MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 12 Oct 11

• Libya Mission (1)  Canada coughing up $10M for securing WMD, blowing up unblown-up stuff (reopens Libyan embassy in Tripoli, too) - a bit of what the Minister said via the DFAIT Info-Machine here, and more from the media here and here.
• Libya Mission (2)  “Canada can do more for new UN mission in Libya: Analysts – Police and judicial training, constitutional and electoral support, funding for human rights agencies—the list goes on.”
• Afghanistan  U.N.:  Afghan int service not very good at handling prisoners nicely.  Amnesty International (AI):  Canada should look into EVERY prisoner handed over to Afghan authorities  – more here.  AI and BC Civil Liberties Association:  we need an enquiry, dammit!
• CF in Jamaica/OP Jaguar  Mission number 100 completed (about 3 weeks ago), courtesy of the CEFCOM Info-Machine.
• Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal for a prisoner swap to free Gilad Shalit, who’s been a “guest” of Hamas since being kidnapped June 25, 2006.  Here’s what Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird had to say:  “Canada welcomes the announcement of the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and calls on his captors to adhere to the terms of the agreement. Canada has consistently called for the release of Gilad Shalit over the course of his imprisonment and hopes that he will soon be reunited with his family after being held in captivity by Hamas for more than five years.”
• Former military doctor disses available mental health support at CFB Petawawa when he was there.  “…. Although I can’t speak to the entire military, I worked for at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa as a military physician from 2007-10 and can attest that the resources for mental health care on that base and the capacity of the medical system in Petawawa to handle mental illness are abysmal at best. There is a massive shortage of mental health workers and psychiatrists, as well as a total disconnect between the primary care physicians and the mental health care team ….”
• Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino drops by CFB Trenton, talks about what a good job the CF is doing of buying stuff.
• What’s Canada Buying?  More robot control work: “…. Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) – Suffield, Medicine Hat, Alberta has a requirement to develop control algorithms for the Micro Hydraulic Toolkit (MHT) robot that will allow it to perform a variety of locomotion behaviours focusing on stability and performance. These control algorithms will be developed in simulation, under different terrain surfaces and tested on the real robot. The motion of the simulated robot and real robot will be compared to refine the model and provide quantitative data. Finally, the control behaviours will be integrated with a vision based leader/follower software and man machine interface ….”  A bit more detail in the Statement of Work from the bid document (7 page PDF) here.
• What’s Canada (Not) Buying?  Still no word on why the general service pistol and Canadian Ranger rifle replacement processes are on hold – folks are working on some answers, though.
• F-35 Tug o’ War  Quakers take a stand.  “The Kitchener Area Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) believes that public policy, as well as the lives of individuals, should aim to take away the occasion for war. Therefore, we oppose the Canadian government’s proposed purchase of 65 F-35 joint-strike fighter jets. The procurement of joint-strike aircraft not only fails to reduce the possibility of armed conflict, it ties Canadian policy to future military intervention overseas, without public discussion of the ramifications of this major shift in Canada’s role in world affairs ….”
• “The Harper Government today launched the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. This War helped establish our path toward becoming an independent and free country, united under the Crown with a respect for linguistic and ethnic diversity …. Over the next four years, the Government will invest to increase Canadians’ awareness of this defining moment in our history. This will include support for: a pan-Canadian educational campaign focused on the importance of the War of 1812 to Canada’s history; support for up to 100 historical re-enactments, commemorations, and local events; a permanent 1812 memorial located in the National Capital Region; interactive tours, six exhibits, and improvements to three national historic sites across the country; investments in infrastructure at key 1812 battle sites, such as Fort Mississauga and Fort York, Ontario; celebrating and honouring the links that many of our current militia regiments in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada have to the War of 1812.  October 2012 will also be designated as a month of commemoration of the heroes and key battles of the War of 1812 ….”  More on this here, here, here, here and here.
• Meanwhile, “It’s been almost 200 years since the War of 1812 broke out, but the smoke hasn’t cleared yet in a fight over whether present-day Canadian military regiments should be awarded official “battle honours” recognizing their links to Canadian defence units that took part in the historic conflict. A group including historians and retired military personnel is lobbying the Canadian government to end decades of official resistance and finally bestow the symbolic honours as part of the country’s War of 1812 bicentennial commemorations, a $28-million program of fort refurbishments, battle re-enactments and monument-building announced Tuesday by Heritage Minister James Moore ….”  LOADS of discussion on this one here at Milnet.ca.

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 17 Aug 11

• “Royalizing” the CF (1)  “The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, announced today that the Government of Canada has restored the use of the historic designations of the three former services: the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the Canadian Army (CA), and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ….”  More from the CF Info-machine in Backgrounders and Fact Sheets here (general), here (Navy), here (Army) and here (Air Force).
• “Royalizing” the CF (2)  What did the Queen’s representative in Canada and Commander-in-Chief have to say?  Not all that much, actually.  “As commander-in-chief, I welcome the Department of National Defence’s decision to restore the historic names of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force. These historic titles, unused since the integration of the Canadian Forces in 1968, represent a proud tradition in Canada and an important part of Canada’s military heritage.”
• “Royalizing” the CF (3)  Mainstream media and editorial response from the Toronto Sun (“No longer will we have the bureaucratic nothingness of Maritime Command, Air Command and Land Force Command.”), the Hamilton Spectator (“It seems a retrograde move to hearken back to colonial times, despite the fact that royal themes are ingrained elements in the fabric of our parliamentary democracy.”), Postmedia News, the Ottawa Citizen, The Canadian Press (“In the province of Quebec, not many people like to think of the royal connection and there’s a lot of French Canadians in the navy as well.”), CBC.ca (outlining what has to be done/changed), Agence France-Presse, BBC and the Associated Press.
• “Royalizing the CF” (4)  And what does Citizens for a Canadian Republic have to say?  “…. The government may be vastly overestimating the size of the demographic this kind of action appeals to,” said CCR spokesperson, Tom Freda. “This isn’t the 1950s, nor do we have 1950s values, he adds. “Canada has been accustomed to moving away from colonialist symbols, not toward them. I can’t imagine the mainstream public in 2011 seeing this decision as positive.” The group also believes there will be a considerable financial cost for the changeover. Access to Information documents have revealed consistent under-reporting of the true cost to taxpayers of royal visits, so that policy is expected to continue this time as well. Regarding the potential constitutional implications, Freda said, “Australia’s military still has the royal designation and they’re further ahead in the republican debate than Canada. So, in the larger scope of things, it has no relevence to our inevitable evolution to a one hundred percent Canadianized head of state.” “
• Way Up North  “If you happen to be feeling sick, you’ll be in good hands at Camp Nanook, where more than 400 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Rangers have lived since Aug. 4, when Operation Nanook started. In fact, such high-quality health care is available at the camp that many Canadian Rangers from Nunavut are drawn to the white medical tent on site. Canadian Rangers are more than twice as likely go there than the other members of the military at the camp: although Canadian Rangers make up about 10 per cent of the people at the camp, they account for 25 per cent of those who attend the clinic. More Nunavut Rangers come to the clinic likely because “they don’t have such a high quality of medical care,” suggests Maj. Stephane Roux, the chief physician and head of the clinic ….”
• More on Operation Jaguar in Jamaica.  “Minister of National Security, Senator Dwight Nelson last week announced that the Canadian Government, through its Ministry of National Defence, is deploying three CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopters and 65 Canadian Forces personnel to support the Jamaica Defence Force during the 2011 hurricane season. The deployment follows a request from the Jamaican Government. Minister Nelson said he was most appreciative of the Canadian initiative, noting that the three helicopters will shore up the JDF’s capabilities. In welcoming the deployment, Nelson added that JDF personnel will also benefit from training with the Canadian Forces. Minister Nelson pointed to the extremely successful long-standing alliance between the Canadian Forces and the Jamaica Defence Force ….”  More on the operation in the CF Info-Machine’s fact sheet here.
• New boss for CFB Gagetown.  “…. Col. Michael Pearson said goodbye to the base after two years of progressive leadership. While maintaining a home in New Maryland, the colourful commander is packing his bags and heading to New York City where he will assume the position of military adviser to the Canadian ambassador at the United Nations. Switching places with Col. Pearson is Col. Paul Rutherford, fresh from a stint as army adviser with the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff in London, England ….”
• Afghanistan (1)  The CF Info-Machine on Canada’s last chopper mission winding up and on the last combat logistics patrol.
• Afghanistan (2)  It appears at least one writer (and whoever checked said writer’s material) didn’t read the memo re:  how long Canada’s been in Afghanistan fighting the good fight.  According to the article, “For more than 10 years now, Canada has been supporting the action of the international community in Afghanistan….”  The CF fact sheet says Canada’s first boots hit the ground as part of Operation Apollo in early 2002 – CTV.ca said on 14 Jan 02 that what appears to be the advance party was in Afghanistan.  By my math, that’s closer to about 8 or 9 years back.  Oopsie….
• Toronto Star editorial on possible cuts to Canada’s military:  “…. Earlier governments slashed across the board, insisting for example that the forces kept open bases for political reasons long after they had outlived their usefulness. What all the services need is a government willing to let the generals and admirals cut the fat that has built up over the past few years, and strengthen the muscle.”
• What’s Canada Buying? (1)  More on the potential privatizing of some or all of Canada’s (what is now) military search and rescue work – this following an “industry consultation day …. “for the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) Project”.  “The Conservative government is looking at all options to replace the military’s search and rescue fleet, including turning to private industry contractors to tackle some work. Since 2004, the government has been looking at replacing the ageing CC-115 Buffalo and the CC-130 Hercules aircraft, which have been central components in Canada’s search and rescue system. “Thorough consultation is necessary to fulfil the government’s duty to ensure all options have been considered before any decision is made,” said Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino. Consultations between aerospace firms and government procurement officials took place in Gatineau, Que., on Tuesday. Air Force vets are not fighting the move to outsource some of the work – they just want to see the project take flight. “If industry is able to provide input that will get this moving, fine – love it,” said retired Maj.-Gen. Marc Terreau. “The real, fundamental issue in search and rescue is human lives. Time is of the essence. The faster you get there, the higher the chances of people being rescued alive.” ….”
• What’s Canada Buying? (2)  Someone to make a better respirator faceplate (more in the Statement of Work – PDF – here) and someone to develop “a low burden protective fabric and protective tactical assault (uniform),” aka a better CBRN protective suit (more in the Statement of Work – PDF – here).
• “The first pirates Capt. Steve Waddell encountered weren’t wearing puffy shirts, tri-cornered hats or as much dark eyeliner as Disney’s Jack Sparrow. Instead they were decked out in Gucci watches and ill-fitting Armani suits, claiming to be Somali fishermen aboard a small, open-decked skiff Waddell and his crew confronted in the treacherous seas off the Horn of Africa. “I’m not sure why they considered that pirate attire,” said Waddell, who in 2009 commanded the frigate HMCS Fredericton on one of Canada’s first anti-piracy naval missions to the region. A Canadian boarding party confronted the skiff, confiscated guns and gasoline from the group, and sent them back to the Somali coast. Waddell watched as the Somalis high-fived each other, happy to be released, as they motored away from the warship. “That’s the reality of anti-piracy operations off Somalia,” Waddell told an audience of lawyers with the Canadian Bar Association ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 24 Mar 11

• No Fly Zone in Libya (1) - “Canadian fighter jets took out a Libyan ammunition depot located inside a military compound during the first of two successful missions. Military officials confirmed Wednesday that the bombing occurred Tuesday night in the Misrata region, about 200 kilometres southeast of Tripoli. “The mission involved four CF-18s in total,” said Maj.-Gen. Tom Lawson, assistant chief of air staff. “During such missions, Canadian fighters employ precision-guided munitions. This type of weapon . . . increases the accuracy and effect of a mission while decreasing the risk of collateral damage.” Canadian fighters are said to have deployed four of these laser-guided, 500-pound bombs against the depot ….” More from Canadian Press here, QMI Media here, CTV.ca here and AFP here.  Also, video of the ammo dump strike here.
• No Fly Zone in Libya (2) – An interestingly tongue-in-cheek description of “consensus” over NATO’s role in running the show here – enjoy!
• No Fly Zone in Libya (3) – Some say Canada’s doing too much, others say the West isn’t doing enough.
• F-35 Tug o’ War – Parliamentary Budget Officer:  We stand by our numbers, thank you. (10 pg PDF) More from the Toronto Star here, and the Canadian Press here.
• What’s Canada Buying? (1)  Canada’s military defence research arm needs help researching nerve agent antidotes. A bit more detail in the Statement of Work here (PDF).
• What’s Canada Buying (2)  A Bloc Quebecois MP makes sure a Quebec shipyard isn’t overlooked for consideration for some big work. More on the shipyard in question here.
• Sooooo, who’s right:  look for CF spending growth coming, or look for wicked big cuts in CF spending? More from the “wicked big cuts” school from the Canadian Press here and (more in the “but an election could cancel the cuts” vein) here.
• The House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security says the head of CSIS, Dick Fadden, has to go because of comments he’s made about Canadian politicians being influenced by foreign governments and intelligence services.  Report here (PDF), Canadian Press coverage here and here.

What’s Canada Buying? February 2011

A bit of a recap from February.

• Wanted:  someone to build a big expensive (+$46 million) new hangar in Trenton.
• “Temporary Camp Set-Up and Support Services, Resolute Bay, Nunavut” (worth ~$6.5 million)
• Wanted:  someone to build a $300,000 parachute drying tower at CFB Greenwood.
• Buying translation cards troops can point at when they don’t know the language of the locals they’re dealing with.
• CF buying loads (+170,000) of anti-malaria pills.
• M&P Tactical Operational Support Services, Inc. being hired to train CF naval small arms trainers.
• Carleton University, DATREND Systems Inc. and MPB Technologies Inc to carry out taser research.
• DRDC Suffield seeks on-site medical support in case things go very wrong during research, clean-up work.
• Wanted:  some man-portable electric UAVs.
• Wanted:  flame-resistant Air Force Outerwear.

WHAT’S CANADA BUYING? How do you land these little spy choppers?

Remember this?

…. Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) – Suffield, Medicine Hat, Alberta, requires a contract to develop navigation and control algorithms enabling a small commercial off-the-shelf rotorcraft UAV (Draganfly X8) to execute simple autonomous behaviours thereby reducing the operator’s control burden. To this end, an ‘autonomy package’ that will subsume and build upon the sensing and control functions provided by the UAV’s existing autopilot will be developed ….

Now, DRDC is looking for someone to figure out a way to automatically land these little helicopters on a fixed site (allowing for longer flight times), or on a moving vehicle (safer because the vehicles don’t have to stop to pick up the little helicopter).  More in the Statement of Work here (PDF).

Deadline:  2010-12-07 02:00 PM Mountain Standard Time MST

Max value first contract:  $233,500.00 (Goods and Services Tax or
Harmonized Sales Tax extra, as appropriate)

Max value latest contract:  $202,500.00 (Goods and Services Tax or
Harmonized Sales Tax extra, as appropriate)

Total max value of this mini-UAV research:  $436,000

WHAT’S CANADA BUYING? Easier Manouvering of Tiny UAV Choppers for Dismounts

This, from MERX:

…. Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) – Suffield, Medicine Hat, Alberta, requires a contract to develop navigation and control algorithms enabling a small commercial off-the-shelf rotorcraft UAV (Draganfly X8) to execute simple autonomous behaviours thereby reducing the operator’s control burden. To this end, an ‘autonomy package’ that will subsume and build upon the sensing and control functions provided by the UAV’s existing autopilot will be developed. The integration of the autonomy package with the autopilot will enable the provision of additional capabilities required for autonomous operation ….

In other words:

How can we make a tiny little helicopter easier to fly, by making it able to “fly itself” on autopilot in some situations, so it’s easier for dismounted troops to use such a tool as an extra set of eyes in the sky?

More on the Draganflyer X8

from the manufacturer here.  More on the project from the Statement of Work here (PDF).

More on Canadian military work on UAVs:

• DND Looking into Micro-UAVs, UAV Swarming
• Miniature UAVs for AFG ASAP
• Self-healing UAV systems