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077 | Global arms sales on the rise and Canada invests in quantum technology Jan 08, 2018

Show notes

Global arms sales on the rise and Canada invests in quantum technology

In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the rise in global arms sales, Canada and UAE sign defence cooperation agreement and the investment of the government in quantum technology.

Show Notes:

The world's 100 biggest weapons companies have increased arm sales for the first time in five years, reaching more than 370 billion dollars annually.

In its annual assessment of global arms sales, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute recently published a report that shows that last year saw the end of five consecutive years of decline with a 1.9 per cent increase in total sales.

"The growth in arms sales was expected and is driven by the implementation of new national major weapons programmes, ongoing military operations in several countries and persistent regional tensions that are leading to increased demand for weapons," the report states.

Those weapons programmes include substantial investment in naval and air capacity, including submarines in the US and UK, as well as new-generation combat aircraft such as the F-35, made by Lockheed Martin. The US, with the world's largest defence budget, has identified spending last year of $45bn on aircraft and related systems and $27bn on shipbuilding and maritime systems.

Canada and UAE sign defence cooperation agreement

Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a defence cooperation arrangement that will make it easier for the Canadian defence industry to access one of the world's most lucrative arms markets and bolster military ties between the two countries.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan signed the agreement during his five-day tour of the Middle East that included stops in Jordan, the UAE and Kuwait.

"The signing of the Canada-UAE Defence Cooperation Arrangement is a testament to the enduring partnership between our nations," Sajjan said in a statement. "We will continue our joint efforts to counter violent extremism in the Middle East as we work to build a more peaceful and prosperous world for both Canadians and the Emirati people."

The UAE ranks among the top 15 defence spenders in the world, according to Business Monitor International.

Government of Canada invests in national security technology

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is awarding $1.5 million to the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) to lead the science of a mission called the Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat), which will protect the communications and data of Canadians on Earth and in space.

It is estimated that within 10 to 20 years, the encryption codes used by computers today will be easily decoded by high-performing quantum computers, making current encryption technology obsolete.

This investment will advance encryption methods, which use highly advanced computing technology to create unbreakable security codes.

076 | First Arctic patrol ship being assembled and new fighter jets for Canada Dec 27, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Canada launches contest for 88 fighter jets, assembling the First Arctic patrol ship is on the way at the Halifax Shipyard and the steps needed to integrate the Australian F-18s into the current Royal Canadian Air Force's fighter fleet.

Show Notes:

The main structural components of the Royal Canadian Navy's first Arctic patrol ship have been assembled at the Halifax Shipyard.

The ship is expected to be launched at the Halifax Shipyard next summer.

"As the first ship of the class, having the future HMCS Harry DeWolf assembled at land level is a significant milestone," Kevin McCoy, president of Irving Shipbuilding, said in a statement.

Canada launches contest for 88 fighter jets

The Canadian government is launching a competition to buy a new fleet of 88 fighter jets and officials confirmed Tuesday they will also be buying an interim fleet of 18 jets from Australia rather than from Boeing.

According to Global News, a clause in the announcement effectively suggests that if Boeing wants to bid on the competition itself, it better back down in its trade challenge of Bombardier.

"When bids are assessed, any bidder that is responsible for harm to Canada's economic interests will be at a distinct disadvantage," the press release states.

That aspect of the announcement seems specifically aimed at Boeing.

Officials said the cost is being estimated at roughly half a billion dollars for the interim replacement, while roughly $15 billion to $19 billion will be set aside for the full competition.

Australian F-18s

With the announcement to purchase Australian F-18 aircraft, Canada has issued a list of steps needed to integrate the Australian F-18s with the current fleet of Canada's CF-18s.

Life extension and upgrade
Acquiring spare parts
Training and personnel
Operations
Infrastructure

075 | Fighter jets delay and Canadian Rangers losing out on health benefits Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, pushing back on delivery date for new fighter jets, Canadian Rangers losing out on health benefits and Vanguard is gearing up to host the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018.

Show Notes:

The Royal Canadian Air Force may have to keep its aging CF-18s airborne even longer than already expected after industry sources warned that the Trudeau government is planning to push back the delivery date for its new fleet of fighters.

Word of the likely delay comes with the government moving ahead with the purchase of used fighter jets from Australia as a temporary stopgap alongside its existing CF-18s, rather than the original plan of buying brand new Super Hornets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing.

Canadian Rangers losing out on health benefits

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are failing to ensure that Canadian Rangers, many of whom are Inuit, First Nations or Métis, receive health care benefits and entitlements available to other reservists, Canada's military watchdog said in a report released recently.

Gary Walbourne, the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces ombudsman, launched an investigation in 2016 aimed at figuring out why many Canadian Rangers don't receive the health care benefits that they're entitled to.

In his final report based on that investigation, Walbourne found many Rangers often don't report injuries sustained while they're on duty and don't know about benefits they're entitled to from Veterans Affairs Canada or how to apply for them.

"Respondents interviewed who self-identified as having sustained an injury while on duty were subsequently asked if they had considered submitting a claim to Veterans Affairs Canada—the vast majority responded that they did not," Walbourne said in his 31-page report.

Shipbuilding event

Vanguard is gearing up to host the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018. This is an annual event that is produced by Vanguard Magazine to facilitate a discussion between government, military and industry.

Scheduled for March 1, 2018, the Shipbuilding Technology Forum will be held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. This one-day conference is intended to showcase emerging technologies, address a range of marine and shipbuilding issues as well as ship repair and the advantages they provide for growth and export. To learn more or register to attend, go here.

074 | Companies vying for CSC and Canada reacting to the North Korea threat Dec 04, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, we take a look at the RFPs that were submitted for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program and with the North Korea threat, Canada has set aside two bunkers at military bases.

Show Notes:

The Navantia Team

The Navantia team has made an announcement of the submission of its proposal.

The team, which is led by Navantia is comprised of Saab Australia which will deliver the Combat Systems Integrator (CSI) and CEA Technologies to provide other key elements of the proposed solution.

The team's solution is based on "the proven F-105 frigate design" for the Spanish Navy. This design coupled with capabilities of key Canadian companies will provide a ship that is ideally suited to Canada's requirement, according to the press release.

Navantia has a history of providing modifications of this design for many navies including the Norwegian Navy and, most recently, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Canada's Combat Ship Team has announced the delivery of its proposal

Comprising of BAE Systems, CAE, Lockheed Martin Canada, L3 Technologies, MDA and Ultra Electronics, Canada's Combat Ship Team's proposal is focused on the "Canadian doctrine" according to Rosemary Chapdelaine, Vice President and General Manager at Lockheed Martin Canada Rotary and Missions Systems (RMS).

The team which is headed by Lockheed Martin Canada is offering "the most advanced and modern" warship design from BAE Systems – the Type 26 Global Combat Ship – along with innovations from other leading companies in Canada. Lockheed Martin Canada will provide its world-renowned Canadian-developed combat management system, the CMS 330 to integrate with the Type 26.

Due to the North Korean threat Canada has open up two bunkers

The Privy Council Office, drafted an agreement with National Defence a year ago to open up bunkers on two military bases should the National Capital Region become "unviable," according to documents obtained by CBC News under access to information legislation.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was asked Wednesday what would happen should a missile land in Canada.

"When it comes to any type of foreign threats, we take them extremely seriously," he said. "We've been looking at North Korea right from the beginning when I was given this portfolio. I am very mindful of the country's missile testing that they have been doing. We believe that the diplomatic solution is the way to go, because I think that there is hope for it."

073 | Illegal border crossers, Russia's inference in Kosovo and Russia and the Arctic Nov 24, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about how nearly half of illegal border-crossers into Canada are from Haiti, the president of Kosovo says that Russia's interference in Kosovo has implications for Canada and why is Russia sending robotic submarines to the Arctic?

Show Notes

For the last nine months, over 14,000 refugee claims were made by people who crossed into Canada outside legal border points. Of this number, nearly half of them were from Haiti according to CBC.

Data released by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) on recently shows that 6,304 citizens of Haiti claimed refugee status after crossing illegally into Canada between February and October.

Haiti was the top country of origin for irregular border-crossers in the nine-month period, followed by Nigeria, from which 1,911 people crossed into Canada.

Other countries of origin, and the number of people who crossed the border, were:

Turkey

Syria

Eritrea

Yemen

U.S.

Of the 14,000 referrals to the IRB, just over 1,500 cases have been finalized and 941 have been accepted.

Many Haitians crossed into Canada from the United States this past summer, prompted by a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to terminate temporary protected status that has allowed 60,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S.

Kosovo

The president Kosovo says Russia is trying to destabilize his country and its Balkan neighbours through fake news and other disruptions.

The president made those remarks recently during his visit to Ottawa and said this makes Canada a target, too, because Russia is trying to undermine the values and institutions that Kosovo shares with its Western allies.

In the interview as was reported in the Star, the president of Kosovo said Canada needs to be vigilant against potential threats from Russia.

"We always have to be cautious and careful these days. If somebody thinks they will stop this, they're wrong. They will continue attacking, fighting Western values."

Russia and the Arctic

The Arctic Ocean is estimated to hold billions of barrels of oil, and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas – accounting for 16-26 per cent of the Earth's undiscovered reserves.

And there's a country that is trying to beat everyone else to win the race to exploit this chilly region on Earth. That country is Russia.

Decades after the Soviet Union fell, Russia embarked on a mission to drill deep into the Arctic seabed, sending a fleet of underwater robots and unmanned submarines into the Earth's harshest waters.

So, why is Russia sending submarines to the Arctic, because they want to be the first to win the race for the Arctic so that they can exploit all the nature resources in the region.

072 | Latest border emergency exercise, CAF to train Iraqi security forces and Canada's smart pledge Nov 17, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, hear about Canada and U.S latest border emergency exercise, CAF to deliver explosive threat training to Iraqi security forces, and Canada's smart pledge approach to UN peace keeping operations.

Show Notes

As home of the longest international border in the world, Canada and the United States have been working to be prepared to coordinate effective emergency responses in the event of disasters or other threats to safety and security.

In support of this, the Department of National Defence's Centre for Security Science and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate teamed up for the fifth time to conduct an experiment supporting emergency management officials and first responders. The Canada-U.S. Enhanced Resiliency Experiment series, known as CAUSE, took place on November 15th and 16th near the border between Lower Mainland, British Columbia, and Whatcom County, in the state of Washington.

This exercise provides participants with the opportunity to use a range of tools in a simulated environment, and determine how the technology and applications perform in different scenarios.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ralph Goodale said, "CAUSE is a valuable experiment that will help improve emergency responders' safety and operational effectiveness on both sides of the border."

CAF

As part of Canada's ongoing commitment to enable the lasting defeat of Daesh, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) engineers are delivering explosive threat training to Iraqi security forces (ISF). As well, to better meet the needs of the Global Coalition, the CAF is adjusting its aircraft contributions.

Approximately 20 Canadian Army engineers have deployed to deliver explosive threat training to the ISF in Besmaya, Iraq. Responding to the Coalition's needs and an evolving military campaign, the CAF has also deployed a second CC-130J Hercules aircraft to join Joint Task Force Iraq (JTF-I), while the CP-140 Aurora detachment will return to Canada in mid-December.

International Peacekeeping Conference

At the International Peacekeeping Conference held recently in Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he will not deploy 600 military or 150 Canadian police officers to any single United Nations peacekeeping operation.

Instead, the Trudeau government will take a "smart pledge" approach that will offer training and air support to other nations, boost female troop deployments, and target the demobilization of child soldiers.

071 | New Peace Support Training Centre; a police website hacked in Saskatchewan; and Commanders' Conference of American Armies Nov 13, 2017

Show notes

New Peace Support Training Centre; a police website hacked in Saskatchewan; and Commanders' Conference of American Armies

In this episode, the opening of the new Peace Support Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base in Kingston, a look at the recently concluded 32nd Commanders' Conference of American Armies and a police website has been hacked in Saskatchewan by supporters of the Islamic State.

Show Notes:

Last week, member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, Mark Gerretsen, took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to highlight the completion of the new Peace Support Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base in Kingston.

The new facility is named after the late LCol Paul Augustus Mayer. LCol Mayer was a CAF infantry officer in the Second World War and Korean War. He greatly contributed to numerous peace support operations serving as Commander in South East Asia and Africa, and as an advisor to the UN Secretary General.

The new training centre was built by Bird Construction Ltd. of Mississauga, Ont., which was awarded the contract $14.5 million to perform the construction work, which was delivered on time and on budget.

CCAA

Commander of the Canadian Army, Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk recently attended the Commanders' Conference of American Armies (CCAA) in Washington D.C, from November 6 to 9, 2017. The Commander's Conference of American Armies is an opportunity for Army leaders from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean to meet to discuss areas of mutual interest and share lessons learned. The conference contributes to the security and democratic development of member countries from a military perspective.

The Lieutenant-General said, "I commend the Conference of American Armies members for their achievements during the 32nd cycle and look forward to the productive discussions in the next cycle. This long-term and active multilateral dialogue allows member nations to better understand and identify the needs, challenges, and areas for potential collaboration. Canada is a committed partner in these efforts and will continue to work with member nations to address the complex security challenges of today and tomorrow in a manner that promotes partnerships and cooperation."

Hacked by ISIS

Police in Prince Albert, Sask., say their website has been hacked by apparent supporters of Islamic State militants.

In an article that appeared on CTV news, we learned that the police force's website was completely altered to show a black screen with the message: "Hacked by Team System Dz. I Love Islamic state," with a non-English language audio track playing in the background.

In June, the group hacked government websites in Maryland, Ohio and New York.

070 | Iron Ram 2017, Discovery Air gets CATS program and a visit to Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton Nov 06, 2017

Show notes

In this show, Exercise IRON RAM to sharpen Canadian Army soldiers combat skills, Discovery Air Defence has been awarded the contract for the CATS program, and hear about Marcello Sukhdeo's visit to the Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton.

Show Notes:

About 2,400 soldiers from the Canadian Army that are a part of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, are participating in Exercise IRON RAM over the next three weeks at Canadian Forces Base/Area Support Unit Wainwright.

Exercise IRON RAM which runs from October 23 until November 17 will achieve two major goals while ensuring the readiness of the Canadian Army. First, through the conduct of both dry- and live-fire ranges of increasing complexity, 1 CMBG will confirm individual and collective skills as they seek to maintain and improve their warfighting abilities for future deployments.

Discovery Air

The Canadian government has awarded a contract estimated at more than $1 billion to a Discovery Air Defence to provide fighter-jet training to the Canadian military, according to a piece in the National Post.

The project, known as the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS), will run over an initial 10-year period with the option to continue for another five years.

Discovery Air Defence did not release the value of the contract, but analysts have estimated it to be worth at least $1 billion and some say it could reach $1.5 billion if the five-year option is picked up.

A visit to the Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton

I just got back from a media tour that CAE provided to journalists in Canada, US, UK and Australia at the Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton. The purpose of the tour was to provide an overview and to see first-hand the Royal Canadian Air Force's CC-130J aircrew and maintenance training system located at the Air Mobility Training Centre, at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton.

069 | The Wind Beneath Their Wings: Marc Bouvrette talks UAV's and what's driving uptake in enterprise adoption Oct 30, 2017

Show notes

In this show, Marcello Sukhdeo talks with Marc Bouvrette, president of Gap Wireless about Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Solutions (UAVs). Hear about UAV trends, solutions, applications, training, regulations, and what to expect beyond 2020.

Questions include:

What trends are you seeing in the marketplace for Enterprise-grade drones and other UAV solutions?
What differentiates drones suited for the enterprise versus consumer-level drones?
What types of enterprise applications are prevalent today?
How extensive is training for drone operators?
Are regulations for enterprise drone use more strict that for consumer?
With the increase in drone deployment overall, management of flight plans etc. must be taking up significant resources with regulators?
At Gap Wireless you are stocking and distributing UAV Solutions. How are you keeping pace with growing demand for the latest technology?
When you look to the year 2020 and beyond, what do you foresee for the UAV industry?

068 | Ardent Defender, Bombardier selling C Series, and Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack Oct 23, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the Canadian Armed Forces counter explosive threat exercise which is underway, Bombardier to sell control of its C Series airliner program to Airbus, and Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack according to a recent survey.

ARDENT DEFENDER 2017

The Canadian Armed Forces have begun a counter explosive threat exercise involving international military participants and Canadian law enforcement agencies. This exercise began on October 16th and will run to November 3rd.

This exercise which is named ARDENT DEFENDER 2017 provides an opportunity for explosive ordnance disposal and improvised explosive device teams to run through scenarios that enable them to practice neutralizing and safely disposing of explosive devices and countering the threat networks that employ them. The training will strengthen inter-operability between Allies, partner nations, Global Affairs Canada and Canadian law enforcement agencies.

Bombardier to sell control of its C Series airliner program

Bombardier Inc. has struck an agreement to sell control of its C Series airliner program to Airbus Group.

The C Series program, has been at the centre of major political and investor drama in Canada since its inception. The single-aisle airliner's development at a cost of $6-billion (U.S.) drove Bombardier to the brink of bankruptcy in 2015 before Quebec handed the company a lifeline by investing $1-billion in the plane.

Quebec supports the transaction with Airbus, calling it the best solution to protect and create jobs in a sector vital to the province's economy. Ottawa has also offered a preliminary endorsement of the transaction, saying it would require review under federal investment law.

Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack

With North Korea issuing warnings that "war may break out at any moment," it's no surprise that a recent survey by the Angus Reid Forum found more Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack.

A survey of over 1,500 Canadians conducted in September found 55 per cent believe the prospect of nuclear war is "very" or "fairly" serious. That's a marked increase from the 36 per cent of Canadians who said the concerns were serious in November 2016 — a 19 percentage point increase in 10 months.

The survey also notes that that women were more likely than men (64 per cent vs. 45 per cent) to believe that nuclear war is a serious concern.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tensions between North Korea and the U.S. "very scary for everyone."

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