Vanguard Magazine

14 JUNE/JULY 2018 www.vanguardcanada.com As for Industry Day, I would charac- terize it as a success as more than 100 persons attended the initial briefing. In addition, four days of one-on-one meetings with more than a dozen in- dividual companies followed. Topics of discussion were wide-ranging and included technical specifications, in- dustrial benefits, procurement models, timeline and budget. All questions were formally answered during the RFI pe- riod. Q How does the CAF plan on inte- grating the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) into future missions, and how will it transform maritime domain awareness (MDA)? Rather than transformational, I would characterize RCM as an evolution in the way that the CAF executes MDA. Currently, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery from RADARSAT-2 is combined with commercially acquired Automatic Identification System (AIS) data at a CAF facility called Polar Epsi- lon (PE). The output of PE is a robust maritime picture that is used not only by the CAF, but is also shared with a num- ber of Other Government Departments (OGDs) through the Maritime Security Operations Centres (MSOCs). In a similar manner, imagery from the RCM will be provided to the forthcom- ing PE2 facility. One key difference, though, is that the RCM has an onboard AIS capability, which will significantly reduce latency and improve correla- tion with radar data. The three-satellite configuration of the RCM will provide further latency improvements, as revisit timelines for coherent change detec- tion will be reduced from 24 to about four days. Finally, new and future beam modes will improve capability. Q Coming back to SSE, how does this help in your role in collaborating with other departments within the government? The CAF already collaborates in a sig- nificant way with OGDs in regards to space-related matters. From my per- spective as DSR, we anticipate being a significant user of the RCM capability, a whole of government project led by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The CSA has and will continue to provide CoVer expert support to ESCP-P, and currently manages the contract mechanism for our commercial AIS. In addition, all space projects will pass through the Defence Procurement Strat- egy (DPS) process, of which Innovative Services and Economic Development (ISED) and Public Services and Procure- ment Canada (PSPC) are key members. The CAF also participates in a number of senior space related governance bod- ies, and works closely with Global Af- fairs Canada (GAC) and ISED. Finally, as mentioned before, the CAF interacts with many OGD's through the MSOCs. Q Partnerships, like the Five Eyes, play an essential role in protecting and defending our mutual interests in space. What's the current level of collabora- tion like between members, and can we expect Canada to play a more significant role in Five Eyes in the future? Collaboration between Five Eyes mem- bers in the space domain continues to grow. This is codified in the CSPO (Com- bined Space Operations) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This initia- tive enables cooperation on military and defence space activities, with the aim of strengthening deterrence, improving the resilience of space systems on which Five Eyes militaries rely, and optimizing re- sources across participating nations. The fact that the Joint Space Operations Cen- tre at Vandenberg AFB is set to become the Combined Space Operations Centre is a clear indication of this growing collabo- ration. In addition to supporting the SSN via Sapphire, we also expect to increase our level of collaboration as SSE projects deliver capability. From a Position Navigation and Timing - Navigation Warfare (PNT-NAVWAR) perspective, we are key contributors to the Five Eyes Technical Demonstration Sys- tem Prototype (TDSP) MOU, an R&D focused MOU under which Canada chairs the resiliency working group. With respect to additional international collaborations, we participate in a PNT- NAVWAR-related NATO Capability Pan- el, as well as an 11-nation Global Naviga- tion Satellite Systems (GNSS) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation MOU. Lastly, we participate in a number of bi- lateral engagements. The above efforts are representative; please don't consider it an exhaustive list. Q How do you plan on working and interacting with industry and academia to glean the best in space capabilities that can be used to fulfilled CAF's space capa- bility requirements and missions? From my perspective as DSR, interaction with industry includes frequent one-on-one engagements, and of course the excellent in- sight we receive through the RFI process. On a broader scale, SSE also launched the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Se- curity (IDEaS) program (see link below), led by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). IDEaS commits to $1.6 billion of investment in innovations for De- fence and Security over the next 20 years, and a recent call for proposals to industry and academia included a number of space re- lated applications (SSA development, Alter- nate PNT). We also participate in the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), and are currently undergoing a developmental trial program with the Thoth Technology/ Algonquin Radio Observatory. Q Looking at the future, what emerging technologies do you see today which, if employed by Canada, will position us as a leader in the space domain? Canada has a long heritage in space dating back to the 1960's. When looking to the future though, the RCAF Defence Space vision is fully informed by the prospects of mega-constellations of increasingly small and technically capable spacecraft, delivered by lift vehicles that are themselves becoming increasingly more affordable. The data that is projected to be delivered via space is stag- gering. Those companies that can quickly and cost-effectively convert this data into outcomes for the end consumer, through artificial intelligence or other means, will be well-placed to lead in this growing mar- ket. The Canadian Space industry is ideally placed to be a major player in this future, and the CAF hopes to be a key strategic partner. Links referred to in the interview: https://www.canada.ca/en/depar tment- national-defence/corporate/reports-publica- tions/defence-investment-plan-2018.html https://www.canada.ca/en/depar tment- national-defence/programs/defence-ideas. html?utm_campaign=not-applicable&utm_ medium=vanity-url&utm_source=canada- ca_defence-ideas

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