Nouvelles

The Italian Ministry of Defence's Naval Armament Directorate is gearing up to launch its acquisition programme for a new multirole submarine rescue vessel by mid-2019. The Special and Diving Operations - Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SuRS), for which EUR424 million (USD481.7 million) has been earmarked from 2018, is intended to replace the ageing salvage ship, Anteo . Jane's understands that the vessel will have a modular design in order to carry out its three main tasks of submarine rescue in addition to supporting special forces and diving operations carried out by the Italian Navy's Comando Subacquei ed Incursori (COMSUBIN) special forces and divers command. Basic specifications include a full-load displacement of about 8,500 tonnes, an overall length of 120 m, and a 20 m beam. The ship will be powered by an integrated full-electric propulsion system (IFEP) - using two azimuthal propulsion pods and two bow-mounted thrusters - able to achieve a maximum speed of 15 kt. Full article: https://www.janes.com/article/85856/italy-prepares-to-launch-submarine-rescue-vessel-programme

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN HMCS Corner Brook will be the first Canadian submarine to be equipped with a new communications system. The Universal Modular Masts or UMM for Canada's Victoria class submarines are part of an equipment suite provided by the Protected Military Satellite Communications project, according to the Department of National Defence. The estimated project cost for the submarine equipment suite, including installation, is approximately $70 million, while the overall PMSC project cost is approximately $592 million. The Protected Military Satellite Communication project is in collaboration with the U.S. and other allied nations and provides the Canadian military with secure, protected, jamming-resistant satellite communications on a near world-wide basis. The UMM will improve the Victoria-class as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform, according to the DND. The mast and its associated equipment suite will provide near real-time high-speed communications with shore. Corner Brook is in its Extended Docking Work Period and installation of the mast is now underway. Babcock Canada Inc. is handling the installation under the aegis of the Victoria In-Service Support Contract. It is being done at CFB Esquimalt in British Columbia. The equipment was acquired through a foreign military sales acquisition. The cost for PMSC-supplied submarine equipment, including UMMs, is approximately $35 million, according to the DND. Installation of the UMM on Corner Brook will be complete in 2020. Installation on the other three submarines will be finished by 2026. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/hmcs-corner-brook-to-become-first-sub-equipped-with-new-communications-system

NAVY Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $439,563,841 for modification P00008 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive contract (N00019-17-C-0030). This modification exercises an option for the production and delivery of 25 Lot 16 AH-1Z aircraft and 25 stores control units. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (60 percent); and Amarillo, Texas (40 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $439,563,841 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Global PCCI, Irvine, California, a joint venture, is awarded a maximum value $250,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee, fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) system. The primary purpose of this contract is to manage the facilities with emergency response equipment stockpiles pre-positioned to support and augment the Navy fleet capability in the areas of salvage, diving, pollution response, and underwater ship husbandry maintained by the Supervisor of Salvage, SEA 00C. This contract includes five ordering periods, which if executed, would make the maximum value of this contract $250,000,000. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by January 2024 when all five ordering periods have been executed. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-D-4323). Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a $38,140,569 cost-plus-fixed fee, cost only contract for Dual Band Radar (DBR) Design Agent Technical Engineering support efforts. The work to be performed is for engineering services for DBR system upgrades or redesigns, engineering change proposals, product support, test equipment procurement, installation integration support, combat system integration testing, program management support, studies and analysis. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $98,839,761. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (70 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (20 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (5 percent); and Arvonia, Virginia (5 percent). Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) in the amount of $1,737,000; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funding in the amount of $800,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured using other than full and open competition under the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5509). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded an estimated $143,863,184 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for performance based logistics and engineering support for the V-22 platform. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is an 11-month base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Pennsylvania, with a Nov. 30, 2019, performance completion date. Using military services are Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 various Air Force, SOCOM and Navy appropriated funding. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE4AX-19-D-9410). ARMY AECOM Energy & Construction, Greenwood Village, Colorado, was awarded a $63,007,995 modification (P00003) to contract W912EK-19-C-0002 for Illinois River Basin, LaGrange Lock and Dam, major rehabilitation, demolition; temporary facilities, surveying, dewatering, protecting lock chamber, blasting, removing and replacing horizontal concrete. Work will be performed in Versailles, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $24,700,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Odyssey International Inc.,* Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $14,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a company operations facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Fort Gordon, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2020. Fiscal 2015 and 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $14,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-3000). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded an $8,048,749 modification (P00150) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for test and field service support for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $8,048,749 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1736461/source/GovDelivery/

by Jeffrey F. Collins CGAI Fellow Executive Summary While both Canada and Australia share similar constitutional frameworks and imperial histories, they are also no stranger to procurement challenges. Cost overruns, delays, regionalism, and protracted intellectual property disputes have all been part of major defence acquisition projects in recent decades. This Policy Paper analyzes the largest and most expensive procurement projects undertaken by either country, Canada's $73 billion (estimated) National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), launched in 2010, and Australia's A$90 billion Naval Shipbuilding Plan (NSP), launched in 2017. Each project represents an attempt to implement a rational, multi-decade approach to naval acquisition. Driven by a desire to overcome previous boom-and-bust cycles, the NSS and NSP aim to create a sustainable shipbuilding sector capable of meeting the immediate and future naval demands of Ottawa and Canberra. Neither country has attempted a shipbuilding plan on this scale before. The NSS and NSP are still in their early stages but some common themes have emerged. On implementation challenges, old problems persist. For one, the rational approach to naval shipbuilding is not devoid of procurement politics and regionalism. Determining which province or state will be home to billions in contracts over many years remains a zero-sum game no matter how arms-length the process of yard selection. Cost increases also remain a reality. Building domestically can carry a 30 per cent to 40 per cent premium. Project delays increase this premium, something Canada has already experienced when initial NSS acquisition costs, pegged at $37.7 billion nearly a decade ago, jumped to an estimated $73 billion today. Australia's delays in securing an agreement with France's Naval Group on its $A50 billion future submarine project could mean additional cost increases. In this context, schedule is king and avoiding cost increases requires keeping to planned shipbuilding schedules. Failure to do so opens production gaps and necessitates going with alternative options including building overseas (Australia) or converting commercial vessels for naval and coast guard use (Canada). Prolonged cost sensitivities raise the consideration of trade-offs on committing more money to continuous shipbuilding at the expense of acquiring other military capabilities. Canada, for instance, will need to make decisions at some point on whether to spend billions on replacing the North Warning System in the country's North. Australia will have to grapple with an Indo-Pacific region proliferating with relatively cheaper but lethal anti-ship missiles. In this context, money spent on surface combatants may be perhaps better spent on other capabilities. None of this is to say that progress has not occurred in either the NSS or NSP. Ships are getting built, including Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships in Canada, and Offshore Patrol Vessels in Australia. In 2018, both countries selected the British Type-26 as their preferred design for a new generation of surface combatants. It is very possible that these respective strategies will achieve their goals of bypassing the boom-and-bust eras, but ongoing challenges serve as a reminder that even with the best-laid plans, naval shipbuilding is a complicated affair. 1 https://www.cgai.ca/overcoming_boom_and_bust_analyzing_national_shipbuilding_plans_in_canada_and_australia

ARMY Talbert Manufacturing Inc.,* Rensselaer, Indiana, was awarded a $360,249,853 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of M872A4 semitrailers and associated items. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 16, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-D-0036). Stantec Consulting Services Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, was awarded a $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer general design services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 36 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 16, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-D-2000). NAVY Fortis Nova A JV LLC,* Phoenix, Arizona (N62473-19-D-2426); Galindo Electric Inc.,* Vista, California (N62473-19-D-2427); Power Pro Plus Inc.,* Rancho Cucamonga, California (N62473-19-D-2428); Souza Construction Inc.,* Farmersville, California (N62473-19-D-2429); Synergy Electric Co. Inc.,* Santee, California (N62473-19-D-2430); and Tri-Technic Inc.,* Sonora, California (N62473-19-D-2431), are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for new construction, renovation, and repair of dry utilities construction projects at various government installations located in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. The maximum dollar value including the base period and one option period for all six contracts combined is $249,000,000. Types of projects may include, but are not limited to: electrical distribution systems, exterior lighting systems, controls, airfield lighting systems, communications and security systems, grounding systems, and alternative energy structures. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contracts. No task orders are being issued at this time. All work on these contracts will be performed at various government installations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility including, but not limited to, California (90 percent); Arizona (6 percent); Nevada (1 percent); Utah (1 percent); Colorado (1 percent), and New Mexico (1 percent). The terms of the contracts are not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of January 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $35,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside procurement via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 14 proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering CommandSouthwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, was awarded a $77,758,481 cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive, cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-13-C-5225 for production of the Navy's AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare System (UWS). The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat system with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts, and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. The contract is for development, integration and production of future advanced capability build and technical insertion baselines of the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 USW systems. Work will be performed in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (54 percent); Clearwater, Florida (22 percent); Syracuse, New York (7 percent); Manassas, Virginia (6 percent); Hauppauge, New York (5 percent); Owego, New York (5 percent); Tewksbury, Massachusetts (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2021. Fiscal 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation; and Foreign Military Sales funding in the amount $77,187,872 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 16, 2019) DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has been awarded a maximum $37,659,687 modification (P00026) to a three-year base contract (SPE7LX-17-D-0077) with two one-year option periods adding eleven spare parts within the scope of the original contract. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $63,767,640. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Wisconsin, with an Aug. 15, 2022, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio. Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC, West Hartford, Connecticut, has been awarded a maximum $7,953,750 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for bolt breech's. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Connecticut, with a Jan. 17, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0001). AIR FORCE General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $37,100,316 firm-fixed-price modification (P00001) to contract FA8620-18-F-2303 for fiscal 2017 aircraft production. The contract modification provides for the cut-in of force and vortex capabilities onto the existing FY17 aircraft production configuration. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal year 2017 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $37,100,316 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 16, 2019) Siemens Government Technologies, Arlington, Virginia, has been awarded a $24,586,803 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the reactivation and maintenance of Teamcenter software. This contract provides for the reactivation and maintenance of the Teamcenter software, as well as original equipment manufacturer support for the Air Force. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 17, 2024. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Funding will be obligated on the initial order of the IDIQ contract. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8770-19-D-0517). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1734769/source/GovDelivery/

By: Ben Werner ARLINGTON, Va. – Balancing the desire to build the Navy the nation needs with the ability to fight with the fleet the nation has is at the core of the mission of U.S. Fleet Forces Command mission, its commander said on Thursday. The Navy's high-end warfare plan – dubbed Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) – relies on fleet commanders considering future technologies, integrating new capabilities into existing systems and provided the right level of manning. In the meantime, commanders need to fight with the equipment and manning they currently have, a task complicated by uneven funding levels Fleet Forces commander Adm. Christopher Grady said at the Surface Navy Association Symposium. “Seventy five percent of the fighting force today will be what we fight with in 2030,” Grady said. “We must sustain what we have now to defend our interests in the future.” Grady said the demand for maintenance capability is outpacing the industrial base's growth rate. At risk, he said, is the industrial base's ability to build new ships while keeping current ships in operations. “Right now, the industrial base is optimized for cost efficiency,” Grady said. In an era of renewed great power competition the Navy and industrial base needs to rethink how to work some flexibility into how quickly shipbuilders and maintainers can adjust their operations, Grady said. “At issue is how do we grow our capacity for both maintenance and modernization,” Grady said. “This is challenging.” As an example, many of the critical parts the Navy relies on are from sole-source suppliers, Grady said. Then there are the firms that could bid on Navy projects but don't because of various barriers making it difficult or impossible to submit competitive bids. Since 2000 the entire defense industrial base lost more than 20,500 contractors, according to a Pentagon report released in September. The shipbuilding industry took a particularly hard hit and growing that sector is key to building the 355-ship fleet, the report said. “Expanding the number of companies involved in Navy shipbuilding is important to maintaining a healthy industrial base that can fulfill the 355-ship fleet and support the Navy's long-range shipbuilding plan,” the report said. Changing how the industrial base and Navy interact is a critical part of solving the building and maintenance capacity issues, Grady said. He wants the Navy's interaction with industry to seen as a partnership. One example he proposed was buying portable dry docks that could be moved and leased to shipyards. More shipyards could bid on work by removing what Grady said is a significant barrier to entry into the marketplace – the significant capital investment required to handle Navy maintenance work. “The ideal would be to come to the table and share notes,” Grady said. “What can we do for each other that's good for the nation.” https://news.usni.org/2019/01/17/navy-and-industry-must-balance-new-construction-with-maintaining-existing-platforms

By PAUL MCLEARY WASHINGTON The Marine Corps has kicked off a rapid development program to begin firing long-range anti-ship missiles from shore-based ground vehicles in an effort to add more punch to the Navy's growing anti-ship capabilities, which are aimed squarely at Chinese and Russian advances. Dubbed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System — that's NEMSIS to you — the program has completed its design phase. For the missile itself, Marines are looking at Lockheed Martin's new Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), with stealthy features to penetrate enemy missile defenses, a 1,000-pound warhead, and a range disclosed only as “over 200 miles”; Raytheon's Naval Strike Missile (NSM) already chosen as an upgrade for Navy Littoral Combat Ships, with a 264-lb warhead and a 115-mile range; and Boeing's venerable Harpoon, whose variants have a 500-lb warhead and ranges between 70 and 150 miles. The program kicked off last year with a request for information (RFI), after which companies signed OTA agreements with the service in September. Final proposals were submitted in December. Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2019/01/marines-want-missiles-to-sink-ships-from-shores-and-they-want-them-fast/

Le 16 janvier 2019 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Le gouvernement du Canada reconnaît l'importance d'investir dans l'innovation pour la défense et l'avenir de nos Forces armées canadiennes. À l'appui de la politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, le ministre de la Défense Harjt S. Sajjan a souligné aujourd'hui les contrats octroyés à la suite du premier appel de propositions de projets compétitifs dans le cadre du programme Innovation pour la défense, l'excellence et la sécurité (IDEeS). Le programme IDEeS offre aux innovateurs la chance de soutenir la défense et la sécurité. À peine neuf mois après sa mise en œuvre, IDEeS a illustré un accès amélioré à l'innovation en matière de défense et de sécurité par l'investissement de 26,8 millions de dollars dans 160 contrats qui s'inscrivent dans le premier appel de propositions, lequel a été lancé en avril 2018. Plus de 600 propositions visant à résoudre des défis parmi les plus complexes auxquels le Canada est confronté dans le domaine de la défense et de la sécurité ont été présentées par des innovateurs d'un bout à l'autre du pays, y compris des universitaires, des petites et moyennes entreprises, des grandes industries, des organismes non gouvernementaux et des individus. Parmi les domaines d'intérêt, mentionnons la surveillance, la cybernétique, l'espace, l'intelligence artificielle, les systèmes téléguidés, l'analytique des données et le rendement humain. Gr'ce à ces efforts, nos Forces armées canadiennes auront les outils et les connaissances nécessaires pour contrer les nouvelles menaces, maintenir une avance sur les adversaires possibles et satisfaire aux besoins changeants en matière de défense et de sécurité. Citations « Gr'ce à notre politique de défense Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, nous fournissons aux femmes et aux hommes de nos Forces armées canadiennes les outils et l'équipement dont ils ont besoin pour s'acquitter de leurs fonctions. Le succès du premier appel de propositions dans le cadre du programme IDEeS illustre l'importance d'investir dans l'innovation canadienne afin de façonner l'avenir de nos Forces armées canadiennes. Ces nouvelles collaborations faciliteront l'acheminement d'idées et de concepts novateurs en vue de la fourniture des capacités nécessaires à la constitution de forces militaires fortes et agiles. Félicitations à tous les titulaires de contrats. » – Ministre de la Défense Harjit S. Sajjan « Notre gouvernement est déterminé à fournir aux hommes et aux femmes des Forces armées canadiennes la technologie nécessaire pour effectuer leur travail important au nom de la population canadienne. En plus d'appuyer nos braves militaires, ces contrats mobilisent les esprits les plus brillants et les plus novateurs du pays afin de relever les principaux défis en matière de défense et de sécurité auxquels nous sommes confrontés. » – Ministre des Services publics et de l'Approvisionnement Canada, Carla Qualtrough Faits en bref Le programme IDEeS permet au ministère de la Défense nationale et aux Forces armées canadiennes de tirer parti de l'innovation et de l'ingéniosité des Canadiens et des Canadiennes dans le but d'enrichir les capacités de défense et d'influer sur les décisions futures en matière de défense et de sécurité. L'appel de propositions de projets compétitifs du programme IDEeS a été administré par Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada, au nom du ministère de la Défense nationale. Le premier appel de propositions, qui visait seize défis, a été lancé le 9 avril 2018 et a pris fin le 7 juin 2018. Le ministère de la Défense nationale a annoncé les premiers contrats en août 2018. Le deuxième appel de propositions, qui visait neuf défis, a été lancé le 18 octobre 2018 et a pris fin le 27 novembre 2018. Les premiers contrats issus de cet appel de propositions seront octroyés en février 2019. Gr'ce au programme IDEeS, le ministère de la Défense nationale : crée des réseaux d'innovateurs (universitaires, représentants de l'industrie, individus et autres partenaires) dans le but de réaliser des activités de recherche et développement de pointe dans des domaines essentiels qui lui permettront de satisfaire aux besoins futurs en matière de défense et de sécurité; tient des concours et invite les innovateurs à présenter des solutions viables à des défis précis en matière de défense et de sécurité; adopte de nouveaux mécanismes d'approvisionnement gr'ce auxquels il peut concevoir et mettre à l'essai des concepts, ainsi que donner suite aux idées les plus prometteuses. Liens connexes Communiqué – Premiers contrats d'innovation octroyés dans le cadre du programme Innovation pour la défense, l'excellence et la sécurité (IDEeS) Document d'information –Innovation pour la défense, l'excellence et la sécurité (IDEeS) Document d'information – Le gouvernement du Canada lance un appel aux innovateurs pour résoudre des défis en matière de défense et de sécurité Récipiendaires de contrats – site Web du programme IDEeS Protection, Sécurité, Engagement https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2019/01/investissements-de-la-defense-dans-la-communaute-de-linnovation-du-canada-et-ses-solutions-en-matiere-de-defense-et-de-securite.html

Murray Brewster · CBC News New statistics also show efforts to bring in more Indigenous, visible minority recruits failing The Canadian military has barely moved the needle on its ambitious plan to recruit more women, just over a year after the Liberal government introduced its gender-focused defence policy, new figures reveal. The stated intention of Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance was to have women make up 25 per cent of the Armed Forces by 2025-26. Statistics released by the Office of the Chief of Military Personnel show that while the number of female recruits coming through the door has increased slightly, it has not been enough to boost overall representation. As of the end of April, women made up only 15.4 per cent of both the combined regular and reserve forces. The story is the same for Indigenous Canadians and visible minorities — those recruitment numbers remain just as anemic as they have been for several years. Indigenous Canadians make up about 2.8 per cent of the Armed Forces; DND has set a goal of getting that share up to 3.5 per cent. Visible minorities make up 8.2 per cent; the target percentage is 11.8. But the military and the Liberal government have more political capital invested in the effort to get more women into uniform. It's central to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's mantra of gender equality, and to Canada's desire to put women at the heart of a reformed international peacekeeping system. The drive to recruit more women comes as the military attempts to overhaul its culture in the wake of a damning report in 2015 by retired Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps, who said a "sexualized culture" within the military was behind an endemic problem with sexual harassment and misconduct. Female recruitment picking up — but slowly There were 860 women enrolled in the military in the last fiscal year, which ended on March 31 — an increase of eight per cent over the previous year. It's not enough, said the chief of military personnel. "Those are still not meeting the number we need to have in order to meet the 25 per cent target and we're conscious of that," Lt.-Gen. Chuck Lamarre told CBC News in an interview. The slow pace of female recruitment has forced senior brass to take more direct control, he said. "We recognize it's going to take a much more disciplined approach, a much more targeted approach to go get more women, more visible minority and more Aboriginal folks to come join the Canadian Armed Forces," said Lamarre, who insisted the Armed Forces can still hit the target, which was first established in early 2016. The direction from Vance back then had been to increase the representation of women in the forces by one per cent per year over a decade. The new statistics show the military has seen healthy increases in the number of women applying to be officers, or to join the navy or air force. But National Defence is having a harder time convincing women to join the army, and to become non-commissioned members of the rank and file. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said it will take time, but there signs of change, notably the desire of women to become officers and leaders, a cultural shift that the DesChamps report said is necessary. "As time goes on, I am confident we will be successful," Sajjan said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday morning from Vietnam. "We are very happy that we are recruiting women into leadership roles." Lamarre said he believes the military is fighting against perceptions about the kind of career being offered. "People have a tendency to self-select out before they give it a shot, and I think that's a mistake," he said, pointing to the military's struggle to get women to consider signing up for trades such as aircraft, vehicle and maritime mechanics. "We are attracting more women into the officer corps, but I think we need to broaden that even more. Part of it is demystifying some of those occupations. Some of them look to be hard and exclusively centred towards men. That's not the case at all. We have some great examples of women who are operating in every occupation." Military's image problem persists Others — DesChamps among them — argue that the perception of the military as a tough place to be a woman hasn't gone away. Despite the military's high-profile campaign to stamp out misconduct — known as Operation Honour — and the increasing number of sexual assault cases being tried in the military justice system, many say that little has changed when it comes to the macho nature of military culture. "In the last three years, in my opinion, more could have been done" to stop harassment and make the military a more welcoming career choice for women, Deschamps told the Senate defence committee last week. "What I have seen is, not a lot of progress has been made." The federal government has faced two class-action lawsuits launched by survivors of sexual assault and misconduct in the military. The cases entered settlement discussions last winter after it was revealed government lawyers filed a statement of defence that said National Defence "does not owe members of the Canadian Armed Forces any duty to protect them from sexual harassment and assault." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-military-falling-well-short-of-its-target-for-recruiting-women-1.4691356