Vanguard Magazine

10 APRIL/MAY 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com S Sit ReP The Government of Canada has contracted Magellan Aerospace Corpora- tion to provide LUU-2 illumination flares for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The LUU-2 is an air-deployed high-intensity illumination flare, which the RCAF will use to support night-time search and rescue opera- tions. The flares can produce up to 1.8 million candlepower of visual il- lumination for five minutes, according to a press release. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Ac- cessibility, recently made the announcement that the aerospace com- Canada to obtain 10,000 units of the illumination flares for search and rescue pany was awarded three contracts with a value of $48 million to provide the LUU-2 illumination flares, which will be manufactured from Magel- lan's facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba. "These contracts provide the highly trained members of the RCAF with the equipment they need to respond quickly and safely in potentially life- saving, night-time search and rescue operations and help bring Canadi- ans home," said Minister Qualtrough. These three contracts cover a combined 10,000 units of the illumina- tion flares over a five-year period, as well as non-recurring expenses re- lated to manufacturing. "The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) flies approximately 1,000 search and rescue missions each year, and it is critical that we provide our women and men in uniform with the equipment they need to provide this life-saving service to Canadians," said Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence. In collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, the CAF responds to more than 9,000 search and rescue calls each year. Of this amount, over 10 per cent require the deployment of search and rescue air assets. "Magellan remains committed to continuing our 60-year legacy in sup- porting the CAF and the RCAF with the delivery of critical mission support equipment and services," said Mr. Haydn Martin, Vice President, Busi- ness Development, Marketing and Contracts, Magellan Aerospace. Fujitsu Consulting to provide a new maritime awareness information system to Canada In March, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility Canada, and the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced the award of a contract that will provide Canada with a new maritime awareness information system. Fujitsu Consulting (Canada) Inc. was selected to "develop, host, and maintain" this new system, which will be funded under the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP). This plan was developed as a national strategy to produce a world-leading marine safety system to protect Canada's coastlines and provide clean water for future generations, while at the same time generating economic opportunities. Through the OPP, the Gov- ernment of Canada is working with Indigenous partners to achieve the goals of this strategy. Minister Qualtrough said that this contract will draw upon Canadian expertise to develop a custom solution that will allow Indigenous and coastal communities to access maritime data in near real time, helping to protect people, the environment and ecosystems. Indigenous partners are playing a vital role within this strategy, which is evident in the selection of the winner of this recent contact. Early in February, representatives from 10 Indigenous organizations met in Ot- tawa to review solutions from suppliers to develop the maritime aware- ness information system. It was through this process that Fujitsu Con- sulting (Canada) Inc. was selected for the $2.5 million contract. This system, which is a key component of the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness Initiative (EMSA), will help to better monitor and collect data on maritime activity. It will provide coastal communities with relevant data to determine vessel routes, identify sensitive areas, increase safety on the water, and protect the environment. A pilot proj- ect is expected to be launched this spring, and participating partners, including Indigenous organizations, are working with Transport Canada to test this new system over a one-year period. "Collaboration is a cornerstone of the Oceans Protection Plan, and this project is a great example of what we can achieve when we work togeth- er," said Minister Garneau.

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