What's Canada Buying? December 4, 2012

• F-35 Tug o’ War  No documents shared, so no sign of what else is there  “Senior government officials claim in an internal document that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Cabinet were kept up to speed every step of the way as the government moved to purchase the troubled F-35 stealth fighter.  This included a complete understanding of the cost overruns and delays plaguing the $25-billion fighter jet program as well as the controversial process National Defence and Public Works were following to acquire the plane.  The document, prepared this past spring in advance of a scathing auditor general’s report on the F-35, appears to have been designed to shift responsibility for the stealth fighter program’s mismanagement from the bureaucracy to the Conservatives ….”       
• Big Honkin’ Ships  Change of boss at major shipyard  “Whoever takes the helm of Irving Shipbuilding Inc. will need to transform it from a repair yard to one that can produce modern warships, says a Halifax defence expert.  Steve Durrell’s sudden departure from the president’s post earlier this week may signal an abrupt course change at the company that inked a $25-billion umbrella agreement with Ottawa earlier this year to build new warships over the next three decades, said Ken Hansen, resident research fellow at Dalhousie University’s centre for foreign policy studies.  “Modern warship construction is not the same as refit work, not by a long shot,” said Hansen, a former naval commander.  “I think they’re looking for someone who’s better at the strategic game of working with the government. The umbrella agreement means they’re really open with the government. They have to open their books, they have to be collaborative and co-operative all at the same time.  “So it would be a very, very different style of operation than running a repair yard, which has no government involvement at all.” ….”
  
• Smaller boats needed, too  ”…. The Department of National Defence (DND) intends to replace its fleet of large tugs currently deployed in both HMC Dockyards Halifax in Nova Scotia and Esquimalt in British Columbia. It is expected that the requirement will provide for the construction, test, trial and delivery of six large tugs. The large tugs intended to be replaced are the five Glen Class tugs and the two Fire Class tugs. The information resulting from this Price and Availability (P&A) Enquiry will be used for confirming cost
  estimates ….”
  
• “…. Following the Mecurty Global Ground Station RFI issued 1 June 2012 the Mercury Global Project is continuing its Industry Consultation process seeking feedback from industry, and in particular, satellite terminal providers, ground station operators and system integrators with respect to the commercial sector’s ability to address DND’s satellite ground infrastructure needs for access to the US Department of Defense WGS constellation. In essence, a long term, firm commitment is contemplated to provide access to satellite communication through the provision of Anchor Stations (AS), Strategic Deployable Terminals (SDT) and in-service support (ISS) beginning in 2015 and ending in 2031 ….”
  
• “The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, (yesterday) announced eight contract awards for general maintenance at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton. The overall value of the contracts is over $2.4 million ….”
  
• “…. The Department of National Defence (DND) will attempt to exercise Special Operations Joint Tactical Air Controller (SOJTAC) 2013 in Yuma, Arizona (AZ) from 7th January 2013 to 8th February 2013.  The Contractor will provide accommodation services to DND personnel from 7th January 2013 to 8th February 2013. If not all rooms are available in one facility it is permissible to spread it over multiple locations.  Accommodations provided must be located within thirty (30) driving miles of the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, AZ 85364, United States. ….”
  
• Wanted:  someone to provide “labour, material, supervision and equipment necessary for the Design Build Renovation for Building 132 to Convert from a Fire Hall to a Military Police Facility, 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia“ for around $786,000.
• “The Department of National Defence (DND), Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, Borden, Ontario has a requirement for a contractor to provide all labour and materials for testing of the potable and non-potable water, recreational swimming pool water and hot tub water located in various buildings at CFB Borden ….”
• Wanted:  Bread/rolls and fruit/veg for 17 Wing Winnipeg.

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