Canadian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jura said:

link:

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JudgeKing said:

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- February 25th, 2016
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- July 30th, 2016

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JudgeKing said:

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- February 25th, 2016

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JudgeKing said:

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- July 30th, 2016

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CF-18 REPLACEMENT
INDUSTRY CONSULTATION QUESTIONNAIRE
SUMMER 2016

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Jura said:

both links are actually quite interesting:

says
"The minister does anticipate the ship-building costs to be higher than the funds allocated, however, and admits the $26.3 billion won't suffice for 15 surface combatants."
while inside the article you posted Friday at 5:30 PM
it's "Internal estimates produced last year in the transition between the Conservative and Liberal governments suggest the construction cost for 15 warships could exceed $40 billion."

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After a number of false starts and drafts, the government of Canada, on October 9, 2016 finally released the long awaited RFP for the multi-billion dollar CSC (Canadian Surface Combatant) program but at a technical briefing on October 27 to detail how the program would work, confusion reigned supreme as government officials attempted to explain a clause that seemed to be an attempt to muzzle bidders, barring them from talking about their capabilities and denying the Canadian public an opportunity to hear what is on offer for what may be the biggest procurement in Canadian history.

The clause stated, "Neither the bidders, nor any of their respective subcontractors, employees or representatives shall make any public comment, respond to questions in a public forum or carry out any activities to either criticize another bidder or any bid — or publicly advertise their qualifications."

When pressed to clarify the bizarre requirement, Lisa Campbell, Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence & Marine Procurement at Public Services & Procurement Canada (formerly PWGSC), took pains to explain that the bidding companies would in fact be free to advertise and talk about their product and she went on to say that if there was any confusion on the matter they would go back to the bidding companies and make this clear.

What was NOT clear however was the government’s intent in putting in such a clause in the first place. At the technical briefing, both Lisa Campbell of PSPC and Pat Finn, ADM (MAT) were unable to provide a satisfactory answer as to what they were trying to achieve with that clause and that gave rise to speculation that perhaps Irving, prime contractor for CSC, was behind the initiative. Kevin McCoy, president of Irving who was also at the briefing, did not offer any comment.

Despite the issuance of the RFP for CSC, it is still not known how many new warships will be built - the program originally called for 15 – 16 ships - and we really do not know what the cost will be. The Royal Canadian Navy currently operates 12 Halifax Class frigates but we should remember that the new warships were meant to replace not only the current frigates but also Canada’s Iroquois Class destroyers as well.

What is now known is that the government wants the ship designer to come with a CSI (Combat System Integrator) as part of its bid and this seems to make sense as most of the bidders are used to working with a particular CSI on previous projects.

The companies qualified to bid on CSC are: Alion, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, DCNS, Fincantieri, Navantia, OMT, and TKMS.

Also not known, is precisely what role Irving, as the prime contractor, will play in selecting the winning bid. We already know that Irving has a relationship with Lockheed Martin from its work on the Halifax Class Modernization program.

It has not been announced, but CDR has learned that BAE Systems plans to team with Lockheed Martin as its CSI and we know that DCNS has previously worked with Thales so it is expected that the two could team up again for CSC and we will be interested to see what happens in the coming weeks as bidders look to find a suitable dance partner.

There is a lot on the line here for Canadian taxpayers and for the Royal Canadian Navy, so, stay tuned as we expect many more developments as this major program continues to unfold.

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JudgeKing said:

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Jura said:

from inside:

"... stay tuned as we expect many more developments as this major program continues to unfold."

I'm on station LOL

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Canada has opened up its competition for new warships to designs still yet to be proven, despite its previous commitment to purchase only off-the-shelf vessels.

The change will allow more domestic firms to participate in the multibillion-dollar acquisition of what is being called the Canadian Surface Combatant since a new design is not wedded to foreign systems. In addition, the change would provide Canada potentially with the most up-to-date technology. “You want to make sure that what you get on offer reflects not only what’s tried and tested in the market but also what’s coming on the market,” explained Lisa Campbell, assistant deputy minister of acquisitions at Public Services and Procurement Canada, the department overseeing the procurement.

Irving Shipbuilding Inc., of Halifax, the prime contractor for the project, released the request for proposals package to pre-qualified bidders on Oct. 27. Twelve firms, mainly European, have been pre-qualified as either ship designers or combat systems integrators.

The Canadian government’s decision to change criteria for the designs it accepts now allows BAE Systems to bid its Type 26 design for the surface combatant project. The United Kingdom is still negotiating with BAE on a timetable for construction of those vessels.

Other shipbuilders had privately voiced concerns about the change in criteria, pointing out that earlier this year Canadian government officials stated an acceptable ship design was to have been completed and reviewed by the government purchasing the vessel.

A proven design would cut the amount of technical risk and speed up the procurement process for Canada, Procurement Minister Judy Foote said at the time.

Anne Healey, BAE’s general manager for group business development in Canada, said because of competition rules she can’t discuss the status of the Type 26 design and the UK program. But she noted that the Type 26 Global Combat Ship is “the world’s newest and most advanced surface combatant design. We are planning to cut steel in 2017, which is ideal timing for the CSC programme; being 3 years ahead of the Canadian program.”

The companies pre-approved by Canada to submit a warship design for the CSC include: Alion Science and Technology Corporation; BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited; DCNS SA; Fincantieri S.p.A; Navantia SA; Odense Maritime Technology; and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH. The firms pre-approved as combat system integrators include: Atlas Elektonik GmbH; DCNS SA; Lockheed Martin Canada; Leonardo S.p.A.; Saab Australia Pty; Thales Nederland B.V.; and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH.

The winning designer and combat systems integrator are to be selected sometime in the summer of 2017. Construction of the first ship will begin in the early 2020s. The first CSC is expected to be delivered in the mid-2020s.

Up to 15 warships could be built, but Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister, materiel, at the Department of National Defence, noted the actual number of vessels still has to be decided.

The budget for the CSC project was originally estimated at (CAN) $26 billion ($18 billion). But Department of National Defence analysts have projected the ships could eventually cost (CAN) $40 billion.

More than half of the cost of the project will be for the on-board combat systems and the integration of those systems, industry officials say.

The vessels will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Iroquois-class destroyers and Halifax-class frigates.

Public Services and Procurement Canada spokesman Nicolas Boucher said each bid would be evaluated by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and the Canadian government. “Evaluation of the bids will include financial and technical performance, maturity of the design along with the economic benefits,” he noted.

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Canada will explore an interim buy of 18 Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing, a blow to Lockheed Martin that kicks a final decision on whether to procure the F-35 further down the road.

"Canada will immediately explore the acquisition of 18 new Super Hornet aircraft to supplement the CF-18s until the permanent replacement arrives," the Canadian government announced in a release. "Canada's current fleet is now more than 30 years old and is down from 138 aircraft to 77. As a result, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) faces a capability gap."

Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Canada will launch a larger fighter competition next year, after it wraps up its defense policy. But the competition will likely take about five years, which kicks the decision into the next administration. Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had vowed not to buy the F-35 joint strike fighter.

"We have a capability gap. We have selected the minimum number of aircraft to meet this capability gap here. At the same time, we are launching a full competition and making sure that we take the appropriate time, without cutting corners to get the right airplane," said Sajjan.

Judy Foote, the country’s minister of Public Services and Procurement, said it would start talking with Boeing “immediately” so that the country could amass an interim fleet as quickly as possible. She said Canada’s ministry of defense had “some idea" of how much the planes would cost, but that the details would be finalized in negotiations.

Boeing was elated by the news, a major win for the company that could help extend the life of one of its fourth-generation fighter jets.

"Boeing is honored to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with the only multi-role fighter aircraft that can fulfill its immediate needs for sovereign and North American defense," the company stated in a news release. "The Super Hornet's advanced operational capabilities, low acquisition and sustainment costs, and Boeing's continued investment in the Canadian aerospace industry — US$6 billion over the past five years alone — make the Super Hornet the perfect complement to Canada's current and future fighter fleet."

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin was less pleased with the decision, restating its hope that the Canadian government would ultimately purchase the fighter.

“Lockheed Martin recognizes the recent announcement by the Government of Canada of its intent to procure the 4th generation F/A-18 Super Hornet as an interim fighter capability,” the company said in a statement. “Although disappointed with this decision, we remain confident the F-35 is the best solution to meet Canada's operational requirements at the most affordable price, and the F-35 has proven in all competitions to be lower in cost than 4th generation competitors. The F-35 is combat ready and available today to meet Canada's needs for the next 40 years.”

Canada, an international partner in the joint strike fighter program, will continue its participation in the program, the government stated.

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Jura said:

I'll put it into F-35 Thread, too: Canada Plans to Buy 18 Super Hornets, Start Fighter Competition in 2017

source, dated November 22, 2016:

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The Canadian government is in negotiations to buy 18

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, a blow to the

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program, which was originally envisioned to replace Canada’s 30-plus-year-old CF-18 Hornet fleet.

Canadian officials will explore upgrading the country’s aircraft to the Super Hornet as an interim option before final decisions are made for an open competition — a process that could still include procuring the F-35 for its aging fleet.

Just not yet.

The Liberal Party of Canada, headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on Tuesday announced an urgent need for “a new squadron of interim aircraft” and turned to Boeing to recapitalize the

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.

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan

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in Ottawa that the overuse of Canada’s McDonnell Douglas-made CF-18 fleet “would carry risk this government is not willing to take” to sustain current supplemental operations in NATO and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.

Competition to purchase an entirely new fighter jet will come at a later date, Sajjan said.

“The government will launch, in its current mandate, a wide-open and transparent competition to replace the CF-18 fleet,” he said.

Even though Canada has been in discussions for years to purchase

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, lawmakers have grown weary of setbacks in the stealth jet program.

In June, Trudeau called the aircraft one that “

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.”

In the latest setback,

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in mid-air last month. The service is investigating the incident.

In September, the Air Force

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of 13 out of 104 F-35s in its fleet “due to the discovery of peeling and crumbling insulation in avionics cooling lines inside the fuel tanks,” according to a statement at the time. Two additional aircraft, belonging to Norway and stationed at

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, also were affected.

The 13 F-35s, plus the two belonging to Norway, are back up and running, according to a story from

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.

In a statement Tuesday, Lockheed Martin said that although it is “disappointed with this decision, we remain confident the F-35 is the best solution to meet Canada’s operational requirements at the most affordable price, and the F-35 has proven in all competitions to be lower in cost than 4th generation competitors.”

“The F-35 is combat ready and available today to meet Canada’s needs for the next 40 years,” the statement said.

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Legacy Hornets are crashing at an alarming rate!
A

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single-seat CF-188 Hornet from 4 Wing Cold Lake crashed inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan, on Nov. 28. The pilot died in the incident.

The rate of crashes involving legacy Hornets is quite alarming. At least 8 major incidents have involved legacy Hornets (that is to say, the older variant of the F/A-18) in the last 6 months!

Two U.S. Marine Corps F-18 Hornets from MCAS Miramar collided mid-air during a training mission on Nov. 9 near San Diego. One pilot landed safely at the NAS North Island whereas the other one ejected over the sea and was rescued.

Few days earlier, on Oct. 25, an F/A-18 Hornet from Miramar crashed near Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms killing the pilot.

On Aug. 29, a Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornet crashed shortly after taking off from Meiringen airbase. The 27-year-old pilot was found dead two days later.

On Aug. 2, a U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornet flown

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near Fallon, Nevada. The pilot safely ejected.

On Jul. 27 another Marine Hornet pilot died in a crash near 29 Palms.

Same fate for a

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.

In the wake of the Hornet crashes from June through October, the U.S. Marine Corps

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its non-deployed Hornets. Unfortunately, few days after the ban was lifted, two more F/A-18Cs were lost on Nov. 9.

Hornet crashes over the last year have depleted the number of available airplanes for training and operations. According to USNI News the service had

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, compared to a requirement for 171.

In order to face the critical shortage of operational fighters

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and high operational tempos, the U.S: Marine Corps has launched a plan that will see Boeing upgrade 30 retired legacy Hornets (currently stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) to a standard dubbed F/A-18C+.

With this upgrade, that will also embed new avionics, the service will be able to keep up with its operational tasks until the F-35 is able to take over.

Once upgraded to the C+ standard, these “gap fillers” should be more than enough to

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in low-lethality scenarios like those that see the USMC at work these days.
Furthermore, once these “refreshed” Hornets are delivered to the squadrons, older airframes can be retired, improving flight safety.
Canada has just announced the plan to use F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multi-role fighters as “gap fillers” until Ottawa decides on a replacement for its fleet of

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.

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