CASR
Defence
Budget &
Procurement
Practices
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Industry
News
Releases
2006-08
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~ Industry News / Press Releases ~ |
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Very often, defence industry press releases announce DND procurement decisions before any Government department
does. In some cases, that manufacturer's news release is the only notification available to Canadian
citizens of what Government is doing in their names. Below is a sampling of such industry news / press
releases. Also see: Government of Canada/Department of National Defence News Releases |
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Canadian Forces FWSAR Project – Industry Response – December
2008 FWSAR CC-115 Buffalo — First Rebuilds, then New-Builds? 
David Curtis, CEO of Viking Air (type certicate holder for the Buffalo aircraft), addresses DND's FWSAR
project in light of recent announcements that MND Peter MacKay wants to forego a competitive
procurement for FWSAR and proceed directly to an ACAN for seventeen Italian- built
C-27J aircraft. If we examine the origins of the C-27J, we see that this Italian aircraft is actually a contemporary
of the Buffalo. If Italy can support its aerospace industry (and economy) with military orders, why doesn't
Canada?Read CASR commentary on FSWAR and the text of Mr. Curtis' letter |
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Canadian Forces Armoured Vehicles – Route Opening – November 2008 Orders for 48 Additional Buffalo and Cougar EROC Vehicles 
Force Protection Inc. has issued a news release announcing Canadian follow-on orders for more EROC (Expedient
Route- Opening Capability) trucks – 14 Buffalo and 34 Cougar. The order is actually an
add-on to the original contract used to purchase ten EROC vehicles for the CF.Read CASR commentary on the EROC vehicles and the FPI press release |
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C-17 Support – CF Procurement – Industry News Release –
November 2008 CC-177 TASLU / Halvorsen 44K Rough Field Cargo Loader 
The CF is to receive four 44,000 ton cargo handling vehicles for use with their CC-177
Globemaster IIIs. The vehicles are known in the US as Halvorsen 44K Loaders but are
better-known as the third-generation TASLU (or Truck Aircraft Side Load/Unload Loader) the military equivalent
of FMC cargo lift-trucks used by airlines. The TASLU can also load a CC-150 (left).Read CASR commentary on the Loaders and the JBT AeroTech press release |
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ASLEP CP-140 Aurora Upgrade – Industry News Release –
Sept / Nov 2008 Lockheed Martin — News — Aurora Structual Life Extension Having been selected to provide DND with CP-140 Aurora airframe components for ASLEP (the Aurora Structural Life Extension Project) through an ACAN, Lockheed Martin issued a news release related primarily to new-production outer wing panels 
being produced for other armed forces. (Ironically, such assemblies were once produced by Canadair
in Montreal.)Lockheed Martin issued a second press release on ASLEP, this time to announce the awarding of a $156M contract from DND. Both press releases are reproduced. Read CASR commentary on ASLEP and the Lockheed Martin press releases |
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Project Noctua (Leased UAV) – Industry News Release – August
2008 MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates and Project Noctua UAVs  MDA joined forces with IAI Malat to offer the piston-engined Heron 1 (or Eagle) UAV to DND. This is the same CU-160 Eagle 1 loaned to DND for its PLIX trial in 2003 (although now optimized for a tactical role rather than for maritime search). By May of 2008, potential bidders were withdrawing from DND's Noctua project over deadlines, limited budget, or shifting requirements. After this false start, in August 2008, MDA was announced as the winner of the restarted Project Noctua bidding. Read CASR commentary on Project Noctua and the MDA press releases |
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Griffon Helicopter INGRESS – Industry/GoC News Release – July
2008 Interoperable Griffon Reconnaissance Escort Surveillance 
A contract was awarded to L-3 Wescam to supply 19 MX-15 True HD to satisfy the
Interoperable Griffon Reconnaissance Escort Surveillance System (INGRESS) project. MX-15 electro-
optical/infrared sensors offer full high-definition video. The 19 INGRESS MX-15 True HD systems will replace
all obsolescent AN/AAQ-501 E/O turrets now in use on the CH-146 Griffon
helicopters. The CH-146 maker, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada will modify 64 Griffons to accept
the INGRESS package. Press releases from L-3 Wescam and the Government are reproducedRead CASR commentary on INGRESS and the L-3 Wescam/GoC press releases |
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Armed Naval Icebreakers (A/OPS) – Industry News Release – June 2008 AOPS Definition, Engineering, Logistics and Management 
The contract award for the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships' DELMS (Definition, Engineering, Logistics and Management
Support) is covered in industry news releases – one from BMT Fleet Technology which was awarded the DELMS
contract, another from Aker Yards Marine Inc., a member of BMT's team. The full AOPS DELMS
team is described.Read CASR commentary on AOPS and BMT Fleet Technology News Release |
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Canadian Forces FWSAR Project – Industry Response to Media – June
2008 CC-115 Buffalo – Spare Parts and Viking Air Support Service
Viking Air of Victoria, BC is the type certificate owner for the DHC-5 Buffalo aircraft. Viking is
therefore responsible for the support of these aircraft – including the CF's small fleet of CC-115s.
Faced with media accusations that parts and support for this CF fleet were unobtainable, Viking's
President and CEO, David Curtis, responded with a letter to the editor of the Times Colonist to correct
what he saw as misperceptions in press coverage of the CC-115 to that point. Here we reproduce the content of
Mr. Curtis' letter.Read CASR commentary on the CC-115 and the text of Mr. Curtis' letter |
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Noctua Project (Leased UAV) – Industry News Release –
Feb/June 2008 Thales UK – News Release – Watchkeeper Leased UAVs 
Thales Canada has now partnered with Elbit Systems of Israel on submissions for three separate DND UAV
programs. For the mini UAV IOR for OP Archer, Elbit's CU-168 Skylark was successful (see below). For
JAIC (the failed Joint Airborne ISR Capability requirement), the Hermes 900
medium-altitude/long-endurance UAV was put forward (with L-3 as third partner). Finally, for the Noctua leased
UAV, the Watchkeeper was offered.Watchkeeper, as leased to the British Army (above), is Elbit's Hermes 450 TUAV. This Thales press release is an overview of that UK Watchkeeper program. [Note: in August 2008, MacDonald Dettwiler won Project Noctua, sending the IAI Malat Heron 1 UAVs to Kandahar Airfield as leased TUAVs to relieve the CF Sperwers.] Read CASR commentary on Noctua and the text of the Thales press release |
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Canadian Forces Mini UAV Project – Industry News Release – Sept
2006 Thales Canada – News Release – CU-168 Skylark Mini UAV 
The CF have experimented with several types of mini UAV (including the CU-167 Silver
Fox which participated in the ALIX tests in Atlantic Canada in August 2005 ). In March 2006, an
Immediate Operational Requirement was issued for five CU-168 Skylark mini UAVs (with
options on five additional Skylark air vehicles) for use in southern Afghanistan by summer of 2006.Officially, the "Skylark Mini-UAV System Program" is managed by Thales Canada, Systems Division although the actual UAV air vehicle is made by Elbit Systems, an Israeli firm. This press release outlines Thales Canada's involvement with Skylark. Read CASR commentary on Skylark and the text of the Thales press release |
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Light Armoured Vehicle Procurement – GDLS News Release – 03 Aug 2006 LAV TUA Hull Conversions to LAV Infantry Section Carriers 
DND has awarded an $49.2M contract to General Dynamics to convert 33 surplus LAV TUA (TOW Under Armour)
hulls into turretless LAV Infantry Section Carriers. Originally, 71 LAV TUAs were to be procured but, in the
absense of armour threats, the CF decided to scale back that order. This left 33 surplus, non-standard
hulls. Whereas standard LAV III ISCs are armed with 25mm guns in Delco manned turrets, the
LAV TUA conversions have the unique Nanuk Remote Weapons Station, an new RWS by Rheinmetall
Canada.Read CASR commentary on the LAV TUA/ISC and the GDLS-C news release |
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