Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/507045
10 aPRIL/May 2015 www.vanguardcanada.com I INSIDE IndUSTRy BRIEf IN OMX has received a $250,000 repayable contribution from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (Fed- Dev Ontario). The investment, announced at Business Innovation Summit 2015, will support the growth of the tech start-up and ex- pand its export potential, as well as generate export opportunities for the over 40,000 Canadian SMEs in its online platform. The fund- ing will also help it build a Request For Proposal engine. Burlington-based IRCO AUTOMATION will be providing major com- ponents to the U.S. Navy's new ship-to-shore connector (SSC). The contract with TEXTRON SYSTEMS, builders of the USN's next generation amphibious connector craft, is part of Textron's effort to fulfi ll its IRB obligations on the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle program. Both companies have worked together before: IRCO de- signed and manufactured the SSC's automatic panel welder and hull assembly line trolley system, which has been installed at Textron Systems' New Orleans Shipyard. KRAKEN SONAR SYSTEMS, a subsidiary of Kraken Sonar of St. John's, Newfoundland has received an order for its AquaPix Syn- thetic Aperture Sonar system from an undisclosed international defence contractor. Kraken said AquaPix offers military grade technology for 3D seabed imaging and faster data processing. L-3 INTEGRATED OPTICAL SYSTEMS BRASHEAR has delivered a high- energy laser beam director to Defence Research and Develop- ment Canada to enhance its mobile characterization and devel- opment laboratory. L-3 said it had "worked closely with leading scientists at DRDC to design and build a ruggedized HEL BD for use at open fi eld test ranges." BOEING has offi cially opened the doors on a new Helicopters Maintenance Training Center at Garrison Petawawa. After com- pleting delivery of 15 new CH-147F Chinook helicopters last sum- mer, the company is now highlighting the "world-class" training facility for maintenance personnel as the initial class of 18 tech- nicians graduates. BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA has received a $156 million contract from the federal government to provide seven Bell 412EPI medium-lift helicopters to the Canadian Coast Guard. The aircraft will support the CCG's maritime security, icebreaking re- connaissance, and fi sheries activities. The deal follows an earlier agreement in May 2014 to deliver 15 Bell 429 light-lift helicop- ters, all of which will be delivered by March 2016. To mark its 45th anniversary, KELOWNA FLIGHTCRAFT has re- branded with a new name, logo and look. Now known as KF AERO- SPACE, the Okanagan Valley company has a number of defence programs, including multi-engine and rotary wing military fl ight training. KF Aerospace is also a member of Team Spartan, which is bidding the C-27J for Canada's fi xed-wing search and rescue air- craft program. LOCKHEED MARTIN CANADA's Ottawa-based Mission Systems and Training business has confi rmed a $170 million implementation subcontract with IRVING SHIPBUILDING to integrate command and surveillance systems on the Royal Canadian Navy's new Arctic/ Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS). AMTEK, a subsidiary of Ottawa-based CALIAN TECHNOLOGIES, recently renewed a contract worth $15 million for the Royal Canadian Air Forces' Airworthiness Program. Calian also renewed a contract with DND to provide and deliver technical training at the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE) in Kingston. On the same day the federal government released the much-antic- ipated Request for Proposals for a new fl eet of fi xed-wing search and rescue aircraft, one of the program's leading contenders, AIR- BUS DEFENCE AND SPACE, signed a letter of intent with PROVINCIAL AEROSPACE (PAL) to explore opportunities to extend their relation- ship beyond the program. The two companies have agreed to ex- plore international collaborations for in-service support, mission systems integration, and aircraft modifi cations. CASCADE AEROSPACE, an operating unit of IMP AEROSPACE & DEFENCE, has conducted the fi rst test fl ight of a foreign military aircraft from its base in Abbotsford, BC. The fl ight is part of the fi nal phase of a program to modernize the Mexican Air Force C-130K aircraft. Under the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI), the federal government has made a repayable contribution of $75 mil- lion to L-3 WESCAM to support its research and development pro- gram on surveillance cameras and sensors. WESCAM said it will invest $2 million with Canadian universities and colleges to help future workforce training programs. Vancouver's MACDONALD, DETTWILER AND ASSOCIATES signed con- tracts totalling $6 million with AIRBUS DEFENSE AND SPACE to up- grade the U.S. Air Force's fi ve Eagle Vision mobile ground stations. In addition, MDA'S INFORMATION SYSTEMS group marked two years of operations for Sapphire, Canada's fi rst dedicated military satellite. Sapphire collects and provides data to DND on more than 12,000 man-made space objects per month. CHANTIER DAVIE will perform a life-extension of the Canadian Coast Guard ship Earl Grey, a medium endurance multi-tasked vessel. The ship's nine-month life-extension program will consist of re- placements and upgrades to engines, machinery, equipment and electrical systems. DRS TECHNOLOGIES CANADA joins a growing list of Canadian compa- nies that will be providing systems for the upgraded Royal New Zea- land Navy's two ANZAC-class frigates. The FINMECCANICA subsidiary has been subcontracted by LOCKHEED MARTIN CANADA to provide tactical integrated communications systems as part of a larger com- munications modernization program for the New Zealand frigates.