By David Pugliese
Government prepares for submarine in-service support program, Airbus shows off first C295 for Canada. The Canadian government has started the process to put in place a long-term in-service support program for the Victoria-class submarines as the existing contract finishes on June 30, 2023. In June it issued to industry a request for information. The government held an industry conference on July 16 in Gatineau to provide a procurement timeline, industry engagement plan and overview of the project. The federal government will invite firms to qualify for the project. The request for proposals is expected to be finalized by the fall of 2020 and the RFP issued then. Bid evaluations would start in the summer of 2021 and a contract awarded in spring 2022, Marc-Andre Charbonneau, spokesman for Public Services and Procurement Canada, noted in an email to Esprit de Corps. Maintenance and sustainment work could be repositioned between coasts to meet operational requirements. But all contractor-lead maintenance periods would be performed on the west coast.
The first Airbus C295, purchased by Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement program rolled out of the paint shop showing off its final livery at Airbus facility in Seville, Spain, Airbus announced Oct. 8. The aircraft will now go through the final preparation phase before its delivery to the RCAF, planned to take place in Spain before the end of the year. GeoSpectrum Technologies announced Sept. 26 the successful trial of the Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar (TRAPS) on board the HMCS Glace Bay, completing the final assessment of the system. The Department of National Defence’s science and technology organization, Defence Research and Development Canada, recently conducted performance trials with HMCS Glace Bay, the second Kingston Class vessel from which the GeoSpectrum’s TRAPS sonar was operated. The sonar performed well through the trials period, meeting predicted ranges in target detection, in both passive and active modes against different targets, and the system was easily deployed and recovered by a single operator, according to the company. The system offers towed active sonar capability for low, medium, and high frequencies as well as passive sonar. Paul Yeatman, President of GeoSpectrum, said TRAPS is an ideal system to augment Royal Canadian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities and allow Canada to better support missions such as anti-narcotics operations. GeoSpectrum has already been selected for international programs involving the TRAPS system, developed with support from Industrial Research Assistance Program and Build in Canada Innovation Program with Curtiss-Wright.
GeoSpectrum Technologies is based in Dartmouth, NS and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. Finland has selected Saab as the combat system provider and integrator for the Finnish Navy’s four new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes within the Squadron 2020 program. The contract period will be from this year up to 2027 and the scope will include a range of solutions, including Saab’s 9LV Combat Management System, related sensors and other systems. All of the Finnish Navy’s current vessels feature at least one system from Saab, with the majority of vessels operating several systems from Saab. Rheinmetall has developed a new 60mm mortar for infantry and special forces. The RSG60 features design and engineering characteristics which make this indirect fire system very light and easy to handle. A few quick manual adjustments turn the 15.8 kg standard infantry version into a commando mortar weighing just 6.8 kg, with no need for tools.
This makes the RSG60 a two-in-one solution. Depending on the ammunition and charges, the standard version can attain ranges of up 3,200 metres. Equipped with a thirty centimetre-longer barrel, the range increases by around 500 metres. The commando variant of the RSG60 has a range of around 2,000 metres. Development of the new mortar began in October 2017. The RSG60 has repeatedly undergone successful test firing. The U.S. government has announced that Canada is purchasing new radios as part of its upgrade of CF-18 fighter jets and Hercules transport planes.
The Canadian government will spend $58 million buying the 152 MIDS-JTRS radios. “Canada intends to upgrade its current inventory of CF-18 Aircraft, CC-130J, and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Ground Stations with the purchase of these MIDS JTRS (5) terminals to be fully interoperable with U.S. and allied forces to support and compliment joint operations in a net-enabled environment; have modernized electronic protection and secure, jam-resistant wave forms; and be capable of improved Link 16 message exchange and information fidelity including support to advanced weapon employment,” the U.S Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted. Also included are spare cables and MIDS batteries; Link-16 mobile racks; diagnostic support tools; technical documentation; training and engineering technical support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. Viasat, Incorporated, headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, and Data Link Solutions, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA, will provide the equipment. Serco Group PLC has completed the acquisition of Alion Science & Technology Corporation’s Naval Systems Business Unit, including the firm’s Canadian business. The purchase price was $225 million. The acquisition significantly expands Serco’s work for the Canadian government for multiple maritime programs, according to the company. Among those are contracts with Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards for design agent services on the Royal Canadian Navy’s Joint Support Ship. Serco’s existing business in Canada includes supporting clients in the defence, aviation, and transportation sectors.
