OVERCOMING COVID-19: HOW RHEINMETALL CANADA HAS PERSISTED IN THE FACE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

By Tamara Condie

Rheinmetall Canada has been in existence for more than 30 years and is essentially a system integrator, developing unique solutions to satisfy unique client challenges. Relying on the exceptional adeptness of its 350 employees, the company has managed to face the pandemic challenges head on and with great success. That being said, Alain Tremblay, current Vice-president of Business Development and Innovation for Rheinmetall Canada, explains in an interview how the organization has adjusted to and conquered the obstacles presented by COVID-19. 

Tremblay’s former experience as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for more than three decades has equipped him to provide guidance to multiple product development and innovation initiatives launched by Rheinmetall Canada. The organization is on a steady growth path, in synchronization with the strategy established by its current President and CEO, Stéphane Oehrli. As a part of this vision, Rheinmetall Canada has recently acquired an Ottawa-based company by the name of Provectus Robotics Solutions. PRS is an advanced robotic system design, integration, and control provider. 

In the face of the unprecedented global pandemic that currently prevails, Rheinmetall Canada has remained vigilant and determined to honor its primary objective of maintaining job security. As a result of Rheinmetall Canada’s early adoption of measures and aggressive work-from-home protocols to protect them, the company’s employees have been able to continue to work and make a living safely under the restrictions that have been imposed by COVID-19. Although in-person operations have been halted for the time being, company employees have been amply accommodated to produce working orders, which is a notable accomplishment in such a specialized and dynamic workforce. 

“So far we have been able to keep a smile on our faces as much as we can behind a mask. ” — Alain Tremblay

The cessation of in-person operations at Rheinmetall Canada has led to an increase in the conceptualization of new technologies. The company’s key products include digitized soldier systems, critical infrastructure protection solutions, unmanned ground vehicles, remotely operated weapon stations, and air start units —a novel addition to its portfolio. This product was developed by a European sister company and its technology recently transferred to Canada for worldwide supply. A proven product already fielded with numerous civilian and military clients, it is already contributing to Rheinmetall Canada’s growth strategy.

According to Mr. Tremblay, becoming successful in the South-East Asian market became part of the company’s strategy three years ago; it led to Rheinmetall Canada opening a small office in Singapore. Recently, the company was able to secure two initial contracts in that region: one for remotely operated stations to be mounted on armoured vehicles, the other related to digitized soldier systems. These contracts were sealed in late 2019 and are now being executed. 

In these trying times, Rheinmetall Canada remains innovative and close to clients’ requirements. It listens to the needs of potential users to come up with solutions to address their challenges. The company is also striving to have different autonomous platforms to offer to clients by late this year or early next year. W

“ It is a part of our DNA to remain client-centric. This has paid off not only as a strategy, but as a way of thinking. ” — Alain Tremblay

INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO COVID-19: How Babcock has continued to deliver vital services in this time of uncertainty

By Newell Durnbrooke

Over the past several months, many companies have been tirelessly working to navigate the new challenges presented since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Babcock Canada is no exception. They have continued to deliver across all of the sectors they support in Canada, including civil aviation and nuclear energy, as well as vital programs such as the Victoria-Class In-Service Support Contract (VISSC).The company has also maintained a focus on introducing new innovations to market, while keeping the safety of their employees, customers and communities a top priority.

WORKING THROUGH COVID-19

At the onset of the pandemic, Babcock was quick to implement numerous proactive and precautionary steps to protect their frontline support teams. Through the support of their COVID-19 steering committee and risk management team, the company has worked tirelessly to monitor the changing environment and ensure compliance with local public health guidance. Non-essential work was shifted from onsite to remote working, with the help of their IT department who seamlessly supported the change without interruptions. Furthermore, Babcock immediately focused on providing their employees with flexible hours to meet the demands of working from home and additional mental health resources for those in need. As the company adjusted to this new environment, they have been closely monitoring the dynamic situation caused by COVID-19 and focussing on their business continuity plans, which have enabled the management of evolving developments related to COVID-19. Babcock has demonstrated their preparedness, having rolled out plans to ensure the continued safe operation of their facilities.

Babcock provides essential services across Canada. Their customers, and the communities where they operate, depend on the company to safely and reliably provide vital emergency medical services and aerial wildfire suppression services, as well as critical maintenance and repair of strategic assets such as Canada’s submarines. Throughout the pandemic, Babcock has continued to deliver, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the people they serve. So much is regularly changing in this new environment, but the dynamic and flexible skills of each of their teams have contributed to their continuing success. Babcock has ensured that they are prepared, under any circumstances.

DELIVERING ON VISSC

Over the lifetime of the VISSC program, Babcock has continued to deliver through their considerable expertise and global experience. With over 4 million hours working on the Victoria-class submarines and almost two billion dollars in GDP impact to date, Babcock continues to support the further growth of Canada’s domestic industrial Naval ISS capability. The company and its partners have also placed a high importance on creating and maintaining over 1,000 highly skilled engineering, program management, scientific and technical jobs.

So much of this work is made possible by the dedicated commitment of Seaspan and BMT, who have been working with Babcock Canada since the inception of the VISSC contract. This incredible partnership has helped shape the ISS capabilities Canada has now come to rely on, and are committed to continuing to work together to deliver world-class submarine sustainment support now and into the future.

AERIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES

Throughout the pandemic, Babcock’s aerial firefighting and emergency medical services teams have continued to operate without disruption. The company has put many precautions in place to ensure safe service, and have deployed their aerial firefighting crews regularly over the past few months. In addition to their work in Manitoba, the crews have been supporting many other provinces in their wildfire suppression efforts. Additionally, in partnership with the Province of Manitoba, Babcock delivers on the safe transportation and specialized medical care that are the cornerstones of Babcock’s patient focused EMS operations. W

Boeing Strengthens Canadian Aerospace, New Data Reveals

By Jennifer Seidman, International Strategic Partnerships, Boeing

When Boeing and Canada made aviation history more than 100 years ago with a single airmail delivery flight, few would have imagined the billions of dollars in aerospace growth and development it would bring. A new economics study reveals that the investment and growth for Canada workers and industry is accelerating to record levels. 

“Every time a Boeing jet flies, it does so with a large number of parts made in Canada by Canadians,” said Rick Clayton, economist at Ottawa-based Doyletech Corp. “Boeing contributes to Canada from coast to coast to coast, and it’s time this story was told. Boeing represents the kind of global industrial partner and champion Canada needs.”

In March 1919, as the feature of an exposition, William “Bill” Boeing and pilot Eddie Hubbard flew 60 letters from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seattle, Washington, in Boeing’s C-700 seaplane. It was the first international airmail flight. Since then, Canada has become a customer, a supplier and a partner to Boeing in both the defence and commercial sectors. 

Numbers Tell the Story

Five years ago, Boeing retained Doyletech to track Boeing’s impact in Canada. Doyletech’s analysis focused on more than just Boeing’s economic impact in Canada. It also analyzed Boeing’s regional impacts; technology innovation; exports; and use of highly qualified personnel. Doyletech also measured how Boeing is an “Agile Producer,” an important factor as it is the mainspring for why Canada benefits so much from Boeing’s work in Canada.

“The numbers tell the story,” Clayton said. He explained that it was important to start with a baseline of data. The foundation is the work and analysis completed in the first report. In 2015, Boeing directly spent about CDN $2.0 billion in Canada, one of the highest amounts of any aerospace company headquartered outside the country. This total included more than CDN $400 million for output from Boeing’s Winnipeg plant, as well as purchases elsewhere across Canada for parts that went to Boeing assembly plants in the United States. 

About 95 percent of the total value was exported from Canada to the United States or other countries. “Offshore purchasers are largely paying for those Canadian jobs,” Clayton said. “But it didn’t stop there as ‘indirect and induced’ effects kicked in as Boeing’s spending reverberated around the Canadian and regional economies.” Taking those effects into account, the total economic impact in 2015 was CDN $3.9 billion, supporting 17,500 jobs. 

Faster and Higher

The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III on offer to the Royal Canadian Air Force as part of the Future Fighter Capability Project.

“While the 2015 analysis was an important snapshot of how Canada’s aerospace industry was benefitting from Boeing’s partnerships and investments, it is important to follow the trends over many years,” Clayton explained. As a result, Boeing asked Doyletech to do a complete review based on 2019 data. 

Just released, the new report reveals that Boeing’s direct spending soared to CDN $2.3 billion, a dramatic 15 percent increase in four years. When the indirect and induced effects are calculated, this amount more than doubles to CDN $5.3 billion, with 20,700 jobs. “These are high-quality, high-productivity jobs,” Clayton explained. 

On average, each worker in Canada currently contributes about CDN $90,000 to GDP annually. The aerospace sector does considerably better: in 2016, each worker contributed about CDN $134,000 to GDP. But Boeing’s contribution is significantly higher even than that: a CDN $255,000 contribution to GDP per worker. This growth is much faster than that of the Canadian economy as a whole.

Canadian Innovation

Canada’s aerospace growth is not just about the dollar value. Thanks to years of growing partnerships with Boeing, Canada is known as a global leader in composite materials research and development. 

These materials are growing in use all over the world, thanks to their extraordinary strength. Applications range from airframe components to Formula 1 racing cars. “This is exactly the way an organized Canadian research effort is supposed to look,” Clayton said. “Canadian opportunity is transformed into Canadian technology which is transformed into Canadian leadership and excellence.”

Promises Made, Promises Kept

Boeing investment in Canada goes far beyond the supply chain as the company has delivered on billions of dollars in Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) obligations dating back more than 25 years. The work started with the sale of the F/A-18s in the mid-1980s and progressed through more recent obligations including acquisition of, and sustainment work on the C-17 Globemaster and the CH-47F Chinooks, in order to meet Canada’s domestic and international missions. Other projects focused on Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Wideband Satcom Satellites.

Investment Opportunity for Canada

Expanding upon the more than 100-year history of partnership between Canada and Boeing is just one piece of the puzzle. As the Canadian government evaluates its future fighter, it is clear the Boeing Super Hornet is the only platform with predictable, affordable lifecycle costs. The costs are the lowest among current U.S.-made tactical aircraft, confirmed by the U.S. Government.  

“Considering the operation and sustainment of an aircraft represents approximately 75 percent of its total lifecycle cost, the opportunity to minimize these expenses is critical to ensure the long-term sustainability of the program and continued benefit to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Canadian taxpayers,” said Jim Barnes, director of Boeing fighter programs in Canada.

With the Legacy Hornet already in its fleet, the RCAF can utilize existing physical and intellectual infrastructure, reduce aircrew and maintenance training, and leverage other support aircraft already in use today – like air refueling tankers. These infrastructure reuse opportunities, combined with an active production line, ensure a timely delivery to the RCAF, and a quicker introduction to operations than the other competitors, Barnes said.

Uniquely Suited for the RCAF Mission

Reaching full operational capability with the U.S. Navy in 2025, the Block III Super Hornet delivers next-generation upgrades that include enhanced network capability and processor, longer range, unrivaled payload flexibility, reduced radar signature, an advanced cockpit system, enhanced communications system, as well as an increased airframe life that extends out to 10,000 hours.

Uniquely suited for the North American Aerospace Defense Command mission, the twin-engine Block III Super Hornet is able to operate in the harshest environments and perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum. Its shorter landing and takeoff distances also make it a great fit for the dispersed operating environment in Canada’s north. 

And with no set retirement date for the U.S. Navy, the Super Hornet’s robust capability insertion plan will help keep the RCAF tactically relevant for decades to come.

Babcocks's Diversified Support: From Undersea Platforms to Aircraft Operations Across Canada

By Marie Bergsma

It’s made clear that the people who work at Babcock are passionate about Canada, as Matthew Crawley, Vice President of Commercial, talked excitedly about how they are able to leverage their “global expertise in order to support the development of made-in-Canada solutions”. They are also pleased to have worked in partnership the Royal Canadian Navy, the Federal Government and their private sector partners to grow and strengthen Canada’s strategic industrial capability for submarine sustainment. 

Babcock was first awarded the Victoria In-Service Support Contract (VISSC) in 2008, and leveraging their extensive knowledge of submarine sustainment, are tasked with delivering Program Management, Records Support, Engineering Support, Materiel & Logistics Support and Maintenance Support Services. This contract has enabled Canada to transition from what was primarily an overseas support network for arguably one of the most complex assets in the world, to a strong and sustainable domestic capability that supports and maintains our own submarine fleet. Babcock has led this increase in Canadian content of VISSC from 40% to over 85%, and continues to foster and grow in-country support wherever possible. 

Matthew Crawley is the Vice President of Commercial at Babcock Canada

In delivering VISSC, Babcock has supported contributions to the Canadian GDP of $1.8 billion. They help sustain over 2,000 direct and indirect Canadian jobs every year and have built a highly effective domestic supply chain with over 330 suppliers across the country. Here in Canada, Babcock also takes full advantage of its operations and capabilities providing support to 21 subsurface vessels around the world, enabling the Victoria Class Submarines to fully leverage Babcock’s unique depth & breadth of expertise in delivering complex submarine through-life support. 

In looking to the future, Babcock are firm believers in working in partnership with organizations large and small, and believe operational success will be enabled in large part through collaboration with those having key skills and capabilities. They are an avid supporter of small businesses, entrepreneurs and academia, and are actively engaged with Indigenous communities. They also are an active member and supporter of the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business, participating in the organization’s Progressive Aboriginal Relations program. One recent example of their community engagement is their support to the First Nations Technical Institute, a flight school in Tyendinaga that supports 175 First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities with skills development and pilot training.

Under VISSC’s Industrial Technological Benefits program and through the Babcock-sponsored Interaction Lab at Camosun College, Babcock has invested in and partnered with the “Camosun Innovates” program. This program provides access to a sophisticated suite of intellectual property, technology and manufacturing assets with the goal of driving innovation, creating effective business solutions and spearheading beneficial social advancements. Supporting this type of program is just one way Babcock hopes to aid the growth and enhancement of Canada’s industrial base. Under the Federal Government’s ITB Policy, almost 50 academic and research organizations benefit from innovation and skills development investment by defence contracted companies like Babcock. 

In fulfilling their In Service Support contract for the RCN, Babcock sustains 2000 direct and indirect jobs across Canada

Of course, the fundamental requirement of VISSC is to support delivery of safe, capable platforms for Canada. HMCS Corner Brook will soon complete her Extended Docking Work Period (EDWP), where a number of significant upgrades and maintenance activities have been completed. Completion of this EDWP will deliver back to Canada one of the most capable conventional submarine platforms in the world. HMCS Chicoutimi is next in line to undergo a maintenance period. Babcock and its partners are already fully engaged in the planning phase in anticipation of the dry docking later this year.
The significant efforts of the entire sustainment enterprise in helping to maintain HMCS Chicoutimi since entering service with Canada is paying off and early indications suggest the upcoming maintenance period will be one of the most successful seen on the Victoria Class.

VISSC will soon evolve to a new contracting model, VISSC II, ensuring the Victoria Class Submarines take full advantage of the lessons and experiences under VISSC and are further enabled through to end of life. VISSC II will fall under the Defence Sustainment Initiative and will continue to focus on the key sustainment principles of performance, value for money, flexibility and economic benefits, ensuring Canada receives the best possible support solution.

When it comes to Innovation & Technology, Babcock has a significant legacy in developing and applying new techniques and technologies in support of its customers and business operations. Matthew Crawley highlighted iSupport360 for example; Babcock’s own approach to the integration of next level technology to create valuable information for the management of critical assets. By combining Babcock’s expertise with unique insights across the support enterprise, iSupport360 enables personnel from across the enterprise to see better visualize the effectiveness of any asset such as; a ship, a submarine or critical infrastructure. By processing significant amounts of data gathered from previously constrained sources such as onboard sensors, maintenance logs, and logistical information, iSupport360 enhances the ability of maintainers and operators to make informed decisions by delivering an improved understanding of asset performance and material condition and addresses key aspects of asset maintenance and engineering.

iSupport360 is already deployed in Canada in support of Babcock’s Canadian customers and in the coming months, further exciting advancements are planned to help deliver even greater decision-making support to those tasked with ensuring safe, capable delivery of critical and complex services.

Babcock is also involved in Canada’s aviation industry with plans to bid on the Future Aircrew Training Program

Babcock is also involved in supporting Canada’s aviation industry and is currently one of the qualified bidders for the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program. The winning bid will be selected by the Federal Government in 2022. Babcock has a lot to bring to this program, with a large global experience in 14 different countries working with programs similar to FAcT. In France, the FOMEDEC flying program logs over 11,500 flying hours per year delivered by a domestic workforce. Similar to their VISSC program, Babcock’s work on FAcT would focus on supporting Indigenous and small business suppliers while developing a domestic supply chain. 

Currently, Babcock is also involved in aerial firefighting and emergency medical services. In Manitoba, they were awarded the Wildfire Suppression Services Contract in November of 2018. They maintain and operate the province’s fleet of CL-215 and CL-415 water bombers, as well as their three Babcock-owned Twin Commander bird-dog aircraft. The bird-dog aircraft act as a mobile air traffic controllers, directing water bombers to sources of water, which they then use to attack and extinguish wildfires. During the wildfire season of 2019, Babcock completed 364 missions and dropped over 25 million litres of water on fires. They were able to maintain their aircraft at 99.7% availability. During the winter months, the aircraft undergo maintenance and repair at the Winnipeg centre of operations in preparation for the next firefighting season. 

They also have a contract with Manitoba as of June 2019 to provide Critical Air Ambulance services, with 440 missions completed so far. They have also been granted an Approved Maintenance Organization Certification from Transport Canada, which enables them to provide end-to-end maintenance on specific types of aircraft, such as the Canadair CL-215 and CL-415.

CANSOFCOM: Next Generation Fighting Vehicle – DEW Engineering Teams with Supacat

by Greg Burton, DEW Engineering

In July 2019, the Department of National Defence (DND) announced the intention to procure approximately 55 to 75 Next Generation Fighting Vehicles (NGFV) to replace the existing High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). The HMMWV are used by the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) for expeditionary operations.

Formal industry engagement commenced with a Letter of Interest (LOI) and Request for Information (RFI) about the High Level Mandatory Requirements (HLMR) that had been developed for the new NGFV. The HLMR categories included survivability, lethality, mobility, electrical architecture, durability and sustainability, transportability, interoperability and reliability.

To augment the information requested in the RFI, a voluntary Industry Vehicle Demonstration was offered for industry to present their vehicles in an interactive environment with DND. Vehicles participating in the demonstration were expected to best meet the HLMR, being mature and of high technology readiness.

The demonstration took place at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario between October and November. Information gleaned during this industry engagement should enable DND to refine and finalize requirements and support concepts, and complete definition activities sooner than planned, accelerating the schedule for delivery to the troops.

DEW Engineering and Development (DEW) of Ottawa, Ontario and Miramichi, New Brunswick has been following the NGFV program since its inception in the early 2010s. DEW has a long history of successfully bidding on Canadian armoured and logistics vehicle programs, either as prime or as team member.

Previous DEW work on armoured vehicles includes the Armoured Vehicle General Purpose (AVGP) Depot Level Inspection and Repair (DLIR), the Leopard 1 Thermal Weapon Sight and turret rebuild, the M113 Life Extension and the Wheeled Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) Life Extension.

Logistics truck completions include the Medium Logistics Vehicle Wheeled (MLVW), the Light Support Vehicle Wheeled (LSVW), and most recently, the Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Militarized Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (MilCOTS).

DEW also has a long history of developing, testing and manufacturing ballistic and blast armour for armoured and logistics vehicles. Virtually every legacy vehicle type in the Canadian Army has been equipped with DEW armour since 1994.

Today, DEW is the largest manufacturer of composite armour in North America, supplying armour to General Dynamics Land Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada for all US Army Stryker vehicles, RG31 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, and other international customers. DEW also supplies all door armour to the Ford Motor Company for its pursuit rated police cars in North America.

Unveiled at DSEi 2019 in London, England, the Supacat High Mobility Transporter (HMT) Mk2 Extenda offers a step change in capability and payload capacity. It can be modularised between a 6x6 and 4x4 variant in under three-hours to meet changing environmental demands.

DEW armour has saved the lives of countless Canadian, US and allied soldiers and police officers. With this responsibility in mind, DEW President, Ian Marsh said, “We looked for a partner for the NGFV program that had a history of designing, building and delivering superior Special Forces vehicles. In Supacat, from Devon, England we found the right firm.” Supacat’s High Mobility Transporter (HMT) is a world class expeditionary vehicle with exceptional off road performance. In particular, its air bag suspension provides a very stable firing platform, and significantly lowers user fatigue, enabling operators to arrive ‘fit to fight’ at their objective.

Since the early 1980s, Supacat has designed a family of modular, high mobility vehicles that can be tailored to meet customer requirements. Over 1000 Supacat vehicles have been procured by the world’s premier Special Forces including the UK, USA, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand and Norway. Director and Head of Supacat, Phil Applegarth says, “The HMT is often quoted as the Special Forces vehicle of choice and is in service with four of the Five Eyes nations.” Indeed, Supacat has been following the Canadian NGFV program, and is keen to close the Five Eyes interoperability loop.

The name High Mobility Transporter may sound innocuous, but its key missions are Direct Action in support of Counter Terrorism, High Value Task operations and conventional warfare. The HMT is designed to transport personnel and equipment into operational zones, including directly onto objectives and to support the exit of other assets. The HMT is robust and well-protected, enabling long range and enhanced mission duration, highlighting the payload and self-sustainability of the patrol. It provides the crew with various options for engaging adversaries without dismounting from the protection of the vehicle. 

For the NGFV program, the DEW Supacat team will offer the new HMT Extenda Mk2, which was unveiled during the DSEI 2019 trade show in London, England. This vehicle has the unique feature of being convertible between 4x4 and 6x6 within hours, by adding or removing a 3rd axle module. This capability offers users with incredible flexibility to reconfigure the vehicle to meet different operational requirements and environments.

The HMT can be fitted with NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture to enable the integration of a wide variety of mission systems, including Remote Weapon System, Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance systems, and C4 systems. It is also a superb joint fires effects vehicle.

Of course, the HMT is air portable and has been certified by a number of user nations with different aircraft. Unlike many other military vehicles, the HMT can meet the homologation standards, allowing it to be driven on all roads without restriction which reduces logistics burden and cost. Because of its modularity, the users can select between open or closed cabs, different levels of protection, seating layouts and payload configurations, not to mention weapon systems.

According to Applegarth, “The HMT is ITAR free, and can be supported by the Supacat global supply network which includes our Canadian teammate DEW Engineering.” Supacat undertook a rigorous program of trials to verify the performance of the HMT Extenda. It successfully completed two 12,500km tours of Australia in 2 weeks in order to verify reliability and performance over long distances. 

“The innovations found in the HMT Extenda deliver increased capability, payload and performance. In feedback from our users, the vehicle’s performance and capability exceeded their expectations and enabled a wider range of tactical options. Mission success was achieved through enhanced terrain access and protection. They were able to do things they had previously thought were not possible,” said Applegarth. Although the Industry Vehicle Demonstration in Petawawa was not the same as the Australia trials, the HMT Extenda did amply demonstrate its mobility to Canadian troops over a broad sampling of terrains and weather conditions.

DEW’s Marsh said, “I have no doubt there will be stiff competition to win NGFV, but I am confident that the DEW Supacat team have a winning next generation fighting vehicle.”

Conference of Defence Associations: 2020 Annual Conference on Security & Defence (March 4 – 5)

By Scott Taylor

For more photos: CLICK HERE

This year’s CDA conference once again took place in the landmark Chateau Laurier in Canada’s capital. The announced theme was the somewhat awkward hockey analogy Stickhandling Through Roughing and Interference: How to Position Canada in the Great Power Plays. The lineup of speakers included senior military officers from Canada, USA, UK, and France along with a number of internationally recognized experts in the fields of security and defence. The three major themes were; that Russia and China are immediate threats, we are already at war in cyber space, and that the West holds the moral high ground because we are part of a ‘Rules Based International Order’. 

Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance gave the closing speech on the first day. Vance advised the audience that the Canadian Armed Forces are already in a pre-pandemic planning phase to deal with the COVID19 corona virus. In response to a question, Vance said that achieving an annual defence budget of two percent of Canada’s GDP is not something which concerns him. Prior to the close of day cocktail reception the CDA presented the Nichola Goddard award to Sergeant Leslie Blair. This trophy is awarded annually to a female who has made a significant contribution to Canada’s defence. 

Day two of the conference featured a lengthy panel with Canada’s ADM Materiel Troy Crosby and his American counterpart the Honourable Ellen Lord, Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisitions and Sustainment. Vice Admiral Haydn Edmundson, Chief of Military Personnel (CMP) also led a panel on the challenges of recruiting in today’s social climate.

Esprit de Corps was the media sponsor for this year’s conference. Other notable sponsors included: ADGA, IBM, KPMG, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Logistik, MaxSys, Raytheon, DND and MINDS.

Creating MaxSys: From Infantry Officer to a Captain of Industry, Bryan Brulotte has never lost his passion for the Canadian military

By Scott Taylor

It is not a stretch to state that Bryan Brulotte was born into a career affiliation with the Canadian Armed Forces. His father served in the regular army as a non-commissioned officer, rising to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer.

Following in his father’s combat boots, Brulotte joined the Army Cadets at the impressionable age of 13. From his first parade night as a member of the Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) Brulotte was hooked on the notion of a lifetime in uniform. 

Four years later in 1982, Brulotte enrolled in the prestigious College Miltiare Royal in St. Jean sur Richelieu, Quebec. 

Brulotte participates in Number 1 Rifle Company, GGFG annual winter exercise CFB Farnham, Que, 2012

He thrived within the military structure of this academic institution, topping the grueling phase-three infantry training component and graduating as the Cadet Wing Commander. 

In 1987, this 22 year old newly minted Second Lieutenant was offered his choice of posting and Brulotte jumped at the opportunity to command a platoon with the 1st Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment (Vandoos).

This unit was stationed in Lahr, West Germany at the time and this posting allowed Brulotte to successfully complete the French Army Commando course as well as conduct airborne operations with both the British and German armies. 

It also offered Brulotte a front row seat to history when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, effectively signaling the end of the Cold War. 

From 1990-1992 Brulotte served as an aide-de-camp for the Governor-General at Rideau Hall. This high profile posting meant Brulotte was almost constantly travelling both domestically and internationally and of course circling within the same orbit as heads of state and world leaders.  

When his two-year tour at Rideau Hall ended, Brulotte returned to the Vandoos at CFB Val Cartier. As officer commanding the third battalion’s reconnaissance platoon, Brulotte completed a seven-month deployment to Cyprus as a U.N peacekeeper. 

In April 1993, Brulotte concluded his regular force career when he accepted the position as Deputy Chief of Staff for Paul Dick who was then Cabinet-Minister for Public Works and Government Services. 

Honorary Co-Chair Bryan Brulotte presents a cheque at the Royal 22eme Regiment Fundraising Ball, Quebec City, 2018

Although he was now stepping into the arena of Canadian federal politics, Brulotte did not hang up his commission scroll for good. He remained on what was then known as the Supplementary Reserve list. While this lofty title might sound good, it actually required little more than showing up in uniform once annually to collect a token payment. Nonetheless, while it might have only been one day a year – Brulotte was still technically a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The lessons that Brulotte had learned during his military training had set him up well for the transition to his civvy job on Parliament Hill, but he soon learned a powerful lesson about Canadian politics. In October 1993, the Progressive Conversative Party under the leadership of Prime-Minister Kim Campbell were completely destroyed at the polls. 

Paul Dick lost his seat and Brulotte lost his job.

At that juncture Brulotte made the decision to become an entrepreneur and he founded a company – Human Resources International (HRI) to help other people find jobs. It was a humble origin with Brulotte working a one man operation out of the basement in his Orleans home. 

The internet was in its infancy in 1993 and HRI relied on an old tape recorded answering machine and a thermal paper fax machine. The prime source of research for Brulotte was the old government listing phone book and he would literally make 100 cold calls a day soliciting employees and potential employers alike as he worked his way alphabetically from the ‘A’s’ to the ‘Z’s’ of that directory. 

To cut out the expense of parking Brulotte found a free spot near the Museum of Nature from where he could walk into the downtown core. He possessed two suits – one blue, one grey – which he took care to alternate. Nevertheless, in the course of walking the streets of Ottawa, pounding on doors Brulotte not only wore the soles off his military issued dress shoes; he also wore out the crotches of his two suit pants. 

In 1997, Brulotte incorporated the company and changed the name to MaxSys. Four years later he moved into the 3500 square-foot office which still serves as his national headquarters located just outside Ottawa’s Byward market. There are now a total of 14 MaxSys offices nationwide and they currently place approximately 14,000 personnel into jobs every year, The modest first year billing of $2 million has since ballooned into annual sales of over $100 million. Across Canada Brulotte now has 88 full-time MaxSys employees with around 30 of those based in the national capital.

To manage this empire Brulotte is travelling at least two days every week, which allows him to site visit his far flung regional offices on average every 4-5 weeks. 

: Gunner Murphy, First Field Artillery (RCA)

receives the MaxSys Academic Bursary Presentation

Halifax Nova Scotia, 2019

Still, the path to MaxSys current success was not without a few bumps along the way. From 2005 to 2008 Brulotte tried to organically grow his company by expanding into Toronto, Montreal and Ogdensburg, New York. These expansion operations struggled initially and then were dealt a mortal blow when the world economic crisis hit in 2008. 

The decision was taken in 2009 to close all three offices, but a vital lesson had been learned. Since that stumble, Brulotte has conducted his expansion through  the acquisition of existing companies rather than trying to establish a presence from scratch. It is a strategy that has paid off handsomely. 

Another reminder that federal politics is a blood sport came in 2000 when Brulotte ran unsuccessfully for parliament as a member of Joe Clark’s Progressive Conservatives. 

Far more successful was Brulotte’s second foray into the Canadian military, this time as a serving member of the Primary Reserve. In 2007, at the height of Canada’s involvement in the war of Afghanistan there was a pressing need for trained reservists. Despite the fact that he was now 43 years old, Brulotte enlisted in the Ottawa based Governor General’s Foot Guards at the rank of Captain. 

Somehow in the midst of growing a multi-million dollar corporation across Canada, Brulotte still managed to find the time to command a rifle company of militia. 

When his role in the primary reserve came to an end, Brulotte seamlessly rerolled into yet another Canadian Armed Forces uniform – that of Honorary Colonel of his very own Governor General Foot Guards. 

The close association between Brulotte and the military extends deeply into the fabric of MaxSys as well. Of the 14,000 personnel that MaxSys places every year, it is estimated that more than 1,000 are ex-military veterans. 

Brulotte receives award as Top Graduate, Infantry Phase 3 Canadian Infantry Association Trophy CFB Gagetown, 1985

As a good corporate citizen, Brulotte directs MaxSys philanthropic efforts – an estimated $450,000 a year – back into the military community. For instance, MaxSys contributes over $200,000 a year to military community advocacy, which intends to inform national employers as to the benefits of hiring veterans. 

In terms of direct event sponsorship MaxSys takes a lead role in the annual legacy RMC Dinner, the Toronto Garrison Dinner, True Patriot Love Dinner and the Vimy Dinner. Past events sponsored by MaxSys also include the Victory Ball and the Army Ball.   

MaxSys also makes an annual donation of $20,000 to assist homeless veterans in Toronto and Ottawa through the Sheperd’s of Good Hope. There are currently eight academic bursaries funded by MaxSys, earmarked for deserving reservists wishing to advance their academic studies. 

For all of his success and growth to date, Brulotte still has some big plans to build his empire even larger. For motivation Brulotte has a plaque mounted on his office wall, which clearly states his personal goal: “MaxSys will become Canada’s Largest Staffing and Consulting firm.” 

While currently the largest Canadian owned agency in Canada, MaxSys aspires to be the third largest job placement firm operating in Canada. To achieve the top spot, Brulotte has a 10-year plan to grow MaxSys sales to over $700 million. 

While his term as Honorary Colonel will terminate in January 2020 it is not expected that Brulotte will be cutting ties with the Canadian military any time soon. Which is good news for the defence community in Canada because Brulotte has consistently been true to his military roots through his meteoritic rise through the corporate sector.

“Frankly, I embraced the military way of life, the culture, the camaraderie and the physical and mental challenges” said Brulotte “I loved it then and still love it today.”

Best Defence Conference: Showcasing Southwestern Ontario Defence Industry

By Scott Taylor

Since its inception in 2011 the Best Defence Conference has had a challenging name to live up to. Having attended this show annually for the past 9 years I can attest that the organizers have certainly grown into that moniker.

Held in London, Ontario from 5-6 November 2019, the Best Defence Conference has firmly established itself as a must-attend event for defence industry reps, military brass and procurement officials.

What Best Defence lacks in terms of scale – it is far smaller than the Halifax based DEFSEC Atlantic trade show and the annual CANSEC expo in Ottawa – the event in London makes up for with enhanced business–to–business (B2B) networking opportunities. It was originally the brainchild of Heather Pilot, who organized the inaugural event on behalf of the London Economic Development Corporation.

In 2016 Heather formed the company Pilot Hill Ltd. and began producing Best Defence as a private venture. It was Pilot’s successful entrepreneurial spirit in creating this annual defence conference that led to her being selected as one of Esprit de Corps’ ‘Top 20 Women in Defence’ in 2018.

This year, for the first time, Best Defence was a full two-day conference. It kicked off with a Tuesday 5 November Keynote address by Major-General Derek Macaulay. This was followed with a presentation from Canada Global Affairs Institute Senior Analyst David Perry entitled “The Defence Industry Outlook Under Canada’s New Government.”

That first afternoon was rounded out with a speed-mentoring event organized by Women in Defence and Security (WiDS). This was followed by a meet-and-greet cocktail reception hosted by the event organizer.

For the Wednesday session things got started off with a CADSI sponsored ‘mini-outlooks’ with representatives from the three branches – Army, Navy, Air force - giving a 20 minute summary of the future procurement needs of the CAF. The CADSI full length Outlooks will take place in April 2020 in Ottawa and will feature a day- long fully expanded version of the preview presentations.

Once again, a highlight was the Tech Showcase Presentations segment in which company spokespersons were allowed just three minutes each to describe their innovative products and services.

For Industry reps present, the best was saved for last as Jennifer Maclean explained the governments NGEN funding opportunities & Factory of the Future Program.

This year was the best-formatted and slickest organized Best Defence event yet. Everything from the graphics, the event schedule and even the handy double sided large font nametags worked well.

Kudos once again to Heather Pilot and her team, Esprit de Corps is already look forward to seeing how Heather’s team makes Best Defence even better in 2020.  Mark your calendars for November 3-4, 2020.

MBS TECH INC: Well Positioned For SME ITB Cybersecurity Credit Take Down!

MBS Techservices Inc. (MBS Tech), a business partner and reseller of cybersecurity solutions providing software, managed solutions and consulting services to its clients for over 10 years.

Our offerings encompass a full range of IBM Security and Solution Services, from security assessment and architecture, software cyber protection solutions, to incident investigations. 

“The threats are Dynamic and
the Solutions are Static”

MBS offers on-demand engagements, as well as Managed Security Services Programs (IBM MSSP), which include periodical assessments, consultations and advisory on products and solutions. We make sure that our clients remain protected at all time in accordance with the new technological developments and regardless of changes in their business processes or introduction of new system elements. Security is not just compliance it’s a journey!

Our team is comprised of experienced successful and motivated experts and consultants coming from different paths of IT, network, cyber security, and business consultancy. Each one of our highly-valued professionals has a tenure ranging between 10 and 30 years of extensive industry experience. Our security consultants are seasoned professionals, some with the highest levels of security clearance (Top Secret and Cosmic).

MBS is a proud member of Canadian Association of Defence Security Industries, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries, these national industry associations combine for more than 1500 manufacturing and defence companies.

Our valued clients include Fortune 2000 companies in Defence, commercial, energy and other sectors.

David Morrish is the founder of MBS Techservices Inc. and is a veteran and metis owned business and an avid supporter of various community and social programs supporting fellow veterans. His career in the information security industry started over two decades ago, and his innovative style of leadership has earned him recognition as a pioneer in the industry.

Since Founding MBS Techservices, David has demonstrated his strengths as both a leader and strategist. Through organic growth, the company has earned the trust of customers in all industries and all verticals with growth over 100% year over year.

One of David’s specialties is working with clients to change their employee’s behavior towards Information Security challenges.

MBS Techservices Inc looks forward to assisting veterans transitioning into the cybersecurity industry and supporting the defence industry overall. W

MBS Techservices Inc.

506-2818 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5T 0C1

778-321-0005

davem@mbstechservices.com

www.mbstechservices.com

SEASPAN: Building More Than Just Ships

By Scott Taylor

(Written March 2019)

When the Canadian Government launched the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) initiative back in 2010, the objectives were multi-fold. By investing an estimated $60 billion over a three-decade timeframe, the program was intended to revitalize both the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), while simultaneously rebuilding Canada’s shipbuilding capacity on both coasts.

Seaspan Shipyards of British Columbia was selected to be Canada’s long-term supplier of non-combat vessels as part of what has since been renamed the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

Seaspan is currently building four ships – three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV) and a Joint Support Ship (JSS) for the CCG and RCN respectively. Concurrently, design, engineering, and procurement work is underway for another vessel, the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV). “The strategic importance of a shipbuilding capability on the West Coast is mirrored by the economic and career opportunities that are opening up across the country,” said Tim Page, Seaspan’s Vice-President of Government Relations. “To date Seaspan has committed contracts worth $850 million through a domestic supply chain of 540 companies and we are actively promoting and investing in the next generation of ship designers, program managers and shipbuilders as part of our commitment to rebuild the industry’s capacity for the long term.

Last year alone, Seaspan had over 200 apprentices learning on the job at their facilities in both Vancouver and Victoria - learning their skills from more experienced tradespeople. Another 75 interns were working alongside Seaspan’s senior marine engineers and naval architects.

“These individuals have been invested in the pursuit of a career in shipbuilding because of the prospect of long-term, stable, predictable work, something that did not exist in Canada prior to the NSS” said Page. “As we say, when you build ships, you build more than ships and our workforce is living proof of that reality thanks to the NSS.”

As Seaspan’s workforce has increased, so has its diversity. Women now occupy key roles throughout the company, which had previously been an almost exclusively male workforce.

One of the first apprentice hires under the NSS expansion was Kendall Trout, a 35 year-old steel fabricator. Originally from Ontario, Trout had worked a few construction jobs before enrolling in the marine fitter course offered at British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby, BC. She was the first female to take the course and she graduated as the top student. Seaspan, which has partnered with BCIT in support of training initiatives, had recruiters at the graduation ceremony in June 2015 and she was immediately hired by them as an
apprentice.

Trout has since been working toward her red seal qualification, participating in the construction of both the OFSVs and the JSS at the Seaspan Shipyard. “This is a long term career for me” said Trout. “I have a cousin in the Coast Guard, and to know that I am building the ships he will one day sail on is also a point of personal pride for me.”

Someone else who beams with corporate pride is Nancy Matthews, currently the Manager of Shipyard Accounting at the company’s North Vancouver yard. For the past 38 years she has worked for Seaspan and has seen first-hand the drastic ebb and flow of the company’s workforce during the various periods of boom and bust associated with Canadian shipbuilding over the past nearly four decades.
“At one point things were so slow, we were down to about 80 workers in the yard,” recalled Matthews. “I wrote all their paycheques – by hand- and knew everyone of them personally.”

That is no longer possible as Seaspan has expanded under the NSS to the point where there are over 1,100 workers at the new construction yard with a thousand more at the companies two dry dock locations.

For Matthews, the connection to shipbuilding is a family affair. Her father served aboard a RCN Corvette, hunting German U-boats during WWII. Her late husband worked in the Seaspan shipyard and one of her two sons worked for the Washington family at their private estate on Stuart Island. Dennis Washington purchased Seapsan in 1998. The investment made by Washington, which culminated with the award of the NSS contracts, has meant that for the foreseeable future employees at Seaspan can make long-term career plans. “The previous sense of uncertainty is gone” said Matthews, “Seaspan workers today can rely upon steady work for decades to come.”

For Karen Obeck, Seaspan has offered her what she describes as “the best possible job to end a career – one that will allow me to leave a legacy.”

As the Director of Property and Security, Obeck manages a team of 29. She retired from the RCMP four years ago, and was hired to her current post in April 2018. Her responsibilities include overseeing security checks on the rapidly expanding Seaspan workforce. “There have been growing pains, but I have received a tremendous amount of senior level support” said Obeck. “What is refreshing is that I’ve been given a fair amount of decision making authority which means I’m dealing with less bureaucracy than has been my experience in the public sector.”

Also a recent hire at Seaspan, but still in the infancy of her career is Helen To, Manager Industrial and Regional Benefits. A native of Toronto, To graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa in 2008 with a business degree. She began as a consultant, working primarily with Public Works and various other government departments. After a brief stint as a Project Manager at the University of British Columbia, To was hired to her current position at Seaspan. “It has been interesting for me to dive deep into this one industry, there really is a lot to learn,” said To. “I’m really excited to be part of this company as it grows. There is a real sense of excitement and anticipation.”

For those familiar with Seaspan’s past, the present and future of the shipyard are viewed with pride and optimism. “The workforce used to be primarily Brits and Scots, with men in the yard and women doing the office work” recalled Matthews. “One foreman used to always ask me if I had put his tea on.”

That all has changed now with Seaspan deserving full kudos for making it possible for women to have exciting careers in a formally male dominated field.

Above: (Left to Right) Karen Obeck, Director of Property & Security, Helen To, Manager Industrial & Regional Benefits, Kendall Trout, Steel Fabricator and Nancy Matthews, Manager of Accounting, North Vancouver Shipyard.

Boeing Commits To 100 Per Cent Industrial And Technological Benefits (ITB) Obligation

Industry Profile

(Volume 26 Issue 5)

Tracey Shelton, Boeing Canada Communications

In a show of commitment to the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP), Boeing is proud to offer the Super Hornet Block III to Canada and support the government’s capability and industrial requirements by continuing to invest in the Canadian economy. Boeing has consistently supported the Canadian aerospace industry by contributing more than $4 billion (all figures in Canadian dollars), of economic benefit to Canada each year working in partnership with a strong team of Canadian suppliers.

“Boeing guarantees it will fulfill 100 per cent of the ITB requirements, working with Canadian companies of all sizes and specialties, in all locations across our defense and commercial businesses,” said Maria Laine, vice president of International Strategic Partnerships. “We recently completed our Industrial and Regional Benefit (IRB) obligation for Canada’s initial purchase of four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, which was just over $1 billion. Not only did we meet our obligation, we exceeded it – completing it nearly one year early.»

“This is all backed by Boeing’s 100-year long partnership with Canada and an unmatched track record of meeting and exceeding industrial partnership commitments,” Laine added.

 Boeing’s partnership with its Super Hornet Block III Industry Team (General Electric, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon) enhances its overall proposal to exceed ITB requirements. To date, Boeing has successfully completed $9 billion in IRB commitments and generated more than $3.9 billion of additional benefits under the company’s active IRB and ITB programs. There will also be opportunities for innovation and technology collaboration and export assistance for Canadian industry.

Boeing suppliers in Canada support commercial and defence platforms including the 737, 747, 777, 787, AH-64 Apache helicopter, Chinook helicopter, Super Hornet Block III, C-17 Globemaster III, commercial satellites and more. Working closely with customers and industry partners like Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development organization, Boeing can meet its obligations and focus on areas of collaboration that provide mutually beneficial opportunities across the Boeing enterprise.

The Super Hornet Block III is the world’s most proven and affordable multi-role fighter. The Super Hornet Block III offers Canada world-class, multi-mission capabilities and is uniquely suited for challenging operating environments. It offers predictable and affordable acquisition and life-cycle cost, which is critically important for a platform that will be in service for at least 30 years, and is designed to stay ahead of future threats for decades to come.

The Super Hornet Block III, while fully meeting Canadian military requirements, is the minimum risk and maximum return on investment solution for Canada. Boeing will be delivering Super Hornets to the U.S. Navy through at least 2033, while the development of next-generation Block III capabilities remains on schedule to deliver by the end of 2020. International interest remains high and includes Finland, Switzerland, India and Germany, who recently down selected the Super Hornet over the competition.

ConvergX: Bringing industries and innovation together

By Scott Taylor

The brainchild of Calgary based entrepreneur Kimberly Van Vliet, ConvergX is aimed at bringing together advanced manufacturing companies from sectors such as energy and mining, defence, security, and aerospace to find common ground in terms of business growth, and resolving common challenges.

Now in its fourth year, ConvergX has successfully carved out niche for itself on the annual Canadian conference circuit. Esprit de Corps was proud to be a media sponsor of this year’s ConvergX, and as a first-time attendee, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of efficiency and effectiveness to which Van Vliet coordinated the event.

The speaker list was a veritable ‘who’s who’ from all the participating industry and public sectors. Chief among them was Lieutenant-General Christopher Coates, the Deputy Commander of NORAD, Claude Rochette the Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence, Jonathan Cristol, Middle East expert, Dr. Tom Keenan author and the ubiquitous Dr. David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

At the welcoming cocktail party on Tuesday, February 5, the keynote speaker was Tom Morin, co-founder of Work Innovation Partners, who also happens to be a Canadian Forces veteran who fought in the Battle of the Medak Pocket, Croatia, September 1993.

As one would expect, most industry leaders view of the events of the world through the prism of their own profession. By bringing together so many diverse industries into one forum, Van Vliet creates an environment that forces the participants to look beyond their own silo. World events, particularly those of the magnitude to shift the geo-political global balance, are inevitably driven by the quest for resources – such as oil, gas or minerals.

Technical practicalities – such as in the field of drone aviation and artificial intelligence – can benefit all of those sectors represented at ConvergX, and it makes sense that research and development advances would be shared.

Networking is also a key component to the ConvergX format and this was ably achieved through the three cocktail parties – highlighted by the Scotch Tasting and Award Ceremony on the Wednesday evening. Add to this the two buffet breakfasts and two buffet lunches and there was plenty of opportunity for delegates to mix and mingle.

Helping to keep the conference flowing was Louise Mercier, who did an admirable job as the Master of Ceremonies.

Bravo Zulu to Kimberly Van Vliet (who is featured in this issue as one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in the Defence World 2019) and Louise Mercier (former winner of the same honour) for organizing such an incredibly engaging ConvergX this year.

This show will definitely be added to the Esprit de Corps planning calendar for 2020.

BeyondService.ca: In their own words

Commissionaires In Their Own Words features clips from 15 of the 174 veterans working for commissionaires who participated in video interviews in 2018. These veteran employees serve at all levels of the federation, from guards to CEOs, across the country. They each shared their personal experiences, many of them quite powerful, in their own words. Enjoy.

Commissionaires employees from across the country explain their relationship with the Federation, and the importance of the Commissionaires organization to the veteran community.

Best Defence Conference 2018

Esprit de Corps recently had the opportunity to attended the Best Defence Conference and trade show in London Ontario. Held November 5-6 2018, it is not as big as CANSEC or DEFSEC but it is well-attended by senior military and defence officials. Organizer Heather Pilot, president of Pilot Hill Ltd. and an Esprit de Corps Women in Defence honoree in 2018, is the driving force behind the growing show. Besides big players like General Dynamics Land Systems, Southwestern Ontario is home to numerous firms specializing in military applications of advanced composites and world-class technologies.

BUILDING A 21ST CENTURY FLEET: Alion Canada Has A Ship, A System And A Plan

(Volume 25-03)

By Jim Scott

With the competing bids to find a contractor for the Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) programme submitted as of November 2017, it would seem we are “all ahead full” towards the goal of a modern, capable navy for many years to come. As is usual with such projects, companies create bids with an eye to proving to Canadian taxpayers that the money will not only be well spent, but mostly spent in Canada, with a requisite return to our economy.

Alion Canada gets that. They don’t build the ships. They leave that to century-old Irving Shipbuilding, but they do make sure the ship is designed and equipped to take advantage of the latest sensors and weapons systems and is able to integrate new technology in the years ahead.

Alion Canada was established in the Ottawa area in 2009 by parent company Alion Science and Technology Corporation, a major US defence and security player. Harking back to 1936, when Chicago’s Illinois Institute of Technology created a non-profit research arm, Alion has a lineage of successfully managing projects, delivering results and keeping naval assets operational. The US parent provided engineering and operational support to the USN’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers and manages the maintenance schedule for 165 ships of the fleet.

Dutch sailors line the decks of a De Seven Provincien class frigate, the HNLMS DeRuyter. 

Alion Canada presently has a core team of marine engineers, naval architects and system designers; which will no doubt grow in size with a successful bid. As Alion COO Bruce Samuelsen told Esprit de Corps after the bids were in, “Each decision we made for equipment selection and systems integration focused on delivering cost-effective solutions that meet the requirements while delivering robust Canadian content.” He says Alion and its partners “are actually creating high-value engineering and manufacturing jobs for Canadians”.

Alion Canada isn’t just a store front operation. Aside from involvement in the Joint Support Ship and Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel programmes, Alion, along with Vancouver’s Robert Allan Ltd., designed Australia’s MV Investigator, a science research vessel built in Singapore. In as much as every federal government for the last half century has re-iterated the need for a domestic ship-building industry on both coasts, it is clear that taxpayer value is best delivered with this sort of international cooperation.

Alion’s CSC bid is based on a proven design which can be handed over to Irving with minimal changes. The De Zeven Provincien LCF frigate, built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in the Netherlands, has already proven itself in over a decade of operation. The next generation of RCN ships will replace the Iroquois-class destroyers as well as the Halifax-class frigates, so a naval architect has to contend with command-and-control, communications, fire power, integrated sensors, helicopter ops, anti-torpedo and anti-missile defence, configured for maximum effect in a single hull. Given the complexity of a modern warship, and the fact that Canadian governments only engage in naval shipbuilding every twenty or so years, it only makes sense to take what is already working and tailor it to Canadian needs rather than starting from scratch.

Samuelsen compared designing a ship to drawing up plans for a small city, then dropping that city on the open ocean. Miles of wiring and piping, a hotel load for electronics and living quarters, fresh water and food storage, fuel storage and consumption, stocking and delivering of various munitions to various weapons systems, and all the while the vessel has to see, but not be seen by, an enemy intent on its destruction. It is no wonder that it takes so long to acquire a ship, and there is no question it has to be done right.

Aside from their own resources, and those of their US parent, Alion has enlisted the expertise of top-flight suppliers to kit out their proposed warship. ATLAS Elektronik will supply the open architecture combat management system (CMS) utilizing existing (and upgradeable) Hensoldt Sensors radars. L3 Technologies Canada, Raytheon Canada Ltd., DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. and Rheinmetall Canada Inc. will add their world-class weapons and systems.

With a budget projected at $60 billion (up from an original budget of $24 billion), this is sure to be the single greatest expenditure in the history of Canadian defence procurement. Thankfully, Canada can rely on the advice and experience of her allies, and the proven expertise of successful companies such as Alion. Whether the present government is fully committed to 15 ships with the capabilities the RCN seeks remains to be seen. Given today’s geopolitics, the case can be made that the need for robust seapower has never been greater.

UNMANNED VEHICLES ON THE WAY: Under RPAS, Industry Will Be Asked For New System Designs

(Volume 25-1)

By David Pugliese

The Liberal government has approved the Canadian Armed Forces’ plan to acquire a fleet of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

But even though the government voiced support for the program in its Defence Policy Review, it is still going to be a number of years before industry sees some kind of tangible movement on the acquisition.

This program is expected to cost more than $1 billion. Royal Canadian Air Force spokesman Maj. Scott Spurr has noted the military is still examining its options for the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) project (formerly known as JUSTAS). The Canadian Forces hopes to have a contract in place in 2022, but that could slide until 2024.

At least one firm is ready for a competition when it emerges.

Melissa Haynes, a spokeswoman for General Atomics, the U.S. firm which makes the Predator family of UAVs, said the company intends to offer the MQ-9B SkyGuardian to Canada.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Army has acquired the Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack (pictured at right), a small UAV. Deliveries of the system took place in late 2017. Five aircraft and two ground control stations were purchased. In addition, there is a launch and recovery system. The Canadian Army is the first non-U.S. military organization to use the system. Each aircraft is capable of providing surveillance coverage of over 100 km for over 12 hours. The contract was valued at $14.2 million (US) and includes initial training. Canada acquired the system from the U.S. Navy, according to Canadian officials.

The Blackjack is produced by Boeing Insitu, based in Bingen, Washington. The system will be based out of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown and operated by the 4th Artillery Regiment (General Support), the Canadian government noted.

The Army already had the Raven B, a hand-launched mini-UAV. That UAV, manufactured by AeroVironment, was acquired by the Army from MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates in 2014.

In addition, the Army and Royal Canadian Navy have expressed interest in what is being called the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) UAS Services Interim Capability. This system will provide near real-time, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance information to the tactical units at sea and on land.

Industry representatives met with Public Services and Procurement Canada officials in mid-November to find out more details about the potential project. The government has also issued a request for information from companies.

Industry discussions focused on a variety of topics including technical specifications for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and payloads and supplier experience in integration of airborne surveillance systems.

The requirement will be addressed through a provision of service under a combination of company owned/company operated and company owned/military operated models for domestic and international operations, according to the federal government.

The service includes the provision and associated in-service support of a mature and proven, commercial off-the-shelf UAS that will enable the timely delivery of ISTAR information to military commanders.

The potential contract could be worth more than $100 million for the winning bid.

ROTARY AIRCRAFT UPDATE: The RCAF Is Modernizing Its Helicopter Fleets

(Volume 24-12)

By David Pugliese

The Royal Canadian Air Force is in varying stages of modernizing its rotary aircraft fleet. Esprit de Corps takes a look at the status of the main projects under way.

CH-148 CYCLONE

The acquisition of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter to replace the aging Sea Kings continues to move along. As of October 18, a total of 13 CH-148 Cyclone helicopters have been delivered and accepted by the RCAF, military officials told Esprit de Corps. The aircraft currently at 12 Wing Shearwater, Nova Scotia, are being used for training and operational testing, as well as conversion training.

Training is progressing from initial cadre training (teaching aircrew to operate a new aircraft for the purposes of testing it and training on it) to building the cadre of operational aircrew.

The crews that went through initial cadre training are continuing with the operational test and evaluation program of the CH-148 Cyclone, while others are instructing new crews who are now undergoing conversion training from the Sea King to form the CH-148 fleet’s operational aircrews, Department of National Defence spokeswoman Dominique Tessier explained.

 CH-149 Cormorant Helicopters are on standby at Sydney Airport just before departing for Search and Rescue Mission Cougar 91. Entering service between 2001 and 2003, the RCAF’s 14 CH-149 Cormorants are dedicated to search and rescue (SAR) operations. The choppers are based at 9 Wing Gander (Nfld), 14 Wing Gander (NS), and 19 Wing Comox (BC). (pte vicky lefrançois, dnd)

The Cyclone fleet is expected to reach initial operating capability by spring of 2018 and is scheduled to be ready for operational employment by the summer of 2018.

Delivery of all 28 Cyclone helicopters, in their final configuration, is expected to be completed by 2021.

CH-149 CORMORANT MODERNIZATION

Earlier this year, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan suggested that an upgrade program for the CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters would be a key program for the RCAF in the future.

Leonardo Helicopters and IMP Aerospace & Defence re-established their “Team Cormorant” to pursue the proposed modernization of the Cormorant fleet. Team Cormorant comprises Leonardo Helicopters, the original equipment manufacturer of the EH101/AW101/Cormorant helicopters; IMP, the prime contractor for Cormorant in-service support; and other key Canadian companies that will supply and support critical aircraft components, technology, systems, simulation and training. Those firms include CAE, GE Canada and Rockwell Collins.

The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) and Conversion Program proposed by the companies combines the current fleet of 14 CH-149 helicopters with additional helicopters obtained by the Canadian government when it acquired the assets of the U.S. VH-71 presidential helicopter program. Those helicopters and parts are currently in storage at IMP Aerospace in Halifax. The CMLU and Conversion Program offers a single, common fleet incorporating the latest avionic and mission systems, advanced radars and sensors, vision enhancement and tracking systems, according to Team Cormorant.

The team wants to install modern cockpit displays, a new aircraft management system, avionics, weather radar and other systems. In addition, an electro-optical surveillance system would be included. GE would provide its CT7-8E engine, a 3,000-horsepower turboshaft engine, for the modernized helicopters.

DAG puts the price tag at $500-million to $1.5-billion. The RFP was supposed to be issued in 2018 and a contract awarded in 2019, but it is unclear at this point whether the Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada will be able to meet those deadlines.

CH-146 GRIFFON MODERNIZATION

The Griffon Limited Life Extension project will extend the service life of the CH-146 Griffon beyond the current estimated life expectancy, allowing it to continue to be relevant for support to the Canadian Army and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) units.

 CH-146 Griffon helicopters from 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron land at the Citadelle in Quebec City during Exercise SPARTIATE ECLAIREUR on October 20, 2017. The CH-146 Griffon is a utility tactical transport helicopter that has been in service with the CF since 1995. The Griffon’s primary role is tactical transportation of troops and material, but is also used for SAR, surveillance and reconnaissance, and humanitarian relief operations. (sgt marc-andré gaudreault, valcartier imagery services)

The life extension project is projected to allow the Griffon helicopters to continue to operate out to the 2030s, said Capt. Trevor Reid of the directorate of Air Force public affairs.

“The project will replace obsolete cockpit instruments and avionics with components that are supportable to the mid-2030s,” Reid noted. Adaptation and integration of existing avionics and electronic flight instruments in the aircraft will enable an extension of the life of the Griffon. The CH-146’s flight simulators will be modified to conform to the fleet. Finally, the project will ensure integrated logistic support, supply of initial spares and training, Reid added.

The anticipated timeline is as follows:

• 2018 — Definition Approval

• 2020 — Implementation Approval, Request for Proposal Release, Contract Award

• 2024-2025 — Initial Operating Capability for Life-extended Griffons

• 2026 — Final Delivery

It should be noted that this project has been delayed from its previous schedule. In 2015, the RCAF put definition approval for 2016. In addition, implementation, issuing of an RFP (request for proposal) and awarding a contact were all to be done in 2018. Final delivery of the upgraded helicopters was to have taken place in 2024 under the old schedule.

The preliminary cost estimate for the project has also climbed. In the Defence Acquisition Guide (DAG) 2015 the cost was put at between $500-million and $1.5-billion. But in DAG 2016 that price tag was set at “more than $1.5 billion.” DAG 2017 has not yet been released so it is unclear whether the cost will continue to increase.

Eventually, a new helicopter will be acquired through what the RCAF is calling a Tactical Reconnaissance Utility Helicopter project.

CANADA'S CUTTING EDGE: Rheinmetall Canada Stays Ahead Of The Curve

(Volume 24-11)

By Micaal Ahmed

Rheinmetall Canada, a member of Germany’s Rheinmetall Group, has always been a leading player in the Canadian defence industry, and is living up to that reputation with a whole new technological arsenal in the works.

For starters, the company’s Argus soldier system will soon be entering its final production stages. The Argus will allow soldiers to perform functions such as detecting, locating, identifying, and engaging threats. This modular system went into development in 2015, when Rheinmetall Canada was awarded the contract to develop the integrated soldier system (ISS) for the Canadian Armed Forces. They were contracted to develop 1,632 systems, 32 of which have been delivered to the CAF and are currently being tested; the remaining units will enter production by the end of this year.

The Argus soldier system offers a range of features and capabilities, including such functions are pre-mission planning and mission loading, positioning and situational awareness, wayfinding, blue force tracking, geo-referenced free-hand sketching, mission overlay creation and display, digitized order and message templates, and multiple sensor support using communication protocols.

Another of Rheinmetall’s technological advancements that will soon be available on the international market is its multimission unmanned ground vehicle (MMUGV).

Adaptable, modular, and made to order, this new generation of vehicle features a platform that allows operators to easily install different payloads onto the basic vehicle to accomplish a range of mission profiles, from mule to force protection and surveillance. Capable of performing in dangerous environments and difficult terrain, Rheinmetall’s remote-controlled MMUGV provides safety and security to mounted and dismounted combat forces, increases their operational effectiveness, and keeps them out of harm’s way.

The MMUGV – P, for force protection, has been specifically designed for perimeter protection, escorting, target acquisition, and engagement tasks. Its counterpart, the MMUGV – S (Multimission Unmanned Ground Vehicle – Surveillance), has been specifically designed for perimeter observation, reconnaissance, and scouting tasks.

Rheinmetall Canada also offers a family of fully digital and stabilized remotely controlled weapon stations that can be integrated onto various armoured vehicle platforms and used for different mission profiles.

Originally developed when General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) contracted Rheinmetall Canada to produce the Nanuk for the LAV IIIs being deployed to Afghanistan, the company has since ‘navalized’ the remote weapon station for the Royal Canadian Navy so it can be used on its ships. So far, one prototype was installed and tested successfully aboard HMCS Goose Bay, and now all that remains is a final approval before these remote weapon stations can be installed fleet-wide.

Similarly, the Nanuk-Dual weapon station, designed with a versatile weapon cradle that supports two weapons simultaneously, offers full stabilization as well as long-range day/night all-weather sights. Furthermore, both the main and coaxial weapons can be designed according to customer requirements to use a variety of ammunition, bringing the development of remote weapon systems to a whole new level.

These are just a few of the developments currently being made by this Canadian company specializing in the development, integration and production of defence platforms, with locations in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and Ottawa.

With this product range — and with even more in the pipeline — Rheinmetall Canada seems poised to maintain its prominence in the world of Canadian defence.

MAKING 'BEST' BETTER: London Defence Conference Showcases Southern Ontario's Defence Industry

(Volume 24-11)

By Scott Taylor

This year marked the sixth annual Best Defence Conference held in London, Ontario. The intent of these two-day events is to bring together high-tech defence industries, government officials and military personnel for the purpose of highlighting the multitude of defence-related industry capabilities that exist in Southern Ontario.

Originally organized by the London Economic Development Corporation, the format has grown and morphed over the years, but it has always been under the direction and guidance of the dynamic Heather Pilot. Last year Pilot decided to fly Best Defence solo under the banner of her own company, Pilot Hill Ltd.

What was initially an informal networking opportunity, Best Defence has matured into a full-fledged mini trade show. This year the number and scope of exhibitors grew yet again and the floor format was better optimized to keep all activities, speeches and B2B meetings in the same hall. In past years, some exhibitors were relegated to the outside hallway and perhaps remained unseen by a percentage of attendees.

The networking remains a priority at Best Defence as this year’s program had three separate receptions plus a breakfast and lunch. On November 1, the first day of the two-day conference, Women in Defence and Security (WiDS) hosted the opening reception, which was followed that afternoon by a number of presentations. The main panel discussion was moderated by Stan Jacobson of Canadian Commercial Corporation and was entitled “Canadian Companies Doing Business with the U.S. DoD — The Risks and Rewards.”

The Best Defence Conference is held each Fall in London, which is at the heart of Southern Ontario’s defence-related industries. 

The official kickoff reception took place that evening at 1800 hours and featured the ubiquitous David Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, as the keynote speaker. By 2030 hours the reception had concluded but the mingling continued as many of the Best Defence’s 300-plus attendees spilled out into local London restaurants and watering holes.

The next day saw an early start with breakfast being served at 0700 hours. The first speaker was Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) President and CEO Christyn Cianfarani. While Best Defence is an independent event, CADSI is officially a supporter.

The highlight of the morning presentations was the mini-outlooks provided by DND. Delivered by Colonel Nicolas Pilon, Colonel Steve Chouinard, and Captain(N) Jason Armstrong, they gave future insight into the procurement needs of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy, respectively.

The morning lineup concluded with what was called Technology Showcase Pitches. This segment allowed 11 separate companies a four-minute window in which to inform the audience as to what sets their products and innovations apart from the rest. Not exactly speed dating, but it was certainly informative and educational.

The highest-profile speaker of the show was Lieutenant-General (ret’d) Andrew Leslie, the current Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. There were plenty of old comrades present for Leslie to acknowledge in his address, not least of whom was LGen (ret’d) Peter Devlin, his successor as Canadian Army commander. Following his retirement from the CAF, Devlin was hired as the President of Fanshaw College, which includes the new Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV). This 25,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is one of the crown jewels in London’s defence-related industrial sector.

Things wound down around 1530 hours, and for those not grabbing a plane or train out of London, there was yet another networking reception to close things down.

Heather Pilot and her team are to be commended for once again living up to a challenging name. Best Defence just keeps getting better.

ROLLING INTO ACTION: Canadian Army To Take Delivery Of New SMP Trucks

(Volume 24-10)

By David Pugliese

The Canadian Armed Forces will start receiving the first of its new standard military pattern (SMP) trucks by the end of this year.

The SMP trucks are coming from Mack Defense, LLC. “The final delivery of the SMP trucks is expected mid-2019, with the project conclusion in 2020,” Department of National Defence spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande told Esprit de Corps.

In June 2015, two contracts were awarded to Mack Defense, LLC for the purchase of 1,500 Standard Military Pattern trucks, 300 trailers and 150 armour protection systems, including spare parts, maintenance and project management services. The deal also included 20 years of in-service support.

Vehicles will deliver in five variants — Load Handling System, Mobile Repair Team, Cargo, Cargo with Crane, and Gun Tractor — from Prévost, located in Saint-Nicolas, Québec to Canadian Armed Forces bases across the country over the course of the next few years, added Lamirande.

The SMP is the last component of the Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) project, which is a multi-phased project that, besides SMP, is composed of following:

1,300 militarized commercial off-the-shelf (MilCOTS) trucks; delivery is completed.

994 shelters; delivery is completed.

Kitting of 846 of the shelters; kitting is completed.

DEW Engineering and Development has played a significant role in the MSVS program. In December 2016, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan highlighted the delivery of the last mobile workspaces from DEW Engineering for use by the Canadian Armed Forces as medical and dental clinics, workshops, field kitchens and command posts.

The mobile workspaces or “kitted shelters” are equipped with items including workbenches, electronic and office equipment, power generators and tools, the Canadian Armed Forces pointed out. The equipment (kitting) transforms the shelters, which are container-based workspaces that provide environmental protection, into functional units providing crucial support services.

The new mobile workspaces from DEW were bought as part of the MSVS project, which aims to modernize the military’s fleet of logistical trucks and mobile workspaces. They were delivered on time and on budget, the Canadian government pointed out.

DEW Engineering was contracted to deliver a total of 994 (plus one prototype) baseline (empty) shelters. Delivery was completed in February 2015. DEW was also contracted to deliver 846 kits to convert the empty shelters into functional units. Total value of contracts awarded was $233-million, the government noted.

Meanwhile, the $834-million contract that was awarded to Mack Defense for SMPs had been challenged by Oshkosh Defense Canada Inc., another firm that bid on the project.

Following a four-month review, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) in the spring of 2016 ruled in Oshkosh’s favour and upheld, in part, some of its concerns related to shortfalls in the procurement processes, technical compliance and testing protocols. The CITT ruling recommended that Public Services and Procurement Canada re-evaluate Oshkosh’s bid and conduct a re-evaluation of vehicles for the SMP project. Failing that, the government could provide monetary compensation to Oshkosh, the CITT noted.

The Canadian government, however, has decided to challenge the CITT decision. It has gone to the Federal Court of Appeal with its case and those legal proceedings are underway. The legal challenge has not affected the delivery of the SMP vehicles.