What’s Canada Buying? – February 20, 2015

• MORE Construction on the horizon  “ADVANCE PROCUREMENT NOTICE, ST-HUBERT DETACHMENT, CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ARMOURY ST-HUBERT (QC)  …. This project is for the construction of a new Armory, with an approximate surface area of 8,825 square meters, the renovation of a building with an approximate surface area of 880 square meters and the demolition of a shed with an approximate surface area of 5,415 square meters …. The estimated value for this project is above $25 M. ….”
• “Canada eyeing (eventually) outsourcing Leopard veh maintenance?” – “LEOPARD 2 FOV – LONG TERM SUSTAINMENT (W8486-141074/C)”
• Wanted:  Someone to survey police, government and military folks who’ve moved to see how they feel about the moving service  “The Department of National Defence (DND), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Public Works and Government Services Canada/Central Removal Service (PWGSC/CRS) form the Interdepartmental Committee (IDC) on Household Goods Moving Services (HGMS) for federal government employees …. The present requirement is to conduct surveys with federal government employees that have been moved recently. This will feed the  Employees Satisfaction Index (ESI) and Claim Satisfaction Index (CSI) and coupled with the Contractor Compliance Index (CCI) information from the IDC which the contractor will use to generate the Value Index (VI) adjusting business distributed between the three firms on HGMS contract ….”
• February 1, 2015, MILNEWS.ca:  “FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES, GARRISON DWYER HILL TRAINING CENTER, RICHMOND, ON (DHTC1701) …. It is anticipated that this procurement will be initiated in July 2016 for a value of $17,000,000 ….”
  
• February 10, 2015, Ottawa Citizen:  “DND looks to spend $17 million to maintain Dwyer Hill commando base”
• February 11, 2015, Sun Media:  “Anti-terror HQ on Dwyer Hill Rd. hiring maintenance crew”
• “The Department of National Defence (DND) has a requirement for a Standing Offer (SO) to provide access to a Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT) training facility and services to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members to conduct freefall (FF) parachuting simulation training.  DND will require the Offeror to provide up to four (4) qualified VWT instructors to periodically assist with program development on an “if and when required” basis ….”
• Wanted:  Someone to “Provide wildlife control for the Department of National Defence (DND) for the aircraft runways and surrounding areas at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Trenton, Ontario and Mountain View, Ontario ….”
• Wanted:  Catering services for the South Alberta Light Horse in Medicine Hat, Alberta – menus here

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What’s Canada Buying? – February 9, 2015

• Lookit all the new buildings being planned ….
• Wanted:  Initial contact with industry to help build a “Health Services Centre” at Edmonton Garrison – contract value ~$53.5M
• Wanted:  Initial contact with industry to help build an “Accommodation Facility” at CFB Borden – contract value ~$34M 
• Wanted:  Initial contact with industry to help build an “Health Services Centre” at CFB Petawawa – contract value ~$27M 
• Wanted:  Initial contact with industry to help build “medical and dental clinic” at St. Jean – contract value ~$25M
• “Future Pilot Training Update to Industry”:  We’re now focusing on an interim solution to train CF pilots (instead of a longer-term, new solution)
• Wanted:  industry input on how to choose someone to help “rationalize” Engineering Flight Testing (next “Industry Day”:  February 26, 2015)
• Naval Materiel Regulation Framework (W8482-134150/B)
• Wanted:  someone to “establish (up to three) Regional Individual Standing Offers for the rental, delivery and return of Over Snow Vehicles (OSV), sleighs and trailers as well as All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and trailers for the Department of National Defence, Garrison Petawawa, located in Petawawa, Ontario during a three-year period  on an “as and when required basis” ….”
• “Project MAESTRO (W7714-145859/B) — The Department of National Defence has a core requirement to design, develop and  deliver a Distributed and Networked System of Multi-functional and Dynamic Sensor, Jammer and Communication Capability. The project code name is MAESTRO. This capability is to consist of a Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform that will support multi-functional capabilities within an integrated and network enabled environment ….”
• Wanted:  someone to “provide Canada for the Department of National Defence (DND) with the National Flag of Canada used for the ‘Depart with Dignity’ program ….”
• Commentary  “Defence Procurement Strategy could address serious problems”
• What’s Canada Buying?  “Armed forces aims to improve aerial surveillance — The Canadian Armed Forces is looking to acquire advanced new technology for aerial surveillance. The government has awarded a $187,200 contract to PV Labs Inc. of Burlington, Ont., to study wide area motion imagery, known as WAMI in military parlance ….”

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What’s Canada Buying? – February 1, 2015

• Big Honkin’ Ships (1)  Commentary  “The Tories seem more interested in buying votes than buying ships — In that list of the many things to which the government is “committed,” there is not a single reference to getting ships for the Navy ….”
• Big Honkin’ Ships (2)  “Irving Shipbuilding Inc grabs the gold ring”
• “Bombardier to Sell Military Aviation Training Business to CAE Inc.” – “Bombardier selling military training unit to CAE, including NATO pilot school” – “No job losses expected in CAE takeover of contract — The company that manages military air training operations at Moose Jaw and Cold Lake has struck a deal to sell its business to another Canadian corporation ….” – more – more – more – more
• “British soldiers to be equipped with state-of-the-art battle helmets that give them a Stormtrooper look …. The new Viper engineered plastic helmet was made by Canadian-based Revision and is part of a £30 million contract with an Israeli defence contractor Source Vagabond to supply 9,000 helmets to the British Army and the Royal Marines over the next three years ….”
• “Conservatives amend law to allow export of prohibited weapons to Israel, Kuwait — Critics are raising an alarm over what they say is an ongoing erosion of government control over the export of Canadian military goods ….” – From ceasefire.ca  “Sign the petition – No more weapons for Saudi Arabia”
• “FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES, GARRISON DWYER HILL TRAINING CENTER, RICHMOND, ON (DHTC1701) …. This is not a bid solicitation.  This is an advance notice of a potential project with anticipated security requirements to provide interested contractors an opportunity to apply for security clearances.  Note that there is no guarantee that this project will proceed …. It is anticipated that this procurement will be initiated in July 2016 for a value of $17,000,000 ….”
• “The Department of National Defence (DND) has a requirement to establish a Regional Individual Standing Offer (RISO) to provide a Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT) facility enabling the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre (CAAWC) to conduct personnel freefall (FF) simulation training ….”
• “This Industry Consultation process seeks information from industry on its interest, capacity and ability to produce and deliver the systems that meet the requirements for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Mercury Global (MG) Strategic Deployable Terminals (SDT) ….”
• “The 5th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG) of the Department of National Defence Canada (DND) requires the supply and delivery of four (4), commercially available, radio interoperability gateways ….”
• Wanted:  “TYPE 1 4×4 AMBULANCES” for Shilo, Gagetown, Petawawa, Meaford & Wainwright
• “The Department of National Defence (DND), Canadian Forces Base Borden (CFB Borden), Borden, ON, requires the supply and delivery of various Dangerous Goods publications for the Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre (CFLTC) Traffic Training Cadre ….”
• Wanted:  +8,600 x “Credit card style USB Flash Drive” as give-away promotional Items

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What’s Canada Buying? January 23, 2015

• Big Honkin’ Ships  Commentary  “Canada Should Buy France’s Mistral Ships”
• Way Up North (1)  10 X “Dual Rider Snowmobiles …. suitable for use by the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) in the high Arctic” to be delivered to Ottawa – desired specs here
• Way Up North (2)  two x “Four Tracked Arctic Mobility Vehicles …. to be delivered to CFB Edmonton” – desired specs here
• Way Up North (3)  “REQUIREMENT:  For the supply of barrelled fuel for the Department of National Defence,  Joint Task Force North (JTFN), to Yellowknife, NT for Op NUNALIVUT 2015 ….”
• Way Up North (4)  “This requirement is to supply 15375 litres of Aviation Turbine Fuel (Military Grade F-34) in 205 Litre drums, to be delivered DDP CFB Montreal, for furtherance by DND to Eureka, NUNAVUT ….”
• “Harper Government Launches a Call for Tenders for the Reconstruction and Expansion of the Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury”
• Wanted:  someone to teach a course to Canadian sailors about how to stay safe if they work in high places
• “The Department of National Defence – Defence Research and Development Canada has a requirement for vessel charter services to assist in the deployment and recovery of a seabed deployed acoustic array system to be located at CFMETR in Nanoose Bay, BC ….”
• Wanted:  Box Lunches for Gagetown – desired menus here
• What’s Canada Selling?  “Canadian arms deal with Saudi Arabia under fire” – “Canada’s arms deal with Saudi monarchy will only spell more violence in Middle East”

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MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – January 22, 2015

#CANvsISIL

• “(Special Forces) Soldiers Defended Themselves In Firefight” - “Canadians closer to combat in Iraq than U.S. troops” - “Tag, You’re It”
• “How Canadian special forces came into combat with Islamic State — Former Special Forces commander says soldier need to be on the ground to direct air strikes ….”
• “Harper Government’s definition of combat doesn’t make sense, say veterans”
• “Editorial: This isn’t “mission creep” “ – more
• More from the Info-machine  “Air Task Force-Iraq takes part in Sinjar Mountains Offensive” – “Op IMPACT from a First Officer Perspective”
• Commentary  “Why Trudeau may regret saying no to the Iraq mission”
• “Minister Nicholson commits military gear to the Iraqi Security Forces, departs for London for high level discussions on ISIL” – more – more
• “J.L. Granatstein: Canada is playing both sides with Iran”
• From the Info-machine (what does the title even mean?)  “Achieving the coalition effect over Iraq”
• “Baird declines invite for special Syria meeting at Davos”
• “The Islamic State Eyes Expansion in Damascus”
• Syria Update: January 13-19, 2015

Internal Security

• “Quebec Islamist Networks Exposed”
• “Mystery remains after no chemicals found in Ottawa hotel-clearing scare — The one-time husband of an American Olympics star was taken into custody Wednesday at an east-end hotel where Ottawa police had tracked a man suspected of bringing dangerous chemicals to the capital ….” – “Christopher Phillips, ID’d as biochemical weapons expert, arrested in Ottawa” – “Nova Scotia man arrested after ‘threat’ at Ottawa hotel” – “Ottawa chemical suspect once married to Olympic champion” – “No hazardous chemicals found in Ottawa hotel”
  

Way Up North

• “Byers & Franks: Canada doesn’t need Arctic drones”
• “Arctic troops arrive as Russia masses united northern command — Military units are taking up their positions in Russia’s Arctic as a newly formed United Strategic Command gathers strength to protect national interests throughout the vast northern territory ….” – “Russia to strengthen military capabilities in Crimea, Kaliningrad, Arctic”
• “Zukunft: Ships needed for Arctic, drug interdiction — The (U.S.) Coast Guard’s 11 missions keep the service busy operationally, and there are key areas where its stretched too thin, its top officer said Jan. 15 ….”

Ukraine

• “Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Toronto returns from NATO Operation Reassurance”
• “Minister of National Defence reaffirms Canada’s strong defence relationship with Lithuania”
• ATO map, 22 Jan 2015  (UKR government)
• “Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing – 21 January 2015, 7 PM Kyiv time”
• “Mobilization starts in Ukraine”
• “Arseniy Yatsenyuk on the Day of Unity: Russian military aggression will fail like all the past occupations and aggressions against Ukraine”
• “Hennadii Zubko: Government conducts systemic activity to provide the population of Donbas with food and essential commodities”
• “Prime Minister: Russian terrorists target to halt metallurgical complex of Ukraine by destroying Avdiivka Coke Plant”
• “Defense Ministry: ‘Cyborgs’ still control part of Donetsk airport, only group of fighters retreats”
• “No military equipment movement observed on Russian-Ukrainian border — OSCE report”
• “Weekly update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 10:00 (Moscow time), 21 January 2015″

Veterans & Helping Veterans

• “Soldier denied disability compensation for cancer claim”
• “Myth Busting (from the Vets’ Ombudsman)- Why the New Veterans Charter Came Into Effect”

Other

• “French and Polish soldiers join Canadians for winter combat training”
• “New media age for Canadian Forces”
• Commentary  “Why No One Should Join the Canadian Forces”
• “(Thunder Bay) Navy Co-Op Graduates Receive (College) Bursaries”
• Info-machine pushing new pip & crown rank badges  “Taking Back Tradition: The Canadian Army is Working Hard to Restore Historical Ties to Divisions and Ranks”
• “Cornwall Legion adds howitzer to property” – more

What’s Canada Buying/Selling?

• “$26B shock — Canada’s largest ever defence procurement handed off in sole-source contract — Accusations the government has non-competitively sole-sourced a contract even larger than the F35 fiasco may be more than just sour grapes ….”
• “David Perry: How to fix defence procurement — Until trust in the system is restored, acquisitions will suffer ….”
• Commentary  “Saudi arms deal makes mockery of Canadian values” - more

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MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – January 16, 2015

Attacks on CF in Canada

• Patrice Vincent, R.I.P.  “RCMP lost bid to restrict movements of Quebec man before he ran down soldiers”
• From the Info-machine  “After events of October 22, six strangers bonded in tragedy”

#CANvsISIL

• “CF-18s strike ISIL targets” – “Canadian fighter jets strike Islamic State targets in Iraq” – more
• Iraq Situation Report: January 12-15, 2015 (Institute for the Study of War)
• ISIS Sanctuary Map: January 15, 2015 (Institute for the Study of War)
• “ISIS suspects known as high-risk travellers, Edmonton police say”
• Stop the presses – Pentagon Info-machine changes headline!  “Combined Joint Task Force continues operations”

Internal Security

• “Steven Blaney says arrests of terrorism suspects reinforce ‘how secure we can feel’ “
• “Sayfildin Tahir Sharif faces extradition to U.S. after Supreme Court decision — A Canadian man wanted on terrorism charges in the United States faces extradition after the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed his case Thursday ….”
• Commentary  “It’s time to confront ‘the cancer of extremism’” – “The jihad of John Maguire, and his sad end in Syrian sand” – “Civilized people choose words, not revenge” – “Why an atrocity in Paris is different from an atrocity in Nigeria” – “Unenforceable laws are useless” – Charlie Hebdo commentary “French Intelligence to Blame?”
• “Francis Simard, FLQ member convicted of murder, dead at 67 — Francis Simard, one of four members of the Front de libération du Québec charged wih the murder of a Quebec cabinet minister during the 1970 October Crisis, has died ….”

Way Up North

• “Russia to Build 10 Arctic Airfields by 2016″

Ukraine

• “Ukrainian military shelled 82 times for past 24 hours” – “Six Ukrainian soldiers killed for past 24 hours“ – “Military hospital receives 70 wounded from Donbas in last 3 days“
• “Ukrainian army regrouping in east of the country, additional troops moved in — Poroshenko”
  
• OSCE statement:  “(Thursday), for the second day in a row, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) has attempted to reach Donetsk airport to establish the facts on the ground. In the afternoon, the SMM made two attempts and managed to reach an area close to the airport. The SMM witnessed substantial damage to civilian infrastructure and residences caused by artillery. Regrettably, the SMM could not venture further into the airport itself as shelling, counter-shelling and small arms fire in and around the airport was ongoing …. The SMM calls upon all parties to immediately stop the fighting and withdraw heavy weapons and armed units from the airport and from all adjacent residential areas as agreed in the Minsk documents ….” -  “Kiev troops claim Donetsk airport still under their control” - “Ukrainian troops are going back from the village Peski located near the Donetsk airport” – “Ukraine Airport Battle Rages as Conflict Lurches Back Toward War“
• “Reports of cancelling Contact Group meeting in Minsk Jan 16 not confirmed — LPR“
• “Moscow urges Kiev, eastern Ukraine’s self-proclaimed republics to agree on economic ties” – “(Russian) State Duma ready to help Ukraine in constitutional reform — Naryshkin”
• “(UKR) President: Crimes of the former authorities cannot be justified – The President has informed that he was willing to sign the Law “On Amendments to Several Legislative Acts on the Inevitability of Punishment of Persons who Have Absconded to the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine or to the ATO Area” approved by Verkhovna Rada. “We cannot waste a single hour. Our law enforcement bodies will have an opportunity to submit the criminal proceedings to the courts immediately,” the President said ….”
  

  What’s Canada Buying?

• “Harper Government Launches a Call for Tenders for the Reconstruction and Expansion of the Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury”

Other

• “Cyclone Division drives CAR — During January drill weekend, 38th Infantry Division citizen-soldiers conducted a combined arms rehearsal with U.S. Army III Corps and the 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade, and other Indiana brigades belonging to the Cyclone Division at Camp Atterbury for the division’s upcoming warfighter exercise scheduled for later this month ….”
• “Minnesota National Guard prepares for Hockey Day Minnesota —  In the ninth year since its inception, Hockey Day Minnesota has quickly become the State of Hockey’s showcase of talents for all ages – from peewees to the pros. This year’s event will be played atop an active airfield at Holman Field in downtown St. Paul …. To kick off the weekend’s events, the Minnesota National Guard hockey team will play against the Canadian armed forces hockey team in a friendly border-game. It is no secret that the state of Minnesota is known for hockey – men and women of all ages participate in the sport, and it is certainly no different for the military members who reside here. Combining both Army and Air National Guardsmen, the Minnesota team will be well-matched against a tough Canadian team ….”
• “(Ottawa Senators owner) Eugene Melnyk becomes honorary colonel of 414 Squadron”

Afghanistan

• Joshua Caleb Baker, R.I.P.  “No decision on reservist retrial: military — There’s still no decision on whether a Calgary reservist who won an appeal of his conviction in a deadly Afghanistan training accident will face a new trial ….”
• ” ‘The Dogs Are Eating Them Now’ offers a harsh but illuminating verdict on the war in Afghanistan — Canadian journalist Graeme Smith struggles to make sense of all that he saw during a decade of war and nation-building in Afghanistan ….”

World War Two

• “Former Devil’s Brigade (Canadian) members to receive highest U.S. honour for war contribution”

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What’s Canada Buying? January 15, 2015

• F-35 Tug o’ War  Letter to the Editor  “Don’t discount the F-35 just yet”
• “Funds available for aerospace projects”
• Wanted:  2.5 million sets of forms confirming documents have been sent & received
• Wanted:  Training for the East Coast Navy requirement for “safety working at heights” training
• What’s Canada Selling?  “Discovery Air Defence Services completes first mission for the German Armed Forces”

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