Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/337874
C CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2014 27 simple, it is quite a system. We are looking at a system of search and rescue, not individual platforms. That adds a level of complication." On ISR and ASW, the air force is looking out 20 years beyond the CP-140 Aurora long-range platform to understand what it must factor into its new ASW concepts as it considers the challenges of operations over open ocean, littorals and the Arctic. "As we engage and exchange in the as- sociated technology, we are probably go- ing to end up splitting that one into small- er chunks," Cournoyer said. "It will take some time for us all to be comfortable in this new collaborative framework, but as we split the ISR and ASW and a portion of the SAR, we are going to be talking about a sense function that needs to be common, commonly networked sensors and so forth, the associated fusion, as- sociated command support. Although it sounds like we are being restrictive with the first few futures concepts, that ends up touching a broad swipe of air power capability." Though the first two projects were es- tablished by the RCAF, and it has a for- mal process for formulating and prioritiz- ing concept-development efforts under its Future Concepts Directive, Poitras said the door will also be open to in- dustry and academia initiated ideas. "We have a finite capacity in terms of capability development, so what- ever is proposed will go through a selection process and we'll identify the priorities accordingly, but the partners do have their say." He also acknowledged the in- evitable issues that are raised when the military and industry engage on topics that could have future pro- curement implications, but said the emphasis on concept development and the rules already well established for the ICEE around handling of information and intellectual property should ensure a level and conflict-free playing field. "We are not expecting anyone to give us their groundbreaking technology. It's more about defining concepts. It gives us a target for the future. We are stressing that everything you put in the ICEE you have to be willing to share with others. That's key for us, to make sure the process is transparent so there are no issues of pref- erential treatment." The value of the ICEE over more direct engagement such as workshops and con- ferences is that it encourages smaller com- panies with fewer resources to participate, he added. The RCAF has leveraged the reach of CADSI to facilitate the initial engagement with industry. Poitras said it will soon be ap- proaching organizations with academic out- reach such as DRDC, Mitacs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the National Research Council and the Royal Military College of Canada. "Initially we are focusing on industry just to get some traction for the program. But as we move forward we will probably try to do something similar with academia where we will try to reach associations and speak more directly with them." Despite the timing of ESI, the initiative is not tied to government's new defence procurement strategy. Cournoyer ac- knowledges that there are strong parallels between the government's interest in key industrial capabilities and the transfer of industrial technological benefits and the direction of ESI, but says while the ini- tiative will help further the government's intent to reform defence procurement, it is focused on long-term development of those capabilities. He points, for example, to Canadian de- veloped networking and sensor technol- ogy. "Although this doesn't sound like a flying object, they become flying objects when we attach them to our platforms. It is part of our biggest capability dilemma as we break out of the traditional mode of the air force that we know today." Where the two are clearly in harmony is on the desire to develop innovative, Canadian- made solutions that fit what the air force calls unique Canadian needs. Human dimension Although the focus of projects like ESI often concentrate on future technology, Cournoyer says he's also interested in un- derstanding the human challenge associ- ated with new operating concepts – the types of people required and how best to prepare and employ them. "ESI is going to help shed some light on some of these questions. When I visit my key allied partners, we are all suffering from the same problem space of trying to break free of our existing military mode. All of these information-based technolo- gies are challenging our know-how. As we put together these futures concepts, there is a human aspect to this. People process technology, and it is a triangular relation- ship that we are going to need to solve in all of these sub aspects." With both industry and the air force eager for such an opportunity, Cournoyer hopes the partners will quickly become comfort- able with the ESI framework. The payoff might not be for another decade, but he says the air force will eventually see "fielded requirements that have been shaped and informed by the discussions that take place in the next five years. Hopefully we get to some small victories along the way that will create some bigger momentum for this col- laborative space."