Nouvelles

Christyn (Chris) Cianfarani In late 2011, the Department of National Defence decided that the rafts it was using to carry out search and rescue operations in open water were due for an update. Part of DND's sea rescue kit, the new rafts needed to be compact and durable, but they also had to inflate reliably at temperatures as low as -50 C in the frozen expanses of Canada's North. If they didn't, lives could hang in the balance. Enter Benoit Corbeil and his team at Tulmar Safety Systems, who found a way to create a light, durable raft that could be safely airdropped, and would inflate manually on the ice or automatically in water. With a fully enclosed canopy, those rescued can now be immediately sheltered from the cold wind and freezing ocean spray. The responsibility to save lives is what drives people like Benoit and thousands of other Canadians working in the defence and security industries to continue creating innovative solutions to complex problems. In my role as the head of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), I'm often struck by the sheer level of creativity and talent in our sector. But it shouldn't come as a surprise because we've been gathering evidence on this for a few years now. Flexible, collaborative and fruitful In May, CADSI – in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and Statistics Canada – released the latest State of Canada's Defence Industry report. We found that defence and security companies were behind $400 million worth of research and development (R&D) in 2016, resulting in an R&D intensity close to 4.5 times higher than the Canadian manufacturing average. Our members – now more than 900 of them across Canada – aren't doing this work in a vacuum, of course. They are collaborating with partners in academia, government and supply chains to push boundaries and develop brand new technologies. DND's new Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) Program will help encourage even more of this type of cooperation, allocating $1.6 -billion over two decades to innovative solutions that address Canada's defence and security challenges. Sixteen initial challenges have been identified, and start-ups, SMEs, corporations and academics have all been invited to apply. The first contracts were awarded in August, with more coming in fall 2018. But our industry's work is already having tangible, real-world impacts for average Canadians. In July, for instance, global satellite operator Telesat – a company headquartered right in Ottawa – launched the Telstar 19 VANTAGE. This powerful satellite will connect communities across Nunavut with faster and more reliable broadband, opening the territory to the world. We featured Telesat vice-president Michele Beck's contributions to this project in our My North, My Home campaign. Full article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-why-canadas-defence-industry-innovation-cianfarani/

By: Daniel Cebul The U.S. Air Force is getting ready to deliver the first of its next-generation GPS III satellites into orbit later this year, and expects the new satellites to deliver significant capability improvements. But much work also needs to be done on Earth to make sure the Air Force is able to get the most out of the platforms. That's why Lockheed Martin will begin a series of updates to the architecture's ground control system following the initial launch, according to a statement from the company. These updates will give the Air Force get a head start on testing and operations before the majority of the constellation is in place. The Air Force placed Lockheed Martin on contract in 2016 and 2017 to upgrade the existing Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) Operational Control System (OCS) called GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) and M-Code Early Use (MCEU), respectively. Just as the GPS III satellites themselves are equipped with improved anti-jamming technology and more accurate signals transmission capability, the ground systems and software that control them need to be upgraded as well. The Air Force has also worked with Raytheon on the estimated $6 billion Operational Control Segment program, often referred to as OCX. That program is expected to serve as the primary ground control system for the GPS III program but has been behind schedule. SpaceNews recently reported the target completion date for Block 1 of the program is June 2021. Block O, the launch and checkout system, was delivered in September 2017. ockheed Martin's contingency program will allow the existing control system to support and integrate more powerful GPS III satellites. Modifications will support GPS III satellites in their position, navigation and timing missions, coordinating their movement with GPS IIR, IIR-M and IIF satellites already in orbit. A second set of upgrades, known as the MCEU modernization program, will focus on the development of M-Code, a new advanced signal designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities. The program will improve the existing ground system and allow it to task, upload and monitor M-Code within the GPS constellation. In other words, MCEU modernization will help the Air Force integrate and test GPS III satellites into the current constellation earlier. COps is on schedule for delivery in May 2019 and MCEU is scheduled for delivery in January 2020. https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/satellites/2018/09/14/gps-iii-satellites-are-nearly-ready-to-launch-but-whats-being-done-on-terra-firma-to-support-them

By: Justin Lynch The biggest cyber threats governments and businesses face may not be the cutting edge hack from China, but a 10-year-old virus that infects a little-used computer. Some of the most well-known viruses from the past decade are still infecting machines despite their well-documented nature, according to cyber research firms. Some viruses, such as WannaCry and Conficker, are still spreading, Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at F-Secure told Fifth Domain. “It costs hackers nothing to keep using them,” Sullivan said. These known vulnerabilities are still effective because older machines do not receive patches for updates, which can then infect an entire network. Hackers often bundle known hacks together because it increases their success rate with no downside, Sullivan said. “Nothing is going to be 100 percent patched across organizations,” Sullivan, said. He described a network administrator's role as “triage.” The 2017 WannaCry hack infected users in more than 150 countries and had an economic impact of anywhere from $4 billion to $8 billion. Although progress has been made to patch computers, WannaCry is still a top malware threat for customers, F-Stream said in a September report. The Conficker hack targeted Windows systems and was first launched in 2008. It is reported to have cost as much as $9 billion in damage. But much work remains. More than two-billion devices have not been patched to defend against BlueBorne, a Bluetooth vulnerability that allows an attacker to take over devices, according to the cyber protection company Armis. The devices are still vulnerable because they have not been updated or because an update does not exist, according to the company. “Whether they're brought in by employees and contractors, or by guests using enterprise networks for temporary connectivity, these devices can expose enterprises to significant risks,” wrote Ben Seri, the vice president of research at Armis. A previous version of this article said that two million devices have not been patched to defend against BlueBorne. It is two billion. https://www.fifthdomain.com/industry/2018/09/13/really-old-computer-viruses-are-still-infecting-new-machines

AMY MCCULLOUGH The Air Force plans to redesign the oxygen system in its T-6 Texan II and adjust oxygen control levels in flight, after an exhaustive study determined that varying levels of oxygen concentrations were to blame for the hypoxia-like symptoms reported by pilots. The service grounded its primary trainer fleet earlier this year while it inspected the Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) on all T-6 aircraft, and it stood up an independent review team to determination potential causes. “So far, technical efforts to date and analysis of data collected have determined that pilots have been exposed to significantly changing levels of oxygen concentration,” said Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, AETC commander. “The varying levels of oxygen concentration, even though in excess of what the body typically needs, has caused physiological stress that most pilots, on most days, actually adapt to without noticing.” However, the physiological stress of the changing oxygen levels can cause some pilots to experience symptom similar to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), hypocapnea (lack of carbon dioxide), and other related conditions, said Kwast in a press release issued late Thursday. It is expected to take two to four years to redesign the OBOGS system and fully stabilize oxygen levels in the T-6, a joint effort between Air Education and Training Command and Air Force Materiel Command. The two major commands also are working with industry “to adjust the OBOGS software algorithm to stabilize oxygen concentrations,” according to the release. “While this should reduce physiological events, the Air Force will pursue a broader redesign,” states the release. The Air Force and the Navy also have worked together to come up with new maintenance procedures to ensure the OBOGS system operates more efficiently. And, AETC will provide additional training for pilots to help them identify such symptoms and then learn how best to react if they ever encounter them in flight. “Since our T-6 operational pause, we have made every effort to communicate with every instructor and every student exactly what we've found,” Maj. Gen. Patrick Doherty, 19th Air Force commander, said. “Transparency remains of utmost importance to use as we all work together to ensure that our pilots are safe and know the way ahead.” http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2018/September%202018/USAF-to-Redesign-Oxygen-System-on-T-6-Fleet-After-Repeated-Hypoxia-Like-Issues.aspx

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Lockheed Martin-BAE team pursuing the Canadian Surface Combatant created a stir on social media among defence observers when it suggested earlier this week that its bid had been qualified for the program. Three consortiums had submitted bids for the CSC program, with a winner expected to be announced by the end of the year. Industry is closely watching which firms might be qualified for the $60 billion project. So on Sept. 10 a tweet by the Lockheed Martin/BAE team raised more than a few eyebrows. “BAE System's Type 26 meets all requirements in the CSC proposal, including speed.” So was the team announcing their bid had been qualified? What was particularly intriguing is that some industry representatives have been for several months continuing to claim that the Type 26 can't meet speed requirements for the Royal Canadian Navy. It appeared that the Type 26 folks were confirming they had received the thumbs up from the CSC evaluating team. Or had they? A spokesman for Public Services and Procurement Canada gave Defence Watch a rundown on where the program was at. The CSC evaluation is still ongoing and none of the three bidders have received any details yet on whether their proposals have been deemed “compliant.” It turned out that the tweet was simply the view by the Lockheed Martin/BAE team that their bid would be deemed compliant. Here is what Lockheed Martin responded with when asked by Defence Watch about the tweet: “Based on our technical and professional expertise and analysis of the requirements established for CSC, we are confident that our entire solution meets or exceeds the technical requirements established in the RFP and it is based on that degree of certainty that we have communicated our message.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/lockheed-martin-tweet-on-canadian-surface-combatant-creates-a-stir

Par Vincent Lamigeon Le parti du Congrès, principal parti d'opposition en Inde, attaque durement les conditions du contrat pour 36 Rafale signé par Delhi en 2016. Le camp français évoque une polémique liée au contexte électoral. Et affirme toujours croire à un contrat de 114 avions supplémentaires. "L'affaire Rafale". C'est devenu l'obsession de Rahul Gandhi, leader du parti du Congrès, à l'approche des élections de mai 2019. Depuis novembre 2017, le dirigeant du principal parti d'opposition indien a fait du contrat pour 36 Rafale, signé par Delhi en septembre 2016, l'aiguillon de son offensive contre le premier ministre, le nationaliste hindou Narendra Modi. Gandhi évoque carrément une "escroquerie", accusant le gouvernement d'avoir favorisé un industriel proche du pouvoir, le patron du conglomérat Reliance, Anil Ambani. Ce groupe, jusqu'alors absent du secteur de la défense, avait été choisi par Dassault comme partenaire local pour remporter le contrat. "Un capitalisme de copinage", selon Rahul Gandhi, qui a multiplié ces dernières semaines les manifestations contre le contrat Rafale. L'accord pour 36 appareils pourrait-il être menacé ? Peu probable. Certes, un certain malaise est palpable. La visite à Paris de la ministre de la Défense indienne Nirmala Sitharaman, prévue ces prochains jours, a été reportée sine die, signe de la gêne persistante autour du sujet. Le passage du détachement Pégase de l'armée de l'air française en Inde (3 Rafale, un A400M, un C-135 et 130 aviateurs) début septembre a été accueilli avec un certain embarras par les responsables indiens. Un vol en Rafale de l'ambassadeur français a été annulé, de même que le survol du Taj Mahal par un A400M et le vol d'aviateurs indiens en place arrière sur les Rafale français. Contexte pré-électoral Pour autant, une dénonciation du contrat apparaît très improbable. L'armée de l'air indienne s'est même livrée à une défense en règle du contrat le 12 septembre. Dans un document dévoilé par le site indien LiveFist, elle assure que "l'Inde a obtenu le Rafale au meilleur prix" et "avec les meilleurs armements du marché". Le patron de l'armée de l'air indienne B.S. Dhanoa a même assuré que les "chasseurs high-tech Rafale" étaient plus que jamais nécessaires pour faire face aux menaces pakistanaise et chinoise. Delhi attend ses appareils à partir de septembre 2019, avec des livraisons qui s'échelonneront jusqu'à 2022. Article complet: https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/le-contrat-rafale-en-inde-est-il-menace_612305

By Lauren C. Williams The Defense Department's newest combatant command is nearly a decade old but still doesn't steer its own acquisitions. That could change in fiscal 2019, however, as U.S. Cyber Command staffs up its contracting office and seeks a bigger acquisition budget. "Acquisition authority is limited at the moment. It's capped at $75 million and has a sunset date, currently, of 2021," said Stephen Schanberger, command acquisition executive for U.S. Cyber Command during a panel at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit Sept. 6. "So the command is actively pursuing getting that increased on the ceiling amount as well as the sunset date." Cyber Command has only had acquisition authority for two fiscal years, but Congress extended that authority through 2025 in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. That advances the authority four years from the original sunset date of 2021. Cyber Command awarded only one contract in fiscal 2017, Schanberger said, partly because it lacked a contract writing system and technical personnel to get things done. Things improved this year with $40 million in contract awards and Schanberger expects to reach the $75 million cap sometime in 2019. "We are really hamstrung at the moment in relying on the current [contracting] vehicles out there from others," he said. "And in some cases we've had to adjust our scope to match up to the contract versus waiting for them to put another whole contract vehicle or task order onto a contract." Schanberger seeks to more than triple Cyber Command's acquisition to $250 million to allow for multi-year contracts. Congressional scrutiny has been the main impediment to securing additional acquisition funds because the command needs to prove its contracting abilities, but Schanberger said increasing staff and getting things right will help. "Congress would like us to show that we actually can use our authority the way it's supposed to be and start to stand on the backbone of what it takes to be a contracting organization," particularly regarding contract types, use other transaction authorities, competitive bids versus sole source, and partnering with small businesses, he said. Schanberger told FCW he wasn't concerned about additional congressional scrutiny surrounding the Defense Department's use of other transaction authorities because "our efforts are nowhere near the big efforts that they're looking for." But overall, Cyber Command's contracting office is growing. Schanberger now leads a team of about five people, including himself, consisting of a contracting officer, specialist, and supporting contractors. He hopes to double the team's capacity by year's end. "We are in our infancy from an acquisition perspective, we are putting down the foundation of the personnel and the skills," he said, with the goal "to be able to activate, put together solicitation packages, plan our contracting strategy for [multiple] years, and be able to effectively implement and put out RFPs on the street without making a mess out it." Schanberger said they are looking at capabilities that can benefit all of the service components, such as analytic development. Cyber Command released a request for proposals for an analytic support program dubbed Rainfire on Sept. 4. "Once we get the skills in place, I think we'll be able to demonstrate to everyone around us that we can execute the authorities we have and grow them responsibly," he said. https://fcw.com/articles/2018/09/13/cybercom-aquisition-williams.aspx

CANBERRA—Upgrades to Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are a possibility, the defense department in Canberra said, without suggesting that any such move is under ... Full article: http://aviationweek.com/defense/australia-sees-potential-upgrades-super-hornets

By: Daniel Cebul WASHINGTON — The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has opened a second operations watch floor to help operate and secure global information-sharing and command and control capabilities, according to a Sept. 12 press release from the agency. The organization opened the new floor July 15 at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The center is now known as DISA Global West. The original operations watch floor, DISA Global Operations Command, headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois will now be known at DISA Global East. Opening a second watch floor improves the survivability and redundancy of global network operations, the DISA statement said, and allows for what's described as 24/7 “Active-Active” operations. “Active-Active” means that DISA is continuously available to provide operational and security capabilities, even if one of the two operation centers goes down. This added layer of redundancy is viewed as critical in an increasingly hostile cyber environment. “In a world where our cyber adversaries are becoming more and more sophisticated in their abilities to infiltrate networks and interfere with services, Active-Active operations allows DISA Global to reduce continuity risks and make the Defense Information Systems Network and DISA services more agile and responsive,” said Laura Williams, the agency's Active-Active program manager. While dividing the work force between locations introduces new difficulties to operations, the agency is confident the move will improve resiliency without compromising capability. “It's always a challenge when you have a geographically separated work force,” said Army Col. Lisa Whittaker, DISA Global commander said in the release. “But we are a tremendous team coming together for this effort. The teammates that work at DISA Global West are closely integrated with those at DISA Global East. They work in the same divisions, have the same leadership, and use the same tools, techniques, tactics, and procedures on a daily basis.” One reason teammates are able to stay on the same page despite being over 1,300 miles apart is the agency's use of an Enterprise Virtual Watch Desk, which provides organizations across the agency a common picture of the operational network. https://www.c4isrnet.com/disa/2018/09/12/disa-opens-a-new-operations-watch-floor-in-utah-to-boost-resiliency