien. Les solutions de surveillance comme celles-ci améliorent notre accès à des renseignements précis et opportuns, ce qui permet aux FAC et à nos partenaires de mieux recueillir, comprendre et diffuser l'information et les renseignements, tout en appuyant notre capacité de mener des opérations couronnées de succès au pays comme à l'étranger. Ces systèmes appuieront la capacité du gouvernement du Canada d'exercer sa souveraineté dans le Nord, accroîtront la sensibilisation aux questions de sûreté et de sécurité et favoriseront une meilleure connaissance des activités commerciales et de transport dans l'Arctique canadien. De plus, les solutions trouvées dans le cadre de la CSTD du programme S et T contribueront aux efforts conjoints du Canada et des États-Unis pour moderniser des éléments du Commandement de la défense aérospatiale de l'Amérique du Nord (NORAD). Citations « Notre gouvernement comprend que la science et l'innovation sont cruciales pour relever certains de nos défis les plus complexes en matière de défense et de sécurité. Gr'ce à ces contrats, le ministère de la Défense nationale passe à l'étape suivante dans la résolution de nos problèmes de surveillance dans l'Arctique. Nous sommes fiers de nous associer à Raytheon Canada et au laboratoire de vol spatial pour continuer à produire des solutions novatrices visant à protéger le Nord canadien. » Honorable Harjit S. Sajjan Ministre de la Défense nationale Faits en bref Les microsatellites du UTIAS SFL en cours de développement offriront une détection et une identification rapides et ponctuelles de cibles de surface ou aériennes. On s'attend à ce que cela améliore la fiabilité des performances de détection et d'identification et entraîne l'amélioration de la connaissance de la situation pour les FAC et nos partenaires. Une fois le prototype terminé et testé avec succès, deux microsatellites supplémentaires seront construits pour créer une petite formation. Ceux-ci seront ensuite lancés à des fins de démonstration et d'essai. L'objectif principal du projet Raytheon est de démontrer la faisabilité de la technologie des radars à ondes ionosphériques pour la détection de cibles aériennes à toutes les altitudes au-delà de l'horizon du radar. Cela comprend la réflexion de signaux sur l'ionosphère vers une station de réception située au-delà de la ligne de visée. Une fois opérationnel, le système sera utilisé conjointement avec d'autres systèmes pour mieux comprendre l'effet des aurores boréales sur la détection de cibles au-delà de l'horizon. La CSTD du programme S et T vise à tirer parti de l'expertise scientifique et technologique novatrice d'autres ministères, du milieu universitaire, de l'industrie et d'autres alliés pour déterminer, évaluer et valider des technologies à l'appui de la surveillance aérienne et maritime, plus particulièrement dans le Nord. Gr'ce à un investissement quinquennal de 133 millions de dollars jusqu'en 2020, la CSTD du programme S et T appuie l'élaboration d'options pour mieux faire connaître les approches aériennes, maritimes de surface et souterraines du Canada, en particulier celles de l'Arctique. L'organisation scientifique et technologique de la Défense nationale, Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada (RDDC), est le chef de file national en S et T pour la défense et la sécurité. RDDC fournit à la communauté des S et T pour la défense, aux Forces armées canadiennes, à d'autres ministères et au milieu de la sécurité publique, les connaissances et la technologie nécessaires pour défendre et protéger les intérêts du Canada au pays et à l'étranger. Liens connexes Connaissance de la situation dans tous les domaines – Programme de S et T Protection, Sécurité, Engagement https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2019/02/le-gouvernement-du-canada-annonce-lattribution-de-contrats-de-recherche-et-developpement-a-lappui-de-la-surveillance-de-larctique.html

Le 1er février 2019 –– Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Comme l'indique la politique du Canada Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, le gouvernement du Canada s'est engagé à fournir à la Marine royale canadienne des systèmes améliorés de renseignement, de surveillance et reconnaissance maritimes. Aujourd'hui, au nom du ministre de la Défense Harjit S. Sajjan, l'honorable Bernadette Jordan, ministre du Développement économique rural, a annoncé l'attribution de deux contrats de 186 millions de dollars à General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada pour la modernisation et l'entretien de récepteurs sous-marins installés à bord des frégates modernisées de la classe Halifax. Ces travaux seront en grande partie exécutés au Canada, créant et maintenant environ 120 emplois hautement qualifiés tout en supportant la croissance et l'avantage concurrentiel des capacités industrielles acoustiques au Canada. Gr'ce à cet investissement, les frégates de la classe Halifax seront en mesure de détecter des cibles plus silencieuses sur de plus longues distances. De plus, une automatisation améliorée permettra aux opérateurs de sonar d'améliorer leur performance de guerre sous-marine et de se concentrer sur des t'ches prioritaires. Cette capacité rendra nos frégates plus efficaces près des côtes et en haute mer. Les frégates polyvalentes de la classe Halifax demeureront les principaux contributeurs aux opérations navales pour les 20 prochaines années. Les contrats annoncés aujourd'hui augmenteront la capacité globale des frégates de faire face aux menaces émergentes et futures, feront en sorte que nos femmes et nos hommes de la Marine royale canadienne possèdent ce dont ils ont besoin pour accomplir le travail qui leur est demandé. Citations « À travers nos engagements pris sous notre politique de défense, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, nous investissons pour nos femmes et hommes de notre Marine royale canadienne et nous assurons qu'ils sont bien équipés pour répondre aux menaces émergentes. La capacité de détecter les menaces rapidement est essentielle pour pouvoir amorcer rapidement des contre-mesures de défense afin de protéger nos marins et nos navires. Puisque l'environnement de sécurité ne cesse d'évoluer, nous adaptons continuellement nos capacités navales permettant une défense efficace des eaux canadiennes et de contribuer de manière significative aux opérations et exercices internationaux. » Harjit S. Sajjan, ministre de la Défense nationale « Les communautés à travers le Canada, et ici-même en Nouvelle-Écosse, vont grandement bénéficier de ces importants investissements à long terme. Ils contribueront au développement d'une main d'œuvre hautement qualifiée dans le secteur technologique du Canada. Notre gouvernement s'assure que les contrats de défense apportent prospérité et soutiennent l'équipement clé des Forces armées canadiennes. » Bernadette Jordan, ministre du Développement économique rural « La Politique des retombées industrielles et technologiques aide à la création d'emplois, supporte l'innovation et stimule la croissance économique dans les communautés canadiennes. Ces contrats continueront à faire avancer les principales capacités industrielles au Canada tout en soutenant notre Marine royale canadienne. » Navdeep Bains, ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et du Développement économique du Canada « Notre gouvernement est déterminé à b'tir des forces militaires plus agiles et mieux équipées, tout en soutenant l'économie canadienne. Ces améliorations aux frégates de la classe Halifax fourniront à la Marine royale canadienne la toute dernière technologie pour détecter les menaces qui se présentent. » Carla Qualtrough, ministre des Services publics et de l'Approvisionnement et de l'Accessibilité « Les contrats de la défense créés des bénéfices tangibles pour les Canadiens. Ces deux contrats de la défense apporteront des emplois hautement qualifiés et généreront des opportunités économiques aux communautés sur la côte Est et ailleurs au Canada pour plusieurs années, tout en supportant les opérations de la Marine royale canadienne. » Andy Fillmore, Secrétaire parlementaire du ministre du Patrimoine canadien et du Multiculturalisme Faits en bref Les opérateurs sonar des frégates de la classe Halifax détectent, localisent et surveillent les menaces de surface, sous‑marines et aériennes gr'ce à une surveillance continue et une collecte d'information au moyen de capteurs de pointe. Ces contrats d'une valeur de 186 millions de dollars incluent l'acquisition et la modernisation de six frégates de la classe Halifax (103 millions de dollars) et l'entretien (potentiellement 83 millions de dollars). Ces contrats incluent également l'option de mette à niveau les six autres frégates, ce qui peut amener la valeur totale du contrat d'acquisition à 170 millions de dollars. La portion du contrat pour l'entretien permettra de maintenir l'équipement modernisé pour une durée maximale de 23 ans, si toutes les options sont exercées. La première installation de la suite logicielle de conduite de guerre sous-marine moderne devrait être complétée en 2021, et opérationnelle en 2022. La propriété intellectuelle sous licence de Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada constitue la base de la soumission technique retenue pour le projet d'ASGSM. Un dépôt de logiciels réutilisables a été créé il y a plus de 25 ans par RDDC à l'appui des projets de démonstration technologique de la MRC et de l'ARC en matière de guerre sous-marine. La Politique des retombées industrielles et technologiques s'applique à ce projet, ce qui crée ainsi des emplois et soutient les principales capacités industrielles au Canada. Liens connexes Frégates canadiennes de patrouille Modernisation des navires de la classe Halifax et prolongation de la vie des frégates https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2019/02/un-nouveau-contrat-pour-lamelioration-des-capacites-de-surveillance-et-de-detection-des-fregates-de-la-classe-halifax.html