Friday, September 8, 2017
Canadian Surface Combatant Update
Bidders on the Canadian Surface Combatant ships have been advised that the government will finalize the RFP in the coming weeks and will issue the final version in October, with a closing date in early November. While there is still potential for additional delay, it appears there is positive movement.
By July, only three of the 12 pre-qualified contenders had submitted draft bids for feedback.
A contract is expected to be awarded sometime in 2018.
Resolve Class iAOR Showcased in Halifax
Federal Fleet Services Press Release
The first Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship will be showcased at DEFSEC 2017 in Halifax tomorrow. Federal Fleet Services, which is managing the project, is a sister-company to Davie Shipbuilding. Federal Fleet is sponsoring the DEFSEC Atlantic conference prior to opening a major operations sub-center in the city, during the fall.
It is expected that the first Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship will initially home port from CFB Halifax from the end of this year where she will be used to ensure that the Royal Canadian Navy can sustain itself as a true blue-water navy and expeditionary force.
Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services commented "It's great to be here in Halifax where we are opening a new operations sub-center to manage Canada's next naval support ship from and where our teams will be working from. Tomorrow we will be giving participants at DEFSEC an insight into how Canada's largest, highest capacity and most experienced shipbuilder – Davie Shipbuilding in Québec – delivered this complex naval shipbuilding project on time and within budget. This program will have an enormous economic impact here in Halifax."
According to OMX, through the creation of the operations sub-center in Halifax, Federal Fleet Services will create 718 jobs annually in Nova Scotia and create over $1.8bn in total economic output and over the coming 10 years.
Alex Vicefield, Chairman of Davie Shipbuilding added "The Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship program is a testament to the fact that Canadian shipbuilders can, in fact, deliver programs on-time and to budget, if managed correctly. Having proven it can be done, we stand ready to assist the Canadian government in any way necessary to ensure the success of future shipbuilding programs. We also look forward to building a deeper connection between CFB Halifax and Québec City during the upcoming tender for the in-service support, repair, and maintenance of Canada's existing frigates. These are ships our teams are very familiar with having both built and refitted them."
Federal Fleet Services is part of the Inocea Group of Companies which also owns Davie Shipbuilding. Federal Fleet Services has been contracted to provide Naval Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy.
Chantier Davie is Canada's largest, highest capacity and most experienced shipbuilder. In 2015, Davie won the prestigious title of Lloyds List North American Shipyard of the Year. Over the past five-years, Davie has generated over $2B in economic benefit to Canada and directly and indirectly employs over 3,000 Canadians, including more than 1,400 who work at the shipyard in Levis, Québec. Davie has been Canada's shipbuilder and ship-repairer for every class of major naval platform over the past century. Today, Davie is an industry leader in icebreaking, LNG and dynamic positioning technologies as well as naval and other mission-critical shipbuilding. Davie is ISO 9001:2015 certified for Quality Assurance and ISO 14001:2015 for Environmental Management.
The first Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship will be showcased at DEFSEC 2017 in Halifax tomorrow. Federal Fleet Services, which is managing the project, is a sister-company to Davie Shipbuilding. Federal Fleet is sponsoring the DEFSEC Atlantic conference prior to opening a major operations sub-center in the city, during the fall.
It is expected that the first Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship will initially home port from CFB Halifax from the end of this year where she will be used to ensure that the Royal Canadian Navy can sustain itself as a true blue-water navy and expeditionary force.
Spencer Fraser, CEO of Federal Fleet Services commented "It's great to be here in Halifax where we are opening a new operations sub-center to manage Canada's next naval support ship from and where our teams will be working from. Tomorrow we will be giving participants at DEFSEC an insight into how Canada's largest, highest capacity and most experienced shipbuilder – Davie Shipbuilding in Québec – delivered this complex naval shipbuilding project on time and within budget. This program will have an enormous economic impact here in Halifax."
According to OMX, through the creation of the operations sub-center in Halifax, Federal Fleet Services will create 718 jobs annually in Nova Scotia and create over $1.8bn in total economic output and over the coming 10 years.
Alex Vicefield, Chairman of Davie Shipbuilding added "The Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship program is a testament to the fact that Canadian shipbuilders can, in fact, deliver programs on-time and to budget, if managed correctly. Having proven it can be done, we stand ready to assist the Canadian government in any way necessary to ensure the success of future shipbuilding programs. We also look forward to building a deeper connection between CFB Halifax and Québec City during the upcoming tender for the in-service support, repair, and maintenance of Canada's existing frigates. These are ships our teams are very familiar with having both built and refitted them."
Federal Fleet Services is part of the Inocea Group of Companies which also owns Davie Shipbuilding. Federal Fleet Services has been contracted to provide Naval Support Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy.
Chantier Davie is Canada's largest, highest capacity and most experienced shipbuilder. In 2015, Davie won the prestigious title of Lloyds List North American Shipyard of the Year. Over the past five-years, Davie has generated over $2B in economic benefit to Canada and directly and indirectly employs over 3,000 Canadians, including more than 1,400 who work at the shipyard in Levis, Québec. Davie has been Canada's shipbuilder and ship-repairer for every class of major naval platform over the past century. Today, Davie is an industry leader in icebreaking, LNG and dynamic positioning technologies as well as naval and other mission-critical shipbuilding. Davie is ISO 9001:2015 certified for Quality Assurance and ISO 14001:2015 for Environmental Management.
RCAF Looking at Australian F-18s as Alternative to Super Hornets
By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — It once appeared the Liberal government would almost certainly buy Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Co. — but it's now clear that other options are on the table.
Aside from the Super Hornets, the government are also pondering used jets and could even end up extending the lives of Canada's CF-18s as its dispute with Boeing continues to escalate.
Speaking to reporters in Kelowna, B.C., where Liberal MPs are meeting before the return of Parliament, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the government is actively looking at alternatives to the Super Hornets as an interim fighter.
"We had identified that the Super Hornets could potentially fill that gap, but ... Boeing has not been a partner, especially when it comes to dealing with our aerospace sector," Sajjan said Wednesday.
"So we are looking at other options."
Those alternatives include deploying a team of defence officials in the past few weeks to look at some of Australia's used F/A-18s, which the country is selling as it prepares to receive new F-35 stealth fighters.
Several retired air force officers say the F/A-18 is very similar to Canada's CF-18s, and buying the used planes from Australia would be much more cost effective than new Super Hornets.
"It's a far better idea than buying Super Hornets because you're at least conceptually using the same airframe," said former chief of defence staff Tom Lawson.
"If they are interested in addressing the short-term capability gap, then they may want to consider that, and it's a far, far better plan, far less expensive and far less interruptive than purchasing Super Hornets."
But Australia isn't the only option if the government is looking to strengthen Canada's CF-18 fleet on a temporary basis until they can be replaced in a full competition.
Kuwait is also looking to sell its used F/A-18s in favour of Super Hornets, while several allies will be getting rid of used F-16s and other fighter aircraft in the coming years as they are replaced by F-35s.
National Defence said officials have not visited any other countries, but it would not say whether there have been discussions about the availability of used aircraft.
Some experts have also suggested that with the U.S. Navy looking to keep many of its own F/A-18s flying past 2025, it might be time for Canada to consider extending the lives of its CF-18s again.
Officials have previously considered the option, but it was deemed too expensive because of the expected difficulty in finding parts — which would be less of a problem if the U.S. kept its jets flying.
Lisa Campbell, head of military procurement at Public Services and Procurement Canada, would not comment on specific options being considered.
"You can make sure we do our due diligence," she said in an interview. "We really do. We and the Department of National Defence. These are major purchases. They have big implications."
The Liberal government has not officially walked away from its plan to purchase interim Super Hornets, which it announced last November amid claims Canada didn't have enough fighter jets.
Campbell said officials are still waiting for the U.S. to say when the Super Hornets could be delivered, and at what cost.
The information was requested in March, and expected by the beginning of September, but it still hasn't materialized.
"We had submitted something that said: 'Here's the capability that we need, here's when we need it, here's the cost that we need it,'" Campbell said.
"We do expect a response back from them ... and we do expect that in the next couple of weeks."
Many defence insiders and industry representatives have circled Sept. 25 on their calendars as the make-or-break moment for interim Super Hornets.
That is when the U.S. Commerce Department will present the findings of its investigation — prompted by a complaint from Boeing — into whether Bombardier sold its CSeries passenger jets at an unfairly low price with help from federal subsidies.
An adverse finding could result in fines or tariffs being imposed on Bombardier, but could also prompt the Liberal government, which has criticized the investigation, to pull the plug on any deal with Boeing.
Boeing has said it won't drop its complaint to the U.S. Commerce Department because the case is important to its long-term prosperity.
During a frank phone call Tuesday with the governor of Missouri, where the Super Hornets are built, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in turn accused Boeing of receiving billions in subsidies.
Trudeau also noted of the number of Missouri jobs that depend on the jets, and the fact Canada is the state's largest trading partner.
OTTAWA — It once appeared the Liberal government would almost certainly buy Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Co. — but it's now clear that other options are on the table.
Aside from the Super Hornets, the government are also pondering used jets and could even end up extending the lives of Canada's CF-18s as its dispute with Boeing continues to escalate.
Speaking to reporters in Kelowna, B.C., where Liberal MPs are meeting before the return of Parliament, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the government is actively looking at alternatives to the Super Hornets as an interim fighter.
"We had identified that the Super Hornets could potentially fill that gap, but ... Boeing has not been a partner, especially when it comes to dealing with our aerospace sector," Sajjan said Wednesday.
"So we are looking at other options."
Those alternatives include deploying a team of defence officials in the past few weeks to look at some of Australia's used F/A-18s, which the country is selling as it prepares to receive new F-35 stealth fighters.
Several retired air force officers say the F/A-18 is very similar to Canada's CF-18s, and buying the used planes from Australia would be much more cost effective than new Super Hornets.
"It's a far better idea than buying Super Hornets because you're at least conceptually using the same airframe," said former chief of defence staff Tom Lawson.
"If they are interested in addressing the short-term capability gap, then they may want to consider that, and it's a far, far better plan, far less expensive and far less interruptive than purchasing Super Hornets."
But Australia isn't the only option if the government is looking to strengthen Canada's CF-18 fleet on a temporary basis until they can be replaced in a full competition.
Kuwait is also looking to sell its used F/A-18s in favour of Super Hornets, while several allies will be getting rid of used F-16s and other fighter aircraft in the coming years as they are replaced by F-35s.
National Defence said officials have not visited any other countries, but it would not say whether there have been discussions about the availability of used aircraft.
Some experts have also suggested that with the U.S. Navy looking to keep many of its own F/A-18s flying past 2025, it might be time for Canada to consider extending the lives of its CF-18s again.
Officials have previously considered the option, but it was deemed too expensive because of the expected difficulty in finding parts — which would be less of a problem if the U.S. kept its jets flying.
Lisa Campbell, head of military procurement at Public Services and Procurement Canada, would not comment on specific options being considered.
"You can make sure we do our due diligence," she said in an interview. "We really do. We and the Department of National Defence. These are major purchases. They have big implications."
The Liberal government has not officially walked away from its plan to purchase interim Super Hornets, which it announced last November amid claims Canada didn't have enough fighter jets.
Campbell said officials are still waiting for the U.S. to say when the Super Hornets could be delivered, and at what cost.
The information was requested in March, and expected by the beginning of September, but it still hasn't materialized.
"We had submitted something that said: 'Here's the capability that we need, here's when we need it, here's the cost that we need it,'" Campbell said.
"We do expect a response back from them ... and we do expect that in the next couple of weeks."
Many defence insiders and industry representatives have circled Sept. 25 on their calendars as the make-or-break moment for interim Super Hornets.
That is when the U.S. Commerce Department will present the findings of its investigation — prompted by a complaint from Boeing — into whether Bombardier sold its CSeries passenger jets at an unfairly low price with help from federal subsidies.
An adverse finding could result in fines or tariffs being imposed on Bombardier, but could also prompt the Liberal government, which has criticized the investigation, to pull the plug on any deal with Boeing.
Boeing has said it won't drop its complaint to the U.S. Commerce Department because the case is important to its long-term prosperity.
During a frank phone call Tuesday with the governor of Missouri, where the Super Hornets are built, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in turn accused Boeing of receiving billions in subsidies.
Trudeau also noted of the number of Missouri jobs that depend on the jets, and the fact Canada is the state's largest trading partner.
Is it time the Canadian Forces developed a full-service rapid response brigade?
By: Anthony Furey, Sun Media
The Canadian Forces should develop a new brigade that can take on sea, land and air roles all in one, a new paper recommends.
A tri-service rapid response brigade, as it’s called, would be a groundbreaking endeavour that rolls in all the current and traditional capabilities of the Canadian Forces as well as new measures like attack helicopters, drones (both armed and unarmed), cyber warfare specialists and more.
It would be built upon the current training models and performance levels of the Joint Task Force Two and the Special Operations Regiment.
“Canada neither needs nor can afford a large general service military,” the paper, Canada’s Defence Policy: Now Taking Off, argues in one section of a broader study of the latest defence policy review. “What it can develop and maintain are smaller units consisting of highly-trained personnel with multi-modal capability.”
The idea for the rapid response brigade came from speaking with senior NATO figures who said Canada’s allies would really benefit from us having such a capability, explained the report’s co-author Brian Hay, a retired major in the reserves and current vice-chair of the Mackenzie Institute, a national security think-tank.
“Many military conflicts today are going to be fought on a smaller unit basis,” Hay said in a phone interview. “We’ve got to have the capability of standing alone if they have to do so.”
While other countries have similar initiatives, the closest comparison is the U.S. Marine Corps. This new brigade could do a range of activities from disaster relief to fighting terrorism. “We’re trying to encourage broader thinking and outside-the-box approaches,” Hay added.
Canada’s defence policy review, announced by the government in June, pledged to increase defence spending to inch towards our NATO commitments as well as increase the head count of both the regular and reserve forces by the thousands.
But there was no plan that came close to this one. The current and former Canadian Forces members I spoke to were all supportive of the general idea.
One veteran who served tours in Afghanistan stressed we need to break away from the regimented system and move to more blended training and battleground operations.
A former platoon commander was enthusiastic but skeptical about the implementation due to what he called the Canadian military’s “institutional lethargy” and “lack of inertia that is profound even by federal government standards.”
This notion, that change at the military, when it even happens, does so at a snail’s pace is nothing new but an even bigger stumbling block for an ambitious project like this.
Spencer Fraser, a former military officer and defence industry executive who is currently CEO of Federal Fleet Services, said “the challenge we’ve always had in Canada is the elements have been piecemeal deployed.” One example he cites is when the army is deployed abroad but becomes part of a U.K. brigade.
“Canada can cobble together high readiness units ready to go — and very professional ones — but if we were told to put together a fighting brigade to go to the Korean Peninsula, we’d have a difficult time,” said Fraser.
The paper, also authored by Honorary Lt.-Col. Matthew Gaasenbeek III, acknowledged the logistical challenges — predicting it would take a decade to get this up and running in a non-wartime environment. That’s certainly no reason not to try, though. It’s an idea that should be seriously considered.
“We have an air force that’s an air force. An army that’s an army. A navy that’s a navy. And they support each other when they can,” said Hay. “But when you’re in a conflict, you’re in it together.”
The Canadian Forces should develop a new brigade that can take on sea, land and air roles all in one, a new paper recommends.
A tri-service rapid response brigade, as it’s called, would be a groundbreaking endeavour that rolls in all the current and traditional capabilities of the Canadian Forces as well as new measures like attack helicopters, drones (both armed and unarmed), cyber warfare specialists and more.
It would be built upon the current training models and performance levels of the Joint Task Force Two and the Special Operations Regiment.
“Canada neither needs nor can afford a large general service military,” the paper, Canada’s Defence Policy: Now Taking Off, argues in one section of a broader study of the latest defence policy review. “What it can develop and maintain are smaller units consisting of highly-trained personnel with multi-modal capability.”
The idea for the rapid response brigade came from speaking with senior NATO figures who said Canada’s allies would really benefit from us having such a capability, explained the report’s co-author Brian Hay, a retired major in the reserves and current vice-chair of the Mackenzie Institute, a national security think-tank.
“Many military conflicts today are going to be fought on a smaller unit basis,” Hay said in a phone interview. “We’ve got to have the capability of standing alone if they have to do so.”
While other countries have similar initiatives, the closest comparison is the U.S. Marine Corps. This new brigade could do a range of activities from disaster relief to fighting terrorism. “We’re trying to encourage broader thinking and outside-the-box approaches,” Hay added.
Canada’s defence policy review, announced by the government in June, pledged to increase defence spending to inch towards our NATO commitments as well as increase the head count of both the regular and reserve forces by the thousands.
But there was no plan that came close to this one. The current and former Canadian Forces members I spoke to were all supportive of the general idea.
One veteran who served tours in Afghanistan stressed we need to break away from the regimented system and move to more blended training and battleground operations.
A former platoon commander was enthusiastic but skeptical about the implementation due to what he called the Canadian military’s “institutional lethargy” and “lack of inertia that is profound even by federal government standards.”
This notion, that change at the military, when it even happens, does so at a snail’s pace is nothing new but an even bigger stumbling block for an ambitious project like this.
Spencer Fraser, a former military officer and defence industry executive who is currently CEO of Federal Fleet Services, said “the challenge we’ve always had in Canada is the elements have been piecemeal deployed.” One example he cites is when the army is deployed abroad but becomes part of a U.K. brigade.
“Canada can cobble together high readiness units ready to go — and very professional ones — but if we were told to put together a fighting brigade to go to the Korean Peninsula, we’d have a difficult time,” said Fraser.
The paper, also authored by Honorary Lt.-Col. Matthew Gaasenbeek III, acknowledged the logistical challenges — predicting it would take a decade to get this up and running in a non-wartime environment. That’s certainly no reason not to try, though. It’s an idea that should be seriously considered.
“We have an air force that’s an air force. An army that’s an army. A navy that’s a navy. And they support each other when they can,” said Hay. “But when you’re in a conflict, you’re in it together.”
RCAF Hoped to Buy Armed Drones before Getting Approval
By: David Pugliese, The National Post
Canada’s military went shopping for second-hand drones last year as it tried to fast-track its attempts to acquire a fleet of unmanned aircraft, but came away empty-handed — Canada’s allies weren’t keen to part with equipment that is increasingly seen as vital on the modern battlefield.
The Liberal government’s new defence strategy, released in June, called for the purchase of armed drones. But according to Department of National Defence documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian military was already trying to acquire the systems last year, even as the defence policy was still being developed.
The Canadian Forces asked companies about the availability of new and used drones and how fast they could be delivered. Canadian military attaches were also asked to see whether allied nations were willing to part with any of their unmanned aircraft.
RCAF spokesman Capt. Trevor Reid confirmed in an to the Citizen that Canada “approached our allies to identify any excess capacity to buy.”
“Based on the feedback received from allies, the project did not pursue that option further,” he said.
With the Liberal government’s approval, the military is now completing its analysis of various options on how to proceed.
The Canadian Forces hope to have new drones by 2021 and have the fleet fully operational by 2023. The cost of such a purchase is expected to be more than $1 billion.
There are a limited number of armed drones on the market that fit Canada’s needs, and in the past the military has expressed interest in the U.S.-built Predators.
Canada’s military went shopping for second-hand drones last year as it tried to fast-track its attempts to acquire a fleet of unmanned aircraft, but came away empty-handed — Canada’s allies weren’t keen to part with equipment that is increasingly seen as vital on the modern battlefield.
The Liberal government’s new defence strategy, released in June, called for the purchase of armed drones. But according to Department of National Defence documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian military was already trying to acquire the systems last year, even as the defence policy was still being developed.
The Canadian Forces asked companies about the availability of new and used drones and how fast they could be delivered. Canadian military attaches were also asked to see whether allied nations were willing to part with any of their unmanned aircraft.
 |
| A Predator drone. U.S. military officials have said they are flying from Cameroon unarmed Predator drones, an older model than the Reapers that operated in Ethiopia. Eric Gay/AFP/Getty Images |
RCAF spokesman Capt. Trevor Reid confirmed in an to the Citizen that Canada “approached our allies to identify any excess capacity to buy.”
“Based on the feedback received from allies, the project did not pursue that option further,” he said.
With the Liberal government’s approval, the military is now completing its analysis of various options on how to proceed.
The Canadian Forces hope to have new drones by 2021 and have the fleet fully operational by 2023. The cost of such a purchase is expected to be more than $1 billion.
There are a limited number of armed drones on the market that fit Canada’s needs, and in the past the military has expressed interest in the U.S.-built Predators.
 |
| An armed U.S. Predator unmanned drone (File Photo) |
During the Afghan war, the federal government approved the lease of Israeli-built drones from MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates in Richmond, B.C. Those unarmed aircraft operated out of Kandahar airfield. The Canadian Forces also previously operated unarmed French-built unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan.
Used-drone shopping isn’t the Canadian military’s only recent attempt to buy military equipment second-hand. To deal with what it says is a capability gap because of the country’s aging CF-18 fighter aircraft, the Canadian Forces is currently examining the purchase of second-hand fighter jets from Australia.
A Liberal government plan to buy new Super Hornets is in limbo after the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing, filed a trade complaint against Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier. Boeing claims Bombardier is unfairly subsidized by Canada and the complaint, lodged with the U.S. government, has touched off a feud between the American firm and the Canadian government, which has said it will not proceed with the purchase of new Boeing fighter jets until the trade dispute is resolved.
"I would prefer to buy brand new versus used, but we are currently in the process..." said Sajjan.
Canadian officials were in Australia last month to examine the potential for purchasing used F-18s.
“In light of Australia recently notifying all allies about their intent to dispose of their F-18 fleet, Canada visited them to inquire about the state of their equipment and spare parts,” Department of National Defence spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said Wednesday.
But Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan recently told aerospace executives that he is not keen on the purchase of second-hand fighters.
“I’d prefer to buy brand new versus used, but we are currently in the process, and we’ll make a decision to making sure that our members in the Canadian Armed Forces have the right tools necessary,” he said during an Aug. 11 defence and aerospace conference in Abbotsford, B.C.
The dispute with Boeing prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday to phone Eric Greitens, the governor of Missouri, to reiterate his disappointment with Boeing and point out the number of Missouri jobs that depend on the manufacturing of Super Hornets that Canada could purchase.
Boeing builds Super Hornets at its plant in St. Louis. It is believed that Trudeau is hoping the phone call would prompt Greitens to put pressure on Boeing.
Boeing officials, however, say they are not backing down. The company says the Canadian subsidies allow Bombardier to sell its C-Series passenger aircraft in the U.S. at discount prices.
Used-drone shopping isn’t the Canadian military’s only recent attempt to buy military equipment second-hand. To deal with what it says is a capability gap because of the country’s aging CF-18 fighter aircraft, the Canadian Forces is currently examining the purchase of second-hand fighter jets from Australia.
A Liberal government plan to buy new Super Hornets is in limbo after the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing, filed a trade complaint against Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier. Boeing claims Bombardier is unfairly subsidized by Canada and the complaint, lodged with the U.S. government, has touched off a feud between the American firm and the Canadian government, which has said it will not proceed with the purchase of new Boeing fighter jets until the trade dispute is resolved.
"I would prefer to buy brand new versus used, but we are currently in the process..." said Sajjan.
Canadian officials were in Australia last month to examine the potential for purchasing used F-18s.
“In light of Australia recently notifying all allies about their intent to dispose of their F-18 fleet, Canada visited them to inquire about the state of their equipment and spare parts,” Department of National Defence spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said Wednesday.
But Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan recently told aerospace executives that he is not keen on the purchase of second-hand fighters.
“I’d prefer to buy brand new versus used, but we are currently in the process, and we’ll make a decision to making sure that our members in the Canadian Armed Forces have the right tools necessary,” he said during an Aug. 11 defence and aerospace conference in Abbotsford, B.C.
The dispute with Boeing prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday to phone Eric Greitens, the governor of Missouri, to reiterate his disappointment with Boeing and point out the number of Missouri jobs that depend on the manufacturing of Super Hornets that Canada could purchase.
Boeing builds Super Hornets at its plant in St. Louis. It is believed that Trudeau is hoping the phone call would prompt Greitens to put pressure on Boeing.
Boeing officials, however, say they are not backing down. The company says the Canadian subsidies allow Bombardier to sell its C-Series passenger aircraft in the U.S. at discount prices.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
RCAF Dispatches Support for Hurricane Harvey
RCAF Press Release
A Royal Canadian Air Force CC130J Hercules departed 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario for Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, carrying humanitarian supplies from the Government of Canada to aid in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
In the wake of the hurricane, the Government of Canada offered to assist with relief efforts and the United States accepted this offer through its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The RCAF airlift is part of a Whole of Government response to the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey that has caused a mandatory evacuation of approximately 750,000 people with an additional 1.1 million people who are under a voluntary evacuation order along the Gulf Coast.
"Like all good neighbours, Canada and the United States are there for each other in times of crisis. Canadians can be proud that the Royal Canadian Air Force is well-suited to humanitarian missions at home and abroad thanks to its agility, flexibility and professionalism. The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to work with other departments in the Canadian government as well as our partners in the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be responsive to requests for aid as our American friends and neighbours recover from the horrors of Hurricane Harvey," said Harjit S. Sajjan, Defence Minister.
The relief supplies on this flight included baby formula, blankets, cribs, and similar items. Supplies will be sent to Lackland Air Force Base, near San Antonio, Texas.
A CC130J Hercules is being used to transport the supplies. This aircraft is well-suited to disaster relief operations and humanitarian missions. The CC130J Hercules is a four-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft with a rear cargo ramp and rugged landing gear. It is used for troop transport, tactical airlift (both palletized and vehicular cargo) and humanitarian missions. It has a maximum payload of 48,000 lbs / 21,772 kg.
Members of 8 Wing Trenton have diverse responsibilities, from delivering supplies to the Canadian Forces Station Alert in the high Arctic to airlifting troops, equipment, and humanitarian loads worldwide. They are adaptable and well-prepared to support disaster assistance missions throughout the world.
A Royal Canadian Air Force CC130J Hercules departed 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario for Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, carrying humanitarian supplies from the Government of Canada to aid in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
In the wake of the hurricane, the Government of Canada offered to assist with relief efforts and the United States accepted this offer through its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The RCAF airlift is part of a Whole of Government response to the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey that has caused a mandatory evacuation of approximately 750,000 people with an additional 1.1 million people who are under a voluntary evacuation order along the Gulf Coast.
"Like all good neighbours, Canada and the United States are there for each other in times of crisis. Canadians can be proud that the Royal Canadian Air Force is well-suited to humanitarian missions at home and abroad thanks to its agility, flexibility and professionalism. The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to work with other departments in the Canadian government as well as our partners in the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be responsive to requests for aid as our American friends and neighbours recover from the horrors of Hurricane Harvey," said Harjit S. Sajjan, Defence Minister.
The relief supplies on this flight included baby formula, blankets, cribs, and similar items. Supplies will be sent to Lackland Air Force Base, near San Antonio, Texas.
A CC130J Hercules is being used to transport the supplies. This aircraft is well-suited to disaster relief operations and humanitarian missions. The CC130J Hercules is a four-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft with a rear cargo ramp and rugged landing gear. It is used for troop transport, tactical airlift (both palletized and vehicular cargo) and humanitarian missions. It has a maximum payload of 48,000 lbs / 21,772 kg.
Members of 8 Wing Trenton have diverse responsibilities, from delivering supplies to the Canadian Forces Station Alert in the high Arctic to airlifting troops, equipment, and humanitarian loads worldwide. They are adaptable and well-prepared to support disaster assistance missions throughout the world.
HMCS St. John's on Stand-By for Irma Relief
The Canadian Forces says it is ready if called upon by the Canadian government to respond to any relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
“The Canadian Armed Forces remains on high alert and monitors the situation closely,” said Department of National Defence spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier. “As a precautionary measure, the CAF has identified Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship ST. JOHN’S to be ready to support any potential relief efforts, should they be directed by the Government of Canada.”
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