Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/476674
10 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 www.vanguardcanada.com i inSide indUstRY BRief in Just over two years ago, ChANtiEr DAviE was in bankruptcy and struggling for survival. In February, the rejuvenated Lévis, Quebec company was voted North American Shipyard of the Year at the Lloyd's List North American Maritime Awards 2015. The government of British Columbia reaffirmed its commitment to the province's aerospace sector in Budget 2015, earmarking pay- ment of the second installment of a five-year, $5 million promise made during the last election and initiated in Budget 2014 to expand the aerospace cluster. The initiative is part of a partnership with the recently formed AErosPACE iNDustriEs AssoCiAtioN oF CANADA PA- CiFiC to develop a provincial aerospace strategy. Burnaby's osi MAritiME systEMs has received a contract to pro- vide the South African Navy with Tactical-Asset Control and Tracking Systems. The T-ACT systems will be installed on rigid- hull inflatable boats to support maritime security operations. The company was also awarded a contract to deliver Tactical Dived Navigation Systems to the Royal Swedish Navy A19 Götland- class submarine upgrade program. The first of Canada's Victoria-class submarines has completed a major refit. In early December, BABCoCk CANADA delivered HMCS Chicoutimi back to the Royal Canadian Navy following a deep maintenance period, known as an Extended Docking Work Period. The EDWP is an overhaul of some 200 submarine systems that will be performed on all four Victoria-class boats at regular intervals as part of the navy's Victoria In-Service Support Contract (VISSC). The VISSC, a new approach to in-service support for the RCN, was awarded to Babcock Canada in 2008. Work on the submarines is being conducted in partnership with sEAsPAN's viCtoriA shiPyArDs. The United States Marine Corps and the Canadian Army might share common transport if GENErAl DyNAMiCs lAND systEMs- CANADA is successful in the Corps' upcoming amphibious combat vehicle (ACV) program. A version of GDLS-C's LAV 6.0, the signifi- cantly upgraded light armoured vehicle currently rolling out of its facility in London for the Canadian Army, is expected to be one of four contenders to replace the USMC amphibious assault ve- hicle. Downselect to two vendors is expected by fall 2015. Each vehicle must be able to accommodate 13 Marines, plus a gunner, driver and vehicle commander. 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at Garrison Petawawa recently took delivery of a Chinook Maintenance Trainer. The BoEiNG system in- cluded a complete airframe and an interactive display, as well as aids focused on areas such aircraft wiring and fuel tank maintenance. The training system follows delivery of the final of 15 CH-147F Chinook helicopters in June. At CES15 in Las Vegas, Vancouver's NGrAiN unveiled a partnership with EPsoN AMEriCA and a new connected 3D augmented wearable – the Moverio BT-200 smart glasses, an optical see-through augmented re- ality app on the Metaio platform. The Moverio BT-200 uses micro projec- tors located on each side of the lens to project transparent overlays of digital content directly in the user's field of view When loCkhEED MArtiN CANADA and sEAsPAN's viCtoriA shiPyArDs install and integrate a new combat system into New Zealand's two MEKO-class frigates beginning in 2016, the system will include rhEiNMEtAll's Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS). Rheinmetall will act as subcontractor to LMC and will supply two MASS systems in twin-launcher configuration, including a long-range capability, plus two naval laser warning systems from sAAB GriNtEk DEFENCE. iMP AErosPACE has delivered the first of three CP-140M Aurora patrol aircraft fitted with an advanced Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) satellite communications system. IMP provided the installation design and modification of the system, which will improve ISR capability by en- abling secure high-speed data streaming from the aircraft via satellite. When BEll BoEiNG successfully completed precision and non-preci- sion weapons firing from a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in November, l-3 WEsCAM was there to mark the spot. Through a cooperative agree- ment with Bell Helicopter, the Burlington-based firm's MX-15D designat- ing turret was part of a 14-day weapons demonstration conducted at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. During the trials, the V-22 Osprey successfully launched conventional 70mm (2.75") rock- ets, BAE systEMs' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and rAythEoN's Griffin B lightweight precision-guided missiles. l-3 WEsCAM also received an order from IOMAX USA for 28 MX-15D electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging and designating turrets. Fitted to a fleet of IOMAX Archangel turboprop aircraft, they will as- sist close air support and armed border patrol missions for an un- disclosed customer in the United Arab Emirates. Perhaps the most intriguing option has been the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, which has rapidly becoming the gold standard for combat search and rescue. The article, however, said the com- pany "had gone silent." In a statement to Vanguard, officials with Bell-Boeing said the company is still monitoring the $3.1 billion program and "believe the V-22 Osprey is a good match for the FWSAR mission as it is the most effective and efficient aircraft for search and rescue efforts. The final require- ments of the RFP will determine whether we will offer the V-22 for FWSAR." The new FWSAR fleet will replace the almost 50-year-old Buffalo aircraft and some legacy C-130 Hercules now used in search and rescue.