Boeing has appointed Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Al Meinzinger as president of Boeing Canada and Boeing Canada Operations Ltd., effective June 6, 2024. A distinguished leader and veteran, Meinzinger will report to Dr. Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global, and succeeds Charles “Duff” Sullivan who retired earlier this year.
The report provides an external, independent assessment of the progress made by the Department of Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in implementing the recommendations made by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour in the Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR), released in May 2022.
CAE Inc. announced the appointment of Patrick Decostre to the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Decostre is President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Boralex Inc., a provider of affordable renewable energy in North America and Europe. Prior to his appointment as President and CEO in 2020, he spent 18 years building Boralex's business from the ground up in Europe, where he initiated wind energy initiatives and directed all operations and development activities of Boralex's European subsidiaries. Mr. Decostre, an engineering physicist, graduated from the École Polytechnique of Brussels. He is also a graduate of the Solvay Business School in Brussels in business administration. His full biography is available on the Boralex website.
Babcock has been selected by Saab to support the design for the development of the Swedish Navy’s new Luleå-class Surface Combatant. Saab, commissioned by FMV, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, will design four ships for the Swedish Navy. Babcock will initially provide engineering support, including structural design and auxiliary systems, supporting Saab to complete the basic design phase.
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) welcomed His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) William Hall into naval service with a commissioning ceremony in Halifax, N.S. As the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship for the RCN, HMCS William Hall will strengthen the Navy’s ability to enforce sovereignty in Canadian waters, and to meet the future defence challenges in the North.
Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, concluded a productive two-day visit to Washington, D.C., where he discussed Canada’s defence policy update, Our North, Strong and Free, with our American allies and partners. On May 13, Minister Blair met with United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Pentagon to discuss Our North, Strong and Free, as well as NORAD Modernization efforts, support for Ukraine, and other key priorities including the crisis in Haiti and joint efforts between Canada and the United States to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Maritime Launch Services Inc. has received a conditional term sheet for a $12.9 million contribution administered under the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). Funding would support Maritime Launch in the ongoing development of Spaceport Nova Scotia, as the company prepares for a first orbital launch from Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2025.
Minister Blair and Secretary Austin discussed Canada’s renewed vision for defence, Our North, Strong and Free, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister Blair on April 8, 2024. Minister Blair highlighted that this defence policy update prioritizes the security of the Arctic and the North, which are becoming increasingly accessible and facing new security challenges. Minister Blair noted that the policy invests in key new capabilities for the defence of Canada and North America, and that it will invest $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years. Canada forecasts its defence spending to reach 1.76% of GDP in 2029-30.
The Government of Canada supports stronger and more collaborative federal science, to ensure scientists and researchers have access to the world-class facilities and tools they need to achieve scientific excellence and innovation. Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, joined by Assistant Deputy Minister for Defence Research and Development Canada, Dr. Jaspinder Komal, officially opened the Facility for Intelligent Marine Systems (FIMS). Renovations to the building that houses FIMS took place over four years, with a total project investment of almost $25 million.
To jumpstart the meeting, the ministers signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) concerning funding for the purchase of air defence capabilities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Minister Blair announced that Canada will contribute $76 million to Germany’s Immediate Action on Air Defence (IAAD) initiative to support Ukrainians in their fight against Russia.
Strider Technologies, Inc. announced that Vice Admiral (Ret'd) Paul Maddison RCN is joining the company as an Advisor. In this role, Maddison will help guide Strider toward scalable growth in Australia and Canada."We are thrilled to be working with such a principled leader," said Greg Levesque, CEO and Co-founder of Strider Technologies. "Paul is a man that makes and keeps his commitments. He has distinguished himself in the Canadian Armed Forces, as High Commissioner of Canada for Australia, and in his support of Australia's premier research and defense institutions. We could not envision a more qualified and reliable partner as Strider expands internationally into Australia."
Canada's Department of National Defence has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the federal Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy for taking three years to respond to an access request by an Ottawa researcher who inquired about the cost of a controversial program to build new Canadian warships. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux has estimated the cost to taxpayers of the ship-building contract, which would see 15 new warships built for the Royal Canadian Navy as part of the Canadian Surface Combatant program, will be about $84 billion. According to data cited in a January 2024 story published by The Ottawa Citizen, the project is currently behind schedule and experiencing huge cost overruns.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has announced its selection of Delta Development Team, Inc. to provide innovative products aimed at bolstering the medical capacity of frontline troops. This significant decision underscores Canada's commitment to equipping its military with cutting-edge solutions to save lives in high-pressure situations.
Under the terms of the contract, D-TA Systems will design, manufacture, and deliver a proof of concept for a new generation of electronic warfare range equipment that will empower training of Belgian Defence pilots. The contract reflects the recognition of D-TA Systems’ expertise in delivering innovative solutions to meet the evolving challenges in electronic warfare.
The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will welcome Germany’s Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, to Canada for a bilateral meeting. This is Minister Pistorius’s first visit to Canada since his appointment as Germany’s Minister of Defence. During the bilateral meeting, Minister Blair and Minister Pistorius will discuss Canada’s recently-released defence policy update, Our North, Strong and Free, Canada-Germany defence relations, our collective efforts to support Ukraine, and our work to strengthen NATO’s defence and deterrence posture, including in the Baltic states, where both Canada and Germany lead multinational NATO battle groups.
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) completed a change of command ceremony at Cartier Square Drill Hall in Ottawa, where Brigadier-General Steve Hunter assumed command from Major-General Steve Boivin. Presided over by General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), the ceremony brought Maj.-Gen. Boivin’s three-year tenure as Commander of Canada’s special operations forces organization to a close.
BluMetric Environmental Inc. has signed an amendment to an existing service agreement for Canada’s Department of National Defence Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units (ROWPU). The amendment includes a $5.3 million increase to the scope of work, to be completed in calendar year 2024, which includes on-call field service, support, and maintenance of the water treatment systems.
VARD has named BluMetric Environmental Inc. (BluMetric) as a Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance. BluMetric has supplied and serviced the water treatment systems for the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for over 20 years. BluMetric’s Shipboard Reverse Osmosis Desalinator (SROD) systems have provided reliable potable water to the Halifax Class since 2011 and will be installed in the RCN’s new Joint Support Ship (JSS).
Bill C-70 proposes to update existing laws to better equip the government to detect, disrupt, and protect against foreign interference threats against all people in Canada, including members of diaspora, marginalized or otherwise vulnerable communities. This includes proposed changes to the Security of Information Act, the modernization of the 40-year-old Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, and the sabotage offence in the Criminal Code. It also proposes amendments to the Canada Evidence Act to establish a standardized and streamlined regime for handling sensitive information in administrative proceedings in the Federal Court of Canada.
The IDEaS program is looking for game-changing solutions to aid Ukraine during minefield breaching operations. Up to $1 million in developmental funding for early stage (TRL 1-6) technology will be available per project. Canadian industry, not-for-profits, and academia are welcome to apply. Provincial/territorial, or municipal government organizations may also apply.
As the delegation of 40 from the Davie Supplier Association, now known as Naval Québec, arrives in Finland for a week-long mission, it opens exciting partnership opportunities between the Finnish and Québec shipbuilding industries. This initiative holds the promise of collaborative ventures and shared advancements in maritime technology.
Sensor specialist HENSOLDT is supplying six more of its high-performance TRML-4D radars to Ukraine to strengthen the country’s air defence. As part of a comprehensive order package worth over 100 million euros, the six radars will be delivered later this year. This means that HENSOLDT now has a total of more than 50 air defence radars of this type under contract for a whole range of customers.
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) formally commissioned His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Max Bernays into service at a ceremony held at Burrard Drydock Pier in North Vancouver. A ship’s commissioning ceremony is both a long-standing naval tradition, and a special event for the ship’s company and Canadian Fleet Pacific. HMCS Max Bernays, the RCN’s third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, has the honour of being the first ship of its class to be attached to Canada’s Pacific Fleet in Esquimalt, British Columbia. During this milestone occasion, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, attended in her role as Commodore-in-Chief, Canadian Fleet Pacific to present the commissioning pennant to the ship.
Canadians and sailors from coast to coast to coast commemorated the 79th anniversary of the end of action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the sacrifices of the thousands of Canadians who fought valiantly from 1939 to 1945 during the longest campaign of the Second World War. Each year on the first Sunday in May, sailors from Canadian Forces Bases Halifax in Nova Scotia and Esquimalt in British Columbia, and the 24 Naval Reserve Divisions across Canada commemorate the sailors, merchant sailors, and aviators who perished at sea during the Battle of the Atlantic.
