Textron Systems' A2PATS is designed to verify that U.S. and allied aircraft electronic warfare (EW) systems have the ability to precisely locate, identify and defend against ground-based, surface-to-air missile threats. The Canadian government has chosen this simulator for the new Electronic Warfare Threat Simulator (NEWTS) program.
By David Pugliese
Textron Systems recently announced that the Canadian government had selected the firm’s advanced architecture phase amplitude and time simulator (A2PATS) for the New Electronic Warfare Threat Simulator (NEWTS) program.
The NEWTS program is an implementation of Textron Systems’ Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator, the firm added. “The A2PATS is an advanced electromagnetic environment simulator incorporating electronic warfare, communications and electronic intelligence capabilities providing performance and flexibility in verifying EW systems,” Textron pointed out.
Meggitt Target Systems (MTAS) has been awarded a five-year national individual standing offer worth up to $35 million from Canada’s Department of National Defence. The NISO, for surface and aerial target systems, includes provisions for two option years, the company pointed out.
The majority of the targets will be manufactured at MTAS’s manufacturing facility in Medicine Hat, Alberta, with production deliveries expected this year.
The target systems selected include Hammerhead, an advanced unmanned surface vehicle target that can form part of a swarm threat simulation of up to 16 vessels, and Vindicator, an aerial target that can present the appearance of various aircraft profiles to radar, for naval weapons development and personnel training.
“The Canadian Armed Forces are a long-standing user of Meggitt target systems and we are delighted to be able to support their training and test and evaluation requirements locally,” MTAS’ managing director, Peter Longstaff, said in a statement.
Nortrax Inc. recently opened a new state-of-the-art facility in Ottawa, just off of Highway 7 west of Stittsville. Nortrax, a John Deere company, operates John Deere construction and forestry dealerships throughout the United States and Canada. The flagship location will serve the construction, forestry, and quarry business in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
But besides the quest for business in those areas, the facility will be a base for the company’s interest in the Canadian military’s Common Heavy Equipment Replacement project.
The project will improve the Canadian Armed Forces’ mobility, counter-mobility, force protection and sustainment capabilities by recapitalizing existing fleets of heavy support equipment, according to the military.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is trying to figure out how to proceed on a trade ruling governing the purchase of MSVS Standard Military Pattern trucks for the Canadian Army.
In July the Conservative government announced that Mack Defense LLC had won the $834 million contract to provide 1,500 trucks. But the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) recently upheld a complaint from Oshkosh Corporation that the procurement was flawed. The ruling calls on PSPC to re-evaluate Oshkosh’s design. If the results show the company should have won the contract, the ruling recommends the government then compensate Oshkosh “for the profits it would have received had it been properly awarded the contract.”
There are also a number of other ways to deal with the situation, according to the CITT, but they all involve Oshkosh walking away with some cash to compensate the company for the problem procurement.
Whatever the amount, the Department of National Defence is still proceeding with the purchase. “The Canadian International Trade Tribunal will not recommend that the contract awarded to Mack Defense LLC be cancelled,” the CITT ruling noted.
DND spokeswoman Ashley Lemire said that, “The Canadian International Trade Tribunal ruling is not influencing timelines on the MSVS Standard Military Pattern contract with Mack Defense. With respect to progress, National Defence has completed the first portion of the test programme, which was performed in France. We will be pursuing testing in Canada over the summer and fall of this year. In February, the Crown and Mack Defense agreed to postpone vehicle deliveries to the fall of 2017 to better align requirements verification with production. Other deliverables, such as trailers and armoured protection systems, are scheduled to start delivery in the summer of 2017.”
Saab announced it has received an order from Lockheed Martin Canada to add optronic sensors to the RCN’s Ceros 200 fire control directors. Manufactured by Saab, the Ceros 200 is outfitted on all of Canada’s Halifax-class frigates. There is also a land-based test site.
Lockheed Martin Canada is the prime contractor for Canada’s frigate modernization program. The work specified in the order will be carried out during 2016 and 2017, according to the companies.
aab is adding optronic sensors to the RCN's Ceros 200 fire control directors, which are currently outfitted on Canada's Halifax-class frigates. It provides defence against modern threats such as advanced sea-skimming missiles. According to Saab, the Ceros 200 is used on more than 200 ships around the world (Saab)
“This is an important additional order within one of Saab’s core areas on the key Canadian market that further cements our partnership with Lockheed Martin and the Canadian customer,” Patric Palmer, responsible for Saab market area North America, said in a statement.
The work will be carried out at Saab in Sweden as well as in Canada.
The additional sensors provide a complement to radar in the Ceros 200 fire control director for naval ships. When interfaced with modern missile or gun systems, it provides excellent defence against any threat including advanced sea-skimming missiles or asymmetric surface threats in littoral environments.
L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. has announced it plans to open a design, engineering and support facility in Ottawa. This would be done under the new organization, L-3 Communication Systems – Canada. The facility will accommodate a team of highly specialized design, software and systems engineers. It will also include a state-of-the-art communications system laboratory that will provide an integration test bed and demonstration environment for future maritime communications architectures for the Royal Canadian Navy’s submarine and surface fleets.
The addition of L-3 Communication Systems – Canada to its other world-class organizations, including MAS, WESCAM, MAPPS, Electronic System Services and Targa, reaffirms L-3’s standing as one of the premier defence companies in Canada, the firm noted.
L-3 has a growing business base in Canada, which company officials say reflects the firm’s increased focus on marine communications and electronic systems integration.
“This state-of-the-art engineering centre will be an important contributor to the Ottawa technological community, leading our efforts to best support our Canadian communications and systems integration operations,” John Mega, president of L-3’s Communication Systems business segment, said in a statement.
The Ottawa facility will complement the recently created L-3 Canada Marine Systems (L-3 CMS) business that offers naval and marine customers a single point of contact with access to a wide array of products and services. These include integrated platform management systems, underwater systems, integrated communications, sensors, ISR products, systems and integration, and in-service support. L-3 supports a variety of maritime platforms, including Halifax-class frigates, Victoria-class submarines, Orca-class training vessels, Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDVs), Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and the Project Resolve Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ship.
Leonardo-Finmeccanica, through its aircraft division, and Canada-based Esterline CMC Electronics have strengthened their relationship as part of Team Spartan through an agreement for the supply of high-performance avionics systems for the C-27J Spartan fleet.
Team Spartan, led by General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, Leonardo Aircraft Division and DRS Technologies Canada, is competing for Canada’s Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) program with the C-27J Spartan aircraft.
Under the terms of the agreement, Esterline will supply its high-performance CMA-9000 Flight Management System, CMA-5024 GPS Landing System Sensor and TacView Portable Mission Display to the C-27J Spartan fleet, providing the aircraft with multisensory-based navigation and enhanced operational capability. Its unique combination of civil certification with advanced tactical functions, radio management and night vision goggle-capability make it the product of choice for military and commercial operations.
Boeing announced during CANSEC 2016 that it completed a (US) $749 million commitment for industrial and regional benefits in Canada. That IRB is related to the purchase of the C-17 for the RCAF. Participating in the Boeing C-17 Strategic Airlift Acquisition IRB program are 61 companies, including 21 small- and medium-sized enterprises, from eight Canadian provinces. Companies like Bluedrop and Solace Power of Newfoundland and Labrador, Héroux-Devtek Inc. of Québec, and MDA Systems of British Columbia, received work packages in the areas of aerospace manufacturing, research and development, engineering software, training systems, and more, Boeing noted.
