Nouvelles

PAL Aerospace and CarteNav Solutions Announce launch of Force Multiplier An Industry leading “On Demand” Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance special mission platform On the occasion of the Dubai Air Dhow, DAS, PAL Aerospace announced the first public appearance of an On-Demand, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Special Mission Platform named the Force Multiplier. Force Multiplier is an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform for special missions operations. Ownership, operation, and maintenance are all responsibilities of PAL Aerospace and clients simply acquire the actionable data and experience that they require on this industry leading platform. The Special Mission platform is equipped with two full mission system suites, AMASCOS®, from Thales, and AIMS-ISR® from CarteNav – both mission system software suites which will accommodate a diverse range of ISR applications. Both mission systems will integrate to the Thales SEARCHMASTER® radar which is the highest performance-to-weight radar on the market. The solution fits interim and immediate requirements for surveillance and/or training missions under an on-demand contracting model. PAL Aerospace has operated over 250,000 flight hours of Special Missions and has over 40 Years of Fixed Wing Operations and Surveillance Experience. Our experience as an operator of surveillance missions leaves us uniquely qualified to bring this new platform to market with a view towards client needs and future innovation. Brian Chafe, Chief Executive Officer of PAL Aerospace, stated, “The announcement of this ISR asset is transformational for our organization. We are committed to delivering this platform so our customers can react when they need it most. We are confident that our clients will appreciate the approach that we have taken to provide a flexible, proven, reliable and low-risk solution.” Rick Hillier, General (retired – Former Chief of the Canadian Defense Staff), Chairman - PAL Aerospace, LLC stated “We are pleased to announce this significant investment at the Dubai Air Show to reinforce our commitment to this region and our over 10 year commitment to the people of the UAE.” "The entire CarteNav team is excited by the launch of Force Multiplier and are pleased to be a partner on this initiative. We are looking forward to delivering advanced ISR mission system and information management capabilities for a diversity of end customer's mission requirements. In addition, Force Multiplier is a platform that is ideal for ongoing innovation and advanced product development.” said Paul Evans, President of CarteNav Solutions. Speaking of the partnership, Philippe Duhamel, EVP Defence Mission Systems activities at Thales said, “We have a longstanding cooperation with PAL Aerospace where we have commonly addressed the UAE's and other clients' needs and delivered maritime patrol aircraft with a comprehensive suite of ISR solutions in past. Through the Force Multiplier and the collaboration with PAL Aerospace, Thales will be able to further extend its service offering and demonstrate our capabilities to our entire global customer base.” https://www.palaerospace.com/s/Media-Release-PAL-Aerospace-Force-Multiplier-Launch.pdf

DUBAI — Canada will kick start its competition for a future fighter jet in 2019 with the hopes of awarding a contract by 2021, but the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force wants the process to move as quickly as possible. “The plan right now is to have a request for proposal out to industry by 2019. we're in discussions and have been in discussions with a number of the people who are considering competing for that, and what I'd like to see is that accelerated as much as possible,” said RCAF commander Lt. Gen. Michael Hood, in an exclusive interview with Defense News. “A 2019 RFP would get us into contract probably by 2021, and certainly my advice to government is the sooner the better.” The RCAF wants to procure 88 fighter jets to replace its current inventory of aging 76 F/A-18 Hornets, which are nearing the end of their lifespans. Canada is an international participant in the F-35 joint strike fighter program and has helped pay for the development of the aircraft. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed not to procure the F-35 during his campaign, and his government has opened up the competition to industry instead of moving forward with a sole-source acquisition. The Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Boeing Super Hornet and Saab's Gripen E are all projected to compete for the opportunity. To bridge the gap between its Hornet fleet and a future fighter, the RCAF initially intended to procure 18 F/A-18 Super Hornets from Boeing — a move some analysts speculated could trigger a larger procurement later on. However, the Canadian government suspended the deal due to Boeing's legal complaint against Canadian aerospace company Bombardier over its commercial business. With a Super Hornet buy unlikely as long as Boeing and Bombardier feud, and Trudeau's promise not to buy the F-35, U.S. defense experts worry that Canada could be driven into the arms of a European fighter manufacturer, thus eroding Canada's long tradition of flying U.S. jets — a move that increases the militaries' interoperability. However, Hood stated that interoperability with the United States continues to be “the most important thing to me as command of the Royal Canadian Air Force.” “Every step less of interoperability is one step less of effectiveness, so interoperability is right at the top of the list beside operational advantage,” he said. “I want the young men and women that are going to be flying fighters into harm's way to have an operational advantage, and that will be key to me in the competition that's coming.” That need for interoperability with the U.S. Air Force does not diminish the chances of European fighters, he added. Canada continues to investigate alternative ways to acquire an interim fleet of F/A-18s, including potentially buying used Hornets from Australia. However, a potential deal for Super Hornets with Boeing is still on the table, Hood said. “I think the government has been presented with the FMS case for Boeing. And as they're looking at options, that's one option,” he said. “The Australian aircraft are another, and the government has not made a decision yet.” If the RCAF moves forward with a used Hornet buy from Australia, it will have to extend the lives of the airframes, which are meeting their structural ends, Hood noted. That business would likely go to L3 Technologies, which has done life extension work on the Canadian F/A-18s in the past. But Canada would still be able to acquire the aircraft “within the next couple of years” once a decision is made. Lockheed officials have said that if Canada ultimately decided not to procure the F-35, it could end its industrial partnership with Canadian firms — which totals 110 Canadian companies with $750 million in contracts, according to Lockheed — that already help manufacture the F-35. However, asked whether Canada was concerned about losing that business, Hood demurred. “I'm not privy to the industrial aspects of our partnership with Lockheed Martin,” he said. “What I can say is Lockheed Martin is a fantastic partner for Canada and for the Royal Canadian Air Force, has been for years. We remain very, very strongly engaged both in the joint project office and helping to continue with the development of the F-35, and Canadian companies continue to bid and win on contracts with that.” https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dubai-air-show/2017/11/11/canadian-air-chief-the-sooner-the-better-on-fighter-acquisition/

The Canadian government and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. are extending the submission deadline for the request for proposals for the design of the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) fleet to November 30. The previous deadline had been Nov. 17. The Canadian Surface Combatant is the largest, most complex procurement undertaken by the government, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada. The ships being built will form the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy. A winning bidder will be announced sometime in 2018 and the start of ship construction remains scheduled for the early 2020s, the government noted in a statement Friday. Bidding has been delayed a number of times now. At one point, construction of the vessels was supposed to start in 2018. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/submission-of-bids-delayed-again-on-canadian-surface-combatant-program

OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Airbus SE (AIR.PA) could cooperate further with Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) beyond a recent venture in the CSeries jets, if its fighter jet is permitted to compete in a Canadian military procurement, and its partners agree, an executive said on Wednesday. Canada said last year it will launch an open competition to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets and a request for proposal for the open competition is expected in 2019. Dirk Hoke, chief executive of Airbus Defense and Space, said the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet could be an option for further collaboration with Bombardier, although he did not specify further. “We will definitely also look at additional potential further cooperation with Bombardier beyond just the CSeries,” Hoke told Reuters on the sidelines of an Ottawa aerospace conference, adding that he was “very optimistic and positive about us entering this competition.” Airbus last month agreed to take a majority stake in Bombardier's CSeries jets program, bolstering the Canadian plane's sales and giving it a possible way out of a damaging trade dispute with Boeing Co (BA.N) and U.S. regulators. The CSeries trade dispute has muddied a potential interim military contract between Boeing and Canada for 18 Super Hornet fighter jets, creating new opportunities for rivals like Airbus, Dassault Aviation SA (AVMD.PA) and Lockheed Martin(LMT.N). Boeing and Canada had initially discussed purchasing the fighters as a stop-gap measure while the country prepared an open five-year competition to replace its aging fleet of 77 Boeing CF-18 fighter jets. Canada has halted talks with Boeing because of the dispute. Hoke said Airbus is not considering jumping into the interim bid for fighter jets and is waiting to see the specifics from the Canadian government on the open competition. “Right now, we have a very positive feeling about it but of course we have to see ... what (are) the specifications that have been finally defined and confirmed.” In 2016, Canada selected Airbus C295W aircraft for its fixed-wing search and rescue program, estimated at C$3 billion ($2.36 billion). Boeing has accused Bombardier of receiving illegal subsidies and dumping the CSeries at “absurdly low” prices in the U.S. market to win a key April 2016 order from Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N). The U.S. Commerce Department has notched up proposed trade duties on U.S. sales of CSeries jets at nearly 300 percent, in a case that will be decided next year at the International Trade Commission.

(Montreal, QC and Calgary, AB, Canada, November 7, 2017) - Esterline CMC Electronics and NovAtel Inc. (NovAtel) are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership, extending their collaboration in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technology that started in the late 1990s. The partnership will see NovAtel's industry-leading GNSS measurement technology integrated into a new Esterline CMC-designed multi-constellation, multi-frequency (MCMF) chipset for certified aviation use. The DO-254 Level A certified chipset will allow both companies to develop new GNSS receiver solutions for use in a variety of safety critical applications, including DO-178C Level A certified products designed for commercial aviation, military and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Combining the world-class capabilities of NovAtel's GNSS expertise with Esterline CMC's aviation and certification experience will allow the companies to bring innovative solutions to the market, meeting the requirements of new and evolving industry standards as the modern age of MCMF GNSS positioning in aviation is ushered in. As two industry-leading technology companies, NovAtel and Esterline CMC will combine their complementary resources to deliver competitive solutions that will establish a new standard for excellence in this exciting application space. John Studenny, Director Aviation GPS Products at Esterline CMC Electronics, said: Esterline CMC and NovAtel have a highly successful and growing relationship built on the strengths of both companies often described as “1+1 yields 3!”. While Esterline CMC Electronics is an acknowledged industry leader with its reliable, dependable, DAL-A certified CMA-5024 and CMA-6024 landing system receivers, our company will usher in a new generation of high-performance Multi-Constellation-Multi-Frequency (MCMF) GNSS products certified to the highest levels, supporting current and new aircraft GNSS precision approach.” Jonathan Auld, Vice President of Engineering and Safety Critical Systems at NovAtel said “We are proud to extend our long-standing and successful collaboration with Esterline CMC Electronics. We believe that this partnership will strengthen the technology portfolio of both companies. NovAtel is a major supplier of precise GNSS technology to mission-critical military and civilian UAS, for example, and with this new, certified chipset we will extend our solution portfolio with assured positioning solutions to meet the emerging industry standards.” https://www.novatel.com/about-us/news-releases/news-releases-2017/esterline-cmc-electronics-and-novatel-partner-on-new-aviation-certified-gnss-receiver/

If the Canadian government is to inject billions of dollars into military procurement over the next decade and successfully deliver on dozens of major capital projects, the defence industry must play a critical role. When the new defence policy was released in June 2017, the Liberal government committed to increase the Department of National Defence (DND) budget from $18.9 billion to $32.7 billion by 2026-27 and provide up to $62 billion for the military over the next 20 years. Experience has shown, however, that increased spending can strain government and industry capacity to meet the requirements and schedules for multiple projects. Industry is up for the challenge providing it has predictability in the programs and the process, said Mike Greenley, president of Burlington, Ont.-based L3 WESCAM and a former chair of the board for the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). “Industry capacity to respond and surge is obviously greater the more horizon you can give it,” Greenley said at a recent Ottawa conference, hosted by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, examining the implications of Canada's Defence Policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged. Greenley–a former executive with General Dynamics and CAE and a veteran of many procurement programs–said large foreign and Canadian manufacturers would make the necessary investments in smaller Canadian companies and production capacity if they have confidence in the opportunity. “If we talk about these things far enough ahead of time, I think people will invest and have Canadian content ready,” he added. MGen Jean-Marc Lanthier, chief of program, said the new policy had generated almost four dozen projects, but he cautioned that the government and military could not succeed if “we don't tap into innovation.” One way to encourage early industry engagement might be to run competitions at the research and development (R&D) phase of certain projects, rather than waiting until after the statement of requirements (SOR) has been fully defined. “If [you wait] for the SOR and everyone fights to the death for that thing, then your ability to respond and scale up is obviously diminished because you are not going to believe in it until, for sure, you absolutely have [it],” Greenley stated. “Industry can do a lot more if they are engaged earlier.” As an example, he pointed to the process to replace the current fleet of CP-140 Aurora aircraft, which is undergoing a series of block upgrades to extend service life into the 2030s. If, as the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has suggested, the goal is a Canadian-built maritime patrol platform with Canadian-developed anti-submarine warfare and other capabilities, “while we modernize the CP-140s today, we could run a competition tomorrow [to get] an industrial team together for next generation maritime patrol.” That would “allow things to happen easier and quicker, engage the whole base sooner, in addition to giving them stability” to survive a change in government or government priorities, he said. “We wouldn't normally do that in Canada. But to [earlier] points about how do you connect industrial capacity with innovation, with trying to get more done with less people with more money, we could [do it].” Defence policies rarely survive as economic blueprints beyond their first few years. In a panel on framing the government's challenge, several former senior public executives noted how quickly a shift in the domestic financial picture or international circumstances forced previous governments to change course. Still, current government officials were optimistic about the policy, noting it is still early days. Andre Fillion–chief of staff, Materiel, and a former RCAF officer who led the acquisition programs for the CC-177 Globemaster, CC-130J Hercules, CH-147F Chinook and CH-148 Cyclone–acknowledged that more certified project managers are needed, as are improvements to streamline the procurement process. An increase in contracting authority to $5 million would allow the Army, Navy, Air Force and special operations forces to directly manage about 80 per cent of DND's procurement projects, freeing up resources and staff for the larger, more challenging and riskier programs. The department will look more holistically at projects, factoring in infrastructure requirements, like hangars, when it acquires an aircraft, and it will place greater reliance on analytics using data to drive decisions on complex programs, said Jody Thomas, deputy minister of National Defence. The department also added two new associate deputy ministers with extensive experience in government and procurement. “We are restructuring the department to deliver,” concluded Thomas. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/oems-will-invest-canadian-content-procurement-program-stability/

Ville de Québec, lundi le 16 octobre 2017 – Chantier Davie Canada inc. a annoncé aujourd'hui que la fin de semaine dernière, l'entreprise a procédé au lancement du plus grand navire militaire jamais livré par un chantier naval canadien, et ce, en respectant les délais et le budget, à un coût concurrentiel à l'échelle internationale. La mise en service de tous les systèmes à bord a commencé au début du mois de septembre. Le 16 novembre 2017, le navire sera soumis aux essais en mer en vue d'atteindre la capacité opérationnelle totale (FOC). Lors des essais en mer supervisés par Lloyd's Register, des éléments tels que la sécurité, la qualité, les systèmes ainsi que la fonctionnalité du navire seront testés afin de s'assurer qu'ils satisfont aux spécifications et aux normes militaires élevées selon lesquelles le navire a été construit. La qualité de la construction et la conception moderne de ce navire, muni des systèmes navals canadiens les plus récents, témoignent non seulement de l'expérience, de l'infrastructure et de l'expertise hors pair de Davie, mais également de l'incroyable contribution de centaines de fournisseurs canadiens. Plus de 900 entreprises canadiennes ont participé à la construction du navire, notamment en fournissant des équipements militaires spécifiques essentiels comme le système tactique et de navigation intégré (INTS), le système de ravitaillement en mer (REM) conforme aux normes de l'OTAN, ainsi que le système naval de contrôle intégré de plateforme. Alex Vicefield, Président de Chantier Davie Canada inc., a affirmé : « La livraison de ce navire montre clairement qu'il existe un chantier naval canadien ayant la capacité de fournir des plateformes navales complexes en respectant les délais et le budget, et ce, à un coût concurrentiel à l'échelle internationale. Sachant que la Marine royale canadienne avait besoin de ce navire de façon urgente, nos 1 400 employés ont travaillé jour et nuit pour qu'il soit livré non seulement dans les temps, mais aussi en répondant aux exigences de qualité lui permettant de servir le Canada fièrement pendant des décennies. Le succès de cette conception multifonctionnelle, rendant le navire apte autant à des opérations de combat qu'à des opérations humanitaires, a suscité l'intérêt des marines du monde entier. » Spencer Fraser, Chef de la direction de Federal Fleet Services, a ajouté : « Les membres de notre équipage canadien sont tous à bord, prêts à débuter les opérations aux côtés des marins de la Marine royale canadienne. Nous nous préparons pour ce moment depuis deux ans et, très prochainement, nous serons prêts à soutenir les Forces canadiennes lors de tout thé'tre d'opérations, partout dans le monde et à pied levé. » http://www.davie.ca/fr/news/tous-les-voyants-sont-au-vert-regle-au-quart-de-tour-le-navire-de-soutien-militaire-de-la-classe-resolve-est-lance/

OSI Maritime Systems is pleased to announce that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) will deploy ECPINS® Warship 6.2 on all ships and submarines. ECPINS is recognized as the most advanced Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS), with military capabilities well beyond NATO WECDIS STANAG 4564. STANAG 4564 defines the primary function of WECDIS, which is to contribute to safe navigation and to enhance the conduct of warfare. Further, OSI has received Marine Equipment Directive (MED) Type Approval certification from DNV GL for ECPINS against new International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for ECDIS. These international maritime standards are a requirement of NATO WECDIS STANAG 4564. “We are proud of our relationship with the RCN which began in 2001 with a fleet-wide installation of ECPINS,” said Ken Kirkpatrick, President & CEO. “We attribute that beginning with where OSI is today, a leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions to many of the NATO and Allied navies. In addition, OSI is now a major player in the warship Integrated Bridge System (IBS) market – in fact, we are presently delivering IBS to the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship project.” Headquartered in Burnaby, BC, OSI is the only 100 percent Canadian company that produces and delivers a complete range of naval integrated navigation and tactical solutions across four continents. For more information: Simon Wills +1 778-373-4655 simon.wills@osimaritime.com http://osimaritime.com/mediaReleases/OSI_release20171024_RCN_ECPINS_Upgrade.pdf

Montreal, 31 Octobre, 2017 - Discovery Air Defence Services Inc. («DA Defence»), une filiale en propriété exclusive de Discovery Air Inc., a annoncé aujourd'hui qu'elle a remporté un contrat de longue durée pour les services d'entraînement aéroportés impartis (« SEAI ») du gouvernement du Canada. Ce contrat est d'une durée de 10 ans avec une option de deux ans et une deuxième option de 17 mois. DA Defence fournira des services SEAI aux Forces armées canadiennes à partir de bases d'opérations permanentes situées dans quatre provinces canadiennes différentes à l'aide d'une flotte d'aéronefs Alphajet et Learjet modernisés. «C'est un honneur d'avoir été choisi comme partenaire à long terme du Canada pour SEAI en offrant une solution clé en main fabriquée au Canada», a déclaré Paul Bouchard, président de DA Defence. Notre équipe exceptionnelle de pilotes de CF-18 et d'instructeurs d'armes de combat chevronnés combinée à notre équipe de maintenance, d'ingénierie et de soutien continuera de dispenser l'entraînement aérien le plus complet au monde pour préparer les militaires canadiens aux défis et menaces en constante évolution au Canada et ses alliés au-delà de 2030. «Au cours des 12 dernières années, nous avons dépassé toutes les attentes de nos clients pour devenir le fournisseur de choix d'entraînement aérien au Canada», a déclaré Didier Toussaint, président du groupe et directeur des opérations de DA Defence. «Nos antécédents éprouvés en matière de sécurité, d'expérience et d'innovation continueront de servir les hommes et les femmes des Forces armées canadiennes à l'avenir. Je suis également très fier que cette attribution de SEAI à long terme soutienne les avantages économiques et technologiques continus du secteur aérospatial de Montréal et rehausse les capacités industrielles clés du Canada en aérospatiale sur la scène mondiale». Messieurs Bouchard et Toussaint sont tous les deux des anciens pilotes de CF-18 et instructeurs d'armes de combat. DA Defence est le fournisseur des services d'entraînement aéroportés clé en main le plus expérimenté au monde. Avec ses huit principales bases opérationnelles sur trois continents, DA Defence exploite la plus grande flotte privée d'avions de chasse et d'appui au combat du monde. Avec un dossier de sécurité inégalé, dont 66 000 heures de vol sans accident, DA Defence, avec sa filiale américaine à part entière, Top Aces Corp., est le fournisseur exclusif des services de formation aéroportée des forces armées canadiennes, allemandes et australiennes. Le mélange unique d'avions de combat modernes et de missions spéciales de DA Defence, dotés de capacités représentatives de la 4e génération, offre les profils de mission, la flexibilité et la disponibilité exigés par les Forces armées canadiennes et les principales forces aériennes du monde. À propos de DA Defence et Discovery Air DA Defence et sa filiale américaine, Top Aces Corp., possèdent la plus grande flotte privée d'avions de chasse au monde. La formation fournie appuie la préparation opérationnelle des avions de chasse actuels et futurs. Apprenez-en davantage sur la façon dont DA Defence change la face de la formation au combat aérien à www.discoveryair-ds.com/accueil. #CdnInnovation #AeroInnovates Discovery Air Inc. est un chef de file mondial dans les services d'aviation spécialisés. Nous offrons une formation de combat aérien exceptionnelle; services d'avions équipés de medevac; services d'affrètement aérien; opérations d'hélicoptères et le soutien au transport et à la logistique pour assurer la disponibilité opérationnelle, la santé, la sécurité et les lignes de vie vitales pour nos clients et les communautés que nous desservons. Les débentures convertibles non garanties de Discovery Air sont négociées à la Bourse de Toronto (symbole DA.DB.A). Pour plus d'informations: Discovery Air Defence Garrick Ngai Directeur marketing Garrick.Ngai@discoveryair.com 514-694-5565 Discovery Air Relations avec les investisseurs Numéro sans frais (866) 903 3247 http://www.discoveryair-ds.com/page?a=2047&lang=fr-CA