It’s almost impossible to believe now, but Canada was actually the third country in to get into space. On Sept. 29, 1962, a rocket carrying the Canadian funded, designed and built Alouette I satellite took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, Calif. It was the start of a long partnership between Canadian and American space technologies that has had some up and some downs.
Two of the most memorable moments since then for Canada were in 1981 when the Canadarm lifted payload from the Space Shuttle Columbia and in 1984 when Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space aboard the Shuttle Challenger. Ironically, the latest twist in Canada’s presence in space — not to mention Canadian-American relations — pits Garneau against the company who made the Canadarm. And it’s a conflict that could determine Canada’s place in space forever.
MDA (MacDonald Detwiler) has agreed to sell its space technology division — responsible for the Canadarm and Radarsat technologies — to Alliant Techsystems (ATK), an Edina, Minn.-based aerospace technology company and ammunition manufacturer, for $1.325 billion. And Garneau — a two-time astronaut and former head of the Canadian Space Agency — is dead-set against it.
“I think it would be a great mistake for us to sell the company; a most unfortunate decision, and I hope it won't be taken,” said Garneau. “If you're going to be a sovereign nation, you've got to act like a sovereign nation; and Canada has got to have control over its space assets in this particular instance.”
Thales Canada has been selected by the Department of National Defence for the system
integration phase of the Advanced Integrated Multi-sensing Surveillance (AIMS) Technology
Demonstration Project (TDP). The objective of the AIMS project is to significantly improve the airborne tactical surveillance and Search and Rescue sensing capabilities of the Canadian Forces.
L-3 WESCAM, based in Burlington, Ontario has been selected by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems to supply the digital electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging sensors for the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon program. The order includes four MX®-20 True HD (MX-20HD) EO/IR imaging turrets, with deliveries scheduled for mid-2008.
Viking Air Limited based in Victoria, BC, has won a $14.3 million contract to supply three new DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft to the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, bringing firm and optioned aircraft orders over 40. Viking announced early last year the re-launch of the Twin Otter production program after having acquired the production rights from Bombardier (de Havilland the original builder of the aircraft was acquired by Bombardier).
Once a bidder as a prime contractor for the Combat System Integration portion of Navy’s $1.1 billion Halifax Class Modernization program, Richmond, BC based, MDA, has joined its erstwhile competitor on the program, the CSI Halifax Team.
The CSI Halifax Team, which is comprised of General Dynamics Canada, Thales and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, is headed up by Steven Yankovich a former Canadian Navy officer, who now works as an Executive Pursuit Manager for GD Canada. Yankowich recently told CDR, “The team we’ve assembled offers GD Canada’s capability to execute large scale systems integration and in-service support programs along with the world-class sub-system integration capabilities of Thales and Raytheon.”
A world leader in the field of military vehicles, with a growing international order book and a record of economic contributions to Canada’s economy, General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, is a key supplier to the Canadian Forces and in CDR's annual ranking of Canada's Top defence companies, GDLS-C checked in at the number one spot for 2008. We sent CDR reporter, Ffion Llewd-Jones to the company plant in London, Ontario to learn more about this stalwart of the military vehicle business.
Sources at a air bases in Canada contacted by CDR reporters have indicated serious concers about the delivery date for the Sea King replacement, Cyclone helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky, an adapted commercial helicopter that has not had any other military customers to date.
The sale of Richmond, BC based, MDA’s Information Systems business unit to US defence contractor, ATK for $1.32 Billion has raised the question of whether domestic defence programs could be compromised as Canadian-developed technologies are transferred to a US company which is inextricably linked to the US DoD. The sale of the MDA division that developed the famous Canadarm and RADARSAT 2 satellite system was announced in early January of 2008 but since that time a number of troubling complications have arisen.
EADS in partnership with Northrop Grumman, has landed a contract to provide 179 new KC-45A aerial refueling tankers to the US Air Force, valued at $35 Billion.
EADS in partnership with Northrop Grumman, has landed a contract to provide 179 new KC-45A aerial refueling tankers to the US Air Force, valued at $35 Billion.
