Project Resolve: Liberal Government OK's Davie Deal for iAOR

Published by: The National Post - Canadian Press

LEVIS, Que. — After putting the project on hold, the federal government announced Monday the Chantier Davie Shipyard in Quebec will be granted the sole-source contract to provide a temporary supply ship for the navy.

Procurement Minister Judy Foote said the contract, which is valued at up to $587 million, will be given to the shipyard to upgrade a civilian tanker to act as a military replenishment ship while the navy’s long-delayed, joint support ships are built as part of the national shipbuilding program.



“After amassing the facts and carefully deliberating, the Government of Canada determined that proceeding with (Davie) is the most viable course of action to provide the navy’s (temporary) at-sea oil replenishment capacity,” she said in a statement.

The Conservative government had arranged for Davie to retrofit the ship through a sole-source process rather than a competitive one after it was forced to retire its two, 45-year-old replenishment vessels.

At the time the Harper government’s move was unprecedented.

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press revealed a line was added to contracting regulations giving cabinet authority to award a deal to a single company if there are urgent “operational reasons” and it fulfils an interim requirement.

Defence sources had told The Canadian Press that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put the plan on hold because his government was uncomfortable with the sole-source nature of the arrangement.

The Liberals also faced pressure from the two companies that received contracts in the national shipbuilding program — Irving Shipbuilding, in Halifax, and Seaspan, in Vancouver. Both wrote letters protesting the deal with Davie.

Trudeau’s decision sparked a strong rebuke from Quebec politicians who pointed out the ship was already purchased and in the Davie yard and that hundreds of workers had already been hired.

Foote noted in her statement that the agreement signed by the Conservatives required the government to pay Davie $89 million should the project not proceed.

The minister said the government will “undertake a review of the process” for sole-source contracts for military procurement.

Davie’s work should be completed within two years and the ship is contracted to serve the navy for a period of five years, with an option to renew for up to another five.

The Quebec shipyard estimated the government contract will create 1,100 jobs with the yard, and another 400 with sub-contractors.

Opposition Parti Quebecois member Martine Ouellet said Davie deserved the contract because the yard was left out of the national shipbuilding program.

Without replenishment ships, the navy’s frigates are forced to rely on other nations for ammunition, fuel and food while on long overseas deployments.

It also affects the navy’s ability to deploy more than one warship at a time.

Davie is located in Levis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City

RCN Sailors Serve on ESPS Cantabria

By Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Bill McClung

Five time zones and half a world away we arrived at our destination of El Ferrol Naval Base in northern Spain, home of the Spanish auxiliary oil replenishment (AOR) vessel, ESPS Cantabria, on October 18, 2015. Twenty-eight Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailors of different ranks, trades and experience levels then embarked on an adventure that would prove both challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time. Our mission was to observe, gather information and ultimately integrate within the ship’s company of ESPS Cantabria in order to maintain skill sets and return with best practices for replenishment-at-sea (RAS) operations, while attached to an allied navy.

With ESPS Cantabria taking part in Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE shortly after we arrived, Canadian sailors worked hard to ensure they had a solid understanding of Spanish equipment, methodology and procedures. The lessons learned from this experience will help the RCN build a solid knowledge base within which to design training packages for future exchanges.

During the introduction to the ship by Commander Francisco Javier Roca, ESPS Cantabria’s Commanding Officer, he stated that the Canadian contingent should not look upon themselves as onlookers or “riders”, but as a welcome addition to the Cantabria team. His goals for the exercise were parallel with ours – to fully integrate the Canadian team and conduct seamless replenishment operations within the task group. His crew, including Canadian sailors, took this direction to heart and accepted the challenge – no small feat when you consider the language and cultural differences between the personnel of the two navies. However, the challenge was not only accepted, but overcome, due in no small part to the enthusiasm shown by Canadian and Spanish sailors alike.

While there are some differences between the practices of the Canadian and Spanish navies, the main concept of operations is shared and many of the equivalent trades were able to discuss and exchange ideas on how we each carry out our tasks. As with most militaries today, secondary duties are the norm as bunk numbers decrease and the use of training hours must be maximized. ESPS Cantabria is no exception. For example, the supply officer on board doubles as the ship’s boarding officer and as the landing safety officer during helicopter operations.

Lieutenant-Commander Jason Walsh, our mission Officer in Command, guided us through the tough times and the rewarding times, ensuring interoperability was constantly the watchword of the day. Following direction from both Canadian leadership and ESPS Cantabria’s Commanding Officer, LCdr Walsh ensured that no opportunities were missed during RAS operations, damage control scenarios and daily routine.

Canadian sailors were employed as bridge watch keepers, helmsmen, RAS deck members and small boat operators. LCdr Cindy Hawkins, second-in-command of the mission, as well as head of the engineering sections, ensured that the embarked engineering personnel gathered information on all aspects of liquid cargo management, bunkering and fueling operations, as well as automated damage control systems. Ensuring marine engineers, marine electricians and hull technicians were swept up on all aspects of RAS operations, as well as routine maintenance required on the platform, was of critical importance.

Another facet of this fact-finding mission was to study the training requirements throughout the various trades. This duty was charged to Lieutenant (Navy) Chris White, representing the Naval Personnel Training Group, but involved all sailors studying the trade progression in each section, both technical and operational. Comparing notes with allies is a continuous process the RCN utilizes in order to ensure Canadian sailors maximize their training opportunities and to provide feedback as to how the RCN can move forward in developing future training for our sailors. The Spanish model, although slightly different than the progression plan that we know and understand, has many benefits that could be adapted within our Canadian training models.

One of the main goals for this current mission was to see the Spanish ship manned by Canadian sailors while fueling the Canadian-led task group. From RAS deck personnel to cage operators, as well as communicators and bridge watch keepers, the aim was to safely fill as many of the positions on board as possible with Canadian personnel during a RAS. This aim was accomplished, speaking volumes to the determination, drive and effort exerted by both Canadian and Spanish sailors throughout the exercise.

Afghanistan: NATO to ask Canada and Allies for More Money

Written by Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press - CTVNews

BRUSSELS -- NATO's future role in Afghanistan and how to fund the country's fledgling security forces is up for debate Tuesday among the military alliance's foreign ministers meeting.

It's expected they will approve an extended deployment of roughly 12,000 trainers and advisers to mirror a recent U.S. decision to extend its presence in the war-torn country past 2016.

The ministers, including Canada's Stephane Dion, are also being asked to approve a plan to raise $4 billion per year from the international community to fund Afghan security forces up to 2020. Canada no longer has training troops in Afghanistan.

Donor countries began paying the bills for Afghan troops and police following the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago and the Harper government made a $330 million commitment up to 2017.

"Supporting a stable Afghanistan is in the interest of our own security," Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg said at the opening of the meeting. "Afghanistan is important to NATO. We have been focused on Afghanistan for several years and we remain focused on Afghanistan."

Despite a nearly decade long NATO combat mission, which included the deaths of 158 Canadian soldiers, the Taliban and other extremist groups remain a persistent and lethal threat -- something that was evident a few weeks ago when the northern city of Kunduz fell to insurgents.

It was eventually recaptured by Afghan forces with the help of U.S. air support, but it raised fresh questions about the readiness of local forces to carry on the fight without western help.

The Obama administration recently reversed a plan to entirely withdraw American forces and the U.S. ambassador to NATO Doug Lute underlined on Monday that Washington expects allies to match the commitment to keep 10,000 troops in the country through next year.

A senior NATO official, speaking on background Tuesday, said the alliance's mission in Afghanistan is strictly an advisory and training commitment and no one anticipates a return to a combat mission.

The official described the effort to secure the initial round of commitments as "a demanding ask" for western countries that were still limping out of the global financial collapse.

The official conceded the upcoming request could also be challenging.

"This time around it will be a demanding ask again,"

"I hesitate to say whether in 2011 the global financial situation was more or less difficult than now, but we will again have to make the case for the connection between the security of Afghanistan and our own security. We will be making that argument in the coming months."

The current funding deal runs out in 2017 and it's unclear what the Trudeau government intends to do. Stoltenberg says Tuesday will mark the beginning of the campaign to raise funds.

OP PROVISION: CAF Aid in the Resettlement of Syrian Refugees

A Canadian Armed Forces CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft departed Trenton in the early morning on November 28 with equipment and personnel as part of OP PROVISION, the CAF’s support to the Government of Canada’s effort to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada.

Canadian Forces personnel deploying on Operation PROVISION will assist Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with the administrative processing of applications including medical screening and the collection of biometric data, as well as providing a military command and control element for Canadian Forces members.‎

Members of the CAF and the Government of Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Board Civil Servants on board a CC-177 Globemaster III en route to Jordan for OP PROVISION. Photo: CF Combat Camera

The Canadian Press wrote this article below about the situation:

A trickle of Syrian refugees seeking to leave Jordan flowed into Canada’s processing centre in Amman on Sunday, the first day of operations at what will eventually become the hub of much of the Syrian refugee resettlement program.

Ninety people were put through a multi-step process, some under the eye of three federal cabinet ministers who travelled to the Jordanian capital to see first hand how their plan to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada by the end of February actually looks.

“We have learned also there is positive things to report in terms of progress,” said Immigration Minister John McCallum as he stood in the cavernous military exhibition facility now being leased to Canada by the Jordanian government.

“The processing centre had its first day of operation today, that will ramp up over time and get more intense. We also heard the good news that exit permits are not an issue in Jordan, so that’s positive.”

McCallum was joined by Health Minister Jane Philpott and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. They flew to Amman late Saturday, spending the day meeting international aid and UN officials and Jordanian leaders on Sunday and then flying straight back to Ottawa.

Canadian reporters were not permitted to report on their visit until they left the country, for what officials said were security reasons, but both the UN and Jordan’s King Abudllah II posted word and photos of the trip on Twitter during the day.

Refugees whose cases are being processed at the Jordanian facility represent only some of the 15,000 Syrians the government is seeking to resettle itself. Applicants are being told to expect travel by the end of February, the deadline the government has set.

McCallum said it’s still an achievable goal.

“Let’s be optimistic,” he said.

Flights will depart from a civilian airport across the way from the centre carrying not just Syrians from Jordan, but also those from Lebanon.

But all the final details of how many and when are still being hammered out, he said.

“This being the first day there are a few kinks to work out and we also want to look at how to improve things,” he said.

An immigration official who briefed the ministers repeatedly noted how plans continued to change and develop, suggesting that while the centre’s goal is to process 500 people a day, that workload will be a challenge.

The reception point is ready, lined with rows upon rows of grey plastic chairs. The interview booths are set up with white tables and blue banquet chairs flecked with gold. The military has 10 biometric machines ready to go, though on day one only four were in operation.

But one key problem right now is capacity for medical screenings.

Officials are currently only scheduling medical appointments elsewhere until they can beef up availability of services on site. One option is getting the International Organization for Migration or the Red Cross to run clinics; the other is to have the military deploy a field hospital.

Privately-sponsored refugees — who make up the majority of the 10,000 people the government says it will resettle by year’s end — will not have their cases flow through the registration centre but are likely to depart on flights from the same airport. Those planes could begin leaving as soon as next week.

Those whose cases are being handled by the hundreds of Canadian civil servants and soldiers now in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, are refugees selected by the United Nations refugee agency from a pool the international body is actively looking to resettle. An estimated 4 million people have been declared refugees from the Syrian war.

Some will come from the Zaatari refugee camp, which the ministers visited earlier Sunday. They were briefed by the camp manager and aid organizations on the challenges at hand, including ensuring adequate water supplies and food for the camp’s 80,000 residents.

Philpott said she was struck by the scope of the issue.

“While obviously we’re all thinking about 25,000 who will come to Canada, we need to remember there are more than a million refugees living here in the country,” she said.

She’ll have a personal reminder to take back — both Philpott and Sajjan purchased paintings created by children at the camp.

The one Philpott chose was painted by a 13-year-old boy named Hamza and depicts a woman trudging up a set of stairs, with a yellow sun setting against a blood red sky.

On her back, a burden in the shape of Syria.

Philpott asked Hamza whom the woman represented, and he said no one in particular, just all women.

“Because women do carry countries on their backs,” Philipott said.

Many of the refugees Canada will resettle will be women, some alone, some heads of families.

The ministers observed several families being processed through the system Sunday, telling them through translators that Canada is excited to welcome them but didn’t have time to speak with them in depth.

One surprise confronting Canadians is that the families being referred by the UN are larger than expected. Rather than four or five people, it’s often eight or nine.

McCallum said he viewed that as a positive.

“I think given Canada’s aging population, not only are the children sweet-looking but they’re very good for Canada more generally speaking,” he said.

Since Nov. 4, 153 Syrian refugees have come and another 928 have been issued visas, according to the government.

(The article above was written by the Canadian Press)

Members of the Liberal Cabinet meet with UNICEF Staff at the Refugee Center in Jordan. Photo: CF Combat Camera

CAF Members Brief before deploying on OP PROVISION. CAF Members will aid Citizenship and Immigration Civil Servants in vetting Refugees before being granted access to Canada.  Photo: CF Combat Camera

Australian F-35 in Jeopardy? Senate to Vote on Program after Canada's Withdrawal

By Daniel Flitton 

A push to examine the wisdom of Australia's planned $24 billion fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - ranking as the nation's largest ever defence purchase - is underway in the Senate.

Greens defence spokesman Peter Whish-Wilson on Friday has urged the Senate's standing committee on foreign affairs and trade to inquire into the suitability of the stealth jet for Australia's strategic interests.

The move comes after the election last month of new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a promise to abandon plans to purchase the troubled fighter.

Officials from Australia's Defence Department told a Senate hearing a Canadian withdrawal from the F-35 project would not have a cost to Australia, only for US Air Force Lieutenant-General Chris Bogdan to soon afterwards estimate the price of each aircraft would likely increase by up to US$1 million.

"This is about the public's right to know how their money is being spent and if we are getting value for money," Senator Whish-Wilson said.

"I would like to see many of the criticisms levelled at this procurement answered by a wide range of experts and discussed in detail at this inquiry."

The F-35 project - which began as a collaboration between the US and eight other nations, including Australia - has been beset by delays, cost overruns and technical difficulties.

The latest concern is a pilot's neck could be snapped by the ejector seat on the warplane.

Australia was forced to purchase additional FA/18 Hornets in 2012 to cover a perceived gap after the expected F-35 delivery date was again delayed.

But in August the US marines announced the first combat ready F-35s would be deployed, and Britain last week committed to buy 24 of the jump-jet variety by 2023 to launch from aircraft carriers.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott was reported to have favoured Australia also acquiring the jump-jet variety of the jet, but this was abandoned in favour of the traditional take-off version.

Senator Whish-Wilson urged the Senate to examine the delays in acquiring the fighters and the cost of the program, and the "air defence needs that the aircraft is intended to fulfil". He also urged potential alternative jets to be considered.

A vote on the proposed inquiry will be held Monday.