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FWSAR  –  New Aircraft  –  MERX LOI / Industry Day Notice  –  July 2009 Flogging FWSAR –  Industry Day for Fixed Wing Seach & Rescue LOI: Long Lectures or Indecipherable Industrial  Info Exchange This document has been labelled as an LOI, but,  instead,  it was the announcement of an 'Industry Day', a follow-up on the FWSAR  'Information Session' held earlier in July. There is a distinction.  Information sessions are meant to be a chance for DND to spell out  their  requirements  – in a  general  way –  to the relevant companies. On the other hand, an ' Industry Day'  is intended  to provide the representatives of any companies, which  may  be in a position  to bid on a contract,  an opportunity  to ask more specific questions.  Having travelled to this session, they expect clear answers to their queries. Dave Pugliese published a transcript of  the FWSAR industry day  that quotes a question-and-answer exchange between an unnamed industry representative and  DND's  ' Subject Matter Expert ',  BGen  Greg  Matte currently  Chief of  Staff,  Canada Command HQ,  but formerly  Director, Aerospace  Requirements  ( DAR ).  BGen  Matte [ right ] was a  fighter pilot.  Presumably, his qualification as SME is built on time as the DAR (or,  perhaps it was his  MA in  ' Defence Management and Planning '  from  RMC. )  [1] At any rate, both this ' Question-from-Industry ', and Matte's non-answer are revealing.  "Question:  We are arctic aviation experts.  We've been working with  the government   of Nunavut for 10 years to improve Search and Rescue in the arctic and I notice in the   General's presentation the maintenance of the continuing Bases just along the south-   ern border of Canada. Can we propose alternate creative solutions to this issue? Or is   this issue fixed at this time ?  We've had extensive public consultation ... for ten years   seeking better Search and Rescue in the arctic. It's commonly thought that basing air-   craft in the arctic might help [provide better arctic aerial  Search and Rescue service]."   "Answer by BGen Matte: ... probably the best way to answer that, is that, as I stated   in my remarks, part of the complicating factor for this – and many other Major Crown   Projects –  is that we have to live within the resource constraints that we have.  Parts   of those resource constraints are financial; how much can be allocated to this partic-   ular project, recognizing that it is one of many. What legacy infrastructure is available   at this juncture and what would have to be created if  we were to go beyond that,  as   well as other considerations with regard to training for the people involved.   With that thought in mind, certainly any ideas that could find a solution to having an   enhanced presence in the north, that would allow us to do so within the constraints   that we have presently for infrastructure, as well as the amount of funds allocated to   this budget, and  [other high-level ] requirements we have, ... that would be fantastic.   And that's,  in part,  what we're seeking today.  I don't think we've met before so you   must be one of the newer individuals coming into this project ... I thank you for your   interest and look forward to the solutions offered." "Okay ... did that make sense to anyone?"   Let's Go Back to the Original Question The original question was clear enough and  deserved a real answer. Is basing  FWSAR aircraft along Canada's southern border  fixed  in  DND's plans?  The shortest answer is: 'Yes'. The FWSAR aircraft requirement has been issued and those requirements assumed basing in Trenton and other southern airfields. BGen Matte could have said that this question was outside the scope of an 'aircraft' procurement project. He did not, in part, because the question reveals an underlying flaw in the FWSAR requirement and a limitation for the Air Force. In a nutshell, the Air Force doesn't want to be based in the Arctic and the requirement for  new  FWSAR  aircraft  is skewed  to suit  the AF's  preferences.  A simple question arises:  Why  not  divide up aerial  SAR  resources?  Base some  SAR  aircraft  close to southern  population  centres  –  others in more  remote  locations, such as  the Arctic? All in all, aerial SAR has been a pain for the Air Force lately.  The AF clearly does not really  want  to perform  the  FWSAR  role.  So,  why not opt out of  SAR  completely? The answer is probably  careerism.  Many Air Force careers have been built on years of   ' planning ' for  SAR.  And future careers would be lost  if  this  FWSAR  Replace- ment  Project  founders.  But surely the protection of lives and the assertion of Arctic sovereignty  take precedence over  the retirement plans of a few  Ottawa bureaucrats. As an SAR advisor to the Nunavut government, the questioner is actually in a strong position. The federal government is obligated to provide the SAR service in a manner adequate to safeguard the lives of people in Nunavut, NWT, and the Yukon. If the Air Force  can't or  won't  provide an adequate SAR service, the government could easily transfer that responsibility  to a  civilian  agency.  Take Transport Canada's  NASP [2] surveillance aircraft as an example.  They fly from civilian airports.  So too could  SAR. [1] BGen Greg Matte  (not to be confused with his brother, Air Force BGen P.R. Matte) has spent his military career divided between CF-18s and NDHQ staff postions (DCDS and VCDS Groups, ADM[HR-Mil] as Director Military Human Resource Requirements, and finally as DAR). At the Industry Day, questions were also fielded by Alain Bédard the PWGSC rep for FWSAR. (M Bédard declined to provide details on budget, aircraft numbers, timelines, or processes used to formulate recommendations to government.) [2] The Transport Canada aerial patrol fleet is an example of reallocating tasks from one federal government agency to another. The NASP Dash 8s were originally flown by the Canadian Coast Guard (all fixed-wing CCG aircraft were transferred to TC ). The Dash 7 aircraft was originally flown by Enviroment Canada Ice Service prior to going to NASP. ________________________________________ FIXED WING SEARCH AND RESCUE INDUSTRY DAY LOI Notice [ FWSAR Replacement  Letters-of-Interest ] ________________________________________ Reference Number                PW-$$AP-002-18914 Solicitation Number              W847A-090005/A Organization Name               Public Works and Government Services Canada Source ID                               FD.DP.QC.10077.C2 Associated Components     Yes Dates Published     2009-07-08 Revised        2009-07-15 Closing         2009-09-15  02:00 PM  Eastern Daylight Saving Time  EDT Details Category                          Aerospace GSINS                               N1510:  AIRCRAFT,  FIXED WING Region of Delivery         Ontario Agreement Type             NONE Tender Type                    Letter  of  Interest  ( LOI ) Estimated Value               — Solicitation Method        — Notice Description FIXED WING  SEARCH AND RESCUE  INDUSTRY DAY Trade Agreement:                         NONE Tendering Procedures:                All interested suppliers may submit a bid Attachment:                                                   None Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy:  N/A - P&A/LOI Only Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement:   No Nature of  Requirements: FIXED WING  SEARCH AND RESCUE  INDUSTRY DAY This amendment is to include the presentation document that was presented at the information session in Ottawa on July 14th at the Canada Reception Center  [ ... ]