Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/235053
I inside industry DCNS makes case for Canadian surface combatant jet fighter, Boissier also stressed the opportunities for technology transfer. DCNS owns the intellectual property for the FREMM, which has enabled it "to work with partners to adapt and modify designs to individual country's requirements. The same, of course, would be done in Canada." To underscore the company's interest in Canada, he said DNCS has signed a cooperation agreement with Dalhousie University to create a Naval Systems Integration Center. "Canada's best option is a competition that ensures the most capable design, supported by an experienced warship systems integrator, selected to create the best value, based on a proven design adapted for Canada's specific needs," he concluded. "Only then will you have a completely accountable and responsive supplier and the most effective solution for Canada." Cyclone still circles over DND The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy represents the largest investment to date in the Royal Canadian Navy, so the visit of the French FREMM-class Aquitaine to Halifax this Spring was no accident. DCNS, like many other shipbuilders, is eyeing with interest the progress of all three classes of navy ships under the NSPS program, especially the surface combatant. It's no secret Canada will have to develop capacity at both the Irving and Seaspan shipyards, and companies like DCNS and Ingalls Shipbuilding are queuing up to offer help. In late November, Patrick Boissier, CEO of the French firm, spoke to audiences in Halifax and Ottawa, reminding them of the government's commitment to "work in partnership with industry." Boissier said that DCNS's involvement with not only the French navy but also naval systems in 30 countries means it "has seen many different approaches to ship procurement...[a]nd we firmly believe that DCNS has the right solution for the Canadian Surface Combatant program. Simply put, DCNS has the resources to design, modify, build, and integrate vessels, weapon systems, and support capabilities across the spectrum of Canadian requirements. We can do it on time, within budget and working hand in glove with Canadian industry." With so much focus on cost following the Auditor General's fall report, he emphasized that that DCNS has 12 FREMMs on order, with "ships already delivered under a fixed-price contract," meaning a low-risk solution in terms of cost and schedule. He also noted the FREMM's ability to operate with a crew of 108 sailors – "a considerable reduction in the crew size for most current ships of its size and capability" – by leveraging new technology. Keeping in line with the government's focus on jobs and economic growth, Boissier also discussed the range of "sophisticated potential partners" and the 10,000 jobs DCNS would generate over the next decade to build, customize and maintain the surface combatants. Like his French counterpart at Dassault Aviation, which is offering the Rafale as an option for Canada's next 8 DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 www.vanguardcanada.com If Sikorsky is worried about the fate of the S-92 Cyclone, it wasn't letting on during a conference call with investors and analysts in early December. Shortly into his presentation, Louis Chenevert, chairman of Sikorsky's parent company, United Technologies, acknowledged the questions he frequently receives about the Canadian maritime helicopter program. He quickly added, "a picture is worth a thousand words," and then showed a slide of a Cyclone in flight training. The Royal Canadian Air Force is conducting initial training with four interim helicopters at 12 Wing Shearwater but has yet to officially accept any of the Cyclones. Chenevert said it had six more waiting in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and had the entire "28 helicopters in the build process." Both pilots and maintainers are now training on the aircraft, he added. As for concerns that the government was lining up a possible alternative if it is unable to accept the Cyclone, Chenevert told investors "we're continuing to have productive discussions with the Canadian government. We maintain our placeholder for this year for eight aircraft in (2013). We'll also have eight in 2014 and eight in '15...[T]he eight and eight and eight...still holds true at this point in time. So we have made good progress." In the fall, government officials met with representatives from AgustaWestland, NH Industries and Sikorsky and asked each company to respond to an abbreviated set of requirements. An announcement on the program was anticipated in December.