Nouvelles

by Lisa Gordon The Viking CL-415 “SuperScooper” is more akin to a pick-up truck than a sports car. It's a hardworking, amphibious turboprop that was built to fight wildfires. It flies low, battling blistering heat and blinding smoke, before releasing 13,500 pounds of water in six seconds – and then returning to a nearby lake where it skims the surface to reload. Introduced in 1993 by Bombardier, the CL-415 was essentially a turboprop version of its predecessor, the piston-powered CL-215. Today, there are close to 170 CL-215/415 aircraft in operation, mostly in Europe and North America. They are now supported by Viking Air, which acquired the program from Bombardier in 2016. Pilot training in the CL-415 has historically been done in the aircraft, but TRU Simulation + Training says that due to the unique mission it performs, those training flights can be dangerous. The South Carolina-headquartered company is a division of industry giant Textron Inc., and was formed following the amalgamation of several specialty flight simulation and pilot training companies, including former Montreal-based Mechtronix. About two years ago, TRU's commercial aviation division in Montreal began designing the world's first CL-415 full flight simulator (FFS) with the capability to replicate operations not only in the air, but also on the water. The company was able to draw on its recent experience of successfully building a Series 400 Twin Otter FFS for Canada's Pacific Sky Aviation in Calgary, Alta. – the world's first seaplane simulator with water-handling capabilities. “Before the Twin Otter project, hydrodynamic modelling is something we hadn't done before,” acknowledged Thom Allen, TRU's vice-president of Technology and Innovation. “It's like a boat simulator because you're modelling the buoyancy of the floats or the fuselage in the water. Interestingly, our engineers working on the Twin Otter program actually went to the library and researched how boats work on the water. Mixing the boat sim with the aerodynamic sim is the whole package.” He said the CL-415 experience took things one step further by adding the mission component – scooping the water – to the Twin Otter build. “From a safety point of view, the types of missions you do in a waterbomber are quite a bit different from a commercial aircraft. When you're scooping water and dropping it over a fire, training in those conditions is very dangerous. The tradeoff has always been between the quality of the training and the danger of doing that sort of training.” TRU's CL-415 FFS was delivered to Ansett Aviation Training in Milan, Italy, in September 2018 and certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in December to Level D standards. Although training courses have yet to be completed in the simulator, the hope is that both initial and recurrent pilot training will be done exclusively in the device. Allen said the operational characteristics of a CL-415 are complex and unique. “When you're flying over a very hot fire, you drop your water and the mass of the aircraft is cut in half. The turbulence effect is quite significant when you hit the updraft. The fire is creating turbulence, smoke, reduced visibility – and pilots are dropping every five or 10 minutes repeatedly, usually in rugged terrain at low altitudes. This is the part that made this project something new.” To gather accurate performance data, TRU rented a CL-415 and equipped it with flight test instrumentation. “We weren't doing fire drops with our engineers on board, but we did all the manoeuvres around that, and we brought in a number of senior CL-415 pilots to evaluate our work.” The result is the world's first high fidelity CL-415 simulator with the capability of replicating not just air and water operations, but various types and intensities of forest fires and changes in related environmental conditions. The cockpit noise level is accurately reproduced by a secondary audio system that – like the real aircraft – requires crewmembers to wear a noise-cancelling headset. Full article: https://www.skiesmag.com/news/simulating-the-superscooper

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Here are the latest via an internal Canadian Forces message from Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance on the appointments/retirements of Colonels and Navy Captains in the Canadian military (Apologies for the all capital letters but that is how the document was provided to me): IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING COLONEL/CAPTAIN (NAVY) PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, AND RETIREMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, OR WILL OCCUR IN 2019. I WISH TO OFFER MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICES OF THOSE OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY TRANSITION FROM THE CAF AND I OFFER MY HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS AND SINCEREST BEST WISHES TO THOSE TAKING ON NEW APPOINTMENTS AND NEW RESPONSIBILITIES COLONEL J.A.D. ABBOUD WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 2ND CANADIAN DIVISION SUPPORT GROUP, IN MONTREAL, REPLACING COLONEL L.H.P.S. BOUCHER COLONEL G.M. ADAMSON WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO CAPTAIN(N) J.S. ARMSTRONG WILL BE APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF, NAVAL STAFF, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) D.M.C. YOUNG WHO WILL RETIRE COLONEL T.M. ARSENAULT WILL BE APPOINTED BRIGADE COMMANDER 5 CANADIAN MECHANIZED BRIGADE GROUP, CANADIAN ARMY, IN VALCARTIER, REPLACING COLONEL J.R.S. BOIVIN COLONEL D.P.J. BAZIN WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST AT THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL, IN GATINEAU COLONEL J.R.J. BERNIER WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST AT THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL, IN GATINEAU CAPTAIN(N) J.F.A. BOISJOLI WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST AT THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL, IN GATINEAU CAPTAIN(N) J.J.L.D. BOUCHARD WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT THE EISENHOWER SCHOOL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESOURCE STRATEGY, IN WASHINGTON, DC COLONEL L.H.P.S. BOUCHER WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, AT MILPERSCOM, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL K.D. BRODIE CAPTAIN(N) M.D. BOWEN WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER FIFTH MARITIME OPERATIONS GROUP, IN HALIFAX CAPTAIN(N) J.R. BOYD WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER NAVAL PERSONNEL AND TRAINING GROUP, IN ESQUIMALT, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) M. DREWS COLONEL K.D. BRODIE WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER, CMSG, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL C.J. ZIMMER COLONEL K.D. BROWN WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE AFGHANISTAN, IN KABUL, REPLACING COLONEL J.V. PUMPHREY CAPTAIN(N) S.W. CARTER WILL BE EXTENDED UNTIL APS 20, AS CANADIAN DEFENCE LIAISON OFFICER HOMELAND DEFENCE PACIFIC FLEET, IN HAWAII COLONEL A.D. CHAFAI WILL BE APPOINTED ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF RESERVE, 2 CDN DIV, IN MONTREAL, REPLACING COLONEL D.J.E. ROUSSEL CAPTAIN(N) M.D. COATES WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY, AT DGMP, IN OTTAWA COLONEL S.A. CONNOR WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY COMMANDER COMBINED AEROSPACE OPERATIONS CENTRE, IN TYNDALL, FLORIDA COLONEL D.S. CONSTABLE WILL BE APPOINTED FIGHTER CAPABILITY REQUIREMENT, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL N. GAGNE COLONEL B.S. COOK WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 14 WING, IN GREENWOOD, REPLACING COLONEL G.M. ADAMSON COLONEL L.E.R. DENCSAK WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR ARMOURED VEHICLES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, AT DGLEPM, IN GATINEAU, REPLACING COLONEL C.C. MOYLE COLONEL E.M.C. DERI WILL BE APPOINTED BRANCH HEAD (SUPPORT) STANDING JOINT LOGISTICS SUPPORT GROUP HEADQUARTERS, IN CASTEAU, BELGIUM, REPLACING COLONEL B.D. HERVE COLONEL P.J. DOYLE WILL BE APPOINTED AIR FORCE ADVISOR CANADIAN DEFENCE LIAISON STAFF LONDON, REPLACING COLONEL D.E. MOLSTAD CAPTAIN(N) M. DREWS WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDING OFFICER, FLEET MAINTENANCE FACILITY CAPE BRETON, IN ESQUIMALT, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) S.E. HOOPER WHO WILL RETIRE COLONEL J.S. DUBOIS WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR PERSONNEL GENERATION REQUIREMENTS, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL F. BARITEAU WHO RETIRED COLONEL F.K. EBNER WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY DIRECTOR OPERATIONS, NORAD, IN COLORADO SPRINGS, REPLACING COLONEL D.P.J. BAZIN COLONEL C.A. FORESTIER WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO CAPTAIN(N) E.G. FORWARD WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT THE EISENHOWER SCHOOL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESOURCE STRATEGY, IN WASHINGTON, DC COLONEL R.M. FOSTER WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE UKRAINE, IN KIEVE, REPLACING COLONEL R.B. IRWIN COLONEL W.R. FOSTER WILL BE APPOINTED INSTRUCTOR FACULTY ADVISOR, IN ROME, ITALY COLONEL N. GAGNE WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER, 3 WING BAGOTVILLE, REPLACING COLONEL F.W. RADIFF CAPTAIN(N) N. GARCIA IS APPOINTED DIRECTOR MILITARY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, IN OTTAWA COLONEL K.M. GASH WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR ARMY PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, AT CA HQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.S. DUBOIS CAPTAIN(N) J.J.Y. GERMAIN WILL BE APPOINTED NAVAL ADVISER, CANADIAN DEFENCE LIAISON STAFF LONDON, UK, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) M.R. AUCOIN COLONEL L.J. GIROUARD WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER, 2 WING, BAGOTVILLE, REPLACING COLONEL L.R.J. GUILLETTE COLONEL J.A.D. GOULET WILL BE APPOINTED INTELLIGENCE LIAISON OFFICER, MINISTERIAL LIAISON TEAM, OP IMPACT, REPLACING COLONEL F.P. RATTE COLONEL S.G. GRAHAM WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER CANADIAN COMBAT SUPPORT BRIGADE, AT 5TH CANADIAN DIVISION, CANADIAN ARMY, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL J.M.A. LAFORTUNE CAPTAIN(N) R.C. GRAY WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL M. GROS-JEAN WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL J.C. GUINEY WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY COMMANDER, JTF-I, OP IMPACT, REPLACING COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED S.D.C. TRENHOLM COLONEL J.J.P. HACHE WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE FRANCE, IN PARIS, REPLACING COLONEL J.J.Y. GERMAIN COLONEL M.P. HAUSSMANN WILL BE APPOINTED CADTC CHIEF OF STAFF RESERVES, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL J.G.S. TARDIFF COLONEL J.D. HAWTHORNE WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 12 WING SHEARWATER, REPLACING COLONEL S.A. CONNOR COLONEL C.A. HEILMAN WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF CADETS, AT ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL C.C. AYOTTE COLONEL B.D. HERVE WILL BE APPOINTED MILITARY ASSISTANT, AT SHAPE, CASTEAU, BELGIUM REPLACING COLONEL A.H.J. SCHWAB CAPTAIN(N) A.C. HINGSTON WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME AT THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND COLONEL D.K. HOBBS WILL BE APPOINTED REAR CHIEF OF STAFF, 1 CDN DIV, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL J.P. DAVIS CAPTAIN(N) J.J. HUTCHINSON WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR NAVAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) D. PATCHELL COLONEL J.R. JENSEN WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR LOGISTIC PROGRAMS, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL T.S. MORRISON COLONEL M. KOESTNER WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR ARMS CONTROL VERIFICATION, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL C.R. NAMIESNIOWSKI WHO WILL RETIRE COLONEL E. LAFOREST WILL BE APPOINTED NATIONAL COMMAND ELEMENT COMMANDER TASK FORCE LATVIA, IN RIGA, REPLACING COLONEL J.J. MAJOR COLONEL J.M.A. LAFORTUNE WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST AT THE CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL, IN GATINEAU COLONEL D.J. LAMBERT WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING AND INTEGRATION, AT DGIMTSP, IN OTTAWA COLONEL J.G. LANGELIER WILL BE APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF, 2 CDN DIV HQ, IN MONTREAL, REPLACING COLONEL J.J. RICHARD COLONEL T.J. LEIGH WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR CANADIAN ARMY LAND WARFARE CENTRE, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL D.A. RUSSEL COLONEL Y.N. LEMIEUX WILL BE APPOINTED G6, DIRECTOR LAND COMMAND AND INFORMATION, AT CA HQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL S.M. PARSONS COLONEL J.G.P. LEMYRE WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 3RD CANADIAN DIVISION SUPPORT GROUP, CANADIAN ARMY, IN EDMONTON, REPLACING COLONEL J.P.S. MCKENZIE COLONEL J.P. LEVASSEUR WILL BE APPOINTED SENIOR LIAISON OFFICER, UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND, IN STUTTGART, GERMANY, REPLACING COLONEL W.R. FOSTER COLONEL P.A. LOCKHART WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY COMMANDER STRATEGIC DELIVERY, AMMAN, IN JORDAN, REPLACING COLONEL J.E. LANDRY COLONEL J.A. MACCAUL WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR AEROSPACE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (TACTICAL AVIATION AND SIMULATION), IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.J.P HACHE COLONEL J.J. MAJOR WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL J.D.S. MASSON WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND J3, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL E. LAFOREST COLONEL J.P.S. MCKENZIE WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL J.L.S. MENARD WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR MILITARY PAY AND ACCOUNTS PROCESSING, AT DGCB, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) E.G. FORWARD COLONEL Y. MICHAUD WILL BE APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVISOR, COMMANDER CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL A.P. MULAWYSHYN COLONEL D.C. MOAR WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 4 WING, IN COLD LAKE, REPLACING COLONEL P.J. DOYLE COLONEL D.E. MOLSTAD WILL BE APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVISOR MINISTER NATIONAL DEFENCE, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL T.M. ARSENAULT COLONEL T.S. MORRISON WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR MILITARY FAMILY SERVICES, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL C.D. HARRIS WHO WILL RETIRE COLONEL C.C. MOYLE WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR LAND EQUIPMENT PROGRAMME STAFF, DGLEPM, IN GATINEAU, REPLACING COLONEL R.B. DUNDON CAPTAIN(N) J.L. MURRAY WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL C.I. OBERWARTH WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER COMBAT TRAINING CENTRE, CANADIAN ARMY, IN GAGETOWN, REPLACING COLONEL J.W. ERRINGTON COLONEL J.S. O KEEFE WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE JAMAICA, IN KINGSTON COLONEL D.P. O REILLY WILL BE APPOINTED A5/A7 AT 1 CANADIAN AIR DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, IN WINNIPEG, REPLACING COLONEL V.P. WAWRYK COLONEL J.J.C. OUELLETTE WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR, AEROSPACE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (FIGHTERS AND TRAINERS), AT DGAEPM, IN OTTAWA COLONEL R.A. PAMPLIN WILL BE APPOINTED CHIEF OPERATIONAL POLICY DEVELOPMENT, ALLIED AIR COMMAND HEADQUARTERS RAMSTEIN, IN GERMANY, REPLACING COLONEL D.S. CONSTABLE COLONEL J.N.M. PARENT WILL BE APPOINTED PROFESSOR AT THE EISENHOWER SCHOOL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESOURCE STRATEGY, IN WASHINGTON, DC, REPLACING COLONEL S.L. MACDONALD COLONEL S.M. PARSONS WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT THE NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY, IN WASHINGTON, DC CAPTAIN(N) D.J. PATCHELL WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE STUDIES, IN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, REPLACING COLONEL J.J.L.N. PILON COLONEL M.F.J. PELLETIER WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF READINESS, AT CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.R. JENSEN COLONEL M.R. PERREAULT WAS APPOINTED AS CHIEF OF STAFF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.Y.L. GAUDET WHO RETIRED COLONEL J.J.L.N. PILON WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR CURRENT OPERATIONS, STRATEGIC JOINT STAFF, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL S.G. GRAHAM COLONEL S.M. PLOURDE WAS APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF, CANADIAN FORCES HEALTH SERVICES GROUP HEADQUARTERS, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL D.A. FARRIS COLONEL D.J.J. POITRAS WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 19 WING, IN COMOX, REPLACING COLONEL M.C. ATKINS COLONEL J.V. PUMPHREY WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE SINGAPORE, IN SINGAPORE, REPLACING COLONEL J.D.J. DRUMMOND COLONEL F.W. RADIFF WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL M.W.J. RANCOURT WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER CANADIAN FORCES REAL PROPERTY OPERATIONS GROUP, AT ADM IE, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL M. GROS-JEAN COLONEL L.H. REMILLARD WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN FORCES INTELLIGENCE LIAISON STAFF (WASHINGTON), IN WASHINGTON, DC REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) S.P. OSBORNE WHO WILL RETIRE COLONEL J.J. RICHARD WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR TARGETING, AT SJS, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.S. DUMAS COLONEL J.M.Y.D. RIVIERE WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR OPERATIONS SUPPORT, OP PROTEUS, REPLACING COLONEL J.L.S. MENARD COLONEL M.W.J. RODGERS WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL D.D. ROSS WILL BE APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE CHINA, IN BEIJING, REPLACING COLONEL F.K. EBNER COLONEL D.A. RUSSEL WILL BE APPOINTED BRANCH HEAD, ADVISOR TO COMMANDER, NATO JOINT FORCES COMMAND HQ, IN ITALY, REPLACING COLONEL J.P. LEVASSEUR COLONEL L.W. RUTLAND WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT THE UNITED STATES ARMY WAR COLLEGE, IN CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA CAPTAIN(N) M.A. SHEPPARD WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR NAVAL STRATEGY, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) M. COATES COLONEL D.A. SMITH WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER CANADIAN FORCES JOINT OPERATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL C.M. HARDING COLONEL A.T. SPOTT WILL BE APPOINTED A4 LOGISTICS, 1 CANADIAN AIR DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, IN WINNIPEG, REPLACING COLONEL L.J. GIROUARD COLONEL D.L. TAYLOR WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR AEROSPACE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL M.W.J. RODGERS COLONEL P.A. THAUBERGER WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING STRATEGIC PLANS, AT SJS, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) S.M. THORNTON CAPTAIN(N) J.R.M. THIBAULT WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR � MATERIEL GROUP STRATEGIC PLAN, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) R.C. GRAY COLONEL N.P. TORRINGTON-SMITH WILL BE APPOINTED VICE CHIEF JOINT CYBER CENTER, NORAD, IN COLORADO SPRINGS, REPLACING COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED J.A. ROPER COLONEL E.M. VANDENBERG WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF SUPPORT, CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL M.W.J. RANCOURT COLONEL J.D.V. VASS WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME, AT CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE, IN TORONTO COLONEL R.J. WALKER WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER 15 WING, IN MOOSE JAW, REPLACING COLONEL D.P. O REILLY COLONEL V.P. WAWRYK WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF AIR FORCE TRAINING, 2 CANADIAN AIR DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, IN WINNIPEG, REPLACING COLONEL R.J. WALKER COLONEL H.L. WRIGHT WILL BE APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF MENTAL HEALTH, AT CF H SVCS GP HQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL C.A. FORESTIER LIEUTENANT-COLONEL M.M.M. ASSELIN WAS PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED COMMANDER 4 HEALTH SERVICES GROUP, IN MONTREAL, REPLACING COLONEL S.M. PLOURDE COMMANDER J.A. BIDDISCOMBE WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED AND APPOINTED MEDICAL LIAISON OFFICER, MINISTERIAL LIAISON TEAM, OP IMPACT, REPLACING COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED G.J. PECKHAM COMMANDER M.J. BAREFOOT WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) AND APPOINTED DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE – NORAD/USNORTHCOM, IN COLORADO SPRINGS, REPLACING COLONEL L.H. REMILLARD LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D. CHARBONNEAU WAS PROMOTED ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED COLONEL AND APPOINTED COMPTROLLER ROYAL CANADIAN AIRFORCE, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.C.D. AUDET WHO RETIRED LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D.S. COUTTS WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND WILL PROCEED TO THE ADVANCED TRAINING LIST TO ATTEND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE FOUR PROGRAMME AT UNITED STATES AIR WAR COLLEGE, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J.A. DALLAIRE WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF � CONTINENTAL OPERATIONS, CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL P.C. ALLAN WHO WILL RETIRE LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R.D. DOVE WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED, DEPUTY G5 – 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION, IN FORT HOOD TEXAS, REPLACING COLONEL J.F. CAUDEN LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R.J. FITZGERALD WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED AND APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE BRAZIL, IN BRASILIA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) J.R.R. BRISSON WHO WILL RETIRE COMMANDER M.Y. FLUET WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR NAVAL FORCE READINESS, IN HALIFAX, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) A.C. HINGSTON LIEUTENANT-COLONEL B.M.V. GIROUX WAS PROMOTED ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED COLONEL AND WILL BE APPOINTED COUNTER TERRORISM LIAISON OFFICER, MINISTERIAL LIAISON TEAM, OP IMPACT, REPLACING COLONEL A.T. RUFF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D.G. GRIMSHAW WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED AND APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE PAKISTAN, IN ISLAMABAD, REPLACING COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED J.J.G. TREMBLAY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL S.T. HATTON WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF, CADTC, IN KINGSTON, REPLACING COLONEL J.L. ANDREWS LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D.R. HENLEY WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR AIR PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL A.T. SPOTT LIEUTENANT-COLONEL C.J. HORNER WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR AIR DOMAIN DEVELOPMENT, IN OTTAWA REPLACING COLONEL N.P. TORRINGTON-SMITH LIEUTENANT-COLONEL M.C.G. LEHOUX WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR CONCEPTS AND EXPERIMENTATION, AT CFD, IN OTTAWA LIEUTENANT-COLONEL M.J.E. MALLETTE WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED AND APPOINTED CANADIAN ARMY COMPTROLLER, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL K.M. GASH LIEUTENANT-COLONEL H.S. MORRISON WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR FORCE SUSTAINMENT, AT CANSOFCOM, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL D.P. MATSALLA WHO WILL RETIRE LIEUTENANT-COLONEL S.R. MURPHY WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED US ARMY CGSC-SAMS INSTRUCTOR, IN FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, REPLACING COLONEL Y. MICHAUD COMMANDER J.S. OUELLET WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) AND WILL BE APPOINTED COMMANDER CANADIAN SUBMARINE FORCE, IN ESQUIMALT, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) C.A. ROBINSON LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R.L. POINT WAS PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVISOR-SECURITY AND FORCE PROTECTION, AT CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL B.D. FREI WHO RETIRED LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J.R. POIRIER WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE POLICY, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL D.J.J. POITRAS LIEUTENANT-COLONEL S.J.D. POUDRIER WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR SUSTAINMENT STRATEGY AND READINESS STRATEGIC JOINT STAFF, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL C.A. HEILMAN LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R.D. RAYMOND WAS PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF, CANADIAN ARMED FORCES STRATEGIC RESPONSE TEAM � SEXUAL MISCONDUCT (CSRT-SM) COMMANDER J.S. RICHARD WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) AND APPOINTED DEPUTY PROJECT MANAGER – DGMPD(SEA), IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) M. THIBAULT LIEUTENANT-COLONEL E.H.J. ROBERDS WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED AND APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE RUSSIA, IN MOSCOW, REPLACING COLONEL S.D. BINDON COMMANDER G.G. ROBERTS WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR DEFENCE FORCE PLANNING, IN NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) J.F.A. BOISJOLI COMMANDER S. SADER WILL BE PROMOTED CAPTAIN(N) AND APPOINTED BASE COMMANDER, CANADIAN FORCES BASE ESQUIMALT, REPLACING CAPTAIN(N) J.R. BOYD LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R. SMITH WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED COMMANDING OFFICER, TASK FORCE EL GORAH, IN EGYPT, REPLACING COLONEL J.D.S. MASSON LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J.D.E. SOUCY WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF OF MATERIEL SYSTEMS AND SUPPLY CHAIN DIVISION WITH MATERIAL GROUP, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL C.E.M. DERI LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R.C. TOWNSEND WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR AIR READINESS AND PLANS, AT NDHQ, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL J.A. MACCAULL COMMANDER L.J.P. TREMBLAY WILL BE PROMOTED ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED CAPTAIN(N) AND APPOINTED CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE IRAQ, IN BAGHDAD, REPLACING COLONEL R.K. CHAMBERLAIN WHO WILL RETIRE LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J.D.S. VEILLETTE WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED AND APPOINTED DEPUTY CHIEF AIR MOBILITY DIVISION, OP FOUNDATION, REPLACING COLONEL ACTING WHILE SO EMPLOYED C.L. ROBIDOUX LIEUTENANT-COLONEL S.A. ZIMA WILL BE PROMOTED COLONEL AND APPOINTED J4 CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND, IN OTTAWA, REPLACING COLONEL D.A. SMITH IN ADDITION TO THOSE ANNOUNCED AT REF, THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS HAVE RETIRED OR WILL RETIRE IN 2019: COLONEL P.C. ALLAN COLONEL F. BARITEAU CAPTAIN(N) J.R.R. BRISSON CAPTAIN(N) D.A. COLBOURNE COLONEL H.G. COOMBS CAPTAIN(N) J. COUILLARD COLONEL J.M.A. GUEVREMONT COLONEL C.D. HARRIS COLONEL R.A.T. HARVIE CAPTAIN(N) S.E. HOOPER COLONEL J. JARDINE CAPTAIN(N) S. JORGENSEN CAPTAIN(N) S.P. OSBORNE COLONEL D.P. MATSALLA COLONEL C.R. NAMIESNOWSKI COLONEL D.A. ORR COLONEL G. PETROLEKAS COLONEL H.N. SMITH COLONEL K.N. WHITTAKER CAPTAIN(N) D.M.C. YOUNG SENIOR APPOINTMENTS THAT REQUIRE DIPLOMATIC CONCURRENCE OR FURTHER APPROVAL WILL BE COORDINATED AS NECESSARY ALL OFFICERS ARE TO FORWARD AN UPDATED BIOGRAPHY IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH AND AN UPDATED PHOTOGRAPH, AS APPLICABLE, WITH HEAD AND SHOULDERS IN SERVICE DRESS UNIFORM WEARING THEIR NEW RANK TO NDHQ/DSA COORD SIGNED BY GEN J.H. VANCE, CDS https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/gen-vance-announces-new-appointments-of-colonels-and-rcn-captains

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Parliamentary Budget Officer will release his report Thursday on the federal government's purchase of used Australian F-18 fighter jets for the Canadian Forces. Yves Giroux's report will be a fiscal analysis of the government's acquisition of the 25 aircraft. Eighteen of the Australian F-18 aircraft will eventually be flying for the Canadian Forces, while another seven will be used for testing and spare parts. The Royal Canadian Air Force are using the jets as interim fighters to boost the capability of the current fleet of CF-18s until a new generation aircraft can be bought. The Royal Canadian Air Force recently received its first two used Australian fighter jets at 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta. The first two aircraft were F/A-18A models, which means they are single seat aircraft. The aircraft were flown to Cold Lake, Alberta, from Nellis, Nevada, where they were participating in Exercise RED FLAG. The aircraft will be employed at 3 Wing Bagotville and 4 Wing Cold Lake, according to the RCAF. Deliveries of the Australian jets will continue at regular intervals for the next three years, and aircraft will be integrated into the CF-18 fleet as modifications are completed, according to the RCAF. The final aircraft are expected to arrive by the end of 2021. A second group of planes are expected to arrive later this year. Canada is paying Australia $90 million for the aircraft. The federal government originally estimated the purchase of the Australian jets would cost around $500 million, but the Department of National Defence's procurement chief, Pat Finn, said that price reflected every aspect of the associated deal, not just the cost of purchasing the jets. Canada is also acquiring extra spare parts, the Australian jets will have to be outfitted with specific Canadian equipment and software and testing will be needed. The $500-million project estimate also included $50 million in contingency funds to cover any problems and another $35 million for the salaries of all civilian and military personnel involved over the life of the project. An additional $30 million will be spent on new infrastructure over the years needed to accommodate the aircraft. Those costs add up to $360 million, Finn said. But DND also plans to upgrade its existing fleet of CF-18s with new communications gear and equipment required to meet regulations to operate in civilian airspace, improvements which the Australian jets will also eventually receive at a cost of around $110 million, an amount that brought the original estimate to nearly $500 million. The Liberal government had planned to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing to augment the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s until new aircraft can be purchased in the coming years. But in 2017 Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its C-series civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump enacted a tariff of almost 300 per cent against the Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada cancelled the deal to buy the 18 Super Hornets, which would have cost more than US$5 billion. Instead of buying the new Super Hornets, the Liberals decided to acquire the used Australian jets. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/budget-officers-analysis-of-used-australian-f-18-deal-to-be-released-thursday

PAL Aerospace is pleased to be awarded a contract to provide aerial surveillance for Canada's inland, coastal and offshore waters on behalf of the Government of Canada. The expanded contract, delivered on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, covers an initial five-year period and includes opportunities for PAL Aerospace to earn contract extensions that increase the life of the agreement to 10 years. PAL Aerospace has been providing this critical service under contract to the government since 1990. “This contract award confirms the Government of Canada's confidence in our company's ability to execute the most advanced maritime surveillance program of its type in the world,” said PAL CEO Brian Chafe. “The program is an excellent example of the successful public-private partnership that continues to drive innovation and support employment in Canada.” Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for the monitoring, control, and surveillance of Canada's fisheries waters, as well as certain international areas, such as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area, and the North Pacific. “PAL Aerospace's work on behalf of the Government of Canada will ensure highly skilled employment and important economic benefits from coast to coast,” said Jake Trainor, chief operating officer of PAL Aerospace. “From St. John's to Campbell River, our operations and employees look forward to delivering this important work for Canadians.” PAL Aerospace's critical role in the delivery of Canada's aerial surveillance program provides the Government of Canada with the capability to monitor domestic and foreign vessel activities and detect potential violations. The program also contributes significantly to pollution surveillance, environmental monitoring, and marine security for a number of other federal departments and agencies. “This contract is a significant investment in the Newfoundland and Labrador economy that will support our bright future in the community,” said Derek Scott, vice-president of Program Development for PAL Aerospace. “Ensuring we meet Fisheries and Oceans Canada's service expectations for this contract will push us to improve and expand our already significant core capabilities. In doing so, PAL Aerospace will be better positioned to continue developing and delivering value added Canadian technology and innovative practices to domestic and export markets.” Under the new contract, PAL Aerospace will provide Fisheries and Oceans Canada with service through a combination of Beechcraft King Air B200 medium-range aircraft and Dash 8-100 series long-range aircraft, all associated ground support and other related services. The aircraft will operate from bases in St. John's, N.L.; Halifax, N.S.; and Campbell River, B.C. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/pal-aerospace-wins-government-aerial-surveillance-contract

CarteNav and Sentient Vision are pleased to announce their valuable contribution to PAL Aerospace's winning bid to provide the Government of Canada with aerial surveillance capability for Canada's inland, coastal and offshore waters. The contract, delivered on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, covers an initial five-year period and includes opportunities for PAL Aerospace to earn contract extensions that increase the total life of the agreement to 10 years. As part of the winning bid, PAL aircraft will operate a specially configured Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) array within the CarteNav AIMS mission system. The seamless incorporation of this world-leading ViDAR technology into the AIMS system is a meaningful complement to the capability of the PAL aircraft that will serve this contract. ViDAR is a wide area optical search system capable of operation unaffected by environmental marine obstacles, such as whitecaps, which detrimentally affect traditional technologies. The system is unique in its ability to detect objects as small as fishing buoys and people in the water over significant areas, allowing aircraft operators to map vast swaths of the ocean in real time. ViDAR autonomously locates objects on the surface of the water, transmits a thumbnail and location coordinate back to the AIMS mission system and prompts the operator to investigate further. “Sentient was excited to work with CarteNav on the integration of ViDAR into the AIMS mission system to support this important contract,” said Simon Olsen, Sentient's director of Business Development, Strategy and Partnerships. “Blending these leading edge technologies into a combined offering marks a significant step forward and will now provide a game-changing ocean surface search solution to the Government of Canada.” Both ViDAR and AIMS have extensive records of accomplishment and are in operation on multiple continents across multiple environments in both military and civilian applications. “CarteNav has worked successfully with Sentient for many years, originally on the implementation of the Kestrel Moving Target Indicator (MTI) feature into AIMS, and most recently on integrating ViDAR,” said CarteNav COO Carl Daniels. “AIMS provides an intuitive interface from which operators can take advantage of the capabilities of the ViDAR persistent wide-area maritime search. The addition of ViDAR reaffirms our focus on operator workflow and mission delivery which has established CarteNav as a leader in mission system solutions.” CarteNav's collaboration with Sentient and valued contribution to the winning PAL bid demonstrates a significant combined operating capacity to deliver leading edge services to customers for a variety of maritime surveillance applications. The successful execution of this contract on behalf of the Government of Canada fortifies CarteNav and Sentient's shared credentials in this area and should open the door to capture additional, mutually beneficial opportunities in the future. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/cartenav-and-sentient-vision-collaborate-on-pal-aerospace-winning-aerial-surveillance-bid

L3 Wescam announced on March 4 the launch of its In-Flight training course as the latest solution in its family of aviation training platforms for MX-Series airborne electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging and targeting systems. L3's In-Flight training program includes theoretical in-class training combined with pre- and post-flight simulation training and in-flight, mission-centric training. With the ability to tailor the training curriculum to match a customer's specific turret configuration and the advantage of both daylight and low-light flight opportunities, the course has been developed to support students of varying levels of skill and experience with conventional flight scenarios and operator experiences. Designed to facilitate student-centric learning, the four-day program includes in-depth training of all sensors, maintenance and organizational-level maintenance tasking, and crew resource management. “L3 is proud to support the development of MX operational and maintenance teams with a comprehensive suite of progressive training solutions that ensures crews are always mission-ready and able to operate their MX product to its full ability,” said JD Richard, vice-president of Customer Service for L3 Wescam. “The curriculum has been built to help students identify first-hand knowledge and operational gaps, and participate in closed-loop, adaptive training to support their personal growth and development, which ultimately helps produce higher-quality and better prepared operators.” “What's so unique about this course is that it is developed and delivered by us, the OEM,” said Brendan McCormick, lead trainer for L3 Wescam. “Train from the source. Learn from the best. We know the MX products, technologies and capabilities better than anyone else – no one is better qualified to teach and train the user community than our team of highly qualified trainers here at L3.” L3's In-Flight training can be purchased as a complete buy-out, where customers book all six seats and have the curriculum fully customized to support their exact turret and configuration. Training can be facilitated using the customer's aircraft and sensor system, or customers can take advantage of L3's extensive inventory of training assets complete with Wescam's latest sensor offerings. Alternatively, L3 offers open enrollment for the purchase of individual seats. The curriculum is delivered using a generic turret configuration. L3 Wescam's Cessna Caravan 208B is one asset used for this practical training – it allows for the installation of a variety of combination turrets as two turrets can be mounted at one time. Courses are hosted from L3's training facilities in the USA. Visit Wescam.com/flighttraining for training dates and availability. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/l3-wescam-launches-in-flight-training-course-for-mx-series-eoir-turrets

By Lee Berthiaume The Canadian Press The federal government will invest billions of dollars less in new military equipment than promised this year, raising concerns about the readiness of the Canadian Forces and the prospect that Canada will fall short on another NATO spending target. The Trudeau government in 2017 released a defence policy that included dramatic increases in the amount of money to be spent on new aircraft, ships, armoured vehicles and other military equipment each year for the next two decades. The investments are considered vital to replacing the Canadian Forces' aging fighter jets, ships and other equipment with state-of-the-art kit. Yet while the government is on track to invest more in new equipment for the second year in a row, budget documents show the Defence Department will still fall short more than $2 billion on the government's plan to spend $6.5 billion. The government spent $2.3 billion less than planned last year, largely because of delays in projects such as the government's huge plan to buy new warships, though also because some things ended up costing less than expected. The department's top civil servant, deputy minister Jody Thomas, told a House of Commons committee last week that about $700 million was because some projects came in under budget and other “efficiencies, so we didn't need that money.” But Thomas acknowledged the department was to blame for some of the other underspending and industry has also faced challenges in delivering on projects – though she said it shouldn't be a surprise there have been some problems given the number of projects underway. “There are going to be some slowdowns by us,” she said, adding: “If money isn't moving quite quickly enough because of a problem with a particular supply chain, a particular supplier, a contract, the way we've defined a project, we work with industry to try to resolve that.” While the fact the department saved money on some projects was seen as a positive development, Conservative defence critic James Bezan said he is nonetheless concerned that hundreds of millions of dollars in promised new investments aren't being realized. “Despite the explanation that was given by officials at committee, we still feel projects are falling behind, promises are going to be broken and ultimately the Canadian Armed Forces will not get the equipment that it needs in a timely manner,” Bezan told The Canadian Press. “The whole idea that they're finding efficiencies is good news. But at the same time, those dollars should be getting re-invested in other capital projects that aren't off the books yet.” Thomas did not say which projects will be affected by the underspending. And the underspending doesn't just mean delivery of some promised equipment will be delayed, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute; it also threatens Canada's ability to meet a key NATO spending target. All members of the military alliance agreed in 2014 to spend two per cent of their gross domestic products on the military within a decade – a commitment that has since taken on new importance with U.S. President Donald Trump's demanding all NATO allies spend more. While Canada has long resisted that target and the Liberal defence policy shows spending only reaching 1.4 per cent of GDP by 2024-25, the Liberal government has said it will achieve another NATO target to direct 20 per cent of defence spending to new equipment. “So the military is not getting re-equipped as fast as intended when the defence policy was published,” Perry said in an interview. “And we had basically reassured NATO that we were going to really do a good job at spending on recapitalization, and we're not nearly as far ahead as we should be on that.” https://globalnews.ca/news/5018310/federal-government-military-spending-nato/

Murray Brewster · CBC News Liberals plan to modernize and sail the navy's 4 aging submarines until 2040 The Canadian navy's stock of survival suits, which allow submariners to escape in an emergency from a sunken boat, has been thrown a lifeline after much of the equipment had reached its expiry date, federal documents reveal. The critical safety suits give stranded crew members the ability to ascend from a depth of 183 metres and protect against hypothermia. They even inflate into a single-seat life raft once on the surface. The orange whole-body suits were part of the original equipment aboard the Victoria-class submarines, diesel-electric boats originally built for the Royal Navy and purchased from Britain in the late 1990s. Documents obtained by CBC News show there was concern among naval engineers, in late 2016, that many of the suits had passed or were about to pass their best-before, safety dates. A spokeswoman for the Defence Department said a decision was made to extend the life of suits while the federal government procures new ones — a process that is ongoing. There is no threat to safety, said Jessica Lamirande. "The service life extension was approved based on successful, rigorous testing at the Naval Engineering Test Establishment on a representative sample of suits that had passed their intended service lives," said Lamirande, in a recent email. "Testing consisted of detailed visual inspection, leakage tests, and functional testing." Fleet sailing until 2040 But defence experts say it is a small project that speaks volumes about the Liberal government's plan to modernize and keep operating the four submarines until 2040, a proposal that was articulated in the latest defence policy. Retired commander Peter Haydon, who also taught defence policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax for years, said keeping submarine replacement parts and equipment in the system has been an ongoing headache for the navy, dating back to the 1980s. However, the bigger concern is: As the boats age, the strength of their pressure hulls declines. The government plans to modernize the boats, but Haydon said that's fine for the electronic and other components. "You can modernize most things, but you can't modernize the hull, unless you build a new hull," he said. Pressure to buy new The Senate and House of Commons defence committees have recommended the government begin exploring options now for the replacement of the submarines, which took years to formally bring into service after they were purchased. The government, in its response to a committee report last fall, argued it is already fully engaged building Arctic patrol ships and replacements for frigates and supply ships. Buying new submarines is a topic that has been debated behind the scenes for a long time at National Defence with one former top commander, retired general Walt Natynczyk ordering — in 2012 — a study that looked at the possible replacements. They're running a risk with the lives of sailors, the older these vessels get in an extremely dangerous environment, especially when they're submerged.— Michael Byers, University of British Columbia University of British Columbia defence expert Michael Byers has been quoted as saying he's worried Canada "will lose its submarine capability through negligence rather than design," noting that it is politically more palatable to refurbish the underwater fleet rather than endure a painful procurement process. "They're running a risk with the lives of sailors, the older these vessels get in an extremely dangerous environment, especially when they're submerged," said Byers, who pointed to the loss of the Argentine submarine San Juan and its crew of 44 in 2017. "I would be more comfortable with a decision to buy a new fleet submarines than the current path that we're on. I have been skeptical as to whether we need submarines, but better a new fleet than send our sailors to sea in these old vessels." Since Canada does not have the technology, nor has it ever constructed its own submarines, the federal government would be required to go overseas to countries such as Germany or Sweden to get them built. Restricted diving In the meantime, Haydon said he's confident ongoing maintenance and the stringent safety standards among Western allies will keep the Victoria-class submarines in the water and operating safely. He cautions, however, like Canada's previous submarines retired in the 1990s, the Oberon class, the older the current fleet gets, the more their diving depth will eventually have to be restricted. As the hull and its valves weaken, the less pressure they can sustain. Lamirande said the navy has enough escape submarine suits whenever it deploys, and she emphasized it never goes to sea with "expired" equipment. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dnd-extends-life-of-submarine-escape-suits-beyond-expiry-date-as-fleet-shows-its-age-1.5036007

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The purchase of used Australian jets to boost Canada's current fleet of fighter planes could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion, a figure 22-per-cent higher than the Department of National Defence is claiming, according to a new report from parliament's financial watchdog. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux examined the cost of buying and upgrading 18 used Australian F-18s and flying them to 2032. His report, released Wednesday, puts the final price tag at between $1.09 billion and $1.15 billion — considerably more than the $895.5 million estimate from DND. “We considered the entire life-cycle cost, from project management up until the very end of the disposal phase,” Giroux said in an interview with Postmedia. “We didn't look at whether it was a good deal.” The PBO's costing included weapons, upgrades needed for the aircraft, annual maintenance fees and the fuel that would be needed over the years of flying the aircraft. We didn't look at whether it was a good deal The Royal Canadian Air Force is using the jets as interim fighters to boost the capability of the current fleet of CF-18s until the purchase of a new generation of aircraft. The RCAF will fly 18 of the Australian jets and use the other seven for parts and testing. The RCAF received its first two used Australian fighter jets at 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alta. on Feb. 16. Deliveries of the jets will continue at regular intervals for the next three years, and the aircraft will be integrated into the CF-18 fleet as modifications are completed, according to the RCAF. The last aircraft are expected to arrive by the end of 2021 and fly until 2032. Giroux said his office used the same figures that DND had but did its own analysis of those cost estimates. “There's no fundamental reason why we should come up with a different number,” he said. “My only sense is that they voluntary budgeted optimistic numbers. The reason why I don't know for sure.” In a statement Wednesday, DND said its cost figures are close to those determined by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The statement also added that the PBO figures for upgrades of the interim fighter fleet include estimates for CF-18 combat upgrades which the department is still trying to determine. “While we are confident that our methodology is sound, we will continue to work with the PBO, the Auditor General of Canada, and other outside entities as part of our commitment to responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” the statement noted. The Liberal government had planned to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing to augment the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s until new modern aircraft could be purchased in the coming years. But in 2017 Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its C-series civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump enacted a tariff of almost 300 per cent against the Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada cancelled the deal to buy the 18 Super Hornets, which would have cost more than US $5 billion. Instead of buying the new Super Hornets, the Liberals decided to acquire the used Australian jets. In November 2018 the Auditor General's office issued a report noting that the purchase of the extra aircraft would not fix the fundamental weaknesses with the CF-18 fleet which is the aircraft's declining combat capability and a shortage of pilots and maintenance personnel. “The Australian F/A-18s will need modifications and upgrades to allow them to fly until 2032,” the report said. “These modifications will bring the F/A-18s to the same level as the CF-18s but will not improve the CF-18's combat capability.” “In our opinion, purchasing interim aircraft does not bring National Defence closer to consistently meeting the new operational requirement introduced in 2016,” the report added. The Canadian Forces says it is bringing in new initiatives to boost the numbers of pilots and maintenance staff. https://montrealgazette.com/news/canada/budget-officer-says-used-australian-fighter-jets-will-cost-canada-over-1-billion-far-more-than-dnd-claimed/