Nouvelles

Murray Brewster · CBC News A Canadian military Hercules transport will soon begin once-a-week support missions for United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa, the country's top military commander said. Those flights, by a C-130J, will eventually morph to a full-fledged deployment and deliver on the second in a long list of capabilities promised over a year ago by the Liberal government at a star-studded international conference in Vancouver. Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff, refused to be pinned down to a specific date when asked in a year-end interview with CBC News. His remarks were made prior to last weekend's quick, clandestine trip by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit Canadian aircrew and personnel taking part in the UN mission in Mali. 'This hasn't been done before' The aircraft being used will split its time between supporting operations in Iraq and flying out Entebbe, Uganda, for the UN. A letter to assist, which sets out the terms of the arrangement with the UN, has yet to be finalized and Vance defended the amount of time it has taken to fulfil what was expected to be an easy promise. "This hasn't been done before," he said. "It's pretty new. This is Canada offering up a capability where there wasn't necessarily a capability before." Usually as peace support operations unfold the UN makes requests for specific military equipment and personnel. But with the medium-lift cargo plane, Vance said, Canadian planners pointed out to the UN the need for an aircraft to support operations in Africa. "There's always need for air power," he said. There has been frustration with Canada at UN headquarters in New York. After many lofty, high-profile words of political support, the Liberal government has over the last three years turned down a number of specific peacekeeping requests, including mission command posts. A copy of the 2017 list of requests for multilateral peace operations — known internally within government as the evergreen list — was obtained by CBC News under access-to-information legislation. It shows that after being spurned throughout 2016 the UN appeared to scale back what it asked of Canada to only a handful of assignments involving single soldiers or pairs of soldiers, for leadership training or advising missions. Trudeau touts Mali mission as success Over the weekend in Mali, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to extend the anticipated mid-summer end of Canada's helicopter support mission in the war-torn country. The UN requested the time to cover an anticipated gap between the current detachment and the arrival of the Romanian relief force. He declared the Mali mission to be a success and even suggested it was contributing to the peace process in that country by giving UN operations more certainty. Canada's approach of sharing its expertise and refined equipment is, Trudeau insisted, the best approach. "Part of the way Canada can best help involves coming, taking on an operation, demonstrating how it can be done in the absolute best possible way and helping others gain in those capacities," he said while answering questions from reporters on Saturday. Even still, there remains a long list of unfulfilled promises to the UN, said Walter Dorn, a professor of defence studies at the Canadian Forces College. At the Vancouver conference, the Liberal government promised to deliver a quick reaction force of 200 soldiers for a future peacekeeping mission as well as military training for other less experienced countries that contribute to operations. It also pledged to help get more women involved in peacekeeping through a measure known as the Elsie Initiative. That, Dorn said, is "inching along," with two partner countries, Ghana and Zambia, selected earlier this year, "but I haven't heard of actual progress." Vance said he is working with a three-to-five year timeline, and the initiatives promised in Vancouver were not intended to be delivered all at once. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-to-deploy-cargo-plane-part-time-for-un-missions-in-new-year-1.4958079

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Naresh Raghubeer, a senior adviser to Davie Shipyards, said the Asterix sister ship — Obelix — can be ready for missions with the navy within 24 months: 'We've proven already we can do it' A Quebec company is offering the Liberal government a second supply ship at a reduced price as it warns about further delays on a similar vessel being built for the Royal Canadian Navy by a firm on the West Coast. Davie Shipyards delivered its first ship, Asterix, to the government on time and on budget in a deal worth $659 million. It is now offering a second ship at $500 million to entice the Liberals to move ahead with such a purchase. But industry representatives privately say Davie faces an uphill battle as Asterix is at the heart of the trial of Vice Admiral Mark Norman and any government move to buy a sister ship would signal the actions of that naval officer in supporting the original deal was right. Naresh Raghubeer, a senior adviser to Davie, said the Asterix sister ship — Obelix — can be ready for missions with the navy within 24 months. “We've proven already we can do it,” he added. Davie was selected by the previous Conservative government for a sole-source deal to convert Asterix, a commercial vessel, into a naval supply ship. That was done after the military's two existing supply vessels were taken out of service because of damage and age. When the Liberals formed a new government in the fall of 2015 they tried to delay the Asterix project but backed down after Davie warned it would have to shut down its yard. Asterix has been operating for the last nine months, refuelling and resupplying Canadian and allied warships. Norman, who had been head of the navy, was accused of leaking information to Davie about Liberal plans to delay Asterix as well as advocating for the Davie design. He is charged with one count of breach of trust but has said he did nothing wrong as he was following government directives. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer questioned the Liberal government Dec. 12 in the Commons why it was not moving ahead with acquiring Obelix, pointing out the navy needed a second ship. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Scheer of playing “petty politics.” “The armed forces did an assessment,” Trudeau said. “They don't need the Obelix.” Asked about the assessment, the Royal Canadian Navy referred Postmedia to a November 2014 internal document which outlined the requirements of a interim supply ship. The document was produced before a deal was reached on Asterix. The navy's statement noted that the Joint Support Ship being built at Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver “remains a critical component for achieving success in both international and domestic” Canadian military missions. That joint supply ship was supposed to be delivered by Seaspan in 2017. That schedule slipped and the 2019 and 2020 delivery dates were proposed. The latest delivery date for the first of two ships is now 2022-2023 but with the caveat attached “ with risk”, meaning that it could fall further behind schedule, government officials confirmed to Postmedia. The cost of the Asterix project included the conversion of the ship, the lease of the vessel from Davie over a five-year period, and the company's provision of a 35-member civilian crew to run the vessel. The Royal Canadian Navy provides as many as 50 personnel to do the actual at-sea refuelling and resupply of its warships. A similar arrangement could be made for Obelix but the cost would be lower since the engineering for the conversion process has already been worked out, Davie officials pointed out. Raghubeer said Davie could fill the gap in supply ships while Seaspan continues to build the two vessels the government originally requested from that yard. The Davie yard represents 50 per cent of Canada's shipbuilding capability. Currently the firm has 200 employees, down from the 1,400 working in 2017 when Asterix was delivered. Both the Commons defence committee and the Senate defence committee recommended acquiring a second supply ship from Davie. Davie's rival, Irving Shipbuilding, has voiced opposition to the Quebec company receiving any additional federal shipbuilding contracts. https://nationalpost.com/news/quebecs-davie-offers-to-build-second-supply-ship-at-reduced-cost-to-entice-liberal-government-to-buy

NORMAN DE BONO Saudi Arabia has fallen behind in making payments on its $15-billion arms deal with Canada, a contract that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he's looking for ways to halt. The Saudi government was short $1.8 billion in payments to the end of September for light-armoured vehicles assembled at General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS) in London, according to financial statements from the Canadian Commercial Corp., the federal Crown corporation overseeing the controversial contract. “It is a problem. There is concern, absolutely,” a federal official with knowledge of the agreement told The London Free Press on Wednesday. The arrears on the deal can be traced to a new regime in Saudi Arabia since the agreement was signed in 2014, and there have been delays in payments since the change, said the official, who declined to be identified. “That changed the way everything worked, including payments,” he said of the desert kingdom's new leadership. However, since September the oil-rich country has been making payments and has reduced the amount owed, the official added. The deal, which the Liberals are under pressure to scuttle amid Saudi human rights abuses, including the slaying of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the country's consulate in Turkey, affects thousands of workers in the London area and in a supply chain that extends nationwide. Trudeau, whose government inherited the deal from former prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives, said publicly this week for the first time that the Liberals are trying to find a way to stop the sale involving hundreds of light-armoured military vehicles built by the Canadian division of American defence giant General Dynamics. The report by the Crown corporation handling the sale says “trade receivables” are short $1.86 billion as of quarterly statements ending Sept. 30, and that payments have been sparse over the course of about one year. “The significant increase in past due trade receivables, is mostly attributable to the ABP contract,” the report says, referring to the armoured brigades program. “Trade receivables are considered past due when the payor has failed to make the payment by the contractual due date.” The payment issue hasn't been helped by recent public musings by Trudeau, who on Sunday told CTV's Question Period the government is looking for a way to halt the sale. “We are engaged with the export permits to try and see if there is a way of no longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia,” he said, without being specific. Such a move would devastate GDLS Canada's 1,800-member workforce in London, as well as thousands of jobs with supplier companies, said David Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute think-tank. The Saudis may now feel even less inclined to write a cheque, he added. “It does not give the Saudis a reason to catch up on payments. The government of Canada is responsible for making sure GDLS gets paid for the work it has done,” said Perry. It also makes even less sense that Ottawa should want out of the deal now, he added. Not only would the federal government incur billions of dollars in penalties, according to GDLS Canada, but the Saudis aren't likely to pay the balance owed. “It does not make sense. It would leave the government out of pocket,” said Perry. A review of the quarterly reports suggest payments began slowing about a year ago, he added. “We are right back to dealing with an unreliable client, and that is a problem,” said London-Fanshawe NDP MP Irene Mathyssen. “Work has been done and they have not seen fit to pay their obligation.” She also slammed Trudeau for creating uncertainty around the issue. “It is a problem, it creates stress. The PM cannot make up his mind about what to do.” As for why payments aren't being made, Mathyssen cites reports of financial issues with the Saudi government. Media in May reported soaring debt in Saudi Arabia and economic woes as a result of low oil prices. “There have been reports they overspent, they do not have the cash they once did,” said Mathyssen. “Saudis are used to dictating to the world because they hold such significant oil reserves. They are used to calling the shots.” The Canadian Commercial Corp. (CCC) helps businesses sell overseas and works with foreign governments to buy here. It declined comment on the quarterly reports, saying financial matters between the Crown corporation and business are confidential. “CCC is bound by commercial confidentiality, and, as such, we are not able to disclose the details of our contracts or their management,” the company wrote in an email message. James Bezan, the Conservative critic for national defence, blamed Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland for the slowing cash flow. Her tweets in May criticizing the Saudi human rights record coincide with fewer payments made, he said. “It is concerning. It occurred after irresponsible tweets from Freeland rather than working through proper diplomatic channels,” he said. “The Liberals are prepared to trade away good jobs in London and southern Ontario rather than deal with this at a diplomatic level.” Bezan encouraged the government to find other ways to pressure the Saudis, such as targeting oil imports here, instead of cancelling a contract that would result in massive job losses. “GDLS has been on time, and on budget,” and would be the ones punished. “The government has the responsibility to work through the payments in a timely fashion,” he said. TRUDEAU WEIGHS IN ON SAUDI DEAL Speaking to reporters at a year-end news conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about whether he'll cancel the Saudi arms deal serviced by a major London defence contractor. “Our priority since Day 1 has been thinking about the Canadian jobs, the workers in London, and in the supply chains that have fed into this contract. We know that there are a lot of hard-working families in London who rely on these jobs, and we're going to keep those jobs in mind.” Says the contract, signed by the previous Conservative government, includes a confidentiality clause that prevents him from discussing what's in it, or the nature of the penalties for breaking the contract. Says Canadians are increasingly questioning whether the country should do business with Saudi Arabia. Called it a “complex situation.” Says he's been answering questions about the deal since taking office Says he'll continue to reflect on the “best path forward for Canada and for Canadians.” https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/saudis-fall-1-8b-behind-in-under-fire-arms-deal-with-canada

Canada's Liberal Party entered office in 2015 with a promise to correct the previous government's “erratic” commitment to defense spending and reopen the competition for the Boeing CF-18 replacement. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government enters a reelection campaign three years later, the Department of National Defense now has a long-term strategy calling for a significant increase in spending through 2027 but has been unable to break the cycle of ... Full article: http://aviationweek.com/defense/canada-seeks-spending-stability-fighter-competition-heats

For multi-faceted law enforcement missions, the new H145 can be reconfigured quickly and easily Fort Erie, Ontario, 19 December 2018 – Airbus has delivered Canada's first H145 helicopter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The versatile twin-engine Airbus H145 is the latest variant of the H145 family of aircraft. RCMP's Air Support Unit will utilize the H145 for a variety of missions including surveillance and pursuit, fast roping, hoisting, Emergency Response Team operations, harbour surveillance and ship landings, and mountain search and rescue. The aircraft will be based in Langley, B.C., and will operate mainly in the Vancouver Lower Mainland region, with the ability to deploy elsewhere as required. "With its enhanced safety features and reputation for reduced maintenance and excellent availability, the multi-role H145 is an ideal aircraft for multi-faceted law enforcement missions," said Romain Trapp, President of Airbus Helicopters Canada. “We are very pleased that the H145 will enter into service to support RCMP operations, assisting the men and women who serve and protect the Canadian people.” Airbus helicopters are the aircraft of choice for law enforcement organizations across Canada, capturing 83 percent of the market. The H145 has been equipped with a wide variety of mission specific equipment including external hoist and rope down device (for 2/1 persons), Trakka A800 searchlight, Enhanced Reality System, Health Monitoring System (HMS), FLIR, Night Vision Goggles, Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) workstation and internal long range fuel tank system. The Airbus H145 leads the light twin-engine helicopter market, incorporating an innovative Helionix® avionics system and 4-axis autopilot. The aircraft's combination of speed and performance, along with the Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, large cabin and rear-loading clamshell doors, makes it the aircraft of choice for a variety of civil missions worldwide. About Airbus Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated revenues of € 59 billion restated for IFRS 15 and employed a workforce of around 129,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world's leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide. https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2018/12/airbus-delivers-canada-s-first-h145-to-the-royal-canadian-mounte.html

By Charlie Pinkerton Canada's aging fighter jets remain fit for a peacetime role, says the commander of Canada's air-policing mission in the Black Sea region. Five of Canada's CF-18 fighter jets have been deployed to Romania since late August as part of the NATO deterrence mission in the region. Lt.-Col. Tim Woods has flown amid the 135 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which he has commanded for four months. “In a peacetime air-policing role, we're well-equipped (with the CF-18),” Woods said. Canada's CF-18s are more than 30 years old and were originally meant to be replaced after two decades. National Defence now plans to buy 25 used jets from Australia to supplement its fleet until its yet-to-be-selected next generation of fighter jets is fully integrated in the early 2030s. The plan has been harshly criticized by the government's opposition, which was validated by a disparaging report by Canada's auditor general last month. Canada's jets were flown in Romania to intercept a lone Russian SU-27 Flanker aircraft flying in NATO airspace on Oct. 18. Woods says he piloted one of the two jets that performed the interception. “From our standpoint, it was a professional interaction,” Woods said. “We flew up alongside him. I'm looking as his airplane, trying to get all the information I need about his airplane, and he's probably doing the same with us. “I waved to him, he waved to me, he gave me a thumbs-up, I gave him a thumbs-up. He took a photo of our aircraft with a hand-held camera, and then we basically left him on the way after that.” Of the approximately 300 missions Canada's Air Task Force has flown during its current deployment in Romania, that's been the only interaction it's had with Russian forces. For a similar deployment last year, Canada only sent four CF-18s to Romania. This year, Canada sent a fifth to be used in case another jet had to be repaired or have maintenance done. It's becoming more difficult to repair Canada's aging jets because of the shrinking availability of parts, Woods said. “That does become a challenge, but that's what we have to work with.” The CF-18s require 24 hours of maintenance for each hour the jets are flown, compared to 21 hours required in 2014. Because the Romanian mission is ongoing, information about it is classified. Therefore, Woods wouldn't disclose details about the frequency of repairs made to Canada's jets there. But he did say Canada's fifth jet “came in very handy on this mission.” Asked about the capability of Canada's fleet in future, Woods said he agrees with the government's assessment. Canada's Air Task Force will return from Romania in January. While the Canadian Armed Forces haven't announced it, Woods said he expects Canada to return a similar-sized force to the NATO mission next year for the same duration. Canada has provided troops and jets to the mission periodically since 2014. A previous version of this story mistakenly referred to Lt.-Col. Tim Woods as Tim Cook. iPolitics regrets the error. https://ipolitics.ca/2018/12/18/canadas-fighter-jets-up-to-peacetime-standard-in-romania/

Orbital Insight will use MDA high-resolution imagery to strengthen oil inventory product RICHMOND, BC and PALO ALTO, CA, Dec. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - MDA, a Maxar Technologies company (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), and Orbital Insight, a leading provider of geospatial analytics, today announced the latest agreement providing new datasets for Orbital Insight's product offerings. MDA will provide high-resolution imagery from its RADARSAT-2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite to Orbital Insight, which will process and transform the data into actionable intelligence for the energy industry. "Building on an already strong relationship with a second Orbital Insight contract award, MDA will provide valuable insight into energy supply chains by enabling timely, reliable imaging of global oil storage sites, regardless of cloud cover," said Mike Greenley, group president of MDA. "This solution reinforces the unique and powerful combination of RADARSAT-2's large imaging capacity and timely data delivery, with Orbital Insight's geospatial analytics capabilities, to grow the market for information derived from SAR imagery." MDA's RADARSAT-2 has global monitoring capabilities, including a large collection capacity and high-resolution radar imaging. The satellite acquires data regardless of light or weather conditions, due to its active imaging mechanism. As a result, RADARSAT-2 provides an accurate and reliable source of information about ground activity such as changes in oil tank inventories. Orbital Insight will use the imagery to create oil inventory information that is incorporated into its energy products, which include the Global Geospatial Crude Index, a single number that objectively captures global crude inventory insights on a daily basis. Orbital Insight's customers use the Global Geospatial Crude Index to make economic decisions with confidence in global energy markets. "Having access to cutting-edge datasets strengthens our product offerings, so we're pleased to deepen our relationship with MDA as a key imagery provider," said Dr. James Crawford, founder and CEO of Orbital Insight. "SAR imagery is valuable because it provides information even if conditions on the ground aren't visible due to weather or lighting. Expanding this partnership delivers direct customer value." This new contract expands Orbital Insight's relationship with Maxar Technologies. The geospatial analytics firm also has a multi-year partnership with DigitalGlobe focused on high-resolution electro-optical satellite imagery and DigitalGlobe's Geospatial Big Data platform (GBDX). Orbital Insight refines its analytic capabilities using DigitalGlobe's satellite imagery at petabyte-scale on GBDX, revealing insights for industry use cases such as estimating harvest yields, making more accurate retail predictions, and monitoring global energy and natural resource markets. About MDA MDA is an internationally recognized leader in space robotics, space sensors, satellite payloads, antennas and subsystems, surveillance and intelligence systems, defence and maritime systems, and geospatial radar imagery. MDA's extensive space expertise and heritage translates into mission-critical defence and commercial applications that include multi-platform command, control and surveillance systems, aeronautical information systems, land administration systems and terrestrial robotics. MDA is also a leading supplier of actionable mission-critical information and insights derived from multiple data sources. Founded in 1969, MDA is recognized as one of Canada's most successful technology ventures with locations in Richmond, Ottawa, Brampton, Montreal, Halifax and the United Kingdom. MDA is a Maxar Technologies company (TSX: MAXR; NYSE: MAXR). For more information, visit www.mdacorporation.com. About Maxar Technologies As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar Technologies (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the information, services, systems that unlock the promise of space for commercial and government markets. As a trusted partner, Maxar Technologies provides vertically integrated capabilities and expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. With more than 6,500 employees in over 30 global locations, the Maxar Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes MDA, SSL, DigitalGlobe and Radiant Solutions. Every day, billions of people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. About Orbital Insight Orbital Insight develops geospatial analytics to help its clients unlock societal and economic trends at a global scale. The company works with petabytes of geospatial data, including imagery from satellites, drones and other sources. Using computer vision and machine learning technologies, it processes and transforms this data to enable businesses, governments and NGOs to make better decisions. Learn why Fast Company voted Orbital Insight one of the most innovative companies of 2017 and 2018 at www.orbitalinsight.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and other information included in this release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other statements referring to or including forward-looking information included in this release. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this release. As a result, although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data available as of the date of this release or other specified date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation. Contact Wendy Keyzer | MDA Media Contact | 1-604-231-2743 | wendy.keyzer@mdacorporation.com Jason Gursky | Maxar Investor Relations | 1-303-684-2207 | jason.gursky@maxar.com SOURCE Maxar Technologies Ltd. Related Links www.maxar.com https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/maxars-mda-and-orbital-insight-announce-expanded-sar-satellite-imagery-agreement-702924451.html

By Josh Wingrove Canada is looking for a way out of a $13 billion deal to export armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia -- a move the company warns could leave the government liable for billions. In a television interview Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government was looking for a way to halt the sale of armored vehicles manufactured by a unit of U.S.-based General Dynamics Corp. “We are engaged with the export permits to try and see if there is a way of no longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia,” Trudeau told CTV, without elaborating. Full article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-17/trudeau-says-canada-wants-out-of-saudi-vehicle-export-deal

NORMAN DE BONO If the contract to supply Saudi Arabia with London-built military vehicles were cancelled, the impact would also be deeply felt in the hundreds of suppliers that feed General Dynamics and its Oxford Street East factory. Armatec Survivabilty in Dorchester supplies most of the seats to the General Dynamics Land Systems Canada armoured vehicles going to the Middle East, and a “substantial number” of its workers would lose their jobs if it's cancelled, said Rod Flick, manager of business development at Armatec. “We're putting seats in those vehicles. It would have a big impact,” said Flick, adding it now employs just over 100. GDLS has said its suppliers nationwide — including 240 in the London region alone — employ 13,500 people directly or indirectly. “There are other ways Canada can exert pressure than to cancel this. The Saudis will just go and buy vehicles from somewhere else,” Flick said. Flick will be in Ottawa this week pressing Global Affairs Canada not to cancel the deal, he added. Flick has also met with several MPs and MPPs, making the case to defend the agreement. At Abuma Manufacturing on Admiral Drive in London, about half its business is tied to General Dynamics and cancelling the contract would be “a real blow” to its 26 employees, said president Ben Whitney, who is also head of its sister plant, Armo-Tool. Abuma makes parts for GDLS's light armoured vehicles. “I am extremely concerned., It would make things very difficult for us. It would put us in a difficult position,” said Whitney. “It would be a blow, a real blow.” Armo-Tool bought Abuma in May and would keep it afloat by sharing work, but without that partnership, Abuma would shut down if the Saudi deal is cancelled, he added. “When this deal was struck, it was because the Saudis were seen as a stable partner in that region. If we want to engage in that region, there is no perfect democracy there. We can engage and build relationships or we can cancel deals and be seen as not reliable,” said Whitney. “It is tough. Last week, we made a donation to the Salvation Army and now about half our people may need them. It is a tough situation.” CANADA'S SAUDI ARMS DEAL: A CHRONOLOGY February 2014: The federal government under the Stephen Harper-led Conservatives announce the deal to supply light armoured military vehicles to Saudi Arabia, with London defence giant General Dynamics Land Systems Canada building the vehicles for a federal crown corporation, the Canadian Commercial Corp., selling the equipment to the desert kingdom. October 2015: The Conservatives, under fire from human rights critics for selling arms to Saudi Arabia despite its human rights abuses, lose the general election to Justin Trudeau's Liberals. The Liberals green-light the deal, despite growing calls to rescind it in light of Saudi Arabian political and human rights abuses, including in neighbouring Yemen. 2016: Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion quietly approves export permits covering most of the deal, as criticism mounts of Canada doing arms business with Saudi Arabia. October 2018: Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist, is killed at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Suspicion instantly rises that the killing was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The killing increases heat on Ottawa over its Saudi arms deal. After first denying Khashoggi was killed, Saudi Arabia admits his slaying was “premeditated” and orders an investigation. Trudeau, facing new pressure to scuttle the Saudi deal in light of Khashoggi's murder, says it would cost $1 billion to scrap the deal. The Liberals say they're reviewing the export permits for the deal. December 2018: Trudeau says publicly for the first time that the Liberals are looking for a way out of the Saudi deal, prompting heightened worry and alarm in London. GDLS: BY THE NUMBERS 1,850: Employees in London 13,500: Jobs supported among its suppliers 500: Suppliers nationwide 240: Suppliers in London region https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/saudi-arms-deal-supplier-says-80-of-employees-jobs-at-risk-if-cancelled