Vanguard Magazine

32 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com naVaL interview with Jamie turcotte, vice president, services, thales canada – defence & security AJISS I n 2017, the Government of Canada awarded Thales the AJISS (Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship/Joint Support Ship In-Service Support) contract, which includes In-Service Support (ISS), refit, repair, maintenance, and train- ing for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Arc- tic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS). This is the larg- est ISS contract in Canadian history. Recently, Vanguard had the opportunity to speak with Jamie Turcotte, Vice Presi- dent, Services, Thales Canada – Defence & Security about their innovative approach to AJISS. Jamie has more than 35 years of ex- perience in the defence and security indus- try, gaining extensive experience in busi- ness operations, program management, engineering technology, and integrated logistics support. He has spent more than 20 years with Thales, holding various roles including his current position. Most recently, Mr. Turcotte led the cap- ture of the (AJISS) contract for Thales Canada. He continues to oversee the start-up and implementation of the AJISS program, but is also involved in defining new approaches and strategies to grow the Thales services portfolio by leveraging the vast in-service support experience of the Thales Group. Q What experience and expertise does Thales bring to the AJISS program? The AJISS program builds on our expe- rience providing In-Service Support to every Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) plat- form over the past 50 years, including the systems onboard the Victoria-class sub- marines, Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels, Iroquois-class destroyers, and Halifax-class frigates. We're combin- ing that with the Naval performance- based in-service support capabilities of our Thales partners in Australia. Having built a global reputation for in- novative In-Service Support capabilities, we're leveraging our award-winning ex- perience in project management, systems engineering, and integrated logistics to ensure all of the vessels are mission-ready whenever and wherever they are needed. Q Can you tell me more about the role that In-Service Support plays in ensuring the Royal Canadian Navy's fleet is mission-ready at all times? Thales Canada's In-Service Support role under AJISS includes program and life cycle material management, logistics sup- port, design and engineering, quality management, training, preventative and corrective maintenance, management of spares, vessel enhancement, and equip- ment and platform disposal. There are a lot of moving parts work- ing with various stakeholders, but the over-arching goals are to ensure that the RCN's critical systems are supported and that the ships are maintained and avail- able when needed. Every day, we work closely with our cus- tomers to help them deliver on their man- dates as seamlessly and cost-effectively as possible while also providing innovative capabilities that will help ensure mission success and redefine how fleets can be suc- cessfully managed moving forward. Q Since the contract award, what groundwork did Thales put in-place in preparation for the delivery of the first ship, and what are some of the unique challenges in setting up this ISS contract in Canada? Since contract award, Thales has been actively preparing for the delivery of the first vessel - HMCS Harry DeWolf - to ensure operational success across the en- tire AOPS and JSS Fleets for the duration of their service. Thales is applying a Managing Contrac- tor approach to this program, and the Thales AJISS team extends across several provinces and multiple offices and ware- An Innovative Approach to In-Service Support Image courtesy of the Department of National Defence (DND)

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