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JUSTAS Project  (Medium UAV)  –  MERX LOI Notice  –  September 2008 Joint Unmanned Surveillance Target Acquisition System UAVs – MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV  MERX LOI Notice JUSTAS,  JAIC, Noctua, and other DND Doings – A Quick Update of  UAV Projects NDHQ have made more than a few procurement stabs at JUSTAS, the planned MALE UAV for the Canadian Forces.  Initially, JUSTAS was portrayed as a cheap method for patrolling Canada's coasts. It was assumed that the CU-161 Sperwer tactical UAV was adequate for overseas deployments.  Now that's changed and Sperwer is to be junked. With the Sperwer TUAVs on the way out, the tactical end of Canadian UAV operations in Afghanistan  falls to the mini-UAVs – the hand-launched  Elbit Skylarks (right) which have now been joined  by another mini UAV type, the contractor -owned / maintained  Insitu ScanEagle. But under Project Noctua, DND is leasing another UAV – the IAI Heron to replace soon-to-be-missing  CU-161 Sperwer TUAVs. Meanwhile, the JUSTAS program had both bifurcated and  languished. The split came when it was belatedly recognized that armed UAVs were needed to support CF troops in Afghanistan. Rather than turning JUSTAS into an "Urgent Operation Requirement", a new offshoot program was budded  –  the Joint Airborne ISR Capability. The goal of JAIC was the procurement of armed MQ-9 Predator B  UAVs. Unfortunately, this was pitched to Cabinet as a sole-source purchase when the Auditor-General was criticizing the government for  just such buying practices.  Cabinet  refused  funding,  JAIC died. JUSTAS UAVs Yet Again: Joint Unmanned Surveillance Target Acquisition System DND tried a new tack with  Project Noctua but Predator maker,  General Atomics,  refused  to play. A re-jigged  Noctua contest, recognizing the limits of its budget, resulted in the lease of the piston-engined Heron. However, JUSTAS is aimed at more capable UAVs  –  candidates, assuming that industry can be tempted to deal with DND again, will  likely be Predator B and the enlarged  Heron TP, [1]  with another Elbit Systems model, the completely different  Hermes 900, as something of  a long-shot. [2] This LOI Notice gives no details about the JUSTAS project. The critical information is the dates and the splitting of JUSTAS into two phases – first an armed UAV, then the original patrol concept. A contract award is not due until Fall of  2010. The IOC (Initial Operational Capability) for Phase 1 is not due until February 2012.  In other words, the armed UAVs won't be fielded until the first anniversary of the CF leaving Afghanistan. [1] The Heron TP is a turboprop-powered (Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-67) derivative of the piston-engined Heron being leased  for immediate use in southern Afghanistan. [2] Elbit and L-3 offered  the Hermes 900 for the aborted  JAIC program.  Hermes 900 is a piston-engined UAV equivalent to the earlier Heron (or Eagle-1) and RQ-1 Predator. ________________________________________ Letters of  Interest  (LOI)   —   JUSTAS  ( the  Joint Unmanned Surveillance Target Acquisition System) ________________________________________ Reference Number                PW-$ATP-003-17562 Solicitation Number              W8475-095012/B Organization Name               Public Works and Government Services Canada Source ID                               FD.DP.QC.10077.C2 Associated Components     Yes Dates Published     2008-09-08 Revised        2008-09-16 Closing         2008-12-05  02:00 PM  Eastern Daylight Saving Time  EDT Details Category                          Aerospace GSINS                               N1550: DRONES Region of Delivery         Ontario Agreement Type             Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) Tender Type                    Letter  of  Interest  ( LOI ) Estimated Value               — Solicitation Method        — Notice Description   JUSTAS Trade Agreement:                         Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) Tendering Procedures:                 All interested suppliers may submit a bid Attachment:                                                   None Competitive Procurement Strategy:  Best Overall Proposal Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement:   No W8475-095012/A Sinkinson(003atp), John Telephone No. - (613) 943-3492 ( ) Fax No. - 613 944-7870 john.sinkinson@pwgsc.gc.ca Project JUSTAS   Procurement of  a UAV System The Canadian Forces has a requirement to field and support interoperable, network [-] enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle...Systems to provide Intelligence, Surveillance [and] Reconnaissance (ISR), Target Acquisition, and all-weather precision strike capabilities in support of Canadian Forces (CF) operations worldwide. The objective of  this Letter of  Interest ( LOI ) is to advise industry of  the forthcoming requirement and  also to re- quest feedback from Industry on the feasibility of currently defined project strategies with respect to scope, technical performance, schedule, and cost. Industry is highly encouraged to offer alternatives to the project strategies outlined in this LOI. These alternatives should be accompanied by comprehensive arguments and analysis  that  clearly demonstrates  how  the proposed solution  to  the operational re- quirement  is  more advantageous  to Canada with regard to operational suitability and effectiveness, cost, schedule, and risk. Information received from Industry will be used to refine JUSTAS planning documents and cost tables in advance of Cabinet and [TB] Treasury Board approval. Delivery Date: 05/12/2008 The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement. Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada. Sinkinson(003atp), John The New Two Seventy Albert 270 Albert St. / 7th Floor Ottawa Ontario K1A 0S5 (613) 943-3492 ( )