The Vanguard Podcast: Recent Episodes
Vanguard Canada
Vanguard is Canada’s oldest trade journal of record that provides a forum for Canada’s security and defence community, discussing strategic perspectives and overviews of government and military policy and practice, through interviews with leading practitioners and contributions from renowned experts, including representatives from industry. The Vanguard Podcast follows in the footsteps of this great history and seeks to serve the Canadian Government by providing clear and concise information to educate on policy, trends, and industry news.
As Canada's defence ecosystem looks for faster, smarter, and more scalable ways to prepare personnel for increasingly complex operational environments, immersive training technologies are moving from the margins to the centre of readiness planning. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones speaks with Raja Khanna, CEO of Lumeto, and Kavi Maharajh, the company's Chief Product Officer, about how Canadian-built AI-enabled simulation is reshaping training across healthcare and defence.
The conversation explores how Lumeto's immersive platform, InvolveXR, is being applied beyond clinical environments into defence medicine, emergency response, medevac preparation, and broader readiness applications. Raja and Kavi discuss the challenge of scaling high-quality training as organizations grow their workforce, the evolving role of AI in simulation environments, and how adaptive learning systems can improve both competency and operational effectiveness.
The discussion also dives into the realities of building dual-use Canadian technology, the importance of scalable and measurable training systems, and how companies like Lumeto fit into Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) ecosystem. From AI-powered virtual instructors to immersive scenario-based readiness training, this episode examines how emerging technologies are helping prepare the future force.
Whether you are a defence leader, policy-maker, industry executive, or innovation stakeholder, this episode offers an inside look at the intersection of AI, immersive simulation, healthcare training, and national readiness.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Peter Dawe, Vice President of Defence Strategy at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), to explore why business readiness—not just technology or equipment—is becoming one of the most critical components of Canada's defence and economic security landscape.
Drawing on more than three decades of experience in the Canadian Armed Forces and his current work supporting Canadian SMEs at BDC, Dawe offers a practical and execution-focused perspective on what it really takes for companies to succeed in defence and national-security supply chains. The conversation examines how operational discipline, governance, financial resilience and long-term sustainability often determine whether businesses can compete credibly in complex defence environments.
Jones and Dawe discuss the growing intersection between defence and economic security, the realities facing SMEs entering defence markets, and why supply chains can quickly expose weaknesses in productivity, compliance and execution. They also unpack the role Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses play in strengthening national sovereignty and defence capacity beyond major procurement programs and prime contractors.
The episode provides valuable insight for business leaders, defence suppliers and entrepreneurs considering opportunities in defence-adjacent industries, offering a grounded look at the fundamentals companies need before pursuing contracts in one of the world's most demanding sectors.
Get in touch with BDC now!
Vanguard Radio host J. Richard Jones welcomes Charlie Tucker, Solutions Engineer, Serco North America, for an in-depth conversation on how Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training must evolve from isolated systems into a fully integrated enterprise capability. Drawing on Charlie's 15 years supporting modeling, simulation, testing, and acquisition programs in the LVC domain, this episode explores how Serco combines people, processes, and technology to help governments modernize readiness at scale.
Listeners will hear how Serco's service-first heritage shapes its approach to defense training, emphasizing trust, lifecycle partnership, and mission outcomes over standalone products. Charlie explains why successful LVC environments depend not just on software and hardware, but on federation, interoperability, sustainment, governance, and the skilled teams that keep complex training ecosystems operational.
The discussion also dives into Distributed Mission Operations (DMO), secure high-end fight environments, and Serco's experience supporting advanced mission networks such as NMON and JITTC. Charlie shares how synthetic environments can improve operational security, reduce cost and scheduling constraints, and create training scenarios beyond the limits of open-air ranges.
Finally, the episode examines coalition readiness, Common Data Standards (CDS), and the policy frameworks required to enable multinational training. From standards alignment to approvals and governance, Charlie outlines how Serco helps customers build enduring, scalable LVC enterprises prepared for modern multi-domain operations.
Interview with Jay Ballard, Vice President of Defence-Learning at Calian Defence Canada.
As global threats evolve and operational environments grow more complex, the way militaries train must transform just as rapidly. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Jay Ballard, Vice President of Defence-Learning at Calian Defence Canada, to explore what it takes to prepare the next generation of warfighters.
Drawing on more than two decades of operational experience as a U.S. Navy Commander—including nearly 4,000 flight hours, multiple deployments, and elite credentials such as TOPGUN Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor—Ballard brings a practitioner's lens to one of defence's most urgent challenges: modernizing military training for a rapidly changing battlespace.
The conversation dives into how the character of warfare is shifting toward multi-domain, data-driven operations—and what that means for training systems across land, sea, air, cyber, and space. From the integration of C5ISRT capabilities to the rise of synthetic training environments powered by AI, digital twins, and advanced modelling, Ballard outlines the technologies and approaches that will define the future of readiness.
The episode also tackles the real-world barriers facing adoption within the Canadian Armed Forces, and how industry partners can help accelerate implementation at scale. Looking ahead, Ballard paints a picture of what military training could become over the next 10 to 15 years—if the right investments, partnerships, and strategies are put in place.
For defence leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders alike, this episode offers a grounded and forward-looking perspective on how training must evolve to keep pace with modern warfare—and ensure operational advantage in an increasingly contested world.
As Canada accelerates defence spending and advances a new era of military recapitalization, one critical question is coming into sharper focus: are training systems keeping pace with the platforms they are meant to support?
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Jeff Tasseron to explore why Canada must rethink its approach to military training.
Representing CAE Defense & Security—a global leader in military training and simulation that supports defence forces across naval, land, and air domains—Tasseron brings insight into how advanced, increasingly AI-enabled training systems are reshaping readiness. The company's work in delivering integrated training and mission support solutions provides a real-world lens on how modern forces can better prepare for complex, multi-domain operations.
Drawing on decades of operational and strategic experience—from commanding maritime helicopter operations to shaping defence transformation at the highest levels—Tasseron unpacks the risks of continuing to procure platforms with stand-alone, OEM-controlled training systems. He makes the case for a fully integrated, national training ecosystem—one that connects people, platforms, and data to deliver real operational readiness.
The conversation also examines how Canada's evolving procurement landscape, including the growing role of the Defence Investment Agency, is shifting attention toward maximizing domestic economic value. Training and simulation, Tasseron argues, represent a powerful—and often underleveraged—opportunity to build sovereign capability, create high-value jobs, and strengthen Canada's defence industrial base.
From the challenges of today's fragmented training models to the promise of integrated simulation environments, this episode explores what it will take for Canada to modernize training as a core pillar of defence capability—not an afterthought.
Key Discussion Points
- The operational risks of relying on stand-alone, platform-specific training systems
- The limitations of current training models in a joint, networked battlespace
- Why training modernization must sit at the centre of defence recapitalization
- How major Canadian defence programs are driving new approaches to training
- What an integrated national training ecosystem could look like
- The role of strategic partnerships in delivering training integration at scale
- Where Canada should begin—and what success looks like
Interview with Derek Buxton, VP Business Development & Ottawa, Vard Marine Inc.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Derek Buxton, VP Business Development & Ottawa at Vard Marine Inc., for an in-depth discussion on the future of Canadian ship design, icebreaker innovation, and the evolution of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).
With more than three decades of combined service in the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard, Buxton brings a rare blend of operational experience and technical authority to the conversation. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, he has served at sea, worked on exchange with Australia's Collins Class submarine program, led acquisition and in-service support for Canada's Victoria Class submarines, and later played a key leadership role in the Coast Guard's fleet renewal and future concept development. Today, he is spearheading new global opportunities for VARD in the government shipbuilding sector.
The discussion explores:
· Icebreakers and ice-capable vessel design: What lessons has VARD Marine learned from past programs, and how are those insights shaping the next generation of Arctic and high-latitude vessels?
· NSS 2.0 and innovation: How can Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy evolve to better enable innovation, industrial resilience, and export-ready Canadian designs?
· Designed in Canada: What differentiates VARD Marine's approach to icebreaker design from traditional models, and how is Canadian engineering talent influencing global projects?
· The Vigilance program: Where does the program stand today, how has it evolved from its early inception, and what does it signal for Canada's sovereign maritime capability?
· Looking ahead: What strategic and market challenges lie on the horizon for Vard Marine, and how is the company positioning itself to overcome them?
As a wholly owned subsidiary of VARD Group AS in Norway—a Fincantieri company—Vard Marine combines Canadian naval architecture expertise with access to a global design and construction database. With offices in Vancouver, Ottawa, Houston, Vũng Tàu, and Gdańsk, the company continues to position Canadian-designed vessels on the international stage.
From Arctic sovereignty to exportable ship design, this episode delivers a timely conversation about where Canada's maritime industrial base is headed—and how innovation, vigilance, and global partnerships are shaping the next chapter.
Interview with Karl Schaub, Chief Solution Architect, Netscout
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Karl Schaub, Chief Solution Architect at NETSCOUT, to explore how next-generation sensor strategies are reshaping cyber defence, network performance, and mission assurance across federal and public-sector environments.
With more than 25 years of hands-on experience spanning cybersecurity, network architecture, and product management, Schaub explains why the traditional separation between performance monitoring and security tools is no longer sustainable. The conversation dives into the concept of the unified, next-generation sensor—a single, high-fidelity capability that delivers both performance and security insights, drives operational efficiency, and enables a common data foundation across teams, missions, and analytics platforms.
The discussion also examines what's driving the shift toward sensor grids, the operational and analytical advantages they unlock, and how NETSCOUT is approaching AIOps to turn deep-packet visibility into actionable intelligence. Schaub further unpacks the idea of multi-dimensional detection, explaining how richer, correlated data improves threat detection, resilience, and decision-making in complex, distributed networks—from data centres and cloud to 5G and the tactical edge.
Topics include:
· What defines a next-generation sensor
· Why performance and security must converge
· The benefits of modern sensor and sensor-grid strategies
· NETSCOUT's role in enabling Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps)
· Understanding multi-dimensional detection and its mission impact
A must-listen conversation for cyber, network, and defence leaders navigating the future of observability, resilience, and digital mission readiness.
Interview with Chris Pogue, President, Defence & Space, Calian
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Chris Pogue—President, Defence & Space at Calian and a retired Royal Canadian Air Force officer—to explore how Canada is shaping the future of defence, space, and allied interoperability. Drawing on more than two decades of senior executive leadership across Canada's defence and aerospace ecosystem, Pogue offers a candid, strategic look at Calian's expanding role in supporting NATO allies, modernizing military training, and advancing multi-domain operations at a time of accelerating global uncertainty.
The conversation spans Calian's end-to-end defence, space, and training capabilities; Canada's evolving defence modernization agenda and budget context; and the growing importance of interoperability across allied forces. Pogue also unpacks Calian VENTURES—how it works, why it's different from other innovation programs, and how it helps connect Canadian SMEs to real-world defence and space priorities under the government's "Rebuild, Rearm, and Reinvest" vision. From VICCI-enabled collective training to the integration of virtual, live, and distributed environments that strengthen command and control, the episode examines how innovation is being operationalized—not just imagined.
Guardians of the North closes with a forward-looking discussion on Calian's priorities in training, interoperability, and space operations, and what it will take for Canada to remain a credible, agile, and trusted defence partner on the world stage. A must-listen for defence leaders, policymakers, industry partners, and anyone interested in how Canada is preparing for the next era of collective security.
Interview with Andrew "Bundy" Soundy, F-35 Test Pilot, Lockheed Martin
In this special episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with one of the world's most experienced F-35 test pilots: Andrew "Bundy" Soundy, Chief Test Pilot for the F-35 at the 461st Flight Test Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base.
A Royal Military College graduate turned Lockheed Martin test pilot, Bundy brings over 1,100 hours in the F-35 and decades of operational and test experience across the CF-18, F-16, and fifth-generation platforms. In a wide-ranging and candid conversation, he traces his journey from RMC to Cold Lake to Edwards—and offers a rare insider look at how the F-35 evolves, adapts, and continually pushes the boundaries of modern airpower.
Bundy explains what it means to test fifth-generation capability in a program built on continuous upgrades. He breaks down the mindset shift required for pilots transitioning from fourth-generation fighters, the realities of new stealth-tactics training, and how Canada's upcoming F-35 cadre will inherit a unique tactical worldview unlike anything before it.
From operating in extreme Arctic cold, to demonstrating the aircraft for partner nations, to testing interoperability with NATO allies and next-generation platforms, Bundy shares firsthand insights into the F-35's performance, range, and global readiness. He also looks ahead to the rapid rise of AI, manned-unmanned teaming, the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft vision, and how adaptable platforms like the F-35 will shape the tactical air environment for decades to come.
This is one of the most detailed, practical, and forward-looking conversations you'll hear on fifth-generation fighter operations—and what's coming next.
If you want to understand the future of airpower—and Canada's place in it—this episode is essential listening.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Sheldon Gillis, MSC, CD, CPSP Campaign Lead at Babcock Canada, for a deep and timely conversation about what's next for Canada's submarine future—and why sustainment is just as important as the platform itself.
With over 25 years of distinguished service in the Royal Canadian Navy—including command at sea, operational deployments across the globe, leadership roles in the Arctic, and senior oversight of naval requirements—Sheldon brings unparalleled insight into what it takes to deliver a modern, sovereign, and mission-ready submarine capability.
Together, they explore the major developments shaping the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), including the recently announced Teaming Agreement between Babcock Canada and Hanwha Ocean. This landmark partnership positions Babcock as the exclusive In-Service Support partner to Hanwha Ocean, uniting world-class submarine design and build expertise with Canada's only proven, industry-led submarine sustainment enterprise.
Listeners will hear Sheldon unpack:
· Why sustainment must be integrated from Day One, in parallel with submarine construction
· How Babcock's 17 years of experience sustaining the Victoria-class fleet will translate into value, readiness, and reliability for CPSP
· The advantages of Hanwha Ocean's in-service KSS-III submarine—a platform already operating globally
· The long-term regional and economic impact CPSP could deliver across Canada, including jobs, innovation, and STEM development
· What accountability and availability truly mean in designing a future-focused enterprise
· How Babcock's integrated sustainment approach supports a sovereign, Canadian solution that endures for generations
From operational realities at sea to the industrial partnerships required on land, this is a comprehensive look at how Canada can build not just a submarine fleet—but a lasting national capability.
Whether you're tracking CPSP, following defence industry developments, or simply interested in how major national projects take shape, this episode offers expert insight into one of the most consequential defence procurements of our time.
Tune in to Vanguard Radio for a deep dive into delivering an all-encompassing and sovereign Canadian sustainment solution.
When the stakes are high and the timeline is tight, what does leadership look like?
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones speaks with Paul Knowles, Senior Vice President and District Manager at PCL Construction, whose nearly 30-year career spans some of Canada's most demanding infrastructure projects. From the nation's capital to remote northern installations, PCL's work under Paul's leadership often unfolds in secure, mission-critical environments—where precision, collaboration, and trust aren't just valued, they're essential.
Paul shares his insights into what it takes to deliver complex defence projects under pressure, from balancing transparency with security compliance to fostering collaboration among military, government, and private-sector partners. With a background in civil and construction engineering and decades of experience leading high-performance teams, Paul offers a rare look behind the curtain at how large-scale national projects come together—and the leadership mindset that keeps them on track when the margin for error is razor-thin.
Listeners will hear stories of innovation, contingency planning, and real-time problem solving that define modern defence construction in Canada.
🎙 Key discussion topics include:
- Leading teams when every decision counts
- Balancing transparency and security requirements
- Collaborating across the defence ecosystem
- Innovations driving performance in mission-critical builds
- The future of leadership in Canada's defence infrastructure landscape
Safran is a name that is synonymous with aerospace and defense innovation and now, this global powerhouse is deepening its roots in Canada. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Louis Girardin, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense Canada, to explore how one of the world's oldest defense innovators is bringing new energy and cutting-edge technologies to Canada's evolving defence landscape.
Louis shares his perspective on Safran's long and storied history, the company's expanding footprint in Montreal, and the strategic role Safran Electronics & Defense plays in advancing capabilities across air, land, sea, and space. He discusses how Safran's world-class technologies—ranging from avionics and navigation to optronics and mission systems—are enabling greater interoperability and sovereignty for Canada and its allies.
The conversation also delves into the broader Canadian defense market, the challenges and opportunities facing the country as it strengthens its industrial base, and how Safran is helping to build new partnerships and capabilities for the future.
Whether you're in the defense industry, a policymaker, or a technology enthusiast, this episode offers a compelling look at how global expertise and Canadian innovation are coming together to shape the next chapter of defense excellence.
Key Discussion Points:
- Who is Safran, and what role does Safran Electronics & Defense play globally?
- How and when did Safran Electronics & Defense Canada take shape?
- The company's growing presence and operations in Montreal
- Safran's contributions to Canada's defence and technology ecosystem
- Key innovations and technologies supporting national sovereignty
- Opportunities and challenges in the Canadian market
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones speaks with Chris Lane, Senior Vice President and Area Manager at EllisDon Corporation, about how one of Canada's leading construction and infrastructure companies is helping to strengthen the nation's defence readiness.
Chris shares insights from his decade-long leadership journey with EllisDon—from his early days in the UK's construction sector to overseeing major projects in Canada for clients like the Government of Canada, Defence Construction Canada, and the Department of National Defence. He discusses EllisDon's unique approach to collaboration, innovation, and long-term value creation—factors that set the company apart in an increasingly complex defence infrastructure landscape.
Together, they explore EllisDon's role in supporting Canada's National Defence Strategy, its involvement in projects tied to NORAD modernization and the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), and how agile contract models and integrated project delivery are shaping the future of military infrastructure in Canada.
This conversation highlights how capability, collaboration, and commitment to excellence are driving EllisDon's contributions to national security and resilience.
Topics Include:
- What differentiates EllisDon in the global construction and defence markets
- How EllisDon supports Canada's evolving defence and NORAD modernization initiatives
- The company's perspective on contract models that deliver maximum value for Canadians
- How EllisDon's expertise positions it to contribute to future submarine and defence infrastructure projects
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Jim Landon, President of ATCO Frontec, and Jim Stark, Director, North of 60, ATCO Frontec, to explore the company's pivotal role in building and sustaining Canada's northern infrastructure. From the Canadian Arctic to Europe, ATCO Frontec delivers the operational backbone that supports government, defence, and industry in some of the most remote and challenging environments on Earth.
Together, they discuss how defence and civilian infrastructure needs intersect in the North, the importance of dual-use projects that bolster both national security and community resilience, and the innovative approaches required to deliver facilities management, camp services, and logistical support where conditions are extreme.
Listeners will gain insight into ATCO Frontec's deep partnerships with Indigenous communities, including its work with Nasittuq Corporation on the North Warning System and CFS Alert, as well as how these collaborations are creating lasting benefits for northern economies and people.
The conversation also looks ahead to the future of northern infrastructure development, exploring how emerging opportunities in defence modernization, sustainability, and strategic infrastructure are reshaping Canada's Arctic presence.
Whether you're interested in defence logistics, northern development, or the growing importance of public-private and Indigenous partnerships, this episode offers a compelling look at how ATCO Frontec is helping Canada build, sustain, and secure its North.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Michael Coulter, President and CEO of Hanwha Global Defence, and Vice Admiral (Ret'd) Steve Jeong, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Naval Ship Global Business at Hanwha Ocean, to discuss one of the most significant naval programs in Canada's modern history — the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, is one of the world's largest and most advanced shipbuilding facilities, where the company builds the cutting-edge KSS-III submarine — a next-generation platform designed to meet the demands of modern underwater operations. With over 31,000 employees and decades of experience constructing submarines, destroyers, and advanced naval vessels, Hanwha is positioning itself as a global partner of choice for Canada's future submarine fleet.
Together, Coulter and Jeong explore:
· The advanced capabilities and Arctic readiness of the KSS-III submarine and its alignment with CPSP requirements.
· Hanwha's delivery schedule and approach to in-service support for one of the largest conventional submarine orders in decades.
· The company's industrial and economic plan for Canada, including domestic partnerships, job creation, and technology transfer.
· How Hanwha's unsolicited proposal to the Government of Canada reflects its confidence, capacity, and long-term commitment to Canadian defence sovereignty.
Listeners will also gain insights into what life is like aboard the KSS-III — from advanced automation to improved habitability for submariners — and how Hanwha's growing North American footprint, including its acquisition of Philly Shipyard, fits into a broader strategy to expand into global markets across Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.
Tune in to discover how Hanwha Ocean is not only ready to deliver submarines — but ready to help transform Canada's underwater future.
Featuring Matthew Palmer, Global Commercial Lead, Submarines at Lloyd's Register Hosted by J. Richard Jones
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we dive beneath the surface of naval innovation with Matthew Palmer, Global Commercial Lead for Submarines at Lloyd's Register (LR). A former Royal Navy Engineering Officer who served on nuclear-powered submarines, Matthew brings unique technical insight into how LR is shaping the future of submarine safety, design, and lifecycle assurance.
From the Naval Submarine Code to LR's Submarine Assurance Framework, Palmer shares how these goal-based standards are enabling navies and shipbuilders worldwide to design, build, and sustain submarines that meet the highest levels of safety, performance, and compliance. He also discusses how LR helps navies extend the life of existing fleets, integrate emerging technologies, and adapt to a rapidly evolving underwater battlespace.
Together with host J. Richard Jones, Matthew explores questions such as:
- How does LR support both designers and operators of naval submarines?
- Why do navies turn to LR for independent assurance and compliance?
- How can standards evolve to keep pace with new technologies?
- What lessons can be drawn from LR's experience with global commercial fleets to support in-service submarines?
- How can LR assist navies in extending the operational life of ageing submarines?
Whether you're a defence professional, naval engineer, or simply fascinated by the future of undersea capability, this episode offers a deep look into how Lloyd's Register continues to define trust and technical excellence in the world's most complex marine environments.
Interview with Corey Switzer, Director, WaterTech Operations & Military Market Leader, BluMetric Environmental Inc.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Corey Switzer, Director of WaterTech Operations and Military Market Leader at BluMetric Environmental Inc.
With over 13 years of experience delivering mission ready water in some of the world’s most demanding environments, Corey shares insights into how BluMetric designs, builds, and sustains advanced water and wastewater treatment systems for the military, mining industry, and remote communities.
From the Arctic to beneath the ocean’s surface, the conversation explores:
- Who is BluMetric and what they offer
- The critical importance of purpose-built water treatment systems
- Submarine water treatment and the unique challenges below the surface
- Arctic deployments and designing for extreme conditions
- Why reducing energy, space, weight, and consumables is mission critical
- The role of OEM in-service support for long-term reliability
- Water recycling and the future of sustainable solutions
Discover how BluMetric is redefining resilience and reliability in water technology—ensuring access to clean, safe water whenever and wherever it’s needed.
Canada’s defence landscape is evolving rapidly — from NORAD modernization to Arctic missions — and data is at the heart of the transformation. In this episode, host J. Richard Jones sits down with John Breitenbach, Director of Aerospace & Defence Markets at Real-Time Innovations (RTI), and David Pratt, Principal at David Pratt & Associates and former Canadian Minister of National Defence, to explore how a data-centric architecture is reshaping the way military systems are designed, integrated, and deployed.
Together, they dive into the most pressing developments in Canadian and U.S. defence policy, including lessons from the U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defence initiative, the growing role of AI in countering emerging threats, and the critical need for interoperability across allied forces. They examine how RTI Connext® goes beyond traditional middleware, delivering secure, resilient, and scalable solutions that support multi-domain operations and ensure Canada’s Armed Forces can move fast without sacrificing long-term capability.
From Joint Fires modernization to coalition interoperability, this episode unpacks what it means for Canada to stay future-ready while fully aligned with allies. Discover why making data the most important asset is the key to building systems that endure, adapt, and thrive in the face of evolving challenges.
If you’d like to learn more, visit rti.com or contact info@rti.com.
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones has the opportunity to chat with Reaghan Sunstrum, Mission Specialist at General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada and Steve Cross, also a Mission Specialist at General Dynamics Missions Systems–Canada. Their conversation revolves around the Canadian Army experience, the Canadian Army in Latvia and Battle Lab.
Reaghan Sunstrum is a Mission Specialist at General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, and a dedicated Canadian Army Reservist based in Calgary, AB. She has 16 years of service in the Army Reserves as a Signal Operator and currently holds the rank of Master Warrant Officer (MWO). She serves as the Company Sergeant Major (CSM) for 41 Service Battalion, 14 Company. Reaghan earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Mount Royal University, and her leadership and technical expertise continue to make her a valued asset in both her military and civilian roles.
Steve Cross is a Mission Specialist at General Dynamics Missions Systems–Canada and a retired Sergeant supporting the Canadian Armed Forces as a Signal Operator for 16 years. Active in both the Reserve and Regular force during that time, Steve has supported Exercises and deployments both domestically and abroad. With recent experience in Latvia both in uniform and with GD, Steve’s experience helps define new capabilities and carve a way forward for the army.
General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada is one of Canada’s largest and most innovative defence companies, delivering and sustaining capability for Land C5ISR. They provide advanced thinking, design expertise, and implementation know-how to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with leading-edge hardware, software, and systems.
General Dynamics’ DIGITALspine mobilizes digital transformation by connecting every sensor, effector, and decision maker. It enables technological innovation at pace with mission requirements and simplifies forward capability enhancements and configurability based on evolving needs. At the edge of conflict, soldiers can securely tap into new and legacy systems while operating seamlessly with joint, interagency, and allied partners across land, air, sea, and cyber.
In this episode:
- Transitioning from army to industry.
- Experience behind C5ISR technology development
- Op REASSURANCE and the Canadian Army in Latvia
- General Dynamics’ Battle Lab
- And more!
Interview with Cheyenne Wicks, General Manager, Military Sector, J-Squared Technologies
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Cheyenne Wicks, General Manager, Military Sector, J-Squared Technologies. Mr. Wicks is a seasoned, results-oriented professional with extensive business and technology leadership experience. Formerly holding roles at L3Harris and DRS Technologies, he leads strategic research and development for J-Squared’s military line of business, encompassing R&D, product design and production, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and testing specialties. Cheyenne brings more than 30 years of experience with the Royal Canadian Navy and Communications Security Establishment, Government of Canada, and the defence industry. He holds a master’s degree in applied science from the Royal Military College of Canada.
J-Squared is the leading provider of high-performing embedded computing systems and services built to withstand the harshest environments. For more than 30 years, J-Squared has partnered with prime contractors, OEMs, system builders, and end users for mission-critical applications across the military, energy/resources, transportation and commercial edge AI sectors. J-Squared provides cradle to cradle support — with in-house design, environmental testing, deployment, product lifecycle management, maintenance and repair, and support. Land, air, and sea solutions are created to the highest standards, including MIL-SPEC certifications, while software offerings meet today’s exacting AI and ML challenges.
In this episode:
- What is lacking in Canada’s supply chain infrastructure?
- How it can be fixed.
- How technology is being employed in the supply chain.
- The need for tech alliances and international cooperation.
- What needs to be done in the military to embrace supply chain changes?
- How US/Canada relations are affecting supply chains.
- And more!
Interview with David Males, Director of Business Development, SSI
In this week’s episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with David Males, Director of Business Development, SSI. Mr. Males has 35+ years as a trusted sales and marketing executive in IT & Related Services in the US and Canada. His previous experience serving the industrial manufacturing and infrastructure development (AEC) sectors allows him to bring a practical perspective to help the marine and shipbuilding industry address key challenges surrounding digital transformation, lifecycle management, and the impact of emerging technology on current and future workers.
David is a frequent presenter at marine industry conferences addressing key challenges surrounding business transformation to digital shipbuilding and asset lifecycle management. He has been published in Maritime Technology magazine and chairs the SNAME O-52 Digital Twin Panel that aims to provide guidance to assist industry in the development of digital twin programs.
SSI delivers software, services, and expertise for the business of shipbuilding. They take advantage of the rapidly evolving technologies that define the future of the industry and understand how to implement them specifically for shipbuilders. For over 35 years, their team has been globally recognized for their specific solutions for the design, engineering, construction, and maintenance of shipbuilding projects.
In this episode:
- How Canada ensuring its shipbuilding efforts align with long-term strategic priorities.
- The biggest hurdles facing Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy today.
- How the Canadian shipbuilding industry is adapting to global trends and digitalization.
- Challenges that Canadian shipyards are running up against
- How SSI’s digital ship sustainment platform fits in with the RCN's initiatives
- And more!
Interview with Anthony March, Vice President, Marine & Mission Systems, Babcock Canada
In this week’s episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones has an in insightful discussion with Tony March, Vice President of Marine and Mission Systems at Babcock Canada. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, he holds degrees in mechanical engineering, defence studies, and marine engineering, along with an MBA from Athabasca University. He is also a graduate of the UCL Submarine Design Course and the Canadian Joint Command and Staff Program. Tony began his career in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997 as a Marine Systems Engineer, serving in HMCS Montréal during Operation APOLLO. In 2003, he joined the Submarine Service, serving aboard HMC Submarines Victoria, Windsor, and Corner Brook, and later held various engineering and leadership roles in Halifax and Ottawa.
After 21 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, Tony transitioned to the private sector, joining Babcock Canada in 2018. He initially served as Vice President of Engineering Services before assuming his current role in 2024, where he oversees marine and mission systems operations.
Operating in Canada since 2008, Babcock Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Babcock International Group, a global defence, aerospace, and security company. For over 16 years, Babcock has been proud to play a critical role in supporting Canada’s safety and security, delivering engineering and critical support services to defence and civil customers.
Drawing on decades of global experience, Babcock delivers fully integrated solutions tailored specifically for Canada and its unique environment across the land, marine, and aviation sectors.
In this episode:
- Timelines for Acquisition and Sustainment contracts
- Level of expertise of submarine maintenance in Canada
- Moving from the Victoria Class submarines to a newer and larger fleet
- The role Babcock will play
Interview with David Wiseman, Vice President, Secure Communications, BlackBerry
Check out this week’s episode of Vanguard Radio. Host, J. Richard Jones, sits down for an illuminating conversation with David Wiseman, Vice President, Secure Communications, BlackBerry. With over 25 years of experience, his expertise spans software, security, mobility, and communications, honed through roles at BlackBerry, IBM, SAP, Sybase, and the US Navy. David holds a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Mary Washington and an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill. Early in his career, he contributed to developing groundbreaking technologies, including the world's first large-scale environmental geo-spatial database for NASA and radar data fusion software for shipboard systems with the US Navy.
BlackBerry provides enterprises and governments the intelligent software and services that power the world around us. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company’s high-performance foundational software enables major automakers and industrial giants alike to unlock transformative applications, drive new revenue streams and launch innovative business models, all without sacrificing safety, security, and reliability. With a deep heritage in Secure Communications, BlackBerry delivers operational resiliency with a comprehensive, highly secure, and extensively certified portfolio for mobile fortification, mission-critical communications, and critical events management. The company is also a pioneer in leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to deliver advanced cybersecurity solutions to its customers.
In this episode:
- US telecom network hacks in the run up to the US election
- New and emerging hacking tactics
- What vulnerabilities have been exposed?
- What implications does this have for telecom service providers in other countries?
- What are the implications for national security?
- How does BlackBerry protect calls, texts, messages and files?
- And more!
A Conversation with Daniel Kroese, Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs Palo Alto Networks
In this week’s episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down for an engaging conversation with Daniel Kroese, Vice President of Public Policy & Government Affairs at Palo Alto Networks. Mr. Kroese is leading the company’s engagement with policymakers and government stakeholders. He brings extensive Legislative and Executive Branch cyber policy experience, including roles as Staff Director for Ranking Member Katko on the House Homeland Security Committee and as a senior advisor to Director Krebs at CISA.
Previously, Daniel served as Chief of Staff to Congressman John Ratcliffe, chair of the House Homeland Cybersecurity Subcommittee. At Palo Alto Networks, he leverages this expertise to strengthen the cybersecurity ecosystem. Daniel is also a visiting fellow at the National Security Institute.
Palo Alto Networks is the world’s cyber security leader, offering next-gen security solutions, expert services, and industry-leading threat intelligence. They empower organizations across every sector to transform with confidence.
In this episode:
- How can organizations enable the safe use of AI?
- How Alto Networks champions the ideals of Secure by Design
- How Palo Alto Networks is working to ensure Supply Chain Integrity
- Cybersecurity priorities for 2025
- Benefits of “secure internet browsers”
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with France Hébert, Vice-President and General Manager of Defence & Security Canada at CAE. She leads operations across 16 sites with 800 employees. She also serves as President of SkyAlyne and CAE Military Aviation Training, and sits on the boards of CADSI, True Patriot Love, and Invest Ottawa.
With 35 years in defence and aerospace, France has held senior roles in strategy, business development, and operations, achieving success in complex billion-dollar programs. Her career includes service as a Canadian Armed Forces officer and roles at Bombardier, Nortel, and GDMS-C.
France holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada, a Business Administration certificate from McGill University, and a PMP designation.
CAE provides critical expertise and solutions to enhance safety worldwide. As a technology company, it digitalizes the physical world through software-based simulation training and operational support. CAE empowers aviation and defence professionals to excel, especially in high-stakes situations.
With around 13,000 employees across 240+ sites in over 40 countries, CAE boasts over 75 years of industry-leading innovations in flight simulators and digital training programs. Committed to sustainability, CAE ensures its customers are always ready for key moments.
As Canada’s largest defence company, CAE supports national security across NATO and its allies, equipping service members with advanced training and technologies to complete missions safely.
In this episode:
- How CAE is a leader in simulation and training.
- What is CAE's role in SkyAlyne the Future Aircrew Training program contract?
- Is Canada’s 2% GDP contribution to NATO enough?
- What challenges still exist for the CAF and RCAF?
- What are the challenges for General Carignan, the new Chief of the Defence Staff?
- What challenges does the government need to overcome for proper aerospace and defence industrial strategy in Canada?
- And more!
Interview with Simon Carroll, President Saab Canada
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Simon Carroll, President of Saab Canada, to explore the company’s significant impact on the Canadian defence landscape. With over 35 years of experience supporting the Canadian Armed Forces, Saab has established a strong foothold across the country, including key operations in Ottawa, Halifax, and Medicine Hat. Simon, a former Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, brings three decades of expertise in the defence and naval sectors, spanning the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, now leveraging that knowledge for Canada's unique defence needs.
Join us as we delve into Saab's recent achievements, including the award of the Soldier Portable Air Defence System (SPADS) project in February 2024 and ongoing collaborations with the Canadian Navy on the Halifax Class. Simon shares insights on the implications of Sweden joining NATO and discusses Saab’s long-term strategy for Canada, highlighted by opportunities arising from the recent 'Our North, Strong and Free' report.
We’ll also get Simon's perspective on the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) Request for Information (RFI) and how Saab’s collaborative approach fosters strong partnerships with the Canadian government and local industry. Tune in for a fascinating discussion on innovation, strategy, and the future of defence in Canada!
In this episode:
- The importance of this year's soldier-portable air-defence system (SPADS) contract award to Saab
- How Sweden joining NATO may impact Saab in Canada
- How 'Our North, Strong and Free' effects Saab's approach to its business in Canada
- Canadian Patrol Submarine Project RFI
- And more
Interview with Kwon-Sik Woo, Senior VP, Director of Marketing & Sales, Naval & Special Ship Business Unit, HD HHI
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with Kwon-Sik Woo, Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing & Sales for the Naval & Special Ship Business Unit at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). With over 28 years of experience in the global shipbuilding industry, Mr. Woo offers valuable insights into HHI’s leading role in naval shipbuilding and defence contracting for the Republic of Korea Navy.
Mr. Woo’s career journey began in HHI’s Shipsales Department, moved to heading international offices in London and Singapore, and eventually to his current executive role. He discusses the evolution of HHI’s Naval & Special Ship Business Unit, a world-renowned naval shipyard and licensed defence industrial shipbuilder. As HHI celebrates over 50 years of innovation and excellence in heavy industries, Mr. Woo sheds light on how the company continues to lead in engineering advancements, diversifying into offshore and machinery sectors, while remaining at the forefront of naval technology.
Join us for an engaging discussion on the future of naval defence, international collaboration, and the strategic direction of one of the most influential companies in the global shipbuilding landscape.
In this episode:
- HD HHI's strategy for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project
- HHI's strengths compared to its competitors
- HHI's Submarine Strengths
- HHI's strategy for ITBs
- Examples of HHI's Transfer for Technologies
- And more!
Join J. Richard Jones as he sits down to speak with Jean-François Séguin, Head, Security Line of Business, ADGA about cybersecurity and the upcoming CPCSC certification process and how it will affect Canadian businesses.
With over 27 years of experience in the public and private security industry, Jean-François has established himself as a leader in risk management, public safety, compliance, systems & technology, cybersecurity, and crisis management. His extensive background includes developing and implementing robust security protocols, managing large-scale security operations, and leading cross-functional teams to ensure organizational resilience. Jean-François’s commitment to excellence and innovation has consistently driven ADGA's success in delivering security solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of their security and defence sector customers.
Since 1967, ADGA Group has been a steadfast industry partner for Canada’s defence and security sector. ADGA Group helps the Canadian Armed Forces, government, and industry clients fulfill their strategic and operational mandates by delivering advanced technical capabilities in:
- Agile software development
- Integrated security solutions
- Value-added Program Management
Proudly Canadian-owned and operated, ADGA is committed to safeguarding Canadians, both domestic and international.
In this episode:
- What ADGA does for security solutions
- Taking cybersecurity seriously
- The Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification (CPCSC)
- CPCSC requirements
- Cybersecurity certification’s impact on defence vendors
- Preparing for Canada's mandatory cybersecurity certification
- And more!
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones is joined by Steve O’Brien, CD, Tactical Systems Integration Lab Lead and Joe Milligan, CD, LC4ISR Support Manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada.
After a 27-year career in the CAF, serving in both the Infantry and Signal Corps, Steve O’Brien retired as a Master Warrant Officer and joined GDMS-C shortly after as a Mission Specialist. He is currently the Lead for several teams that support the Tactical Systems Integration Lab and provide on-site assistance to CAF fielding trials, exercises, and deployments.
After a career with the CAF, Joe transitioned to being a Trainer with GDMS and has spent the last 20 years in a support role as an FSR and Mission Specialist with GDMS. Joe is currently the LC4ISR Field Support Manager. Joe's teams support delivery, deployment, and operation of LC4ISR products to CAF as well as other nations.
General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada is a global defence and aerospace company with a worldwide reputation for excellence. In Canada, their operations focus on the delivery and support of C4ISR solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and allied forces worldwide. They are proud to have been a partner with the Canadian government, industry colleagues, indigenous partners, and SMEs in developing and delivering innovative products and services for over 75 years in Canada. Through continuous engagement they have built a critical understanding of user needs and are confidently providing the capabilities necessary to support mission success today and into the future.
In this episode:
- What do the new LC4ISR contracts mean for Canada and their soldiers?
- How has the technology evolved with General Dynamics?
- How is GD arming our forces with the tech they need today and tomorrow?
- And more!
Join J. Richard Jones as he peeks inside the cybersecurity industry with John Davis, Vice President of Public Sector, Palo Alto Networks. Together, they explore the history of the field as well as the technologies, business models, and trends that are driving the biggest changes.
Retired Major General John Davis has gained more than a decade of senior executive experience across all aspects of cybersecurity, while directing organizations in the U.S. national security sector. He expands cybersecurity initiatives and policy for the international public sector and assists governments and industries around the world in preventing successful cyber attacks. Mr. Davis has a proven record of achieving results in cybersecurity operations, strategy and policy. He has valuable experience building trusted leadership relationships across the public and private sectors, as well as the international cybersecurity landscape.
Palo Alto Networks is the world’s cybersecurity leader. They innovate to outpace cyberthreats, so organizations can embrace technology with confidence. They also provide next-gen cybersecurity to thousands of customers globally, across all sectors. Their best-in-class cybersecurity platforms and services are backed by industry-leading threat intelligence and strengthened by state-of-the-art automation. Whether deploying products to enable the Zero Trust Enterprise, responding to a security incident, or partnering to deliver better security outcomes through a world-class partner ecosystem, Palo Alto is committed to helping ensure each day is safer than the one before. It’s what makes them the cybersecurity partner of choice.
Palo Alto Networks is committed to bringing together the very best people in service of their mission and are proud to be the cybersecurity workplace of choice, recognized among Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces (2023, 2022, 2021), with a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index (2023, 2022), and HRC Best Places for LGBTQ Equality (2022).
In this episode:
- How Palo Alto is changing the cybersecurity game
- Biggest impediments to innovation
- Optimization of innovation
- Key opportunities on the horizon
- And more!
J. Richard Jones is back with another episode of Vanguard Radio. This time he’s sitting down to speak with Tracy Medve, President & CEO of KF Aerospace and Board Chair of SkyAlyne. The discussion covers many topics, including Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) and SkyAlyne, the Canadian-Multi Mission Aircraft project (CMMA) and Team Poseidon.
Since she began her career in aviation in 1985, Tracy has held various senior airline management positions, including at Norcanair, Time Air, Canadian Partner, and Canadian Regional Airlines. Tracy was the co-founder of C.T. AeroProjects, a Calgary-based consultancy focused on air transport resource management, working with a wide range of public and private aviation clients around the world. From 2007 to 2012, Tracy was the President of Canadian North Airlines.
In May 2013, Tracy was appointed President of KF Aerospace and became President and CEO in August 2021. Tracy is a lawyer by training (University of Saskatchewan, 1982) and a graduate of the John Molson School of Business Global Aviation MBA program at Concordia University (2009). She is the 2007 recipient of the John Molson School of Business MBA Scholarship and was inducted as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honour society in 2009.
Tracy also served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves as a Signals Officer from 1975 to 1981.
Founded by Barry Lapointe in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia in 1970, KF Aerospace is Canada’s largest commercial aviation maintenance, repair, overhaul, and modification (MRO) provider. With a workforce of over 1200 highly skilled employees, KF’s multi-faceted business operations include first-class engineering and design services, commercial aircraft leasing and decades of experience as a commercial cargo carrier. KF Aerospace also has a long history of supporting and working with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) including managing the CFTS pilot training contract for the RCAF at Southport, MB since 2005.
In this episode:
- The aviation and defence career path
- Advice for entering the industry
- Where Canadian aerospace and defence is heading
- KF Aerospace contract with the Future Aircrew Training Program
- The KF Aerospace role on Team Poseidon
- And more!
Join J. Richard Jones as he dives into conversation with Chris Earl, Vice President, Project Delivery, Victoria Shipyards to learn more about the history and future of Canada’s submarine program and how Victoria Shipyards is uniquely positioned to support it.
Chris Earl joined Seaspan Victoria Shipyards in 2021, and in July 2022, assumed his current role as Vice President, Project Delivery. Chris is a retired Rear-Admiral (RAdm) in the Royal Canadian Navy, where he spent the last 35 years serving Canada. During his last four years in uniform, RAdm (Ret’d) Earl served as the Chief Engineer of the Royal Canadian Navy and was appointed as the Chief of Staff (Material); the most senior military procurement and sustainment specialist within the Material group of the Canadian Armed Forces. In his current role as Vice President, Project Delivery, Chris is responsible for all Naval maintenance programs and National Shipbuilding Strategy build support activities conducted at Victoria Shipyards.
Chris is a graduate of the Royal Military College, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Defence Studies, and is a graduate of both the Canadian Forces College Joint Command and Staff and National Security Programmes.
Victoria Shipyards specializes in complex projects up to complete vessel conversions. It is an integral part of the Canadian Navy frigate and submarine maintenance programs, with its highly specialized and experienced team providing critical maintenance on Canada’s Halifax-class frigates for over 20 years and in-service support for its Victoria-Class submarines for over a decade.
Victoria Shipyards is one of the few North American shipyards executing work on international cruise vessels and performing the first major vessel LNG dual fuel conversion on two ships. Victoria Shipyards operates within the federally owned Esquimalt Graving Dock (EGD), the largest solid bottom commercial drydock on the West Coast of the Americas.
In this episode:
- Seaspan's history as a trusted partner in Canada's submarine maintenance and sustainment program
- The uniqueness of working on submarines
- How Team Victoria Class (with partners Babcock and BMT) is providing value for Canada
- Considerations for the future of Canada’s submarines
- The future of Team Victoria Class and Seaspan
- And more!
In the latest edition Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones sits down with Soledad Garrido, Senior Key Account Manager, North America, Navantia. Together they look back on the rich history of the Peral submarine. Launched on September 8, 1888, it was the first fully capable military submarine, and the first successful full electric battery-powered submarine.
Sol Garrido has more than 20 years of experience in the Defense and Aerospace sector, living and working in three continents. Working for Navantia since 2019, first as Strategy & Business Development Lead in the Australian branch of the company, nowadays Sol is Navantia´s Key Account Manager for North America. She has an extensive education that includes MsC Control Engineer - University Carlos III de Madrid (Spain), Thesis at the Ecole Supérieure d'Electricité de Paris (France), Master of Business Administration - University of New South Wales (Australia), and other business studies at IESE Business School as well as University of California, Berkeley.
Navantia is a state-owned company (SEPI Group), which designs and builds ships with a high technological content for the Spanish Navy and other navies. They integrate systems and provide life cycle support, repairs, modernization, and technology transfer (ToT) services in 20 countries. They are also a highly export-oriented company.
Navantia’s activity focuses on three areas: Shipbuilding and Ship Repairs, Systems and Services and Green Energy, where they are an international benchmark in offshore wind energy.
Digital transformation and sustainability are two of their future axes. With more than 300 years of history, Navantia is today a company that develops cutting-edge technology (digital twin, 5G, Internet of Things, eco-efficient design, hydrogen technologies) and has a tractor effect on the entire value chain, innovating and creating highly qualified employment and growth.
In this episode:
- Development of the first successful full electric battery-powered submarine
- Why it was revolutionary
- How it has evolved through time
- The evolution of Cartagena shipyard from Peral to S80
- And more!
In this exciting new episode of the Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones speaks exclusively with Steve SK Jeong, SEVP, Naval Ship International Business, Hanwha Ocean, and Ret. VADM of Republic of Korea Navy/ Former Submarine Force Commander. The two discuss a range of topics, including the importance of a proven submarine design, the heritage of the Republic of Korea’s Navy Submarine Force, and the history and submarine expertise of Hanwha Ocean.
Sungkyun Jeong is the Head of the international business division for naval ships in Hanwha Ocean. He joined in 2023, bringing with him a distinguished career as a former vice admiral of the ROK Navy. Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated expertise in military strategy, naval capabilities, and requirements, as well as successful leadership in various projects. He chaired Submarine Force Commander, Director for Joint Military strategy and WMD Center of JCS, and DCNO for Naval Capabilities, Requirements and Strategy for ROKN Headquarters.
His educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering from the USNA, a Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida, a Master's degree in National Security and Strategy from the US National Defense University, and successful completion of the Royal British Navy International Senior Leadership Course.
Hanwha Ocean has made a remarkable impact on the global market since its foundation in 1973. Since its entry into the naval ship market, Hanwha Ocean has designed and built a wide range of advanced naval ships. It has established its solid position as a leading naval shipbuilder in Korea. Hanwha Ocean's KSS-III submarine design and construction aims to meet the requirements of Royal Canadian Navy.
In this episode:
- Insights into Hanwha Ocean and its submarines
- Submarine development history at Hanwha Ocean
- Why is a "sea proven" submarine so significant?
- What can Hanwha Ocean bring to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project
- And more!
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones talks with Jack MacDonald, Technical Director, ADGA Group about ADGA’s core services, observations, and insights on defence procurement problems and how ADGA's Value-added Program Management service is part of the solution.
Jack MacDonald served 27 years in the Canadian Armed Forces before taking on leadership roles both within government and the defence industry. He brings years of experience in complex procurement, program management and technology innovation to his current role as Technical Director for ADGA Group.
ADGA Group is a proudly Canadian-owned and operated defence and security technology company. Their core services include value-added program management, agile software engineering development, and integrated security solutions. ADGA is recognized for employing advanced technology experts who bring unparalleled expertise in defence and security systems. For decades, ADGA have recruited CAF veterans to integrate their unique skill sets and highly specialized training into their workforce and work culture. ADGA’s social mandate is not only to hire veterans, but also family members and fellow citizens who share a passion to protect Canadians and Canada’s allies, and to give back to veteran causes in the community.
In this episode:
- What has changed at ADGA since the acquisition by Commissionaires Ottawa
- ADGA's core services
- What is “Value-added Program Management"?
- How Value-added Program Management supports military members on the battlefield and behind the lines
- And more!
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones has a discussion with Ted Kirkpatrick, Director of Business Development and Government Relations, Heddle Shipyards about shipbuilding in Ontario, Team Vigilance eliminating the boom-and-bust cycles of shipbuilding and repair, and much more.
Ted Kirkpatrick, a seasoned maritime professional with a diverse background, joined Heddle Shipyards in 2019. In 2020, he assumed the role of Director of Business Development and Government Relations. Ted's journey began as a deckhand in 2012 with McKeil Marine, where he worked his way up to becoming a Captain and Navigation officer, obtaining his certificates while at sea.
Throughout his career, Ted has gained extensive experience on various vessels, from tugs to self-unloaders and pneumatic cement carriers. He has been actively involved in both vessel maintenance and operations, fostering deep connections within the Canadian commercial shipping industry.
In his current role, Ted is focused on enhancing Heddle's market presence and nurturing relationships with clients and government entities.
Heddle Shipyards is the largest Canadian ship repair and construction company on the Great Lakes operating shipyards in Hamilton, St. Catharines and Thunder Bay. A wholly Canadian owned company, Heddle has been in continuous operation since 1987 and is the leading vessel life cycle services provider on the Great Lakes. Their vision is to be recognized as the most reliable provider of ship repair and maintenance services in Canada and a meaningful partner in the shipbuilding industry.
In this episode:
- The state of shipbuilding in Ontario
- How the province can support the growth of the industry
- How Heddle preparing for increased shipbuilding work
- And more!
In this exciting episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Derek Buxton, VP Business Development & Ottawa about the Vigilance Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel, and the importance of the proposed Team Canada approach.
Derek Buxton has 32 years of combined service with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard and is currently spearheading the development of new opportunities for VARD in the global government shipbuilding sector. After completing his engineering degree at the Royal Military College of Canada, Derek started his career in the military serving in many sea-going and shore-based roles. He spent four years on exchange duties in Australia with the COLLINS Class submarine program, and subsequently worked on the acquisition and in-service support of Canada’s VICTORIA Class submarines upon his return to Canada. He then finished his military career in 2007 as the design authority for submarine platform systems. Derek spent eleven years with the Canadian Coast Guard in key leadership roles supporting its renewal program, and most recently was responsible for the requirements definition and concept development for the Coast Guard’s future fleet.
Vard Marine Inc. is a consulting naval architecture and marine engineering company established in 1983 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of VARD Group AS in Norway, a Fincantieri company. These partnerships provide for access to design and construction databases from both VARD Group and Fincantieri that can be utilized in projects worldwide.
In this episode:
- The Vigilance Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel design and the proposed approach
- What the Team Vigilance partners bring to the table
- The importance of the proposed Team Canada approach
- Kingston-class replacement vs a life extension program
- Designing and tailoring for a specific customer
- The importance of designing in Canada
- And more!
Join us for another insightful episode of Vanguard Radio. J. Richard Jones speaks with Philippe Perey, Head of Technology, CAE.
CAE is at the leading edge of digital immersion, providing solutions to make the world a safer place. Today and tomorrow, CAE is the partner of choice for customers who operate in a complex, highly dynamic, and largely unpredictable environment where safety, mission readiness and successful outcomes are critical.
The topic of conversation pits innovation against experience in modern military training.
In this episode:
- What are the key issues driving the need for updated training?
- What are the critical enablers to transform training?
- What innovation is CAE working on?
- And much more!
Welcome back to another episode of Vanguard Radio with host J. Richard Jones. In this episode, we speak with Theo Zafirakos, CISO Coach and Professional Services, Security Awareness Speaker for Fortra's Terranova Security. Theo is an experienced security leader and trusted advisor known for his expertise in security awareness strategy, governance, privacy, and cyber security. He collaborates with CISOs and security leaders globally, assisting them in identifying, evaluating, and managing security awareness risks. Prior to joining Terranova Security, Theo spent two decades at Canadian National Railway (CN) as the CISO, where he was responsible for the information security and governance strategy. He currently leads the Fortra's Terranova Security Professional Services team, which focuses on implementing and executing security awareness programs to achieve measurable results.
Terranova Security is a valuable addition to Fortra's comprehensive cybersecurity portfolio, which aims to simplify the complex landscape with innovative solutions. Their risk-based campaigns and high-quality training content empower employees to understand critical practices like phishing and compliance. Customized options align with customer goals, strengthening long-term information security. Terranova fosters an inclusive workplace with equal gender representation and encourages diverse voices to drive innovative security awareness training.
Today’s conversation zeros in on the fact that a successful security awareness program should generate a security-aware organizational culture.
In this episode:
- Why should your organization build a Security-Aware Culture?
- How to Spot a Security-Aware Cultural Shift in a Business?
- Why leaders need to understand employee cyber security awareness levels
- Why your organization should be concerned about Third-Party Risk Management
- And much more!
J. Richard Jones returns with a new episode of Vanguard Radio. This week he is speaking with Colonel (Ret’d) Rick Fawcett, Vice President Operations, ADGA Group Consultants Inc. Mr. Fawcett is no stranger to the show. With 34 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces, he transitioned to executive roles in the Defense industry and joined ADGA in September 2020. He held various command and staff positions, served in multiple UN and NATO missions, and received notable honors. After retiring in 2013, he established a private consulting firm and later became the Director of Business Development at General Dynamics Canada, focusing on defense and security markets.
Founded in 1967, ADGA Group Consultants Inc. is a Canadian company specializing in Advanced Technology Solutions. They work closely with clients in Defence, Security, and Public Safety markets to solve complex business problems by designing, building, operating, and maintaining their systems and processes. ADGA is committed to initiatives and policies that contribute to jobs, innovation, and economic growth across Canada. In December 2021, ADGA was acquired by Commissionaires Ottawa, enhancing its capabilities to provide a full spectrum of security solutions.
This week the discussion revolves around industry support to the reconstitution and modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces.
In this episode:
- Why is there such a need for additional support for the CAF?
- What industry can do to support
- What is PMO as a service?
- How can ADGA support?
- And much more!
J. Richard Jones is back with another episode of Vanguard Radio. This week he speaks with Owen Brine, Sales Director Defence (Canada) at Kongsberg Digital. In his role at Kongsberg Digital, Owen draws upon a distinguished 20 years of active naval service; including four NATO deployments conducting operations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Among other Navy roles, he was assigned to National Defence Headquarters where he led the defence Human Systems Integration team in the design of the Combat Management System for the Halifax Class warship.
Kongsberg Digital is the provider of the K-Sim maritime simulation system that enables efficient and realistic training of students and crew, building vital skills that promote safety, cost-efficiency, and sustainability in operations at sea.
Also in this episode:
- What public sector experience does DXC bring to Canada?
- How can DXC help the Government of Canada?
- Turning Data into Insights & Actions
- Managing and protecting data as a strategic asset
- And more!
In this episode of the Vanguard podcast, J. Richard Jones is joined by Simon Carroll, President, Saab Canada, and Jason Howard, Saab CPSP Campaign Director. Simon Carroll leads the Canadian Saab teams in Ottawa, Halifax, Medicine Hat, and Burnaby. A former Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, he has many decades of experience in the defence and naval sectors. Jason Howard has 20 years of experience in the defence industry, where he has held positions in business development, strategy, and marketing and sales. Jason has spent the last 5 years working in Saab's naval division, Saab Kockums, where he has now taken responsibility for the company's Canadian Patrol Submarine Project campaign.
The conversation dives into a range of topics from Saab’s collaborative approach and the importance of future proofing submarines to Saab’s history with Canada and submarine development.
Also in this episode:
- Why are new Submarines important for Canada?
- What is Saab's history with submarine development?
- How has Sweden maintained a successful submarine program?
- What makes Saab's approach to submarine development unique?
- And more!
And to learn more about Saab, visit Saab.ca
Join host, J. Richard Jones, as he talks to Victor Khoo, Chief Engineer, General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada and Alkarim Amlani, Director of Cyber Programs, General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada. Victor’s career has spanned many industries and experiences — from Oil & Gas, SCADA and Telecom to designing cell phones, international airport audio systems, and cryptographic algorithms. He has been with General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada for the past 16 years. Alkarim has over 30 years of engineering and senior leadership experience with both Nortel Networks and General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, having joined the latter in 2002. Alkarim has profit and loss oversight for General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada’s growing Cyber business unit. This responsibility includes the delivery of existing cyber programs to Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) while providing oversight and leadership around various business development and opportunity pursuits related to emerging cyber operations programs in Canada and select international markets.
General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada is one of Canada’s most established defence and security technology companies, delivering solutions and tools that are battlefield proven and have earned the confidence of soldiers and leaders worldwide.
In this episode:
- How the technical challenges of army digitization are progressing
- Land C4ISR Modernization Programs
- key considerations when bringing CAF infrastructure to the cloud
- Making the CAF’s Digital Strategy a reality
- And more!
In the latest episode of Vanguard Weekly, join host J. Richard Jones for the first of an ongoing series that will discuss the topic of training and upskilling using capstones. He is joined by guests Caleb Walker, Chief Strategy Officer for WithYouWithMe and Major General (Retired) Rupert Jones. Caleb is a 20-year combat veteran with a passion for HR and digital transformation as well as cultural change, and a frequent guest of the show. Rupert is a retired senior British Army officer, who served as the Standing Joint Force Commander from November 2018 to July 2021. Together, they tackle the questions of how to measure the returns on staff training and how to determine what value was gained.
Also in this episode:
- What are capstones, how are they used, and how can they help?
- How to determine if someone has the skills you need?
- Mission rehearsal exercise as practical demonstration of skills
- Capstones as inspiration for solving other problems
- Attracting and retaining the right talent
- Driving training to build capability
- Capstones and the need for digital training
- The CV test versus the capstone opportunity
Today, host J. Richard Jones is joined by Rick Fawcett, Vice President, Operations ADGA. Richard is retired Colonel who served 34 years in the Canadian Armed Forces before taking on executive roles in the defence industry and joining the ADGA team in September 2020. Founded in 1967, ADGA Group Consultants Inc. is a privately owned and operated Canadian company specializing in Advanced Technology Solutions. In December 2021, ADGA was acquired by Commissionaires Ottawa, converging its capabilities with allied companies to provide a one-stop, full spectrum of cyber, electronic, and physical security solutions. ADGA is also committed to initiatives and policies that contribute to jobs, innovation, and economic growth across Canada. Vanguard asks Rick to explain what and how ADGA delivers for Canada.
Also in this episode:
- What is ADGA's social mandate?
- Why is the social mandate important to ADGA and how did it come about?
- What differentiates ADGA from other companies?
- How does the social mandate help ADGA when it comes to contracts, both present and future?
- What does ADGA do for veterans?
- What should veterans and people leaving the military know about ADGA?
How can digitization be used to provide a tactical edge? That’s the question we answer in the latest episode of the Vanguard Podcast. Host J. Richard Jones sits down with Rick Bowes, Vice-President Digitization & Counter-Threat Products, KWESST Inc. to discuss C4ISR and first contact. Rick had a distinguished career as a senior officer in the Canadian Army, retiring in 2003 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He is a graduate of Royal Military College of Canada and served in various operational and staff roles in the Canadian military and on secondment to the British Army. Since retiring from the military, Rick has held various senior roles with defence contractors such as General Dynamics Canada, DRS Technologies Canada (now Leonardo DRS), ATCO Frontec, and ADGA Group Inc. KWESST develops and commercializes proprietary next-generation technologies that deliver a tactical advantage for military, security forces, and personal defence.
In this episode:
- What are the key challenges affecting Land C4ISR development today?
- What is KWESST doing differently?
- What does modularity and flexibility mean for KWESST?
- What were the lessons learned for KWESST in developing a dynamic fires capability for the US Marins Corps?
- What does the Internet of Things mean for the battlefield?
- How does KWESST evolve its C4ISR offerings into the Public Safety and Critical Incident Management market?
- And more!
Welcome back to a brand-new episode of Vanguard radio with host J. Richard Jones. In this episode we speak about simulation training with two very special guests who come at the topic from two different areas. Anita Pawluk is the President of RaceRocks 3D and Cathy Press is the CEO of Chinook Helicopters. Since co-founding RaceRocks in 2010 Anita has led the company to be recognized as a leading high-tech firm delivering Technology Enabled Learning (TEL) and digital training solutions to the defence and aerospace industries. Cathy is the first female helicopter flight instructor in Canada, and she has grown the family business from two helicopters to an internationally recognized flight school. Both women are very accomplished entrepreneurs who are highly involved in their communities. In the discussion, the three explore what is currently available in terms of simulation training technology, its accessibility, and what the present challenges are in the field. They also discuss what the future holds and what benefits are on the near horizon.
Also in this episode:
- What are the benefits of immersive simulation training technologies for learners?
- What are the benefits for organizations?
- How is simulation training being used today?
- What is the cost?
- Where is the future of simulation training taking us? Will it get better? Will it become the norm?
- Why should organizations make the investment?
- And much more!
Welcome back to a brand-new episode of Vanguard radio with host J. Richard Jones. In this episode we speak about simulation training with two very special guests who come at the topic from two different areas. Anita Pawluk is the President of RaceRocks 3D and Cathy Press is the CEO of Chinook Helicopters. Since co-founding RaceRocks in 2010 Anita has led the company to be recognized as a leading high-tech firm delivering Technology Enabled Learning (TEL) and digital training solutions to the defence and aerospace industries. Cathy is the first female helicopter flight instructor in Canada, and she has grown the family business from two helicopters to an internationally recognized flight school. Both women are very accomplished entrepreneurs who are highly involved in their communities. In the discussion, the three explore what is currently available in terms of simulation training technology, its accessibility, and what the present challenges are in the field. They also discuss what the future holds and what benefits are on the near horizon.
Also in this episode:
- What are the benefits of immersive simulation training technologies for learners?
- What are the benefits for organizations?
- How is simulation training being used today?
- What is the cost?
- Where is the future of simulation training taking us? Will it get better? Will it become the norm?
- Why should organizations make the investment?
- And much more!
Recently the Chief of the Defence Staff issued a direction to begin the reconstitution of the CAF. This undertaking is being implemented on a large scale and is now considered a critical priority. Joining the discussion is Caleb Walker, Chief Strategy Officer from WithYouWithMe. Tune in as they discuss key factors such as modernization, growth, and retention strategies.
In this episode:
- Retention – Attracting the best and keeping the best
- Growth – how to grow your staff
- Modernization – the technology and application required
- And so much more.
In this edition of Vanguard Weekly, J. Richard Jones chats about citizen development and how technology applications are enabling scalable solutions to help citizens. Joining the show are special guests Brian Macdonald, Executive Director with Aman Lara and Caleb Walker, SVP Global Pursuits at WithYouWithMe.
Aman Lara is a not for profit group of former veterans and volunteers helping "good people get out of bad places." They have had tremendous results, first in Afghanistan and now in Ukraine. Tune in to learn about the unique collaboration between WithYouWithMe and Aman Lara. We also explore the special app that has been developed to provide greater accessibility in helping extract people from dangerous places, all the way from the tracking and processing through to the final immigration stage.
In this episode:
- The collaboration between Aman Lara and WithYouWithMe
- The technology app and how it works while working with small budgets
- Making the complex simple - getting through the process and bureaucracy
- The challenges of working with technology and people
- And so much more
In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones is joined by Duncan McSporran, Chief Operations Officer & VP Defence and Public Sector, Kognitiv Spark. Mr. McSporran is a former military officer with a background in applied remote sensing, cartography, and GIS. He is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Oxford Brookes University. In 2016, he helped to set up Kognitiv Spark which has grown into a global leader in the field of Augmented and Mixed Reality. His conversation with J. Richard Jones provides a brief over of Mixed Reality and its role in future deployments.
Also in this episode:
- Learn the difference between Mixed Reality and Virtual Reality
- Why this distinction is important
- What is RemoteSpark?
- How Mixed Reality is being implemented by defence clients
- How secure is Mixed Reality technology?
- How will the use of Mixed Reality evolve over the next 5 to 10 years?
In this episode of Vanguard Weekly, J. Richard Jones catches up with Chief Strategy Officer, Caleb Walker from WithYouWithMe (WYWM). The topic of discussion is a new digital software factory for the Canadian Armed Forces by the WYWM team and how this new project will assist in driving digital solutions and innovation that remove silos and help increase connectivity across the enterprise.
Canada joins other allies who are embracing digital solutions to help streamline processes across the enterprise to help realize efficiencies when it comes to supporting defence teams. Do you have an idea on how to improve processes? Looking to participate in a design sprint?
Tune in to find out how you can submit your ideas to the software factory.
Join J. Richard Jones for the latest episode of Vanguard Radio as he dives into the weighty topic of digitization with Victor Khoo, Chief Engineer, General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada and Infantry Officer Austin Douglas (Ret’d), Capture Manager, General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada. Army digitization presents many serious technical challenges and today’s conversation revolves around how TNaaS can solve these for the Canadian Armed Forces.
In this episode:
- Digitization conversion vs. digitization transformation
- Faster, better, stronger with technology
- Embracing technology and reducing complexity
- Digitization of land, sea, and air domains
- Data Consolidation, Data Distribution, and Data Contextualization
- Is the US also aligned with the TNaaS concept?
- C4ISR is the Tactical Communications Modernization Project
- Need for common system engineering
- And so much more…
Join J. Richard Jones for another informative episode of Vanguard Radio. In this episode he speaks with Joseph McBrearty, President and CEO, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. CNL is Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, and a world leader in developing nuclear technology for peaceful and innovative applications. With their unique expertise, they are restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technology, and making medical breakthroughs that improve the health of people around the world.
In this episode:
- Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and CNL’s role
- Challenges to the adoption of nuclear technology
- Nuclear technology misconceptions debunked
- Preparing for climate change impact
- Steps to Canada’s climate change and energy security ambitions
- And more!
Join J. Richard Jones for another informative episode of Vanguard Radio. In this episode he speaks with Joseph McBrearty, President and CEO, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. CNL is Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, and a world leader in developing nuclear technology for peaceful and innovative applications. With their unique expertise, they are restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technology, and making medical breakthroughs that improve the health of people around the world.
In this episode:
- Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and CNL’s role
- Challenges to the adoption of nuclear technology
- Nuclear technology misconceptions debunked
- Preparing for climate change impact
- Steps to Canada’s climate change and energy security ambitions
- And more!
Welcome to the concluding episode of our 5-part Digital Natives and Modern Military podcast series. Host, J. Richard Jones wraps up his exciting and enlightening discussion with very special guests General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe. In the final episode they explore the large and important topic of how to retain digital natives and how to retrain them as necessary.
In this episode:
- Convincing the gatekeepers
- Implementing and supporting retention methods
- Defining career paths and training programs
- Providing diversity of movement
- Performance management
- Mentoring and support networks
- And much more!
Welcome back to episode 4 of the Digital Natives and Modern Military podcast series. Joining J. Richard Jones once more are special guests, General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe. In this episode we explore how the militaries across the five eyes can look to innovation and in particular new engagement channels as a part of the fight to bring digital natives into their ranks.
In this episode:
- Defence is foreign for digital natives
- Spectrum engagement
- The need to build innovation hubs within defence
- And more!
In this episode of Vanguard radio, J. Richard Jones talks about Team SkyGuardian Canada, a collection of companies focused on delivering the most advanced long-range, long-endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Canada by taking GA-ASI’s industry-leading RPA – the MQ-9B SkyGuardian – and adding the extraordinary technologies of three established Canadian companies: CAE Canada, L3Harris Technologies’ Canadian subsidiary WESCAM, and MDA. Tune in as J. Richard and special guests: Michel Lalumiere, Director of International Strategic Development-Canada for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc, France Hébert, Vice President and General Manager, Defence & Security (D&S) for CAE Canada, Cameron McKenzie, Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development, for the Wescam Inc., Dr. Minda Suchan, Vice President of GeoIntelligence at MDA, discuss the Team SkyGuardian partnership and how it unites Canadian capabilities with a leading RPA platform.
In this episode:
- The RPA platform for long-term jobs across aerospace, defence and unmanned systems
- Partnerships with Canadian industry leaders ensure Canadian sovereignty and operations by Canada joining the growing global MQ-9B Group of Operators across sustainment and in the development of leading-edge technology
- The commitment to Canada by providing an interoperable solution – an interoperable system of systems – to meet Canada’s strategic vision and primary missions in Strong, Secure and Engaged in addition to its Industrial Technological Benefits Policy Requirements
- And so much more!
In this episode of Vanguard radio, J. Richard Jones talks about Team SkyGuardian Canada, a collection of companies focused on delivering the most advanced long-range, long-endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Canada by taking GA-ASI’s industry-leading RPA – the MQ-9B SkyGuardian – and adding the extraordinary technologies of three established Canadian companies: CAE Canada, L3Harris Technologies’ Canadian subsidiary WESCAM, and MDA. Tune in as J. Richard and special guests: Michel Lalumiere, Director of International Strategic Development-Canada for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc, France Hébert, Vice President and General Manager, Defence & Security (D&S) for CAE Canada, Cameron McKenzie, Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development, for the Wescam Inc., Dr. Minda Suchan, Vice President of GeoIntelligence at MDA, discuss the Team SkyGuardian partnership and how it unites Canadian capabilities with a leading RPA platform.
In this episode:
- The RPA platform for long-term jobs across aerospace, defence and unmanned systems
- Partnerships with Canadian industry leaders ensure Canadian sovereignty and operations by Canada joining the growing global MQ-9B Group of Operators across sustainment and in the development of leading-edge technology
- The commitment to Canada by providing an interoperable solution – an interoperable system of systems – to meet Canada’s strategic vision and primary missions in Strong, Secure and Engaged in addition to its Industrial Technological Benefits Policy Requirements
- And so much more!
Host, J. Richard Jones, speaks with Paul Guindon, CEO, Commissionaires Ottawa and National Business Management Committee Chair. Commissionaires is one of Canada’s leading security solutions providers and the largest private sector employer of veterans. It is founded on the core military values of dedication, responsibility, and sense of mission. It also employs 22,000+ people from coast to coast to coast.
In this episode:
- Digital fingerprinting
- Infrastructure
- Background checks
- Risk assessment
- And many other areas of security
Join host, J. Richard Jones as he speaks with Chris Pogue, Chief Executive Officer, Thales Canada and Jeff Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, Atreides as they discuss the promise of trust as a catalyst for transformation. It’s been five years the Government of Canada awarded Thales the AJISS (Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship/Joint Support Ship In-Service Support) contract, which includes In-Service Support (ISS), refit, repair, maintenance, and training for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS). This is the largest ISS contract in Canadian history. In the meantime, the need for, and urgency of further accelerating digital transformation has been growing.
In this episode:
- What has changed since the AJISS contract was awarded?
- When and how Thales and Atreides met
- What they have accomplished together
- The promise and potential of collaborative innovation between primes and SMBs
- And much, much more
Welcome back! In episode three of our special 5-part podcast series, J. Richard Jones and special guests, General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe explore the idea of service as it relates to digital natives. Just what are digital natives looking for and how can the military meet that need?
In this episode:
- Meeting the needs of digital natives
- Inspired through service
- Pattern of service or hybrid service - the flexible establishment model
- The digital future of military
- And so much more!
Coming soon:
Episode 4: New Engagement Channels: Incorporating Innovation
Welcome back! In episode three of our special 5-part podcast series, J. Richard Jones and special guests, General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe explore the idea of service as it relates to digital natives. Just what are digital natives looking for and how can the military meet that need?
In this episode:
- Meeting the needs of digital natives
- Inspired through service
- Pattern of service or hybrid service - the flexible establishment model
- The digital future of military
- And so much more!
Coming soon:
Episode 4: New Engagement Channels: Incorporating Innovation
Get the full heads-up display in this episode of Vanguard Radio as J. Richard Jones speaks with Jordan Freed, President and Managing Director for Kongsberg Geospatial and Paige Cutland, Vice-President Sales and Marketing for Kongsberg Geospatial. Based out of Ottawa, Canada, Kongsberg Geospacial is the leading provider of mission-critical real-time mapping, geospatial visualization, and situational awareness solutions for air-traffic control, Command and Control, and air defence.
In this episode:
- Learn what problems Kongsberg is solving for clients
- What kind of applications Kongsberg produces
- Successful use cases of the TerraLens
- The latest updates on their IRIS product
- Latest products in the pipeline
- And so much more!
Pull up a chair for this electrifying episode of Vanguard Radio as J. Richard Jones speaks with Bruce Alexander, President, Raymond EMC about military electromagnetic capability (EMC), emissions security (EMSEC), and TEMPEST technology. Your security is the issue in this conversation about bad actors who could be stealing your data, keystrokes, and video.
Also in this episode:
- Bruce Alexander’s journey in the industry
- What exactly is EMC?
- The four pillars of EMC testing
- What is EMSEC and TEMPEST
- What’s at risk?
- And more!
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, the topic of conversation revolves around satellites and Arctic communications services. Host, J. Richard Jones, interviews Gill Fortin, Director Business Development, Canada, Inmarsat. With experience spanning Customer Service, Operations, Technical Support, Product Management, Account Management, Sales and Business Development, Gill has seen and contributed to the changes that have helped shape the satellite industry as it is today and offers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by those requiring communications services in the Arctic.
In this episode:
- Why are Arctic communications services so vital?
- Who benefits from satellite services in the Arctic?
- How would Arctic satellite services be used in the future?
- What’s the biggest impediment to Arctic satellite service?
- How are world events affecting Arctic interests?
- And more…
Welcome back to episode two of our special 5-part podcast series. Join host, J. Richard Jones and special guests, General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe. In the episode listen in as they examine the challenge facing all militaries across the West around engaging digital natives – with a particular focus on the future fight and the need for militaries to build out their digital armies.
Also in this episode:
- The business of military is changing fast. We need to be prepared, we need to build our armies, and this includes digital armies
- How technology and digital environments are disrupting established ways of operating
- Growing demand for cyber demands a new approach to recruitment
- The number one reason for retirement
- And so much more!
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with James Baker, CEO of Keynote Search, a full-service search and recruitment firm with a unique 12-month success guarantee. Keynote has a particular focus on the aerospace, technology, non-profit, and financial services sectors within Canada. In their discussion, Mr. Baker pinpoints the unique challenges for both employers and employees in the current employment climate. He also touches on the strong competitiveness being seen between employers now and highlights how COVID has impacted employment and the way we think about work, including working hours, incentives, remote work, and equity.
Also in this episode:
- Discover the biggest pressures on the talent sector
- Learn about successful tactics for attracting and retaining talent
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations in the defence industry
- Labour market forecast
- What sets Keynote Search apart from other search firms?
In this episode of Vanguard Weekly, J. Richard Jones welcomes back special guest Caleb Walker, Vice President Defence and Federal, WithYouWithMe. Tune in as they discuss what is a Tech Design Sprint and how you can participate. Government faces common technology challenges as they build their digital strategies. The Design Sprint will have a theme focused on ‘building national resilience’ and provide opportunities for participants to co-design tech solutions to real problems. But its so much more than that!
In this episode:
- Why the Design Sprint and what are the objectives?
- Talking about and working through tech solutions to help with common digital challenges
- The business process, getting started and mapping it out, before the technology
- New ideas and learning from different departments
- Understanding the user experience and how to improve
- Design Sprint, a week of knowledge and exploration
- The Design Sprint and how to participate
Welcome to episode 1 of a special 5-part podcast series. Join host, J. Richard Jones and guests, General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe, as they take a deep and revealing dive into the ongoing process of engaging with and attracting the digital-native generation to the modern military and defence industry. There is a skills crisis unfolding in western armed forces and attracting the hearts and minds of digital natives is the key to winning this talent war.
Also in this episode:
- The digital space
- The lack of digital talent
- The changing character of war
- Attracting digital natives
- Training digital technology Jedi
- The human edge and information dominance
- The role of education
- Adventure, purpose, opportunity, and social impact
- Preparing to fight the future fight
- And even more!
In this episode of CGE Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Derek Dobson, Defence Industry lead, Microsoft Canada and Chris Pogue, CEO, Thales Canada. Defence organizations around the world are embarking on their digital transformation journey. There are challenges but also huge opportunities. How do you succeed? Tune in as we discuss the key drivers for digital transformation in defence, best practices, lessons learned from both defence forces and industry, and the importance of partnership, procurement reform, and culture as transformation enablers.
In this episode:
- How the demands of the battlefield have changed and why digital transformation is vital
- Best practices for management of digital transformation
- How a defence organization can get started with their digital transformation journey
- Why partnership and collaboration are so important in the defence industry
- The future of intelligence on the battlefield
- And much, much more!
In this episode of CGE Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Derek Dobson, Defence Industry lead, Microsoft Canada and Chris Pogue, CEO, Thales Canada. Defence organizations around the world are embarking on their digital transformation journey. There are challenges but also huge opportunities. How do you succeed? Tune in as we discuss the key drivers for digital transformation in defence, best practices, lessons learned from both defence forces and industry, and the importance of partnership, procurement reform, and culture as transformation enablers.
In this episode:
- How the demands of the battlefield have changed and why digital transformation is vital
- Best practices for management of digital transformation
- How a defence organization can get started with their digital transformation journey
- Why partnership and collaboration are so important in the defence industry
- The future of intelligence on the battlefield
- And much, much more!
In this important episode of Vanguard Radio Editor in Chief, Terri Pavelic, discusses the Battle of Vimy Ridge with non-profit leader and public history professional, Caitlin Bailey, Executive Director of both the Canadian Centre for the Great War and the Vimy Foundation. Caitlin is committed to ensuring the longevity of the memory of the Great War in Canadian life and finding new and interesting ways to tell its story. The Vimy Foundation is inspired by the heroic victory of the Canadian Forces at Vimy Ridge and believes that the key to a successful future lies in knowing one’s past. To help spread awareness, particularly in young people, the Foundation works with different partners on many projects and commemorative initiatives, while also creating forward-looking educational program that use history as a tool for building a better future.
In this episode:
- Explore the mission of the Vimy Foundation
- Learn the importance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
- Hear about the “Vimy: A Living Memorial” initiative
- Examine the digital tools and 2.5D technologies involved in creating “Vimy: A Living Memorial”
- And so much more!
In this important episode of Vanguard Radio Editor in Chief, Terri Pavelic, discusses the Battle of Vimy Ridge with non-profit leader and public history professional, Caitlin Bailey, Executive Director of both the Canadian Centre for the Great War and the Vimy Foundation. Caitlin is committed to ensuring the longevity of the memory of the Great War in Canadian life and finding new and interesting ways to tell its story. The Vimy Foundation is inspired by the heroic victory of the Canadian Forces at Vimy Ridge and believes that the key to a successful future lies in knowing one’s past. To help spread awareness, particularly in young people, the Foundation works with different partners on many projects and commemorative initiatives, while also creating forward-looking educational program that use history as a tool for building a better future.
In this episode:
- Explore the mission of the Vimy Foundation
- Learn the importance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
- Hear about the “Vimy: A Living Memorial” initiative
- Examine the digital tools and 2.5D technologies involved in creating “Vimy: A Living Memorial”
- And so much more!
The Digital Divide, Digital Insurgency, and Communications in Modern Warfare
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Major General (Ret) Rupert Jones and Caleb Walker, Country Manager, WithYou,With Me. The conversation delves deep into the need for a digital insurgency to bridge the digital divide in modern militaries while citing real time examples and lessons being observed in the unfolding Russia-Ukraine war. How does the traditional military model of command and control communications stack up against free flowing social media and open source digital data that is readily available and in the hands of common citizens? Can digital communication be harnessed to shape a narrative and build an army that can change the course of a war? Buckle up for this exciting, cutting edge discussion.
In this episode:
- The unseen electronic warfare present in modern conflict
- The 300,000 person IT army of Ukraine
- Are Western armies training their soldiers effectively enough for digital warfare?
- Can Western militaries bridge the digital divide?
- TikTok videos versus tanks
- And so much more!
The Digital Divide, Digital Insurgency, and Communications in Modern Warfare
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Major General (Ret) Rupert Jones and Caleb Walker, Country Manager, WithYou,With Me. The conversation delves deep into the need for a digital insurgency to bridge the digital divide in modern militaries while citing real time examples and lessons being observed in the unfolding Russia-Ukraine war. How does the traditional military model of command and control communications stack up against free flowing social media and open source digital data that is readily available and in the hands of common citizens? Can digital communication be harnessed to shape a narrative and build an army that can change the course of a war? Buckle up for this exciting, cutting edge discussion.
In this episode:
- The unseen electronic warfare present in modern conflict
- The 300,000 person IT army of Ukraine
- Are Western armies training their soldiers effectively enough for digital warfare?
- Can Western militaries bridge the digital divide?
- TikTok videos versus tanks
- And so much more!
In the episode of CGE Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Emma Palmacci PhD - Senior Director, Global Strategy, Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace. Tune is as they talk about industry strategy and global trends. As part of its contribution and commitment to Department of National Defence's MINDS program, Collins Aerospace teamed up with Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, with the support of MITACS, to conduct a 2.5-year long research endeavor on the Impacts of Emerging Technology on Defence Policy. This joint effort supported the professional growth of graduate level interns – the next generation of defence experts – for a period ranging from a few months to the full duration. The project examined key emerging technologies, interoperability, connectivity, C4ISR and connected battlespace capabilities.
In this episode:
- How international customer behaviours have been evolving over the last few years
- What are the main drivers of C4ISR capability development?
- What are the emerging technologies with disruptive impacts?
- What are the lessons learned around the world?
- Why collaboration between industry and government is increasingly important?
- And more!
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones chats with Jana Lee Murray, Program Director for Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training and Miguel Bernard, Chief of Staff of Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training. They discuss the Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training - BLCAT.
Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada are two leading Canadian defence and aerospace organizations that were selected as pre-qualified bidders for Canada's Future Aircrew Training program. In August of last year, they announced they were coming together to create a new entity called Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training to jointly develop a best-in-class solution for Canada's Future Aircrew Training program.
In this episode:
- The Future Aircrew Training program (FAcT) and its future
- Why the new partnership between Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada?
- How the Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training team is working with the communities that are touched by the current FAcT program?
- How is the Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training team planning to invest in and deliver economic value for Canada?
- And so much more!
In this episode, J. Richard Jones speaks with Vanguard Media's own, editor-in-chief, Terri Pavelic about the most recent ShipTech Forum that took place. The great success, findings and what to look forward to in the future. He also speaks with Caleb Walker, VP Defence and Government from WYWM about the future of digital education.
In this episode:
- 2022 ShipTech Forum - the keynotes, presentations and panels
- Technology advancements
- The future of digital school:
- Potential over experience
- Benefits compared to traditional school
- Opportunities
- And more!
In this episode, J. Richard Jones speaks with Vanguard Media's own, editor-in-chief, Terri Pavelic about the most recent ShipTech Forum that took place. The great success, findings and what to look forward to in the future. He also speaks with Caleb Walker, VP Defence and Government from WYWM about the future of digital education.
In this episode:
- 2022 ShipTech Forum - the keynotes, presentations and panels
- Technology advancements
- The future of digital school:
- Potential over experience
- Benefits compared to traditional school
- Opportunities
- And more!
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones speaks with Lorraine Ben, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Canada and Glenn Copeland, Director, Business Development Lockheed Martin Canada RMS. The topic of discussion for this episode is the economic impact of the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program on Canada, both immediate and especially long-term. Listen in to learn more.
Episode topics:
- What does the CSC program bring to the employment table for Canadians?
- How does Lockheed Martin Canada know the CSC will be effective?
- How will the program deliver the requirements of the Royal Canadian Navy in the near and far future?
- How far reaching is the CSC program?
- And more…
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones meets with Chip Downing, Senior Market Development Director of Aerospace and Defense at Real-Time Innovations (RTI). The topic of discussion is How Next-Generation, Data-Centric Networks Support Pan-Domain Operations. Listen in, to learn more
Episode topics:
- What is data-centric networks and how it will benefit the military and industry system integrators?
- How data-centric networks help the military to achieve interoperability?
- JADC2 its relevance to the US military, what it is trying to achieve, and the progress being made?
- DND’s move toward pan-domain operation capability and the fundamentals needed to move in this direction?
- And more…
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones meets with Chip Downing, Senior Market Development Director of Aerospace and Defense at Real-Time Innovations (RTI). The topic of discussion is How Next-Generation, Data-Centric Networks Support Pan-Domain Operations. Listen in, to learn more
Episode topics:
- What is data-centric networks and how it will benefit the military and industry system integrators?
- How data-centric networks help the military to achieve interoperability?
- JADC2 its relevance to the US military, what it is trying to achieve, and the progress being made?
- DND’s move toward pan-domain operation capability and the fundamentals needed to move in this direction?
- And more…
Tune in to the Vanguard weekly podcast to hear valuable insights and opinion about the Canadian defence industry. Produced by leading industry publisher Vanguard Media, each episode focuses on leadership, trends, and relevant topics from industry. Key themes include C4ISR, ShipTech, technology, cyber and a wide variety of additional industry updates and events. Regular show contributors include Terri Pavelic, editor-in-chief of Vanguard Media, Caleb Walker, Country Manager, WYWM, special guests from industry and so much more! Listen in, to hear about what’s going on within the Canadian Defence Industry.
Episode 4:
- NORAD modernization - next steps
- Joint, all domain, command, and control – data driving decision making
- ShipTech 2022 update – the speakers and agenda
- WiDS – the awards and why this is such an important event to attend
- Availability vs. readiness – the football analogy
- Digital insurgency – a use case
To submit topics and ideas, write to us at: editorialteam@promotivemedia.ca
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In this episode J. Richard Jones and special weekly guests Terri Pavelic, editor-in-chief, Vanguard Media and Caleb Walker, Country Manager, WYWM provide updates, opinion, and perspectives.
Episode 3:
- C4ISR 2022, reviewing a fantastic event. The speakers, a summary of key topics, best practices, lessons learned, progress in the digital arena
- ShipTech 2022, a sneak peak, the speakers, themes for this year. How to take advantage of early bird registrations
- Rethinking how Government solves problems
- Automating process to save labor hours
And more!
Recently launched Vanguard weekly, discusses news insights and opinions for the Canadian defence industry. Tune in as show host J. Richard Jones chats with Vanguard media's editor-in-chief Terri Pavelic on a weekly basis to provide updates and opinion as well as speaking with special guests about industry, events and so much more.
Episode 2. In this episode:
- C4ISR 2002, the event, the speakers and why this event is so important this year
- WiDS event update
- What is a game changer
- Interview with Caleb Walker, country manager WYWM. Leveraging military reservists
- Congratulate a game changer. An interview with Robert Osbourn, Chief Technology Officer, Global Governments at ServiceNow
Recently launched Vanguard weekly, discusses news insights and opinions for the Canadian defence industry. Tune in as show host J. Richard Jones chats with Vanguard media's editor-in-chief Terri Pavelic on a weekly basis to provide updates and opinion as well as speaking with special guests about industry, events and so much more.
Episode 2. In this episode:
- C4ISR 2002, the event, the speakers and why this event is so important this year
- WiDS event update
- What is a game changer
- Interview with Caleb Walker, country manager WYWM. Leveraging military reservists
- Congratulate a game changer. An interview with Robert Osbourn, Chief Technology Officer, Global Governments at ServiceNow
Vanguard Weekly is a weekly podcast produced by the publishers of Vanguard media. Segments include Insights, news and opinion for the Canadian Defence Industry. Vanguard is Canada's leading media source for magazines, events, podcasts and more!
In the episode of Vanguard, J. Richard Jones interviews Rick Fawcett, OMM, CD- Executive Vice-President, Defence and Terri Pavelic, Editor-In-Chief, Vanguard Media. Topics discussed include the challenges associated with digital transformation, what can be learned, the role that industry plays with CAF’s digital transformation and the next steps for the CAF?
Plus, special “Bonus Show Notes,” which include behind the scenes audio as well as questions and answers not included with the show.
In this episode, Vanguard Radio speaks with Jim Landon, President, ATCO Frontec, and Harry Flaherty, President and CEO, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and Chair, Nasittuq Corporation to discuss Government projects like NORAD Modernization and the North Warning System. As well, we explore the need to have Inuit Ownership and participation for projects happening in Indigenous territory. Tune in and learn more about why Nasittuc was developed, its successful partnerships, lessons learned, how NORAD Modernization will modernize the North, and much more!
Canada is considering qualified suppliers for the Future Aircrew Training Program (FAcT) – a generational training and in-service support program for the Royal Canadian Air Force. One of those suppliers is a Canadian-based solution called SkyAlyne – a partnership between CAE and KF Aerospace, two Canadian aviation and defence leaders. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we will hear from two members of the SkyAlyne team. Joining us is Abir Kazan, capture manager for SkyAlyne, serving as the company’s main point of contact with the Government of Canada and guiding a diverse team of experts through the process of creating SkyAlyne’s solution for FAcT. Abir has more than 20 years of experience navigating complex defence proposals and contracts for CAE.
The other guest is Peter Fedak. Peter spent 25 years as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Peter was helicopter pilot with the RCAF, serving in Haiti and Afghanistan, and a Qualified Flying Instructor of the highest order, posted in various locations including Fort Rucker, Alabama, and as the Commandant of 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School at Southport, MB. Following his retirement from the RCAF, Peter became the Site Manager for the contractor at Southport – KF Aerospace – a position he holds today.
Our guests will talk about their solution for this major government/military procurement, the benefits for Canada including jobs, Indigenous communities and as a home-grown innovation driver. They will touch on incumbency, in-service support and lasting community relationships.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we will talk about a major problem that affects naval vessels - that problem is corrosion. How can we detect and assess corrosion behind surface coatings such as paint, insulation, tiles, and seamless decking onboard Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) platforms in order to reduce corrosion’s operational impact and improve the effectiveness of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance?
To tell us more is Tom Hughes, Sandbox and Test Drive Manager for IDEaS (Innovation for Defence, Excellence and Security).
Recently, Gastops was selected by the Department of National Defence to contribute to the “All Systems Go!” Challenge, an initiative of the Government of Canada’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program. The objective of the challenge is to drive innovation in predicting and optimizing maintenance for military platforms through Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) that will support the transition from schedule-based maintenance to Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM), and ultimately, to a truly predictive maintenance regime that will optimize the use of limited maintenance resources while increasing the operational platform availability. To speak more about this announcement and give us an overview of Gastops is Brennan West, Director of Gastops Defence & Aftermarket Business Unit. Brennan has 10 years of experience in the application of reliability centered maintenance to military aircraft. His experience in RCM has helped to contribute to the development of Gastops products and services to meet the most demanding military and commercial aircraft condition monitoring requirements. If you'd like to connect with Brennan, he will be attending DEFSEC 2021 from Oct. 5-7th and the Canadian Defence Marketplace on Nov. 4th. About Gastops Gastops is the world’s leading provider of intelligent condition monitoring solutions used in Aerospace, Defence, Energy, and Industrial applications to optimize the availability, performance, and safety of critical assets. We offer peace of mind to our customers with innovative online monitoring sensors, at-line analysis, complex modeling and simulation, world class laboratory testing, engineering, design, and MRO services that predict performance to enable proactive operating decisions. Gastops has been providing powerful insights into the condition of critical equipment since 1979. www.gastops.com
Over a hundred years ago, The Boeing Company became a key partner in the Canadian aerospace industry. Since that time, Boeing has grown to become a leader in the Canadian aerospace industry with 12 locations across the country supporting Boeing’s commercial and defence industries.
As our listeners would know, Boeing is one of the contenders for the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP), in which the Government of Canada is looking to acquire 88 advanced fighter jets to provide the capability the Canadian Armed Forces needs to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and meet its international obligations. This is the most significant investment for the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. You can learn more about Boeing's offering for the FFCP here
We've been dealing with Covid now for over a year and a half, and a lot has changed during this time. Work as we know it has been disrupted. Today, many are still working from home, some companies are looking to bring employees back to the office, while some are considering a hybrid approach.
In this episode, host J. Richard Jones spoke with one executive and how they have managed during the pandemic and what their take on the future of work is going to be like. Jean-Claude Siew is Vice President, Technology & Simulation at Bluedrop Training & Simulation. Bluedrop is a small-medium-sized enterprise offering 100 per cent Canadian solutions. It designs, develops, and integrates advanced training solutions including simulation products, and highly interactive courseware. Bluedrop provides blended training solutions from classroom learning to simulated virtual environments aimed at improving safety, productivity, and efficiency to meet the demands of today’s modern armed forces. You can visit their website at https://www.bluedropts.com/ Jean-Claude brings profound domain knowledge of training and simulation and management leadership. He is focused on growing BTSI by bringing technology leadership and by further developing the products and services business working closely with large Aerospace and Defence OEMs.
Babcock Canada, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, and BMT, have been working together for over 12 years with the Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Scott, the FMF Cape Breton, the Department of National Defence, and Public Services and Procurement Canada to maintain, refit, and upgrade Canada’s Victoria-Class Submarines.
These three companies are a part of what is called the ‘Team Victoria-Class’. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we have the privilege to hear from three distinguished executives from these three companies.
Anthony March - Anthony is the Vice President Engineering Service at Babcock Canada. He worked previously with the Canadian Armed Forces where he served as the Marine Systems Engineering Officer in HMC Submarines Victoria, Windsor, and Corner Brook.
Tony Winter. Tony is Vice President, Project Delivery, Victoria Shipyards (Seaspan). He also has a military background, serving with the Royal Australian Navy before taking up his current role with Seaspan.
Keith Cunnane. Keith is Vice President, Operations for BMT in Canada. He served in the UK’s Royal Navy for over 20 years on several attack submarines that were deployed on operations around the world.
Hear more about on how the Team Victoria-Class started, submarine sustainment, the supplier network, the benefits to Canada and the future of Team Victoria-Class.
In this episode, hear about the increasing value of data for defence and the impact of digital transformation in response to the pandemic.
Through digital transformation and innovation, Microsoft is empowering government organizations to achieve more as they engage with citizens, empower employees, optimize operations and reinvent government services and business models.
The Government of Canada has tasked EY and WithYouWithMe, a company that helps jobseekers get tech jobs without having to invest years and money into training, to support Canada’s internal cyber capability, through its Cyber Workforce Enablement Program (CWEP).
As part of this, WithYouWithMe is providing Canadian Military Veterans with free transition, including training and support to start a career in technology, post military service. The program will validate the demand for Canadian military members to start technology careers and to roll them into government tech roles.
On the show today, hear from Caleb Walker who served 20 years in the Canadian Army, including three tours to Afghanistan. As a Task Force Commander, he received a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation. While deployed in Kandahar, he saw first-hand the potential of the Canadian veteran and their ability to operate and adapt to complex environments. After retiring from the Canadian Army, Caleb joined WithYouWithMe as the Country Manager and is seeking to solve underemployment across Canada for marginalized communities.
WithYouWithMe has a supply arrangement with Shared Services Canada to deliver technology talent from the veteran and military spouse communities. This summer WithYouWithMe will train 1,000 Indigenous people for free so that they can join this journey.
Hear more about the Cyber Workforce Enablement Program and how WithYouWithMe is working with Canada on this, Canada's digital talent accessibility problem, the government's skill gap, why does government talent need to be agile and skills over controls.
The need for body worn cameras to be widely adopted emerged as a major topic in law enforcement, security and other sectors in 2020 and continues to be a trending discussion in 2021. Body worn cameras act as an unbiased witness to any incident, can act as a deterrent to unwanted behaviour and can be used as an effective training tool. But what are the implications of using body worn cameras? Can using body worn cameras truly make a difference?
In the show today, we will hear from John Merlino, Segment Development Manager, Government at Axis Communications, Inc. about this topic of body worn cameras.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, hear about the Comply-to-Connect program that is currently being used by the Department of Defense (DoD) and how it compares to what Canada's DND is using. J. Richard Jones talks with Colonel Dean G Hullings, who retired from the United States Air Force after over two decades of service and now works as a Global Defense Solutions Strategist for Forescout Technologies, about this program.
Dean leverages his extensive knowledge and 30 years of experience in information technology and in the U.S. Air Force to guide and grow Forescout’s engagements within the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Dean’s unique insights and strategic counsel enable Forescout’s defense team to successfully navigate key decision chains inside the DOD, resulting in customer success through enterprise deployments. He also assists Forescout’s global public sector engagement efforts in part by educating customers on best practices gleaned through Forescout’s extensive participation in U.S. government programs.
Prior to joining Forescout, Dean served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force as a communications and cyber officer, serving in various leadership positions for Air Force and Joint Commands.
Learn about what the Comply-to-Connect program all about, DISA’s (Defense Information Systems Agency) main goals in implementing the Comply-to-Connect program, how Comply-to-Connect differs from other DISA and DND-provided enterprise programs, how will Comply-to-Connect make existing tools more effective and support the automation of routine processes, the kind of training opportunities that will be provided for this program, especially during the current environment due to COVID-19 and why is now the right time for DND to take on such a large project and how will this benefit the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with MK Palmore, VP, Field CSO (Americas) for Palo Alto Networks about accelerating digital transformation with the use of cloud and security solutions.
MK is responsible for supporting initiatives headed up by the office of the global Chief Security Officer and to provide thought leadership in the cybersecurity arena through both writing and speaking engagements. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, MK served as the Head of the Cyber Security Branch for the FBI, San Francisco capping a career of public service spanning 32-years. His leadership and investigative experiences while in the FBI included: Cybersecurity, Crisis Response/Management, Risk-Management Advisory Services, and Counter-Terrorism Investigations. MK began his professional career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Palo Alto Networks has been instrumental in helping governments around the world accelerate their digital transformation initiatives. Hear about some examples of how their company is helping to accelerate digital transformation, the takedown of an international bad actor through collaborative efforts by the FBI, the RCMP, and Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, their recent commitment to the Canadian Federal Government to invest in Canada to address data residency and privacy needs, and how Palo Alto is helping governments worldwide.
To learn more about security in the cloud for federal organizations, download two free whitepapers from Palo Alto Networks.
In this podcast, J. Richard Jones talks with Jason Reid, Director of International Maritime Programs for Serco Canada Marine.
Hear more about the giant steps that Serco is taking in the maritime domain. As most listeners will know, Serco has had a significant and stable presence in Canada for several decades with a focus in the air domain. Last August, the company acquired Alion Canada, as part of a broader acquisition of Alion Science and Technology’s Naval Systems Business Unit. This acquisition has dramatically expanded Serco’s potential for growth in the maritime defence market – especially given Serco’s global bench strength in the design, build, operation and maintenance of ships.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Col Richard Fawcett (Ret’d) about the concept of Brigade as a Platform, and where the Canadian Army is headed with the modernizing of its C4ISR capability. What are some of the risks and how they can mitigate them?
Rick served 34 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and is now Director of Strategy and Customer Engagement, Land and Joint Solutions at General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada, with a focus on supporting the Canadian Army’s Land Command Support System.
During his military career, he served in a variety of command and staff appointments, locally in Canada and also internationally with both NATO and the United Nations. After a long and successful career with the Canadian Armed Forces, Rick retired in January 2013. A year later, he joined General Dynamics as the Director of Business Development focusing on Canadian land and joint markets. His responsibilities today are primarily on the Canadian Army, engaging with the customer in support of both current and future programs. He also supports international opportunities with customer engagement.
Hear about the origin of Brigade as a Platform concept, why it is being introduced now, where the Canadian Army is with its C4ISR solutions, a look at the future, and the modernizing of the Army’s C4ISR capabilities, risks and how could they mitigate them and how General Dynamics is approaching future programs.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Valarie Findlay, Research Fellow, National Police Foundation, American Society for Evidence-Based Policing about the controversial topic of Canada's gun legislation.
Mass shootings are becoming more rampant. Many blame guns as the cause while others believe that it's not about guns but there are other factors at play. Would implementing gun laws solve the deadly issue of mass shootings? What are the impacts of the new gun legislation, how does it affect hunters, our rights, and will it actually work?
To get a copy of Valarie’s presentation on Gun-Involved Crime and Violence: Technology, Evidenced-Based and Sociological Considerations delivered at DCJS Gun-Involved Violence Elimination Symposium, Albany, NY in Oct 15-16, 2018, go (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328563031_Gun-Involved_Crime_and_Violence_Technology_Evidenced-Based_and_Sociological_Considerations_Presented_at_DCJS_Gun-Involved_Violence_Elimination_Symposium_Albany_NY_Oct_15-16_2018) or you can view it on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw7v8o-bhW0.
You can connect with Valarie on Twitter @janemoneypenny.
Situational awareness is an integral part of C4ISR. It plays a huge part in operations for airborne, land-based, and maritime platforms.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Carl Daniels, Chief Operating Officer of CarteNav. Hear more about a software that enhances situational awareness by processing and managing imagery and data from a variety of sensors and some of the trends in C4ISR.
Also, Carl delves into what CarteNav is doing in the C4ISR space, their acquisition by PAL Aerospace, their involvement in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) contract, and some of the Canadian programs CarteNav looking at.
COVID-19 is affecting all facets of society today and life as we know it. This pandemic is creating havoc around the world and is being used by threat actors to perpetrate grey zone actions and to infiltrate security vulnerabilities.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Valarie Findlay, American Society for Evidenced-Based Policing member and a research fellow for the Police Foundation (USA). Valarie has two decades of senior-level expertise in cybersecurity and policing initiatives. She has worked extensively on federal cyber initiatives and is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police eCrimes Cyber Council and AFCEA DC. She has a Masters in Sociology and a Masters in Terrorism Studies with her dissertation addressing the impacts of terrorism on law enforcement in Western Nations.
In a time of crisis, there are a number of areas of potential exposure for malicious threats and non-malicious threats. The latter is more a part of a pandemic. Learn more about how one aspect is affecting other aspects of society, resulting in a broader state of vulnerability.
Hear about grey zone actions that can create vulnerabilities for a nation to be attacked and who it can be used to erode a nation's democracy. These are covert and often hard to detect actions. But how we respond to them is important in maintaining a democracy and the overall stability of a nation. When a country is in a state of crisis or vulnerability like the COVID-19 pandemic, it leaves that nation more susceptible to grey zone actions. The question at that point is, does that nation have the ability to handle additional threats in a state of crisis?
Valarie talks about Prevention, Detection, Response and Recovery strategies and how these can help in a crisis, the inconsistency of messages across social media, how governments need to have a consistent message for the social wellbeing of citizens and result of misinformation as a grey zone action that results in destabilization and phycological impact on people.
There is increased awareness of the secondary impact trauma has on children, especially those with a parent diagnosed with Operational Stress Injuries (such as PTSD) from service-related experiences. While several treatment programs have been designed for caregivers, limited programs exist that support children/youth through the stressors connected to parental Operational Stress Injuries.
Today, joining us to talk about a program for kids who face this type of trauma is Dr. Helena Hawryluk.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we continue our series of supporting ill and injured Veterans, First Responders and their families.
Hear from Dr. Megan McElheran, a Clinical Psychologist with WGM Psychological Services in Calgary, AB. She completed her graduate training at the Stanford University clinical psychology consortium, during which she obtained specialized training in the treatment of PTSD through the National Center for PTSD in Menlo Park, CA. Dr. McElheran has been in practice in Calgary since 2008.
She also continues to focus her work with first responders, and her clinical practice involves work with active-duty members of the Canadian Forces, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, members of the Calgary Firefighter Department, medical personnel and others who are directly or vicariously impacted by traumatic events. She routinely engages in teaching and supervisory activity to ensure sound dissemination of empirically-grounded interventions for trauma.
She also works closely with Wounded Warriors Canada on their Before Operational Stress (BOS) program. BOS has been designed to provide Military, Police, Fire, Paramedic and Corrections officials with theoretical, practical and experiential learning to enhance their resilience and mental health as they continue to operate within their public service positions.
Hear more about this program, how you can participate in it, where and when the program is delivered and how it aligns with other services of Wounded Warriors Canada.
To support this program, sign up for Vanguard magazine. We have a partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada where a portion of all subscriptions is donated to help them with their various programs.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we continue our series on veterans and some of the challenges they face. In our last episode, J. Richard Jones spoke with LCol Chris Linford (Ret'd) about his journey with PTSD.
Today, we have joining us is Capt Phil Ralph (Ret'd) to talk about an Animal Assisted Therapy program that is helping injured and ill veterans and first responders. Phil currently serves as the National Program Director of Wounded Warriors Canada and has served in various capacities with the charity since its founding in 2006, including serving as Chair for two years. As Program Director he oversees the implementation of a robust and exciting slate of transformative programming benefiting Veterans, First Responders and their Families.
For over a quarter-century until releasing from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2016, Phil served our nation as the Regimental Chaplain to the 32 Combat Engineer Regiment (formally 2nd Field Engineer Regiment) in Toronto. In that capacity, he was exposed to the challenges and needs of today’s veterans.
Having seen firsthand the effects of deployments on our Veterans, he has a passion to contribute to assisting today’s Veterans towards wholeness and healing. As the son of a Firefighter whose families service extends back into the 1800’s, he has also witnessed first-hand the challenges that face first responders and their families as well.
Hear more about some of the highlights of his career in the Canadian Armed Forces, his current work as Director Health Services at Wounded Warriors Canada, and the Wounded Warriors' Animal Assisted Therapy program. Learn more about how this program is helping Veterans and First Responders and how you can participate.
Vanguard has an active program in place where we are partnering with Wounded Warriors to spread the news of what Wounded Warriors is doing and also supporting financially through our subscription program. For each subscription to Vanguard magazine, we are donating a portion of it to Wounded Warriors so that Veterans, First Responders, and their families can benefit from programs like Animal Assisted Therapy.
To support, subscribe to Vanguard magazine by going to vanguardcanada.com/subscription.
As a family-owned Canadian business, Thordon Bearings Inc. has made a mark on the international scene by designing and manufacturing non-polluting bearing systems in the marine and clean power generation industries. The 100-year old company has an international network of agents, distributors and regional sales representatives in 90 countries, its stellar marketing support providing high performance, oil and grease-free bearing systems, seals and other shaft line products.
Thordon Bearings Inc. is a true Canadian success story. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with George A. ‘Sandy’ Thomson, Innovator at Thordon Bearings Inc.
Serge Carignan, Superintendent, Quality Engineering Test Establishment at the Department of National Defence will be speaking at ShipTech Forum 2020. In this episode of Vanguard, Serge shares some of the highlights of what he will be speaking, his experience and his role at DND.
Serge joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1979 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1984. After completing initial training in Borden, he served in various maintenance organizations in Canada and Germany. He was also the Commanding Officer of 5 Service Battalion and deployed to Afghanistan in 2004. Serge Carignan has been the Superintendent of the Quality Engineering Test Establishment since 2012, responsible for failure investigations, and specialized test and evaluation for the Canadian Armed Forces.
Vanguard's ShipTech Forum will take place on Feb 25 at The Westin in Ottawa. As a one-day conference, ShipTech brings together members of industry, government, and military to share knowledge and lessons learned from a technological perspective to showcase successful investments in cutting-edge technologies for the shipbuilding and marine industries.
To learn more about ShipTech Forum 2020, visit vanguardcanada.com/shiptech2020. We have a few seats remaining, register today to hear more from Serge Carignan and other speakers.
As Canada continues to ramp up for the execution of the Future Aircrew Training program (FAcT), the shortlist of qualified suppliers is getting ready for the release of the RFP. One such supplier is Lockheed Martin Canada.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Amy Gowder, Vice President and General Manager for Lockheed Martin’s Training and Logistics Solutions line of business within the Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) business area about their capabilities and what they can offer to Canada if selected for FAcT.
In her current role, Amy is responsible for the execution and strategic growth of Lockheed Martin’s mission readiness and sustainment programs with more than 5,400 employees around the globe. Before joining RMS, Amy served as Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. In this role, she was responsible for developing and implementing acquisition policies and strategies for all Lockheed Martin Aeronautics lines of business and oversaw a procurement budget of approximately $10B annually. She was also the President & General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Commercial Engine Solutions, with locations in San Antonio, Texas, and Montreal, Canada where she was responsible for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of 11 engine product lines that powered more than 15 military and commercial aircraft.
Learn more about Lockheed Martin's development and delivery of integrated, performance-based military training solutions, the full scope of the FAcT program in Canada, similarities of other global training programs to FAcT, how to partner with Lockheed Martin or become a potential supplier for this program, ITBs and what sets Lockheed Martin Canada apart for this training program.
To learn more, go to: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-ca/future-aircrew-training-fact.html.
The legal, intelligence and ethical perspectives of surveillance along with a focus on its associated opportunities and challenges will be discussed at C4ISR and Beyond 2020, taking place on January 28 in Ottawa.
This panel will be moderated by LGen D. Michael Day (Ret’d). In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Day shares a teaser of what we can expect from this discussion. The panelists will tackle the complications associated with the legal, intelligence and ethical perspectives for ISR so that industry can build capabilities with these considerations “baked” in.
LGen D. Michael Day (Ret’d) joined the Canadian Forces in 1983 and had the privilege of serving and commanding within his Regiment. He spent the majority of his career as an Operator within Canada’s Counter Terrorist and Special Forces community commanding both Joint Task Force Two ( JTF 2) & Canada’s Special Operations Forces Command. He was deployed operationally to Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Afghanistan and was responsible for the preparation, training, and oversight of NATO’s Response Force, with distributed command throughout Europe.
He has served in a variety of Senior Staff appointments including the Canadian Armed Forces Senior Military Officer in the Defence Policy Group, and the Chief Strategic Planner for the CAF where he also oversaw the development of the Department of National Defence’s Space and Cyber Programs. After retiring in September 2015, he began consulting with many companies, with a particular focus on the Tech Sector specifically ISR, Space and Cyber.
The panelists:
Jessica Davis, President & Principal Consultant, Insight Threat Intelligence
Leah West, Lecturer of International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University
Stephanie Carvin, Assistant Professor Assistant Professor of International Affairs - National Security Issues, Terrorism, Critical Infrastructure Protection, International Law, Humanitarianism, Foreign Policy, Carleton University
Hear more about this panel, the speakers and what they will be talking about, some of the takeaways and why you should attend C4ISR and Beyond 2020.
We have a few seats remaining. Be sure to register today!
Post-traumatic stress disorder or as is commonly called, PTSD, is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some of the symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about a terrifying event.
Some who have gone through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. Symptoms can sometimes get worse, last for months or even years, and may interfere with day-to-day functioning.
By getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop is critical in reducing symptoms and improve function.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with LCol Chris Linford (Ret'd) who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 33 years. During his service, he completed three operational deployments - The Gulf War in 1991, Rwanda in 1994, and Afghanistan from 2009-2010.
In 2004, he was diagnosed with PTSD. With proper treatment, he returned to health and went back out serving his country. While serving in Afghanistan, his PTSD returned. This led to him writing a book about his experience - “Warrior Rising- A Soldier’s Journey to PTSD and Back” which was published in 2013.
Today, he and his wife Kathryn are National Ambassadors of Wounded Warriors Canada, a national charity providing innovative programming for veterans and first responders with PTSD and their spouses/partners. They are actively involved in promoting Wounded Warriors Canada programs called “COPE” or Couples Overcoming PTSD Every Day and the Trauma Resiliency Program or TRP.
Tune in to listen to LCol Linford's story. His years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces, PTSD, the specific event that caused it, getting better, the return of PTSD, and the impact on his family. He shares tips to help those suffering from PTSD, Wounded Warriors' COPE and TRP programs and their impact and how someone who is suffering from PTSD can be a part of these programs.
You can help support these programs and the work that Wounded Warriors Canada is doing by donating at WoundedWarriors.ca or subscribe to Vanguard magazine, the organisation behind this podcast. We recently partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada to give a portion of each subscription to our bi-monthly magazine to them to help support Canada’s ill and injured Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
Go to vanguardcanada.com/subscription, to subscribe today to help support a great cause.
Wounded Warriors Canada, a leading mental health service provider for ill and injured Veterans, First Responders and their families and Vanguard, a leading security and defence publication in Canada are working together to raise awareness, education and funds to ensure those who serve our country at home and abroad receive the mental health support they deserve in their time of need.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, hear from Terri Pavelic, Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard and Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada as they explain how this program was conceived, the benefits that it will provide to our wounded heroes and how you can participate.
By taking a subscription to Vanguard magazine, you will be supporting wounded heroes. A portion of all subscriptions will be donated to Wounded Warriors Canada. To learn more about the program, go here and to start subscribing to Vanguard magazine, visit http://www.vanguardcanada.com/subscription.
The Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) project was talked about and debated for a number of years. Today, the contract has been awarded and work will commence in the early 2020s with an expected delivery of the first of 15 ships by mid-2020s.
In February 2019, the Government of Canada confirmed that the bid from Lockheed Martin Canada has been selected for the design of CSC, which is based on the BAE Systems Type 26 Global Combat Ship.
Lockheed Martin Canada is partnering with BAE Systems, CAE, L3 Technologies, MDA and Ultra Electronics in offering the Royal Canadian Navy an advanced and modern warship design. Part of this solution includes Lockheed Martin Canada’s internationally renowned and Canadian-developed combat management system, the CMS 330.
Today on Vanguard Radio, we are excited to talk with Gary Fudge, Vice President & General Manager of Lockheed Martin Canada about CSC and CMS 330.
Hear about Lockheed Martin Canada’s innovation in this space going all the way back to the 1980s. Learn more about some of the innovative projects that were done over the years, the genesis of the CMS 330,the upgrades that were made to keep this solution current with the times, how this technology is being used by other navies, areas that are being considered to advance the CMS 330, new innovative technologies for CSC, and some of the next steps in the CSC process?
To learn more about Lockheed Martin Canada, go to https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-ca/cms330.html
We know that communications in the North is always a challenge. Recently, two communications companies teamed up to offer a new service to help solve this issue.
Galaxy Broadband and Hunter Communications have recently announced a new service to provide high-power Ku-band satellite service to Canadian federal departments and agencies using the new Hunter Ku-band satellite coverage. And now, for the first time this service is available through Shared Services Canada.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Doug Harvey from Galaxy Broadband and Brent Perrott from Hunter Communications about this new service.
Learn more about what prompted these companies to get together, what this means for Canada’s military, the coverage or reach, in-flight connectivity, the Hunter beam and their experience in providing service in the North.
To learn more go to https://huntercomm.net/and http://www.galaxybroadband.ca/.
On the show today, J. Richard Jones talks with Keith D’Sa from Axis Communications Canada about how technological developments are elevating surveillance and security.
Keith has more than 15 years providing insight and strategy tactics around business development, solution selling and account management in the security and surveillance industry. He is responsible for business operations in Canada, including new business development and sales team leadership.
Keith has been involved with industry leading associations and was featured in Security Products and Technology (SP&T) Magazine for the Top 10 under 40 Decision makers in the security/surveillance industry in Canada.
Hear about technologies in the security space, perimeter protection, network audio systems as a detect and deter function, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and the future of surveillance and security.
In May 2018, CAE and KF Aerospace joined together to form SkyAlyne Canada, a 50/50 joint venture that focuses on developing and delivering military pilot and aircrew training in Canada.
Currently, CAE and KF Aerospace deliver all phases of pilot training to the Royal Canadian Air Force through the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program managed by CAE, and the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) program managed by KF Aerospace.
These programs will come to an end in the next few years and the Government of Canada is looking to award a new contract to renew its existing aircrew training services through the Future Aircrew Training Program (FAcT).
In December 2018, Canada issued a list of qualified suppliers for this program, which includes:
Airbus Defence and Space
Babcock Canada Inc.
Leonardo Canada
Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. and
SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Peter Fedak, Program Solutions for SkyAlyne.
Hear more about this joint venture and how it is being positioned for the FAcT program, some of the capabilities and solutions SkyAlyne will bring to Canada if selected for the FAcT program, top challenges of pilot training in Canada, advancement in training solutions, some of the lessons or takeaways from CFTS, the shortage pilot problem and steps to solve it, and the future of pilot training.
Peter Fedak is a retired RCAF LCol and helicopter pilot. He joined the RCAF in 1989 and after receiving his pilot wings in 1994 commenced his life as a tactical helicopter pilot supporting the Canadian Army. He has held operational tours with 408 and 403 Squadrons and a training tour at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School achieving an A1 instructor category with the Central Flying School. Other than flying over most of the vast expanses of Canada at 100kts, Peter was deployed to Haiti in 1995 and in 2008 deployed to Afghanistan working with the USAF training Afghan Army Air Corps pilots on the nuances of tactical operations in the Mi-17 helicopter.
Peter’s final post in the RCAF was as the Commandant of 3CFFTS from 2012 to 2014. Upon release after 25 years of service he worked as a HEMS pilot for a year before assuming his current role as the KF Aerospace Site Manager for the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) contract supporting the training program for RCAF primary, rotary wing, and multi-engine pilots. Peter has just under 5000 hours of helicopter flying time on five different types including 1900 hours instructing.
To learn more, go to http://www.skyalyne.ca.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Joseph Galimberti, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs of PAL Aerospace.
PAL Aerospace is a diversified international aerospace and defence company headquartered in Canada. With over four decades of operations, PAL has continuously built on their experience to evolve into a global leader of airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions.
Hear more about PAL Aerospace and some of their exciting capabilities within the aerospace field. Joseph shares of lessons and capabilities that PAL has that will be incorporated to provide in-service support for the Fixed Wing Search and Rescue project. Their ISR special mission platform called the Force Multiplier and what specific issues this will solve for the Canadian Armed Forces and militaries around the world, aerial surveillance for Canada’s inland, coastal and offshore waters, and emerging technologies for ISR solutions.
Joseph Galimberti joined PAL in late 2018 as the Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs. Prior to joining PAL, Joseph held a variety of executive positions including: President of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, Vice-President of Public and Corporate Affairs at Hill + Knowlton Strategies Canada, Director of Government and Community Relations at Air Canada, and has also served in various capacities with the Government of Canada. Joseph is co-owner of his family business Broad Street Cycles in Victoria, B.C., and a former Trustee on the Board of Pearson College UWC. Joseph lives in Ottawa with his wife Heidi and their twin sons Jonah and Bennett.
To learn more about PAL Aerospace, go to https://www.palaerospace.com.
Command, Communications, Control, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) is a crucial facet of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations and a growing area that is getting more attention in recent years.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, I’m excited to speak with Lieutenant Colonel Ian R. Graham Director of Land Requirements 4, at the Department of National Defence.
Lieutenant Colonel Ian Graham is currently the Directorate Land Requirements section head responsible for projects focusing on Command and Control (C2), Electronic Warfare and Simulation in support of training systems.
He joined the Canadian Armed forces in 1990, graduating from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario in 1995 with a degree in Computer Engineering. Since that time has served in Petawawa, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kingston, Iraq and Ottawa. He has held a wide variety of staff positions including managing C2 system security accreditation, multiple postings as a project manager and project director focusing on delivering tactical land C2 systems to the Canadian Army and various operational communications planning positions.
His operational deployments include a 6-month tour in Bosnia in 2003 as the Task Force G6 Operations, deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 as the Canadian Battle Group Signals officer and finally to Kuwait as the Operation IMPACT J6 in 2013. As a Major, he commanded 1 Squadron, Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment and has attended the United States Marine Corps Staff Program in Quantico, Virginia.
Within DLR, Lieutenant Colonel Graham is currently focused on advancing the Canadian Army Land C4ISR capital projects and specifically looking to enable more agile approaches for high tech capability development.
Richard Jones, host of Vanguard Radio talks with Johnathon (Lee) Obst, President and Managing Director, Rockwell Collins Canada, a Collins Aerospace Company, of the capabilities of the newly formed company.
Lee joined Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins) in 2000 as a Program Manager in the Government Systems Airborne Solutions portfolio and shortly afterwards transitioned in to a business development role. Since 2000, Lee has held a variety of business development leadership roles in the Airborne Solutions portfolio with increasing responsibilities. In 2010, Lee was appointed as the Senior Director, Marketing for Collins Aerospace Government Systems.
In 2011, Lee was appointed as the President and Managing Director of Collins Aerospace based in Ottawa, Ontario. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the Canadian operations and production facilities in Ottawa and providing shared services for the Montreal operations.
Prior to joining Collins Aerospace, Lee served for 21 years as a test pilot and fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Hear more about Collins Aerospace, which was created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, the plans for growth in Canada, programs that Collins Aerospace has the capabilities for, training, and what to expect from Collins Aerospace at CANSEC.
Visit Collins Aerospace at booth 1103 at CANSEC to learn more.
Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industry. Created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers' toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market.
In addition to being a pioneer in the development of world class avionics, aircraft interiors, aerostructures, power and controls as well as mechanical and mission systems – which are delivered by 70,000 employees worldwide – Collins also has a renowned global service and support capability. This is demonstrated locally with our longstanding relationships with many of the world’s airlines, aircraft manufacturers and national defence organizations, including the Canadian Armed Forces.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Jean-Claude Siew, Vice President for Technology and Simulation for Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc.
Jean-Claude has a deep understanding of training and simulation and management leadership, which he accumulated over 20 years of working in the aerospace and defence industry. He has a strong focus on growing Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. through technology leadership and by further developing the products and services in working closely with large aerospace and defence OEMs.
Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. (BTS) operates within the defence and aerospace industry by designing and developing highly specialized, high performance, tactical training for front line operators of equipment working in complex environments and high-risk situations. This includes, training systems needs analysis, custom courseware development, virtual simulation training devices, and ongoing training support for in service support.
Hear more about Bluedrop, some of the lessons learned in working with the Canadian Armed Forces to shape future courseware and training, developing training programs for a variety of different systems on the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels and the role that it will play in helping the Canadian Coast Guard to effectively operate these vessels.
Jean-Claude talks about how Bluedrop provides training solutions for other countries. He shares some of the takeaways of working with foreign organizations that can be applied to Canada and vice versa.
Check out Bluedrop at CANSEC at booth 1215 to learn more.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Ken Peterman, President, Government Systems at Viasat, a global communications company. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate.
In April 2013, Ken joined Viasat as Vice President, Government Systems. Just over a year later in June 2014, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Government Systems, and in May 2017, he assumed his current position as President, Government Systems.
Ken has over 30 years of experience in general management, systems engineering, strategic planning, portfolio management, and business leadership in the aerospace and defense industries.
In the show, he talks about how private sector is now developing technologies that are being adopted to fit defence, which is a reverse of what was done previously. This is an opportunity for defence forces to tap into and leverage the accelerated trajectories of these technologies. As in the case with Viasat, they are not just building these technologies for commercial markets but for defence as well.
Ken talks about how it is about bring forward cutting edge technologies to serve both markets in an affordable manner. This helps armed forces and benefits the tax payers as there is no R&D cost associated with it as it was already funded by private sector in the development of these technologies.
Ken was selected as a Vanguard Game Changer, check out his profile on VanguardCanada.com to learn more about the leadership initiatives that he is employing to lead Viasat.
To learn more about Viasat, go to viasat.com.
In this second part, J. Richard Jones continues his discussion with Joe Armstrong, Vice‐President & General Manager of CAE Canada. CAE is a worldwide leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets.
Hear more about CAE's MAD XR technology, which was developed jointly with DRDC and NRC. The future of pilot training and technologies like AI and AR, which will play a major role in shaping what that future training would look like.
If you missed the first part, please go to https://vanguardcanada.com/2019/02/13/part-1-the-evolution-of-pilot-training-an-interview-with-joe-armstrong-cae-canada/ to listen to that insightful interview.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with a very special guest, Joe Armstrong, Vice‐President & General Manager of CAE Canada. CAE is a worldwide leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets.
Of these markets, Joe is responsible for leading CAE’s Defence & Security business in Canada. His portfolio spans a range of key programs including Software & Systems Engineering support to the CF‐18 fleet, the operations of the Air Mobility Training Center supporting the C130H & J fleets in CFB Trenton, the MHLH Training Center in Petawawa, and The NATO Flying Training Center in Moose Jaw and Cold Lake.
Hear about CAE's global encompassing work, the evolution of pilot training, lessons to apply, the importance of Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, what it means to be a Training Systems Integrator and much more.
Next week, we will present Part 2 of this interview in which Joe will delve into MAD XR technology, which was developed jointly with DRDC and NRC. AI and AR technologies and how that will shape the future of pilot training.
To learn more about CAE, go to https://www.cae.com.
Since 2008, Babcock has been operating in Canada in working with committed experts to design, build, manage, operate and maintain assets vital to the delivery of critical public services. Globally, the company is a 35,000-strong organization, which helps customers around the world to improve the capability, reliability and availability of their most critical assets within the key market sectors of Marine, Land, Aviation, and Nuclear.
Recently, Babcock was awarded a contract for aerial firefighting by the Government of Manitoba. This Wildfire Suppression Services contract is for a period of ten years.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Mike Whalley, President of Babcock Canada and Jake Jacobson, Vice-President of Babcock Canada about this contract and the operation of Babcock in Canada.
Hear an update on the Victoria-class submarine program, lessons gleaned from this program that can be applied to future naval in-service support programs, lessons from working in the United Kingdom and the Australasia regions in incorporating those in Canada, some of the services they provide in the different sectors, the recent contract by the Manitoba government for aerial firefighting services and the future for Babcock Canada.
To learn more about Babcock Canada, go to https://babcockcanada.com.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Astrid Neuland, Business Development Executive at Thales Canada. Astrid is an active volunteer at Wounded Warriors Canada, an organization that is dedicated to honour and support Canada’s ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders and their families.
Hear about the upcoming bike ride programs that Wounded Warriors is organizing to raise funds to increase awareness of PTSD issues and for mental health programs. Astrid shares her experience of participating in these bike rides at home and overseas and the camaraderie and support from fellow riders and the public.
To learn more about Wounded Warriors and how you can support, go to https://woundedwarriors.ca/.
Calian, a provider of business and technology services and solutions to industry, public and government in the health, training, engineering and IT services domains and also in satellite networks, recently announced that it has been selected to deliver a significant training contract for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Army Simulation Centre. The Training and Support Services Contract is valued about $170 million, running over a full nine-year period.
In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Kevin Ford, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calian about this re-win for the company and what it means to Calian. Hear about where Calian fit into Strong, Secure, Engaged, their innovation agenda, their #DontLetGoCanada space campaign and what we can expect from the company in the future.
To learn more, go to https://www.calian.com/en.
Thanks for listening.
In the show today, J. Richard Jones talks with Simon Olsen, Director of Business Development for Strategy and Partnerships at Sentient Vision. Hear about Simon’s perspective on the future of marine search and rescue for Canadians, the challenges officers are facing when it comes to water defence and marine SAR and new technologies to consider.
He also shares his insight on new approaches and technologies that the US Coast Guard, the UK Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy are using that Canada should consider adopting and the world’s first Optical Radar - ViDAR. This is an airborne persistent wide-area maritime search system that autonomously detects objects on the ocean surface and provides the operator with a detailed image of objects that other search methods often miss. A "game-changing" system for search and rescue!
As the Director of Business Development, strategy and Partnerships at Sentient, Simon has extensive networks within the aviation, unmanned systems, general aircraft integration, sensors and exploitation markets both in Australia and around the world. He is also a former member of the board for the Australian Association of Unmanned Systems.
To learn more, go to: http://www.sentientvision.com/
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology has evolved significantly over the past decade, with innovative new drones hitting the enterprise and consumer market regularly. While the focus has been primarily on how drones can be used to enhance enterprise applications -- everything from Public Safety applications, to military deployments, hydro and telecom infrastructure inspections, and even to agriculture -- there are some security risks that are inherent with drone availability.
In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Marc Bouvrette, President of Gap Wireless, a stocking distributor of mobile broadband and wireless solutions including one of the most impressive suites of vendor partner UAV solutions in North America. Marc delves into the security aspects of the UAV market and how the latest technology is enabling protection from rogue drones and their pilots.
Nigel Stewart, BAE Systems talks about the significant benefits of the Type 26 In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Nigel Stewart, BAE Systems, Managing Director for SEA 5000 Bid. Nigel led BAE Systems’ successful bid for Australia’s SEA 5000 Hunter-class frigate program. Hear more about BAE’s Type 26 for its Hunter-class frigate and the connection to the Canadian Surface Combatant program. Show Notes Hear more about the Type 26 that is currently under construction in the UK and the takeaways that can apply to Canada. Nigel talks about the recent selection of the Type 26 for the Australian frigate program and some of the unique capabilities that position the Type 26 above the rest in that competition. He also addresses what critics have termed a paper ship design and more.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones interviews Astrid Neuland, Business Development, Thales Canada Defense & Security, about her participation in the Highway of Heroes Ontario Bike Ride 2018. Listen and learn about her experiences on the road, the rewards and lessons learned, as well as why this is such an important event to support.
In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Lee Obst, President and Managing Director of Rockwell Collins in Canada.
Since 2011, Lee has been serving in his current role in overseeing the Canadian operations and production facilities. Prior to joining Rockwell Collins in 2000, Lee served for 21 years as a test pilot and fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and three years as a program manager/business director with Spar Aerospace, Canada.
In this Vanguard Radio podcast, hear about the future growth strategy of Rockwell Collins in Canada and what they are doing to align investment with the mandates of the new Defence Procurement Strategy. Learn about Wideband HF and the role the Canadian subsidiary of Rockwell Collins played in its development.
Also, Rockwell Collins Canada will be at CANSEC this year. Hear more about their ‘Made in Canada’ NSS offering and how it will be represented at CANSEC, and other capabilities that they will be exhibiting at the event.
Rockwell Collins Canada will be exhibiting at Booth 1103 at CANSEC 2018 at the EY Centre in Ottawa on May 30-31.
Thanks for listening.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones chats with Brent Perrot, President of Hunter Communications. They discuss the challenges of satellite communications and how technology is winning the battle, what satellite communications are doing to help the defence industry and Hunter Communications participation at CANSEC 2018. All this and more on this episode of Vanguard Radio.
In this episode, J. Richard Jones guest hosts Vanguard radio. He interviews Mathew Overton, Executive Director, Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute about the need to understand AI technology and its impact, upcoming events and projects that are being worked on. All this and more, on this episode of Vanguard radio.
In this episode of Vanguard radio, J. Richard Jones joins the show as guest host. He discusses Towed Reelable Active-Passive Sonar, (TRAPS) a new program for reservists and Canada’s role in the Iraq mission. All this and more, in this episode of Vanguard radio.
In this episode, Uber self-driving car killed a woman in Arizona recently, was that accident avoidable? There are many calls coming from different quarters to quite Facebook and streaming is taking over the music industry, so what's next?
Show Notes
Last Sunday, in the city of Tempe, Arizona, Elaine Herzberg who was 49 years old, attempted to cross a busy road. She was pushing a bicycle across the road about 100 meters from the closest pedestrian crosswalk when she was hit by a vehicle, which was travelling at 38 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone.
The Police Chief of Tempe said the crash may have been unavoidable.
One analyst who follows autonomous vehicles, said laser and radar systems can see in the dark much better than humans or cameras and that the victim was well within the range.
He said, “It absolutely should have been able to pick her up. From what I see in the video it sure looks like the car is at fault, not the pedestrian.”
Delete Facebook
How often do you post on Facebook? A lot of people are calling for others to quit Facebook. Even the hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending.
Many are wondering if it is time to say goodbye to Facebook.
At its best, Facebook is a nice way to stay in touch with friends around the world, in business to learn what’s important to the people we serve and to share the work we’re doing. But there’s a concern to all of this. The very data that make it work so well, have power, power that can be used for good or evil.
And because of this, many are now waking up to the concerns over privacy and how our personal information is being shared.
Streaming Music
Over the years we have seen the evolution of the way music is consumed. From cassettes to cds, then onto digital downloads. For a little while now streaming is the main way of getting our music.
Streaming music is taking over the music industry, and that can be seen with digital download sales which have fallen so much in the past few years that they’re now smaller than sales of CDs, vinyl, and other physical media.
A recent report shows that digital downloads fell to $1.3 billion last year, whereas physical media, while also falling, only declined to $1.5 billion.
An overview of the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo gives an overview of the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018 that was held recently in Ottawa.
On March 1st, over 150 attendees from the military and industry gathered at the Shaw Centre for Vanguard's fifth annual Shipbuilding Technology Forum. This event is a one-day conference with the aim to showcase emerging technologies, presentations on marine and shipbuilding issues and ship repair.
Vanguard has been working with industry, government and military over the years to provide a platform to create an environment for the different parties to share lessons and showcase cutting-edge technologies.
This year's event was built on the theme: Agility through Technology.
Hear an overview about presentations on:
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, (IDEaS),
Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP),
Keynote by Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner - Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard
Naval Infra-Red Search and Track Systems (IRST),
Decarbonization and Marine Propulsion Systems
Well, that was an overview of the event. I found it to be quite interesting, hearing about the different technologies currently available and what we can look forward to in the future. Especially, what can be done with autonomous technology and AI?
To learn more about the Shipbuilding Technology Forum, go to VanguardCanada.com, and click on the SHIPTECH 2018 tab.
Vanguard will be hosting the 2019 version of this event at the same time next year. Please stay tuned for more details.
CF-18 replacement suppliers shortlisted and marijuana legalization in the CAF
In this episode, Canada issues a shortlist of suppliers for CF-18 replacement competition. The Canadian military is trying to decide how to handle marijuana legalization and a look at an interview with Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Show Notes:
The Government of Canada has released a list of eligible suppliers who would be invited to submit bids for the country’s future fighter aircraft fleet competition. The Royal Canadian Air Force plans to purchase a total of 88 advanced fighter jets. These jets will replace the current CF-18 aircraft fleet, which has been serving Canada for more than 30 years.
The companies shortlisted to submit bids are:
· Boeing Super Hornet
· Lockheed Martin F-35
· Eurofighter Typhoon
· Dassault Rafale
· Saab Gripen
Speaking about the release of the suppliers, Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said, “The Government of Canada is leveraging procurement to create jobs, drive innovation, and grow small businesses. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive investment in innovation and research across all sectors of our economy, including with post-secondary institutions.”
The contract for the aircraft development program is expected to be awarded in 2021 or 2022.
Canadian military trying to decide how to handle marijuana legalization
With the legalization of marijuana being a topical issue in Canada, the military is looking at how to apply this to members of the CAF. Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said, “We’re going to try to be smart about it. But in the end, this is dangerous duty, this is serious duty for the country, and we don’t want people doing it stoned.”
Gen Vance made these comments during an appearance before the Senate defence committee.
“We are looking at it,” Vance told the committee. “I am very soon to make decisions on the specific and unique circumstances associated with military service that would preclude someone from using cannabis at a particular point in time.”
Interview
Vanguard recently conducted an interview with Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard. In that interview, we asked him what are his top 3 short-term goals? Where he sees the future of shipbuilding for the Coast Guard given the average age of the fleet –
can it be done within the service lives of the current fleet or do you see a reduction in fleet capability/capacity? If he sees a long-term fleet capital investment program similar to the Navy for the Coast Guard? Also, he touches on maintenance and life extension, success stories - CCGS Sir John Franklin and strategies and programs of the Canadian Coast Guard that he is really excited about.
For the full interview, please go to VanguardCanada.com.
Defence Minister visits Europe and Vanguard's Game Changers
In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's visit to Europe and he also shares an overview of Vanguard's Game Changers for the February/March issue.
Show Notes:
Due to its commitment to lasting peace and security, both at home and abroad, Canada is working on all fronts including the international community to ensure the protection of rights and freedoms for all.
As part of this effort, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan visited Europe. The Minister participated in a meeting of the Defence Ministers from the main force contributors to the Global Coalition against Daesh, and in Brussels, at the NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting.
In Rome, the Minister highlighted Canada's ongoing commitment to the Global Coalition against Daesh, and to working with allies and partners to set the conditions for long-term security and stability in the Middle East region.
While in Brussels, he participated in the NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, alongside other NATO Allies and partners.
Minister Sajjan highlighted Canada's commitment to NATO and working with NATO Allies to actively maintain and strengthen the transatlantic bond.
Game Changers
- Dr. Ben Cecil, CEO, The Canadian Centre for Product Validation
- Jordan Kyriakidis, President and CEO, QRA Corp
- Farhoud Shirzadi, CEO, VSETA
To learn more, go to: https://vanguardcanada.com/category/game-changers/
Thanks for listening.
In this episode, the Secretary-General of NATO urges NATO nations in Europe and Canada to increase defence budget, MDA signs a contract to provide unmanned aircraft systems to the Royal Canadian Navy, and DND is looking for help to track drones.
Show Notes:
The NATO Secretary-General recently urged Canada and European allies to keep ramping up defence spending.
Only eight of the 29 NATO member countries are estimated to reach this year the alliance's spending guideline of 2 per cent of GDP.
The Secretary-General said that "To keep our nations safe, we need more defence spending, investment in key capabilities, and forces for NATO missions and operations."
MDA to provide unmanned aircraft systems to RCN
MDA, a Maxar Technologies company recently signed a contract valued at approximately $8 million with the Department of National Defence to provide maritime miniature unmanned aircraft systems (MMUAS).
The contract also includes services to support training, resource and equipment development activities and development and validation of naval tactics and new capability development.
This system will play a critical role by extending the reach of communication and sensor capability during maritime security operations.
MDA's solution is based on the Puma AE unmanned aircraft. The Puma AE system will provide the RCN with enhanced ISR capabilities.
DND wants help tracking drones
The Canadian government is looking for technology from domestic firms that might help the Department of National Defence in efforts to track unmanned aerial vehicles according to an article from the Ottawa Citizen.
The technology could either be in the late stage of development or not yet on the market.
"The wide spread application of UAV increases not only military but also public safety and security concerns," industry representatives who might be interested in drone tracking were told by Public Services and Procurement Canada. "For example, they could be used for intelligence gathering, delivering explosive devices, or targeting critical infrastructures under the military or safety and security portfolio. Therefore, it is a necessary to develop effective counter UAV techniques to defend against the threat posed by the potential malicious use of UAVs."
An overview of C4ISR and Beyond 2018
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo talks with Michelle Currie about C4ISR and Beyond 2018 that was held on January 30th in Ottawa. Hear more about the discussions on that day, the highlights of Rear-Admiral Bishop’s and Rear-Admiral Hawco’s presentations, Weaponizing Data and Targeting.
Show Notes:
C4ISR and Beyond is an event produced by Vanguard magazine, that brings together military and industry to interact on C4ISR capabilities, challenges, and the impact of C4ISR in Canadian military operations. This event started about a few years ago, and we’ve just concluded the 4th C4ISR and Beyond on the theme of Beyond Sensors.
In this age, where almost every electronic device can be a sensor, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of the data that is being captured rather than making full use of it. That was what this last event was built on. Additional areas that were covered, included, the environmental domains are given from a military viewpoint on C4ISR, how C4ISR is being delivered through SSE and targeting.
Asterix completes RCN trials and CF-18s to fly until 2032
In this episode, Asterix completes Royal Canadian Navy trials, Canada's CF-18s to fly until 2032 and Boeing Gets $6.6 Billion from the Pentagon to expand missile defense
Show Notes:
Canada will try to get more flying time out of its aging CF-18s with the aim to keep the jets operating for another 15 years, up to 2032.
Some aerospace industry sources, however, question whether the 2032 retirement is set in stone since any delays in the purchase of new jets could alter that schedule.
Asterix completes Royal Canadian Navy trials
Davie Shipbuilding and Federal Fleet Services announced that following an intensive period of at-sea trials and testing, Asterix has been formally accepted by the Department of National Defence and has now entered full operational service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Boeing gets $6.6 billion to expand missile defense
Boeing has received a $6.56 billion contract to continue managing the U.S. missile defense system intended to stop North Korean or Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Defense Department said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to create a nuclear warhead and a missile that could hit the U.S. mainland, adding to the urgency of U.S. missile defense efforts. In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump said, “North Korea’s reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening.”
HMCS Athabaskan, Delivery of Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles and Nunavut’s High Arctic.
In this episode, the HMCS Athabaskan to be dismantled by July 2019, delivery of the first Ultra-Light Combat Vehicle is underway and Canadian forces getting ready for an operation in Nunavut’s High Arctic.
Show Notes:
Public Services and Procurement Canada recently awarded a contract valued at $5.7m to Marine Recycling Corporation for the disposal of the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) former Iroquois-class destroyer, HMCS Athabaskan.
As part of the contract, the company is responsible for towing the vessel to its facility located in Sydney, Nova Scotia. At this location, Marine Recycling will then demilitarise equipment, remedy hazardous waste and recycling of any remaining materials.
ULCV
The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) has accepted delivery of its first Ultra-Light Combat Vehicles (ULCV). These vehicles, which were procured from Polaris Industries Limited.
In December 2016, the Government of Canada announced a contract valued at $20.6M to Polaris Industries Limited for the acquisition of 52 ULCV along with the option to procure an additional 26 vehicles over a two-year period at an additional cost.
CAF’s Nunavut Exercise
The Canadian Armed Forces has many plans already in place for its annual Nunalivut spring sovereignty exercise, which the Nunavut Impact Review Board is now reviewing.
Every year since 2007, the military, backed by the Canadian Rangers, has headed north to test its soldiers and equipment in cold weather conditions.
This year, according to a Department of Defence submission to the NIRB, most of the exercises during will take place in Cambridge Bay, the home of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, with some planned for Resolute Bay, where the Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Training Centre is located.
NATO’s Chiefs of Defence meeting and new sanctions against North Korea
In this episode, NATO’s Chiefs of Defence held their first meeting of year, Canada does not have much room to introduce new sanctions against North Korea and Cascade Aerospace to upgrade C-130 aircraft for the Mexican Air Force.
NATO Chiefs of Defence
At the 178th Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on the Jan 16th and 17th, the Allied Chiefs of Defence focused political and military priorities.
At the session, the topics of military contribution to security and stabilization in Europe’s southern neighborhood, the NATO Command Structure (NCS) adaptation, the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and the Global Coalition against ISIS and NATO’s role in Iraq were all discussed.
New sanctions against North Korea
Canada may almost be out of options when it comes to developing new sanctions against North Korea. This is something that came out of the recent summit in Vancouver. Delegates from 20 countries left the summit pledging to consider new measures against Kim Jong-un's regime.
But the way it looks, Canada may not have much room to introduce new sanctions because it already has significant independent measures in place, according to the CBC.
A government official told CBC News that Ottawa will always evaluate its options, but what is in place now is already very strong.
Canada has a wide-ranging ban on trade, financial interactions and weapons with North Korea. The plan includes a few exceptions for humanitarian support.
When new sanctions were put in place last year by the United Nations Security Council, some of those measures were in line with regulations Canada already had in place.
At the summit, participants agreed to "consider and take steps to impose unilateral sanctions and further diplomatic actions that go beyond those required by UN Security Council resolutions."
But what those efforts could look like, were not disclosed.
Cascade Aerospace C-130 Hercules aircraft
Cascade Aerospace has been contracted to perform avionics modernisation of one (FAM) L-100 (C-130) Hercules aircraft for the Mexican Air Force.
The program is contracted through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of Canada and Mexico in November 2013.
Under the terms of the new contract, the company will be responsible for the installation and integration of Rockwell Collins’ advanced Flight2 digital avionics suite.
Cascade Aerospace will also be responsible for delivering operational and technical training for the Mexican Air Force personnel at the company’s facility and headquarters in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
SMP trucks delayed and President Trump and NAFTA In this episode, delivery of new SMP trucks delayed, Canada is convinced that President Trump will pull out of NAFTA, and Lockheed Martin enhances capability of its Aegis Missile-Defense System. Show Notes: There has been a delay in the delivery of the Standard Military Pattern or SMP trucks from Mack Defense. The Canadian Armed Forces was supposed to start receiving the first of its new SMP trucks by the summer of 2017 but that was pushed to the end of 2017. But now the truck delivery has been delayed once again. This is due to issues with certain aspects on the trucks that has to be dealt with. “The qualification testing has led to necessary changes in the vehicle that will be incorporated prior to delivering the equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Department of National Defence spokesman Andrew McKelvey. NAFTA Canada is increasingly convinced that President Donald Trump will soon announce the United States intends to pull out of NAFTA. One of the Canadian government sources also said later it was not certain that Trump would move against the treaty and that Ottawa was prepared for many scenarios. But even the prospect of potential damage to the three nations’ integrated economies sparked market concerns. The Canadian dollar weakened to its lowest this year against the greenback on Wednesday as the NAFTA concerns tempered bets that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates next week. Mike Archibald, associate portfolio manager at AGF Investments in Toronto, cited “a tremendous amount of uncertainty on the horizon”. Canadian government bond prices rose across the yield curve and railway, pipeline and other tradesensitive stocks weighed on the country’s main index. Mexico’s currency also weakened and stocks extended losses. Royal Bank of Canada’s Chief Executive Dave McKay said on Tuesday he believed there was now a greater chance that NAFTA could be scrapped. Separately, a U.S. source close to the White House quoted Trump as saying “I want out” as the talks drag on with little sign of progress. Aegis Missile-Defense System Lockheed Martin Corp said on Thursday it had connected key components of its new long-range discrimination radar (LRDR) with its Aegis Ashore missile-defense system to enhance Aegis's capabilities. With this technology, the Aegis missile-defense system - a collection of radar stations and interceptors - will be simultaneously able to detect threats from longer distances and combat targets with reduced reaction time, the U.S. weapons maker said.
Global arms sales on the rise and Canada invests in quantum technology
In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the rise in global arms sales, Canada and UAE sign defence cooperation agreement and the investment of the government in quantum technology.
Show Notes:
The world’s 100 biggest weapons companies have increased arm sales for the first time in five years, reaching more than 370 billion dollars annually.
In its annual assessment of global arms sales, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute recently published a report that shows that last year saw the end of five consecutive years of decline with a 1.9 per cent increase in total sales.
“The growth in arms sales was expected and is driven by the implementation of new national major weapons programmes, ongoing military operations in several countries and persistent regional tensions that are leading to increased demand for weapons,” the report states.
Those weapons programmes include substantial investment in naval and air capacity, including submarines in the US and UK, as well as new-generation combat aircraft such as the F-35, made by Lockheed Martin. The US, with the world’s largest defence budget, has identified spending last year of $45bn on aircraft and related systems and $27bn on shipbuilding and maritime systems.
Canada and UAE sign defence cooperation agreement
Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a defence cooperation arrangement that will make it easier for the Canadian defence industry to access one of the world’s most lucrative arms markets and bolster military ties between the two countries.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan signed the agreement during his five-day tour of the Middle East that included stops in Jordan, the UAE and Kuwait.
“The signing of the Canada-UAE Defence Cooperation Arrangement is a testament to the enduring partnership between our nations,” Sajjan said in a statement. “We will continue our joint efforts to counter violent extremism in the Middle East as we work to build a more peaceful and prosperous world for both Canadians and the Emirati people.”
The UAE ranks among the top 15 defence spenders in the world, according to Business Monitor International.
Government of Canada invests in national security technology
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is awarding $1.5 million to the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) to lead the science of a mission called the Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat), which will protect the communications and data of Canadians on Earth and in space.
It is estimated that within 10 to 20 years, the encryption codes used by computers today will be easily decoded by high-performing quantum computers, making current encryption technology obsolete.
This investment will advance encryption methods, which use highly advanced computing technology to create unbreakable security codes.
In this episode, Canada launches contest for 88 fighter jets, assembling the First Arctic patrol ship is on the way at the Halifax Shipyard and the steps needed to integrate the Australian F-18s into the current Royal Canadian Air Force’s fighter fleet.
Show Notes:
The main structural components of the Royal Canadian Navy's first Arctic patrol ship have been assembled at the Halifax Shipyard.
The ship is expected to be launched at the Halifax Shipyard next summer.
"As the first ship of the class, having the future HMCS Harry DeWolf assembled at land level is a significant milestone," Kevin McCoy, president of Irving Shipbuilding, said in a statement.
Canada launches contest for 88 fighter jets
The Canadian government is launching a competition to buy a new fleet of 88 fighter jets and officials confirmed Tuesday they will also be buying an interim fleet of 18 jets from Australia rather than from Boeing.
According to Global News, a clause in the announcement effectively suggests that if Boeing wants to bid on the competition itself, it better back down in its trade challenge of Bombardier.
“When bids are assessed, any bidder that is responsible for harm to Canada’s economic interests will be at a distinct disadvantage,” the press release states.
That aspect of the announcement seems specifically aimed at Boeing.
Officials said the cost is being estimated at roughly half a billion dollars for the interim replacement, while roughly $15 billion to $19 billion will be set aside for the full competition.
Australian F-18s
With the announcement to purchase Australian F-18 aircraft, Canada has issued a list of steps needed to integrate the Australian F-18s with the current fleet of Canada’s CF-18s.
- Life extension and upgrade
- Acquiring spare parts
- Training and personnel
- Operations
- Infrastructure
In this episode, pushing back on delivery date for new fighter jets, Canadian Rangers losing out on health benefits and Vanguard is gearing up to host the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018.
Show Notes:
The Royal Canadian Air Force may have to keep its aging CF-18s airborne even longer than already expected after industry sources warned that the Trudeau government is planning to push back the delivery date for its new fleet of fighters.
Word of the likely delay comes with the government moving ahead with the purchase of used fighter jets from Australia as a temporary stopgap alongside its existing CF-18s, rather than the original plan of buying brand new Super Hornets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing.
Canadian Rangers losing out on health benefits
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are failing to ensure that Canadian Rangers, many of whom are Inuit, First Nations or Métis, receive health care benefits and entitlements available to other reservists, Canada’s military watchdog said in a report released recently.
Gary Walbourne, the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces ombudsman, launched an investigation in 2016 aimed at figuring out why many Canadian Rangers don’t receive the health care benefits that they’re entitled to.
In his final report based on that investigation, Walbourne found many Rangers often don’t report injuries sustained while they’re on duty and don’t know about benefits they’re entitled to from Veterans Affairs Canada or how to apply for them.
“Respondents interviewed who self-identified as having sustained an injury while on duty were subsequently asked if they had considered submitting a claim to Veterans Affairs Canada—the vast majority responded that they did not,” Walbourne said in his 31-page report.
Shipbuilding event
Vanguard is gearing up to host the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018. This is an annual event that is produced by Vanguard Magazine to facilitate a discussion between government, military and industry.
Scheduled for March 1, 2018, the Shipbuilding Technology Forum will be held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. This one-day conference is intended to showcase emerging technologies, address a range of marine and shipbuilding issues as well as ship repair and the advantages they provide for growth and export. To learn more or register to attend, go here.
In this episode, we take a look at the RFPs that were submitted for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program and with the North Korea threat, Canada has set aside two bunkers at military bases.
Show Notes:
**The Navantia Team**
The Navantia team has made an announcement of the submission of its proposal.
The team, which is led by Navantia is comprised of Saab Australia which will deliver the Combat Systems Integrator (CSI) and CEA Technologies to provide other key elements of the proposed solution.
The team’s solution is based on “the proven F-105 frigate design” for the Spanish Navy. This design coupled with capabilities of key Canadian companies will provide a ship that is ideally suited to Canada’s requirement, according to the press release.
Navantia has a history of providing modifications of this design for many navies including the Norwegian Navy and, most recently, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Canada’s Combat Ship Team has announced the delivery of its proposal
Comprising of BAE Systems, CAE, Lockheed Martin Canada, L3 Technologies, MDA and Ultra Electronics, Canada’s Combat Ship Team’s proposal is focused on the “Canadian doctrine” according to Rosemary Chapdelaine, Vice President and General Manager at Lockheed Martin Canada Rotary and Missions Systems (RMS).
The team which is headed by Lockheed Martin Canada is offering “the most advanced and modern” warship design from BAE Systems – the Type 26 Global Combat Ship – along with innovations from other leading companies in Canada. Lockheed Martin Canada will provide its world-renowned Canadian-developed combat management system, the CMS 330 to integrate with the Type 26.
Due to the North Korean threat Canada has open up two bunkers
The Privy Council Office, drafted an agreement with National Defence a year ago to open up bunkers on two military bases should the National Capital Region become "unviable," according to documents obtained by CBC News under access to information legislation.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was asked Wednesday what would happen should a missile land in Canada.
"When it comes to any type of foreign threats, we take them extremely seriously," he said. "We've been looking at North Korea right from the beginning when I was given this portfolio. I am very mindful of the country's missile testing that they have been doing. We believe that the diplomatic solution is the way to go, because I think that there is hope for it."
In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about how nearly half of illegal border-crossers into Canada are from Haiti, the president of Kosovo says that Russia’s interference in Kosovo has implications for Canada and why is Russia sending robotic submarines to the Arctic?
Show Notes
For the last nine months, over 14,000 refugee claims were made by people who crossed into Canada outside legal border points. Of this number, nearly half of them were from Haiti according to CBC.
Data released by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) on recently shows that 6,304 citizens of Haiti claimed refugee status after crossing illegally into Canada between February and October.
Haiti was the top country of origin for irregular border-crossers in the nine-month period, followed by Nigeria, from which 1,911 people crossed into Canada.
Other countries of origin, and the number of people who crossed the border, were:
Turkey
Syria
Eritrea
Yemen
U.S.
Of the 14,000 referrals to the IRB, just over 1,500 cases have been finalized and 941 have been accepted.
Many Haitians crossed into Canada from the United States this past summer, prompted by a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to terminate temporary protected status that has allowed 60,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S.
Kosovo
The president Kosovo says Russia is trying to destabilize his country and its Balkan neighbours through fake news and other disruptions.
The president made those remarks recently during his visit to Ottawa and said this makes Canada a target, too, because Russia is trying to undermine the values and institutions that Kosovo shares with its Western allies.
In the interview as was reported in the Star, the president of Kosovo said Canada needs to be vigilant against potential threats from Russia.
“We always have to be cautious and careful these days. If somebody thinks they will stop this, they’re wrong. They will continue attacking, fighting Western values.”
Russia and the Arctic
The Arctic Ocean is estimated to hold billions of barrels of oil, and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas – accounting for 16-26 per cent of the Earth’s undiscovered reserves.
And there’s a country that is trying to beat everyone else to win the race to exploit this chilly region on Earth. That country is Russia.
Decades after the Soviet Union fell, Russia embarked on a mission to drill deep into the Arctic seabed, sending a fleet of underwater robots and unmanned submarines into the Earth’s harshest waters.
So, why is Russia sending submarines to the Arctic, because they want to be the first to win the race for the Arctic so that they can exploit all the nature resources in the region.
In this episode, hear about Canada and U.S latest border emergency exercise, CAF to deliver explosive threat training to Iraqi security forces, and Canada’s smart pledge approach to UN peace keeping operations.
Show Notes
As home of the longest international border in the world, Canada and the United States have been working to be prepared to coordinate effective emergency responses in the event of disasters or other threats to safety and security.
In support of this, the Department of National Defence’s Centre for Security Science and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate teamed up for the fifth time to conduct an experiment supporting emergency management officials and first responders. The Canada-U.S. Enhanced Resiliency Experiment series, known as CAUSE, took place on November 15th and 16th near the border between Lower Mainland, British Columbia, and Whatcom County, in the state of Washington.
This exercise provides participants with the opportunity to use a range of tools in a simulated environment, and determine how the technology and applications perform in different scenarios.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ralph Goodale said, “CAUSE is a valuable experiment that will help improve emergency responders’ safety and operational effectiveness on both sides of the border.”
CAF
As part of Canada’s ongoing commitment to enable the lasting defeat of Daesh, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) engineers are delivering explosive threat training to Iraqi security forces (ISF). As well, to better meet the needs of the Global Coalition, the CAF is adjusting its aircraft contributions.
Approximately 20 Canadian Army engineers have deployed to deliver explosive threat training to the ISF in Besmaya, Iraq. Responding to the Coalition’s needs and an evolving military campaign, the CAF has also deployed a second CC-130J Hercules aircraft to join Joint Task Force Iraq (JTF-I), while the CP-140 Aurora detachment will return to Canada in mid-December.
International Peacekeeping Conference
At the International Peacekeeping Conference held recently in Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he will not deploy 600 military or 150 Canadian police officers to any single United Nations peacekeeping operation.
Instead, the Trudeau government will take a “smart pledge” approach that will offer training and air support to other nations, boost female troop deployments, and target the demobilization of child soldiers.
New Peace Support Training Centre; a police website hacked in Saskatchewan; and Commanders’ Conference of American Armies
In this episode, the opening of the new Peace Support Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base in Kingston, a look at the recently concluded 32nd Commanders’ Conference of American Armies and a police website has been hacked in Saskatchewan by supporters of the Islamic State.
Show Notes:
Last week, member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, Mark Gerretsen, took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to highlight the completion of the new Peace Support Training Centre at Canadian Forces Base in Kingston.
The new facility is named after the late LCol Paul Augustus Mayer. LCol Mayer was a CAF infantry officer in the Second World War and Korean War. He greatly contributed to numerous peace support operations serving as Commander in South East Asia and Africa, and as an advisor to the UN Secretary General.
The new training centre was built by Bird Construction Ltd. of Mississauga, Ont., which was awarded the contract $14.5 million to perform the construction work, which was delivered on time and on budget.
CCAA
Commander of the Canadian Army, Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk recently attended the Commanders’ Conference of American Armies (CCAA) in Washington D.C, from November 6 to 9, 2017. The Commander’s Conference of American Armies is an opportunity for Army leaders from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean to meet to discuss areas of mutual interest and share lessons learned. The conference contributes to the security and democratic development of member countries from a military perspective.
The Lieutenant-General said, “I commend the Conference of American Armies members for their achievements during the 32nd cycle and look forward to the productive discussions in the next cycle. This long-term and active multilateral dialogue allows member nations to better understand and identify the needs, challenges, and areas for potential collaboration. Canada is a committed partner in these efforts and will continue to work with member nations to address the complex security challenges of today and tomorrow in a manner that promotes partnerships and cooperation.”
Hacked by ISIS
Police in Prince Albert, Sask., say their website has been hacked by apparent supporters of Islamic State militants.
In an article that appeared on CTV news, we learned that the police force’s website was completely altered to show a black screen with the message: "Hacked by Team System Dz. I Love Islamic state," with a non-English language audio track playing in the background.
In June, the group hacked government websites in Maryland, Ohio and New York.
In this show, Exercise IRON RAM to sharpen Canadian Army soldiers combat skills, Discovery Air Defence has been awarded the contract for the CATS program, and hear about Marcello Sukhdeo’s visit to the Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton.
Show Notes:
About 2,400 soldiers from the Canadian Army that are a part of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, are participating in Exercise IRON RAM over the next three weeks at Canadian Forces Base/Area Support Unit Wainwright.
Exercise IRON RAM which runs from October 23 until November 17 will achieve two major goals while ensuring the readiness of the Canadian Army. First, through the conduct of both dry- and live-fire ranges of increasing complexity, 1 CMBG will confirm individual and collective skills as they seek to maintain and improve their warfighting abilities for future deployments.
Discovery Air
The Canadian government has awarded a contract estimated at more than $1 billion to a Discovery Air Defence to provide fighter-jet training to the Canadian military, according to a piece in the National Post.
The project, known as the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS), will run over an initial 10-year period with the option to continue for another five years.
Discovery Air Defence did not release the value of the contract, but analysts have estimated it to be worth at least $1 billion and some say it could reach $1.5 billion if the five-year option is picked up.
A visit to the Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton
I just got back from a media tour that CAE provided to journalists in Canada, US, UK and Australia at the Air Mobility Training Centre in Trenton. The purpose of the tour was to provide an overview and to see first-hand the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-130J aircrew and maintenance training system located at the Air Mobility Training Centre, at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton.
In this show, Marcello Sukhdeo talks with Marc Bouvrette, president of Gap Wireless about Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Solutions (UAVs). Hear about UAV trends, solutions, applications, training, regulations, and what to expect beyond 2020.
Questions include:
- What trends are you seeing in the marketplace for Enterprise-grade drones and other UAV solutions?
- What differentiates drones suited for the enterprise versus consumer-level drones?
- What types of enterprise applications are prevalent today?
- How extensive is training for drone operators?
- Are regulations for enterprise drone use more strict that for consumer?
- With the increase in drone deployment overall, management of flight plans etc. must be taking up significant resources with regulators?
- At Gap Wireless you are stocking and distributing UAV Solutions. How are you keeping pace with growing demand for the latest technology?
- When you look to the year 2020 and beyond, what do you foresee for the UAV industry?
In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the Canadian Armed Forces counter explosive threat exercise which is underway, Bombardier to sell control of its C Series airliner program to Airbus, and Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack according to a recent survey.
ARDENT DEFENDER 2017
The Canadian Armed Forces have begun a counter explosive threat exercise involving international military participants and Canadian law enforcement agencies. This exercise began on October 16th and will run to November 3rd.
This exercise which is named ARDENT DEFENDER 2017 provides an opportunity for explosive ordnance disposal and improvised explosive device teams to run through scenarios that enable them to practice neutralizing and safely disposing of explosive devices and countering the threat networks that employ them. The training will strengthen inter-operability between Allies, partner nations, Global Affairs Canada and Canadian law enforcement agencies.
Bombardier to sell control of its C Series airliner program
Bombardier Inc. has struck an agreement to sell control of its C Series airliner program to Airbus Group.
The C Series program, has been at the centre of major political and investor drama in Canada since its inception. The single-aisle airliner's development at a cost of $6-billion (U.S.) drove Bombardier to the brink of bankruptcy in 2015 before Quebec handed the company a lifeline by investing $1-billion in the plane.
Quebec supports the transaction with Airbus, calling it the best solution to protect and create jobs in a sector vital to the province's economy. Ottawa has also offered a preliminary endorsement of the transaction, saying it would require review under federal investment law.
Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack
With North Korea issuing warnings that “war may break out at any moment,” it’s no surprise that a recent survey by the Angus Reid Forum found more Canadians are fearful of a nuclear attack.
A survey of over 1,500 Canadians conducted in September found 55 per cent believe the prospect of nuclear war is “very” or “fairly” serious. That’s a marked increase from the 36 per cent of Canadians who said the concerns were serious in November 2016 — a 19 percentage point increase in 10 months.
The survey also notes that that women were more likely than men (64 per cent vs. 45 per cent) to believe that nuclear war is a serious concern.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tensions between North Korea and the U.S. “very scary for everyone.”
In this episode, the CAF bids farewell to the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, also, some insights from John Mannarino, Vanguard’s latest Game Changer and changes to the civilian leadership of the Department of National Defence.
Show Notes:
General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, and the CAF community bid farewell to His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, during an official ceremony on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
In appreciation of his outstanding support and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces, the ceremony consisted of military honours including a CF-18 flypast; a 21-gun salute and a 100-person Guard of Honour.
His Excellency served as the CAF Commander-in-Chief for seven years. During his appointment, the Governor General made it a priority to support military members and their families through various initiatives and activities.
DND
Last Friday, the Prime Minister announced upcoming changes to the civilian leadership of the Department of National Defence, an organization that is absolutely critical to the success of the Canadian Armed Forces. These changes include a new Deputy Minister, Senior Associate Deputy Minister, and Associate Deputy Minister.
Jody Thomas – currently the Senior Associate Deputy Minister – will be promoted Deputy Minister of National Defence effective October 23rd. Jody’s background as Commissioner of the Coast Guard and as a member of the Reserve Force, coupled with her passionate approach to supporting those in uniform and her commitment to building a culture of respect and dignity within the Defence Team, ensure that we continue to have the right leadership within the Department of National Defence.
Bill Matthews, currently Comptroller General of Canada, will step into the role of Senior Associate Deputy Minister. Bill’s financial expertise and breadth of experience will be invaluable as we implement the new defence policy.
Gordon Venner, currently our Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy, will be promoted Associate Deputy Minister. I have long valued Gord’s commitment to the Department, his expertise and advice, and am confident he will serve well in his new role.
Game Changer
Meet John Mannarino, Vanguard’s latest Game Changer. John is the President of Mannarino Systems & Software Inc. About 18 years ago, he started out in the defence industry as a control system engineer at a gas turbine engine OEM in Montreal.
His first seven years were spent on engineering which included design, analysis, modeling, testing, and certification. “I loved the nature of the products we worked on – high-tech and aerospace,” said Mannarino. “This was great technical training – I enjoyed the work quite a bit.”
With this experience, John decided to try something different. He began consulting for a US-based company developing aerospace controls systems. “After a couple of years of proving myself, opportunities developed to handle larger projects and I took them on.” He eventually expanded the company to multiple customers and started branching out to include other engineering services.
In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about Vanguard’s Game Changer series focusing on our latest Game Changer Jim Quick from AIAC and U.S. policy directs the American military not to defend Canada if it is targeted in a ballistic missile attack.
In this episode, the Russian President is opened to the idea of having UN peacekeepers in Ukraine, also the U.K. Prime Minister asked U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in a court dispute between Boeing and Bombardier. And lastly, North Korea issued warnings of “forthcoming measures” against the United States after the latest round of sanctions was announced.
Show Notes
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled his willingness to look into the idea of deploying UN peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine and not only along the conflict line separating Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists, but also in other areas where monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) work.
The Kremlin said Putin made the comments in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 11.
In a statement, the German Chancellor said Putin "agreed to remove the previous limitation of deployment of the planned UN mission" after Ms. Merkel pointed out that "changes in the mandate were necessary."
On September 5, Putin called for the deployment of lightly armed peacekeepers to protect OSCE observers monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine. But he indicated that the peacekeepers would operate only along the front line separating Ukrainian government forces and separatists.
Boeing and Bombardier
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May asked U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in a court dispute between Boeing Co. and Canada’s Bombardier Inc.
Ms. May made the request during a call with President Trump on Sept. 5 and comes at a time when the UK government seeks to protect jobs at a Bombardier plant in Belfast.
It is expected that the UK Prime Minister will discuss this matter with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a visit to Ottawa on Sept. 18.
The U.K. Department for Business said in an emailed statement that their "priority is to encourage Boeing to drop its case and seek a negotiated settlement with Bombardier."
North Korea
In an attempt to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test, the UN Security Council approved new sanctions, targeting the country’s textile industry and limiting its import of crude oil.
After this latest round of UN sanctions was announced, North Korea issued warnings of “forthcoming measures” against the United States.
North Korea said it successfully conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3. The latest test was said to have been a hydrogen bomb designed to be mounted on a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile that has “great destructive power,” state media said following the announcement of the test.
North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations lashed out at the UN’s latest “illegal and unlawful” sanctions against his country, calling it a “grave challenge to international peace and justice.”
The North Korean ambassador went on to warn the U.S. that it will suffer consequences for the approved sanctions.
“The DPRK is ready to use any form of ultimate means,” he said. “The forthcoming measures by DPRK will make the U.S. suffer the greatest pain it’s ever experienced in its history.”
Another delay for CSC and aerospace companies call on PM to move on Super Hornets
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Canada sends a CC130J to Texas to aid in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, another delay for the Canadian Surface Combatant project, and Canadian-based aerospace companies are calling on the Prime Minister to stop blocking the purchase of the Super Hornet fighter jets.
Show Notes:
A Royal Canadian Air Force CC130J Hercules left Canada recently for the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, carrying humanitarian supplies including baby formula, blankets, cribs, and similar items to aid in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
The Government of Canada offered to assist with relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the offer was accepted by the US.
Hurricane Harvey has caused a mandatory evacuation of approximately 750,000 people with an additional 1.1 million people who are under a voluntary evacuation order along the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005, ending a record 12-year drought in which no major hurricanes made landfall in the country. Harvey caused at least 71 confirmed deaths; 1 in Guyana, and 70 in the United States. Harvey is considered the worst disaster in Texas history, and the recovery will take many years. Economic losses are preliminarily estimated at between $70 to $200 billion, with a large portion of the losses sustained by uninsured homeowners.
CSC delays again
The Canadian Surface Combatant program is heading into another delay, the deadline for the RFP for this program is now expected to be in November, moving from August. That means the decision on which off-the-shelf design to go with for the CSC project is being delayed until next year late winter or early spring.
Lisa Campbell, assistant deputy minister of defence and marine procurement, said the delay will not affect the overall timeline for the program.
"It's not going to affect ship construction, which is still planned to start in the early 2020s," Campbell told CBC News in an interview.
According to reports, the procurement plan was more complex than initially advertised and needed to be rewritten. Some of the 12 prequalified bidders complained about tight timelines.
Super Hornet
Ten Canadian-based aerospace companies are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to stop blocking the purchase of 18 Super Hornet fighter jets. These companies are arguing they stand to suffer from the government's unwavering support of Bombardier Inc. in a trade dispute with Boeing Co.
A letter sent recently by senior executives from firms such as L-3 MAS, CAE and GE Canada, reads, "Prime Minister, we ask for your co-operation as we work with Boeing to keep our collective growth and innovation story unfolding here in Canada. Our partnership is deep and enduring, but it needs your engagement."
The letter, which calls on the government to advance "aerospace for all of Canada," is the most recent development in an increasingly bitter dispute between the Canadian government and Boeing.
In this episode, a new directive on how CSE shares intelligence with Canada's closest allies, the new defence policy could end up costing Canada billions more and an interview with Jeffery Hutchinson, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Show Notes
According to a story from CBC News, the office of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is crafting a directive for how Canada's electronic spy agency, that is the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) shares its foreign signals intelligence with its closest allies, the Five Eyes partners. The Five Eyes alliance is made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
CSE's commissioner first advised the defence minister to issue such a directive in 2013.
Christopher Parsons, research associate at The Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, said the purpose would be to authorize and draw boundaries around what is permissible when gathering and sharing data.
While there have been concerns about how the U.S. executive has treated intelligence information over the last six to eight months, Parsons said the directive may have as much to do with the current government's review of national security issues.
"So there's bill C-59 tabled before the summer recesses. As part of that there is total reformation of the CSE Act. So that means the government is really looking at how things work in terms of the collection and dissemination of intelligence information at the moment," Parsons told CBC News.
The new defence policy
The new defence policy could end up costing billions more according to an article from the Canadian Press. Why? Because it doesn’t include one big-ticket item: modernizing North America’s early warning systems.
That sets up a potentially difficult decision: to spend even more on defence than already promised, or to cut back on some of the other promises made to the military.
The current network of long-range radars used by Canada and the U.S. to monitor airborne threats was built in the Arctic in the 1980s but is quickly nearing the end of its useful life.
National Defence’s top financial officer, Claude Rochette, says the department could not account for the cost because Canada and the U.S. have not decided what they actually need.
“It’s still a discussion that needs to be done before we get guidance (from government),” Rochette told The Canadian Press in an interview.
“When we have guidance, then we will start looking at the options ... then we will start looking at costing. But that is not covered in the funding.”
And for our last story, I would like to draw your attention to an Interview I did with Jeffery Hutchinson, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard. This was published in the June/July Vanguard print edition. Now, we have the full interview on our website. Be sure to check it out.
In this interview I asked the Commissioner, his assessment of his new position, what is the focus and vision for the Canadian Coast Guard under his leadership, top challenges, fleet depletion and what is being done, his pressing needs in procurement. If you haven't looked at this yet, please head on over to VangaurdCanada.com and you will see the article on our home page or http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/08/29/interview-with-jeffery-hutchinson-commissioner-of-the-canadian-coast-guard/.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the US to increase troops deployment to Afghanistan, the Prime Minister stance on asylum seekers crossing the border into Canada and the Oceans Protection Plan.
Show Notes:
U.S. President, Donald Trump recently endorsed the option to increase troops to Afghanistan, but has not provided any specific numbers.
In referring to their presence in Afghanistan, the president said he won't be bound by deadlines and the eventual withdrawal will be determined by "conditions on the ground," which is something American military commanders have long supported.
This conflict, which started with President George W. Bush and continued during the Obama administration, has now been taken over by Donald Trump - spanning three US presidents.
Trump said he thought about pulling out of Afghanistan entirely, but decided against it.
Total withdrawal would be a signal of defeat in the face of Iran, Pakistan and Russia, all of which are vying for influence in the region, said a former commander of Canadian special operations troops.
Asylum seekers
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking at a news conference earlier this week, addressed the issue of asylum seekers crossing the border into Canada.
He said, "If I could directly speak to people seeking asylum, I'd like to remind them there's no advantage. Our rules, our principles and our laws apply to everyone."
In the first two weeks of August, more than 3,800 people walked over the border into the province, compared to about 2,900 who crossed throughout all of July.
The Prime Minister stressed that anyone seeking refugee status will have to go through Canada's "rigorous" screening process.
Oceans Protection Plan
In November 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Oceans Protection Plan. With an investment of $1.5 billion dollars, the plan came about due to a collaboration between the federal government and Canadians to protect Canada's coasts and waterways.
Canada is known for the longest coastline in the world, and because of the size of territory to cover, this plan was developed to raise the bar on marine protection.
Through the Oceans Protection Plan, Canada’s new direction on marine safety now includes four priority areas:
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Creating a world-leading marine safety system;
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Protecting and restoring Canada’s marine ecosystems;
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Strengthening partnerships with coastal and Indigenous communities;
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Investing in science for decision-making
Over the next five years, more than 50 initiatives associated with these priority areas are being launched under the Plan. They will include faster response to oil spills, removing abandoned boats across the country, reducing vessel noise to protect whales, exploring new ways to work together with Indigenous communities, and researching how oil behaves when spilled in marine environments.
For more information on this, please check out this article that was submitted to Vanguard from Transport Canada - http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/08/21/the-oceans-protection-plan-canadas-new-direction-to-protect-its-coasts/
Thanks for joining us on Vanguard Radio for today.
In this Vanguard Radio, CAF to deploy team for NATO Air Policing, Lockheed Martin completes its Industrial Regional Benefits commitments and Thales has been awarded the AJISS contact for up to 35 years.
Show Notes
Four CF-18 Hornets and over 130 Canadian Armed Forces personnel will participate in NATO Air Policing in Romania from September to December 2017.
NATO Air Policing is part of Operation REASSURANCE.
The CAF team is made up of members from the 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron of 4 Wing Cold Lake, 2 Air Expeditionary Wing and 17 Wing Winnipeg.
The new Air Task Force that is being to Romania will augment the Romanian Air Force’s capability to preserve the integrity of its airspace.
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin announced recently, the completion of its Industrial Regional Benefits (IRB) commitments, valued at $1.4 billion for the Aircraft Capability Project – Tactical (ACP-T) program.
Lockheed Martin met its IRB requirements one year ahead of schedule, for SMEs, aerospace and defence, for specific regional projects in the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario and Western regions,” according to a press release.
As part of its fulfillment, Lockheed Martin engaged many Canadian companies and universities by funding research and development for innovative technology products and services to “ignite a culture of innovation,” according to Charles Bouchard, chief executive of Lockheed Martin Canada.
Since 1960, the CC-130J Super Hercules have served the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in many missions in the Arctic, search and rescue and humanitarian efforts.
Thales
Thales has been awarded, potentially the largest In-Service Support (ISS) contract in Canadian history. This contact includes the refit, repair, maintenance and training of both the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS), commonly known as AJISS.
The contract covers an initial service period of eight years for up to $800 Million CAD, with options to extend services up to 35 years, for a total value of $5.2 Billion CAD.
To fulfill this contract, Thales will work closely with the RCN's support facilities and personnel.
This contract will generate economic benefit of more than $250 Million CAD in Research & Development for Canada over its 35-year duration.
The company has also provided ISS to navies in Singapore, New Zealand, USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Papua and New Guinea, and Tonga.
In this episode, we cover the news about the return of two Halifax-class frigates from the Asia-Pacific region, National Peacekeepers Day and the 9th annual Military Police National Motorcycle Relay is on the way.
Show Notes:
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Winnipeg and Ottawa returned recently to Canada after a five-month deployment in the Asia-Pacific on POSEIDON CUTLASS 17.
POSEIDON CUTLASS 17 provided an opportunity for over 430 personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces to engage in numerous exercises with regional partner navies, like the Royal Australian Navy, the Chilean Navy, the French Navy, the Indian Navy, and the United States Navy, to name a few. These exercises were done at sea but the RCN also took part in key events and engagements in 14 different ports across 10 countries during its deployment.
This type of deployment helps in providing options for the Government of Canada, in the event a Canadian response is needed in the region; as was the case last year when the HMCS Vancouver provided relief after the earthquake in New Zealand.
Participation in exercises of this nature delivers valuable training and improved interoperability, while advancing the readiness of personnel.
“Through their impressive and professional efforts, they have reinforced Canada’s commitment to our regional friends and partners as we strengthen our mutual understanding and interoperability to ensure our collective success in the future,” said Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.
The deployment showcases Canada’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific region as outlined in Canada’s new defence policy, Strong Secure Engaged.
National Peacekeepers' Day
Since its establishment in 2008, National Peacekeepers' Day has provided an opportunity for Canadians to express their gratitude and respect to those who serve in international peace and security operations.
For the past 60 years, more than 125,000 Canadian personnel of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police forces, as well as Canadian diplomats and civilians have served as peacekeepers around the world.
The greatest single loss of Canadian lives on a peacekeeping mission occurred on August 9, 1974. On that fatal day, all nine Canadian personnel on a United Nations-marked Canadian
transport aircraft were killed when their plane was shot down by Syrian missiles. In recognition of this loss, August 9 was designated as National Peacekeepers' Day.
Since 1948, 122 Canadian peacekeepers gave their lives in service of peace.
The Military Police National Motorcycle Relay
The 9th annual Military Police National Motorcycle Relay (MPNMR) began on July 30th in Victoria, British Columbia, where participants will ride across Canada to raise funds for visually impaired children.
This relay is the world’s longest annual motorcycle relay with a distance of more than 10, 000 kilometres from coast to coast. Stops will be made at Canadian Armed Forces establishments and points of interest along the way.
It is expected that a total of 300 riders will participate, each driving a leg of the relay (some for a day, some for a province and some from coast to coast) as the Relay makes its way across the country to arrive St. John’s, Newfoundland, on August 23.
With what started out initially years ago for Military Police motorcycle enthusiasts, the Relay is now open to anyone (military or civilian) who wishes to ride. Since its start in 2009, the Relay has raised more than $480 000 on behalf of the Military Police Fund for Blind Children and other charities.
If you are interested in participating or even to take a look at the route, please go to https://sites.google.com/site/militarypolicemcrelay/home
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the news about Saudi Arabia using Canadian made military vehicles in clashes with militants, the former defence minister, Peter MacKay regrets not signing the U.S. ballistic missile defence program and the purchase of new machine guns for the Canadian Armed Forces.
Show Notes
Saudi Arabia
The Government of Canada is investigating reports that Saudi Arabia is using Canadian made military vehicles in clashes with militants.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland is concerned and has asked officials to look into this matter.
The statement from Freeland’s department says, “If it is found that Canadian exports have been used to commit serious violations of human rights, the minister will take action.”
Last year there was an outcry when the Trudeau government proceeded with a $15 billion deal to sell light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. This agreement was approved by the Harper government.
Many called on the Liberals to cancel the deal given Saudi Arabia’s widely criticized human rights record. But the former Foreign Affairs minister Stephane Dion said he couldn’t block exports unless the armoured vehicles were being used against innocent civilians, something he had no evidence of. In speaking to the House of Commons back then, he said that he would “reverse the decision” if such equipment was used to commit human-rights abuses.
Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent has already called on the Liberals to terminate export permits if there is “hard evidence” that the Canadian weaponized armoured vehicles are being used against Saudi Arabia’s Shia minority.
Threat from North Korea
Former defence minister Peter MacKay says he regrets not signing on to the U.S. ballistic missile defence program when he had the chance. This policy was a matter that was debated by the former Conservative government, and the previous Liberal administration.
The former defence minister in speaking with CBC News said, "We share a great deal of intelligence with the United States and if they're alarmed, we should be alarmed." Not being involved in the program is "a huge problem.”
The threat from North Korea has grown significantly recently as they’ve demonstrated the capability for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach North America.
The Harper government was in favour of joining the Bush Administration's missile defence shield but made no attempt to buy into the program. Even the Senate defence committee has twice recommended that Canada join this program but in June the Trudeau government opted not to lift the ban on involvement.
MacKay said he believes very few people in the general public "grasp the gravity" of the current situation and the technological advances that have been made by the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
New C6 Machine Guns
The Canadian government will purchase over 1,100 new C6A1 FLEX General Purpose Machine Guns from Colt Canada at just over $32.1 million, according to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.
The current C6 machine guns were procured over 30 years ago. Some have been removed from service due to wear and tear and others are reaching the end of their service life, according to the Canadian military.
The new machine guns are designed to be carried by soldiers or attached to vehicles such as the new TAPV. It will feature a durable polymer butt stock instead of the current wooden style. Also, soldiers will be able to attach pointing devices and optical sighting systems to the new weapon to help increase their operational effectiveness.
The contract includes related equipment such as a cleaning and repair kit, spare parts, and sling to carry the weapon.
The first deliveries of the new C6 is expected in September 2018 with final deliveries by June
In the show today, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the Canadian Forces readiness to fight wildfires in British Columbia, the extension of Canada’s military mission in Iraq and the RCN deploys a team to SEA BREEZE 2017. Wildfires in BC For the first time since 2003, members of the Canadian Forces are in British Columbia getting ready to battle wildfires. Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said on Sunday that Ottawa had received and approved a request for help battling the hundreds of wildfires that have prompted a state of emergency in the province. He said that they will be on standby and ready to support provincial efforts, whatever that ask may be. BC Chief fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek said that at this point they would first utilize their partner agencies from around Canada for trained wildfire staff before they would turn to support from the armed forces in terms of a front line fire suppression role. Shifting weather patterns are raising concerns in the B.C. Interior where firefighters continue to battle hundreds of wildfires that have already forced over 14,000 people to flee their homes. Wind and lightning could make conditions much worse, sparking new fires and spreading them further. Iraqi mission extended The Liberal government has extended Canada’s military mission in Iraq until March 31, 2019. In a news release, the government says that Canada will providing over $371 million over the next two years to support the cost of this renewed contribution to the Global Coalition against ISIS. This extension includes the authority to provide training for new potential partners within the Iraqi security forces and a CC-130J Hercules aircraft for tactical airlift. Critics are saying that the Liberals extended the mission without Parliamentary debate and that this type of situation should prompt a full debate in Parliament. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told journalists on Thursday that the original mission was already debated in the House of Commons. SEA BREEZE 2017 A team of 14 divers, support staff and staff officers from Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic and Maritime Forces Atlantic has been deployed by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) to SEA BREEZE 2017. Being led by the United States and Ukraine Navies, SEA BREEZE 2017 (SB17) is a multinational training event that is taking place in Odessa, Ukraine from July 10 to 21. This event will focus on training and exercise in maritime operations support information sharing and awareness of the maritime domain, according to a release from National Defence. SB17 provides an invaluable opportunity for the Canadian Armed Forces to build and strengthen interoperability skills between Canada’s international maritime allies. These skills when finely honed “are remarkably exportable to achieve higher levels of security in the international setting,” said Rear-Admiral John Newton.
Vanguard magazine takes you through a first-hand account of the 2017 Wounded Warriors Canada Battlefield Bike Ride with special guest Astrid Neuland.
For more information on Wounded Warriors, please visit: https://woundedwarriors.ca/
For the show today, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the announcement by the Defence Minister to increase capabilities for cybersecurity, also, NATO has made a request for Canada to send police trainers to Afghanistan and we will close with our latest Game Changers.
This show is brought to you by Gap Wireless. Gap Wireless provides UAV Hardware and Software solutions for inspection, survey and mapping and public safety. Learn more at gapwirelessonline.com.
Cybersecurity
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said that the Canadian Armed Forces will be looking to increase training so as to deal with cyberattacks, also it plans to recruit more cyber specialists.
The minister said, "The use of cyber technology in a military context is growing steadily and as such Canada must leverage that technology to maintain a military advantage. Our forces need to be equipped with the ability to detect, organize and identify cyber threats and be prepared to take appropriate action."
The new defence policy which was announced on June 7, outlines the plan to be Strong, Secure, Engaged by increasing the size of the military, modernizing the submarine fleet, and replacing the CF-18 fleet along with other procurements.
NATO’s request
Canada is considering a NATO request to send police trainers to Afghanistan according to the Defence Minister. This comes three years after the military mission officially ended.
The request came from the U.S. through NATO, and could involve either civilian police trainers like the RCMP, or military trainers working with Afghan police, a defence official said according to CTV news.
The minister said that "We are actually still committed to Afghanistan. We've provided the funding, whether it's for development" or salaries for security forces in the country.
From 2014 to 2017, Canada committed $227 million in international development programs in Afghanistan, and $330 million from 2015 to 2018 in support for the Afghan National Security Forces, which include the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police.
Over the 12-year mission, 158 Canadian troops were killed, as well as a diplomat, a journalist and two civilian contractors, according to a tally by The Canadian Press.
Game Changers for June/July issue
We are in the process of finalizing the June/July issue of Vanguard which will feature an exclusive interview with the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Jeffery Hutchinson. In this issue, you can read about his top challenges, his focus and vision for the Coast Guard and the most pressing needs with regards to procurement.
Also, we are excited to announce the Game Changers for this issue: Barney Bangs, President of Tulmar Safety Systems Inc.; Mohsen Mohammadi, Assistant Professor and Director for the new Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at the University of New Brunswick; and Colin Stephenson, Executive Director, DEFSEC Atlantic.
Thanks for listening.
CSC cost, benefits to Canadians and another delay
In the show today, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about another delay in RFP submission for the CSC program, the cost versus benefits to Canadians for CSC and the possible extension of the Canadian Forces operation in the Middle East.
Show Notes:
RFP for CSC
The Government of Canada and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. are extending the submission deadline for the Canadian Surface Combatant Request for Proposals (RFP).
The deadline for RFPs was previously scheduled for June 22, but now that has been extended to be no sooner than mid-August 2017.
Cost of CSC
A recent report Value for Canada: The cost versus benefit to Canadians of the National Shipbuilding Strategy examines the benefits to Canada on an economic and fiscal level and its impact on the creation of jobs, the GDP and public finances.
The report also focuses on the cost of building these ships locally and overseas.
Both the Build in Canada and Build in Europe scenarios were measured by the Benefit-Cost-Ratio (BCR) which is a cost-benefit analysis that gives the best way to assess the value for money to Canada according to the report. The potential economic benefits of building the CSC fleet in Canada and the expected difference in cost to do so overseas were considered.
The report also provided details on the costs that were measured like production, ship design, integration and modification, and extra costs to build the lead ship. The report excluded costs of administering the NSS, initial on-board spares and full lifecycle costs.
Learn more about the report http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/06/06/csc-cost-versus-benefits-to-canadians/
Operation in the Middle East
The commander of the Canadian Forces mission in Iraq and Syria, Brig.-Gen. Dan MacIsaac says he expects the government to extend the operation past its scheduled expiry date at the end of the month.
He said he is looking forward to seeing a renewed commitment of more than 800 military personnel as part of the long-awaited defence policy review.
The government has not formally announced an extension of the mission, which is Canada’s contribution to the international coalition of more than 60 countries that is trying to degrade ISIS.
Sign up today for Basic Membership of Vanguard http://www.vanguardcanada.com/membership-basic/
In this show, you’ll hear from Lee Obst, President and Managing Director at Rockwell Collins Canada. Terri Pavelic, Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard spoke with Lee a few days ago during their open house event in Ottawa.
Rockwell Collins is multinational company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa providing avionics and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers. Seen as a leader in aviation and high-integrity solutions for commercial and military customers around the world, Rockwell Collins provides flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, cabin interiors, information management, mission communications, and simulation and training products and services.
Tax exemption for those serving on overseas missions, the military exercise Maple Resolve and the announcement of defence deals with Saudi Arabia that has caused shares to jump for some defence giants. All on this episode of Vanguard Radio.
Show Notes:
Tax exemption
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said late last week that the salaries of Canadian soldiers and police officers serving on overseas missions will no longer be federally taxed.
This tax exemption is retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year and will cover 1,450 personnel who are currently serving on international operations.
Maple Resolve
Almost 5,000 military personnel are at CFB Wainwright in Alberta, taking part in the largest and most comprehensive military exercise of the year - Exercise Maple Resolve. Of this number, 4,000 are Canadians and the other 1,000 are soldiers from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Britain, training together in a fully immersive force-on-force battle scenario. Among the troops are hundreds of actors there to add friction to the war games.
The aim of this exercise is to help the military practice their skills in an environment that is as realistic as possible for when they are deployed.
Training centre commander Col. Peter Scott said the online news was used to help sway the opinions of the local population and is something that “commanders have to take into account in all of their planning going into any operations. I think the only thing that is missing is that there are not real bullets flying. We’ve created an environment that is as close as possible to what they will face on any given deployment.”
When the exercise is over, the entire group will sit down and look at what went right and what went wrong so soldiers can learn from their successes and failures.
Shares in defence giants rose
Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing shares rose on Monday, after a weekend of deals between US companies and Saudi Arabia. This came after President Trump’s first visit to Saudi Arabia, where a $110bn arms package was announced.
Lockheed Martin signed a $6bn deal to assemble 150 Blackhawk helicopters with the potential of future orders.
Raytheon also inked agreements for local defence contracts. Boeing has secured aircraft and helicopter contracts, announcing on Sunday that it has agreed to a potential sale of 16 wide-body commercial aircraft to a Saudi airline.
Thanks for listening.
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AI to model brains and Commissioner Hutchinson’s vision of the Coast Guard
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the delay in Canada’s new defence policy, also he touches on a new military research program that aims to model artificially intelligent systems after the brains of living creatures and shares a snippet of an interview that he did with Commissioner Hutchinson of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Show Notes:
New defence policy
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced that the new defence policy which was expected this week would be released on June 7.
This will be after the Prime Minister attends a meeting with other NATO leaders in Brussels on May 25.
This week the Defence Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister will hold scheduled talks in Washington with the Trump administration. This move has infuriated many from the opposition including Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose who said, “I know the chamber has not seen it, members of Parliament have not seen it, and the military has not seen it.”
“Why do Washington insiders get privileged access to Canadian defence policies before the Canadian public does and before the Canadian military does?” she said in question period.
Currently, Canada spends less than one per cent of GDP on defence, which is way below NATO’s target of two per cent. So, it will be interesting to see what the increase will be like when new defence policy is released on June 7th.
AI to model brains
A new military research program in the US aiming to model artificially intelligent systems after the brains of living creatures. The reason - biological systems don't completely freeze up when they encounter a new situation, but computers often do.
When an organism encounters a new environment or situation, it relies on past experience to help it make a decision. Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, relies on data, and if it hasn’t encountered a specific situation before or don’t have the date then it can’t select the next step.
The program named the Defense Advanced Research Projects Activity is searching for technology that constantly updates its decision-making framework to merge experience and new “lessons learned” to situations it encounters instead to what is being done today, that is to retrain the machine learning’s system with new relevant data sets relevant to manage the situation, by erasing the previous programming in favor of the new data.
Interview with Commissioner Hutchinson
Snippet of an interview with the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Jeffery Hutchinson on his focus and vision of the Canadian Coast Guard and as compared to that of his predecessor.
In this show, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about the call by the Senate’s defence committee to scrap the purchase of Boeing Super Hornets, also he touches on the grilling of Defence Minister Sajjan and developing the super soldier.
Show Notes:
The Senate's defence committee is recommending that the Trudeau government forget about buying an interim fleet of Boeing’s Super Hornet fighters and instead look at replacing the entire fleet of CF-18s.
The Senate committee said that the interim Super Hornet purchase would hinder more than help. They are urging the federal government to hold a quick competition to pick a permanent solution for Canada’s next fighter plane and make a decision by end of June, 2018.
A few weeks ago, the same committee released another report which reveals that our current defence spending is at an historic low — at around 0.88 per cent of gross domestic product. The committee recommends that the federal government lay out a plan to increase spending to two per cent of GDP over an 11-year period.
This report is not binding on the federal government and in the past, the previous administrations have ignored what Senate committees say. But, given what is going on currently in the political realm, with the Trump administration really pushing allies on defence spending, we can see what the Senate committee is recommending may push the federal government to increase defence spending.
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The minister and his fellow Liberal MPs are trying to shift the conversation and by blaming the conservatives of inconsistent investment in defence over the years.
MPs on the other hand are trying to make the case that he should no longer serve as Defence Minister. The motion says, “the House has lost confidence in the Minister of National Defence’s ability to carry out his responsibilities on behalf of the Government since, on multiple occasions the Minister misrepresented his military service and provided misleading information to the House.”
A vote on the matter is expected anytime soon and it looks like Liberal majority in the Commons will vote for the motion to not pass.
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In the battlefield, maintaining a competitive advantage not only requires sound military strategy and weaponry, but also a consistently high degree of performance by soldiers, operating in multi-dimensional roles.
To get to the level of super soldiers, military leaders and defence experts are looking to enhance the critical, social, cultural and ethical skills and knowledge of soldiers to improve overall military performance.
This subject will be addressed at the twelfth annual Kingston Conference on International Security (KCIS).
The two-day event has six panels that will delve into overcoming human limitations, emerging technologies to successfully accelerate the physical limits of troops, processing and analyzing information for optimal decision making in operational environments.
The panels on the second day will include increasing social, cultural, and gender-based awareness, the multiple dimensions of resilience and how we should approach military performance enhancement.
This event will take place from June 12 to 14 in Kingston, Ontario. If you would like to know more, please go here.
The major challenges of body-worn cameras
In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about body-worn camera technology and the benefits and challenges of it. Also, he shares the latest Vanguard's game changers that will be published in the Apr/May issue.
Body-worn Cameras
Over the recent months and years, we have seen incidents of the use of force by law enforcement officers triggering a public outcry and civil rights concerns.
Many police services have started experimenting with body-worn cameras to help protect their officers while having a record of their interactions with the public.
But this according to an article written by Valarie Findlay there is uncertainty about how much body-worn cameras will help with officers' interactions with the public — and whether it will improve the behaviours of both the public and police officers in all situations?
Recently Ottawa Police Services announced they will be launching a body-worn camera pilot project to test the effectiveness of this technology.
But the question to ask is: Are Canadian law enforcement organizations — and the public — ready for the challenges that come with the technology?
To get the answer we need to take a look at the early body-worn camera programs, such as the one with Devon and Cornwall Police (UK). The focus was on getting evidence and preserving victim first-disclosure. Also, to reduce public complaints and inappropriate behaviours while being a tool to reduce the use of force.
In the U.S., for example, the demand for body-worn cameras and rapid adoption have ramped up as a result of increased racial conflicts and race-related shootings in interactions with police. In in the U.S. in 2013, about 95 per cent of the 17,500 state and local law enforcement agencies were either committed to body cameras or had completed their implementation. That's a high percentage.
Many of these pilot programs have produced data indicating high success rates, but what does the research say? Studies showed that body-worn cameras did improve complaints and interactions, but further examination of the data revealed that some officers wore cameras only half of the time, on the positive side, complaints were resolved quickly due to the accessibility of video evidence.
As the acceptance of this technology by the public and by officers grows, there are concerns over privacy.
Privacy and the cost to implement and sustain this program are the main challenges that the body-worn camera project faces.
For Canadian law enforcement organizations, they are in a good position to glean lessons learned in the U.S. and the U.K. before implementing and by then the cost of this technology and deployment will hopefully be more affordable to warrant implementation.
Vanguard's Game Changers
· Len Anderson, CEO of Renaissance Repair and Supply and Terra Nova Eng
· Philippe Dupuis, President of Precision 3D
· Duane Barry, VP of Business Development and acting Managing Director of QinetiQ Canada
For the full interviews, go to VanguardCanada.com and click on the Game Changers tab.
The government hast just extended the CAF's anti-ISIS operations. But that's not the only change that's worth reporting about the military's mission in Iraq.
Also, a team of former and current military experts are recommending an overhaul of the Royal Military College of Canada's training module.
New collaborations and contracts are reported by defence industry firms Airbus, SITA, Mannarino Systems & Software, Lockheed Martin, Field Aviation and CAE.
Links:
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/03/31/caf-anti-isis-mission-extended/
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/03/29/rmcc-training-to-be-revamped/
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/04/04/airbus-sita-work-together-on-air-transport-cybersecurity/
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/04/03/montreal-software-firm-bags-lockheeds-offset-investment/
http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/03/31/field-aviation-to-upgrade-ct-156-harvard-aircraft/
That’s right, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with its 28 independent member countries across North America and Europe, represents several procurement contract opportunities worth several billion dollars for Canadian defence companies.
And NITEC17, the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) agency industry conference, is bringing more than 600 high-level defence experts from across the allied militaries, industry and academia to Ottawa for a three-day conference from April the 24th to the 26th.
The theme of this year’s event is Sharpening NATO’s Technological Edge: Adaptive Partnerships and the Innovative Power of Alliance Industry.
Vanguard Radio recently spoke with Peter Scaruppe, director of acquisition for NCI,and during our brief interview outlined some of NATOs procurement needs and its current focus on building its cyber capabilities.
Hear more of what Scaruppe had to say in our podcast…
“NITEC17 will be of interest to the Canadian security and defence industry because it will inform them on what are the future contracting opportunities in the pipeline over the next one to three years within NATO,” according to Scaruppe. “The conference will help Canadian industry understand the NATO system better – how we do acquisition, which technologies are in demand with NATO, and how to successfully take part in the procurement process.”
Podcast time stamp:
00:55 – The role of the NCI director of acquisition
01:53 – NATO’s $4.2 billion procurement programs
02:13 – Why NITEC17 is important for Canadian companies
04:46 – What are the potential contract opportunities within NATO
07:25 – 10 upcoming main competitions
08:39 – NATO’s IT procurement needs
09: 18 – Focus on Infrastructure as a Service
10: 38 – Featured speakers and business and networking opportunities
13:19 – Advice on how to make the most out of NITEC17
To find out more about NITEC17 and to register, click on this link
I this episode of the Vanguard Podcast, Marcello Sukhdeo, managing editor of Vanguard Magazine, reports on the latest marine technologies and best practices discussed during our recently concluded Horizon 2025 - Technologies of the Future event in Ottawa. The Canadian Armed Forces release its first ever doctrine which spells out how officers and personnel should handle child soldiers. RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson expresses his force's frustration with the shoddy IT services provided by Shared Services Canada.
In this episode of Vanguard Radio:
- The U.S. Department of National Defence says it is looking into the possibility of renting out a space at the Trump Tower
- Harjit Sajjan meets his American counterpart
- L3 proposes is Spydr II aircraft for the CAF’s MAISR program
- Black soldiers in the Canadian military are honoured.
Links:
http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/02/08/dod-looking-to-rent-space-at-trump-tower/
http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/02/07/sajjan-mattis-meeting-cordial-questions-raised-about-nato-peacekeeping/
http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/02/08/black-canadians-at-vimy-ridge/
http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/02/09/l3-proposes-spydr-ii-system-for-dnds-manned-isr-program/
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we cover the latest C4ISR and Beyond 2017 conference in Ottawa, an upcoming competition, between Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and Boeing’s Super Hornet, the promotion of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s first ever female second in command, and the Ranger’s unique snowmobile expedition.
Show Links:
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/02/03/senior-officers-open-up-on-c4isr-needs/
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/01/30/pentagon-orders-super-hornet-f-35-comparison-test/
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/01/31/rcaf-gets-its-first-women-deputy-commander/
- http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2017/02/01/canadian-rangers-on-snowmobile-expedition/
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re likely well aware that cybersecurity and state-sponsored hacking a really major nice topics these days.
One only needs to dial in on the social media chatter from U.S. about its intelligence community
and their recent briefing on Russian hacking operations in the U.S. to president elect Donald Trump and his strong reactions to what he had to say
To gauge the how much cybersecurity has entered the public discussion.
Here in Canada, we just found out that our government systems as not as secure as we would want to believe. Checkout the vanguard article: Government computer networks can’t standup to cyberattacks: Report Documents from Public Safety Canada indicate that the country is a prime target for cybercrime, state-sponsored cyberattacks, and lone wolf-type hackers. Consulting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers prepared for the federal public safety and emergency organization by which revealed that Canada’s federal information technology systems are ill-equipped to handle potential cyberattacks.
Today, we have with us French Caldwell, chief evangelist of governance, risk and compliance company Metric Stream to discuss with us what this could mean to the government and the military and defence establishment as well as companies doing business with them.
We hope you enjoyed and found a lot of useful information from our interview with French Caldwell.
This is your host Nestor Arellano
Saying see you again on the next episode of Vanguard Radio.
Future technology that will disrupt the defence industry In our first Vanguard Radio show for 2017, we look at some of the technology that will influence modern warfare in the 21st-century. Vanguard also takes a sneak peek into the double life of a Canadian information warfare naval officer. We weigh the pros and cons of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's defence policy-by-Twitter. And we search for meaning in the death of a Canadian veteran suffering from PTSD.
Canadian sailors seize 2 tons of cocaine in a joint anti-drug trafficking operation in the Pacific Coast of Central America, a Canadian pilot perishes in crash in Cold Lake and L 3 partners with Boeing on the Super Hornet Program.
These are the stories we’ll talk about on this edition of the Vanguard Radio.
But first, CAF faces a class action suit….
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Former Royal Canadian Navy member Nicola Peffer is on a mission. She’s seeking to change the culture of sexual harassment and abuse in the military.
And she’s filing a class action suit against the CAF, which the lawyer representing her believes will embolden hundreds of other former and current military members who suffered sexual harassment and abuse to join.
The 34-year-old former sailor served onboard frigates in Esquimalt near Victoria B.C.
She left the force in 2012, after the military rejected her complaints of unwanted sexual advances by her superior.
Peffer said she faced retaliation and professional repercussions after refusing to comply with the sexual demands of one of her superiors.
“When I arrived, I learned the culture was not one of camaraderie, at least for women or LGBTQ members,” Peffer said in a phone interview. “The culture was one of fear and intimidation. The culture was one of abuse, discrimination, bullying, and harassment. The culture was of sexual assault.”
Her allegations have yet to be proven in court. DND said it is aware of the planned legal action and is reviewing its options.
This is only the second class action suit linked to sexual misconduct in the military.
Last month, Glynis Rogers, a former CAF member from Nova Scotia, filed a statement of claim against Ottawa before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
She claims she was subjected to sexual orientation-based discrimination, bullying and harassment during training and during her time as a regular member of the armed forces.
Rogers, who joined the service in 2006, said that female CAF members were often called names and treated as inferior members of the military.
If the case proceeds, it could include other women who claim to have suffered similar treatment in the military.
Peffer and Rogers’ statement of claims underscore a 2015 StatsCan survey which indicates that 960 members of the were victims assault involving fellow military members in the workplace.
More than 43,000 responses were collected representing 53 per cent of the CAF population. The survey was only released this November.
Unwanted sexual touching was the most common form of sexual assault, reported by 1.5 per cent (or 840) regular force members.
79 per cent members of the regular forces saw, heard, or were personally targeted by sexualized behaviour in the military workplace or involving military members, DND employees, or contractors.
Women in the regular force were more likely than men to be sexually assaulted (4.8 per cent versus 1.2 per cent) in the twelve months preceding the survey.
Some of these incidents occurred even after the CDS Gen. Jonathan Vance had given an order for such behavior to stop.
These recent developments are important because they bring home the gravity and insidious impact of this highly sexualized and abusive culture in the military and its members.
When you have nearly 1,000 employees admitting to be sexually victimized – your organization has a problem.
To be fair, the CDS has made efforts to deal with the situation. Op Honour, which was launched by the CDS last year, has resulted in 30 CAF members being punished and 97 investigations into other cases of inappropriate behavior are underway.
In the period of April to July 2016, a total of 148 incidents of harmful sexual behaviour were reported to the chain of command.
But there are still doubts as to whether the message is getting through.
The 148 reported incidents are far overshadowed by the 960 individuals who reported being victims of sexual assault in the StatsCan survey.
Why are fewer people coming forward to formally report these incidents?
What barriers could be preventing them? Are whistleblowers and victims afraid of reprisal? What protections could be provided to them? How much buy-in from officers if Op Honour getting?
Perhaps, we will get the answers to these questions through the class action lawsuits of Peffer and Rogers.
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It was with sadness that Vanguard reported the demise of Capt. Thomas McQueen of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Capt. McQueen was killed Nov 28th when his CF-18 fighter jet crashed at the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan. He had been flying on a regular training mission.
McQueen had been in the RCAF since 2006,
Cold Lake is known as the busiest fighter training base in Canada providing training for all Canadian Forces pilots. The air weapons range covers almost 30,000 square kilometres spanning the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The crash is currently investigated.
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In November, the Liberals announced its plan to buy 18 F/A18 Super Hornet jets from Boeing as an “interim purchase” to address its immediate fighter jet “capability gap.”
It was a controversial announcement since the purchase was being done even before the Federal Government had initiated its competition for the CF-18 replacement program.
And appears to have placed Boeing at an advantageous position over its rivals – primarily Lockheed Martin which is proposing the F-35 Lighting II fighter jet.
At least L-3 Communications was happy to announce early this month that it has memorandum of agreement with Boeing on the production and support service for the aerospace company’s Super Hornet fighter aircraft.
L-3 MAS is one of more than 560 Boeing suppliers across Canada.
The MOU comes at a time when L-3 MAS is celebrating its 30th anniversary of providing integrated technical support for the RCAF’s current fleet of CF-18 Hornets. L-3 MAS was awarded on October 31, 1986, an ITS contract for the CF-18 Hornet, a platform that was first produced by McDonnell Douglas before the company merged with Boeing in 1996.
One more thing, L-3 has undergone a branding transformation.
Effective December 31, 2016, the company will be known as L3 Technologies, Inc.
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Well, that’s it for this week’s show.
This is your host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week
On the next episode of the Vanguard Radio.
The CAF’s Web site gets hacked, tips on taking care of your supply chain, and shooting first against ISIS.
These are the items we’ll be taking about on the Vanguard Radio today.
The CAF honours its first female Army colonel. Two Army officers are seeking formal recognition of the growing number of CAF members with Latino heritage. And the century-old Royal Military College goes under a thorough investigation
These are the stories we’ll be reviewing on the Vanguard Radio.
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Early last week, cadets and personnel of the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario gathered to hear a somber announcement from Vice- Admiral Mark Norman.
The 140-year-old institution that has groomed the men and women who would become officers of the Canadian Armed Forces was being placed under a review.
By now the Special Staff Assistant Visit team has already begun their initial investigation which Adm. Norman said will cover the “climate, training, environment, culture and program construct at the RMCC.
Deployment of the SSAV comes at a time when the there are several concerns over suspected suicide and allegations of sexual misconduct in campus.
In recent months, there have been several reports of sexual misconduct at the college.
Court martial documents show that an officer cadet received a severe reprimand and a fine of $2,000 in May 2015 after pleading guilty to a charge of assaulting a fellow cadet without her consent in 2013.
The military is also investigating the sudden deaths between May and August of three RMCC cadets aged 19 to 22.
However, Adm. Norman wants to make it clear that the ongoing review is entirely about sexual misconduct.
“Yes that has been one of the contributors, he said
But the SSAV is not exclusively focused on that one dimension.
This is an investigation into a broader malaise, he stressed.
In his letter to the parents, the vice chief of staff said the SSAV team will examine the following areas:
-
What are the significant stressors affecting RMCC cadets? Can cadets identify and seek help to deal with stress without being viewed as weak?
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What support mechanisms are available to cadets for their mental health support, physical fitness, and counselling? How are cadets being made aware of these?
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What is the state of moral of RMCC cadets, the military wing and the academic wing? What are the factors leading to this state of morale?
-
Does the current command structure of the college allow it to carry out its mission?
The admiral said the findings of the team will help inform decision on what changes or remedies should be done.
The military hope to conclude the review by February next year.
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Elizabeth Lawrie (Beth) Smellie was the daughter of a frontier physician who was a chief surgeon for the Canadian Pacific Railway as it was being built.
Despite her father’s discouragement, she left home to study nursing at Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland.
At the age of 25 in 1909, diploma in hand, she returned to Canada to as the night supervisor at McKellar General Hospital in her hometown, followed by a stint as a private nurse.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Beth was one of the first to be accepted into the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a nursing sister.
No one probably knew it then, but Beth would become the first woman to reach in the rank of Colonel in the Canadian Army in 1944.
Few probably remember her accomplishments now, but she made several ground breaking strides in the field of medicine both in the service and in civilian life.
Beth is also known for organizing the Army’s Canadian Women’s Army Corp. in 1941.
You can find out more about bet in Lynn Capuano’s story: First female Army colonel oversaw creation of CWAC.
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Two Canadian Army officers have taken it upon themselves to shine a light on the contributions of Latin-Canadian members in particular.
Captain Rey Garcia-Salas and Captain Milton Hoyos hope to see, beginning as early as next year, Latin-Canadians acknowledged with an event similar to Black History Month each February and Asian Heritage Month in May.
Both men were part of a CAF delegation to this year’s Festival Latino in Ottawa. They and about a dozen other CAF representatives took part in the event, reports Steven Fouchard in his recent Vanguard post.
A native of Guatemala, who joined the Army Reserve in the late 1990s, Capt. Garcia-Salas is hoping a formal event within CAF will also serve as a demonstration to young Latin-Canadians that the organization is both welcoming and an excellent place to build a rewarding career.
Read more about his story, in Steven’s post: Army officers propose formal Latino heritage recognition
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Well, that’s it for now.
I hope you enjoyed our review of some of the stories we covered last week.
This is you host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week on, the Vanguard Radio.
Vanguard Radio Oct 26 2016
Thanks Terri.
The battle rages on in northern Iraq as Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters continue their push to root out ISIS terrorists who once held sway in Mosul.
That and just what is the nature of Canada’s involvement in the assault on Mosul is one of stories in this week’s episode of Vanguard Radio.
But first, an update on the latest issue of the Vanguard Magazine
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That’s right the digital format of the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of the Vanguard Magazine is out.
Our print issue will surely follow in the next few days.
This time around, Vanguard takes dives into the topic of underwater drones or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.
The Navy is looking to procure AUVs for marine mine hunting operations.
Rick Gerbrecht of Atlas Elektronik Canada explains why underwater drones are perfect for such a task and also provides us a glimpse of the future of “drone swarms.”
While armed airbourne drones have been called the terror of the skies, unmanned aerial vehicles could be their life-saving counter-parts.
In the latest issue of Vanguard Magazine, Ken Chadder and Kevin Young of Hexagon Safety and Infrastructure, talk about the critical role that drones will play in the planning of real-time emergency response.
For this issue, our Game Changers are: Heather Pilot, president of business consulting firm Pilot Hill and lead organizer of the Best Defence Conference;
Bodo Gospodnetic, president of Dominis Engineering Ltd., a pioneer in the design, machining and measurement of marine propellers, water jet impellers, and hydro turbine runners;
and George Palikaras, founder and CEO of Metamaterial Technologies.
Be sure to check out the latest Vanguard Magazine you’ll find the link to it at the bottom or our web site.
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On Oct 17, Iraqi government troops and Kurdish Peshmerga forces moved in on Mosul to dislodge ISIS terrorists that have been holding the northern Iraqi city since last year.
The Iraqi troops and the Kurds are being backed by a US-led coalition which also includes Canadian forces.
You’ll find some of our earlier accounts of the battle in the stories Major Move Mosul and ISIS sleeper cells launch counterattack.
But what many Canadian would like to know is the nature of involvement of the Canadian Armed Forces personnel in the operation.
Are our soldiers involved in armed combat or not?
Last Week, photos surfaced on social media which gave the impression that they are in the front lines.
Pictures appearing on Twitter showed men in Canadian uniforms apparently setting up heavy weapons or manning armoured vehicles.
Accompanying reports said they were helping Kurdish fighters in an area east of Mosul.
In our recent story Are Canadian in the front lines in Mosul, the reaction of Defence Chief Harjit Sajjan has been cryptic.
While he did not question the photos, he also did not clearly say if Canadian troops were involved in combat.
Under Operation Impact, the Canadian Armed Forces provide training and assistance to the Iraqi security forces.
We support the Coalition with highly skilled personnel, and provide support to Coalition air and intelligence efforts.
Canada is at the forefront of international efforts to defeat Daesh and to address the significant security, humanitarian, and political challenges it poses.
But right from the start, the role of Canadian troops was stated by the Liberal government to be non-combative.
Has this role somehow changed to active battle involvement?
We think Canadians deserve to know.
The government needs to be more transparent
Canadians shouldn’t be kept in the dark about this and left to find out what’s happening really happening through Twitter.
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That’s it for this episode of Vanguard Radio.
We hope you enjoyed our recap of some of the developments we have been following this week.
Vanguard will continue to monitor the unfolding events in Mosul as well as the latest reports from the defence industry.
This is your host, Nestor Arellano
Saying see you again next week on the Vanguard Radio
Vanguard Radio reports on the military ombudsman’s call for an end to the delay of benefits for medically discharging CAF members. And, the head of Canada’s Communication Security Establishment sounds the alarm on a ticking time bomb called quantum computing.
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Last month Gen Jonathan Vance provided the public an update on Operation Honour, the CAF’s military campaign against sexual misconduct in the military.
At that time, the CDS said the campaign was off to a good start but also warned that there awas lots of work ahead.
Last week, those tasked with carrying out Operation Honour received much needed help with the launch of The Sexual Offence Response Team.
The new 18-member team will help identify, investigate and help prosecute CAF and DND members responsible for criminal sexual offences.
The Sexual Offence Response Team are dispersed in three-member teams at the six Canadian Forces National Investigation Service’s regional offices located in Victoria, Edmonton, Borden, Ottawa, Valcartier, and Halifax.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is a unit within the independent Canadian Forces Military Police Group.
Frontline Military Police remains a key part of the investigative process as they are often the first point of contact for complainants in reporting any offence.
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Several weeKs ago, Vanguard covered the release of a report from the military ombudsman’s detailing the procedural red tape that delays the benefits and medical services that many medically discharged CAF members need.
The report by Gary Walbourne, the DND and CAF ombudsman, was written back in May but only made public in September.
In it he said the voluminous documents and requirements and administrative procedures that ill and injured CAF members need to navigate through illustrate that the current system is broken.
Last week, the Ombudsman produced another report.
Plainly titled Simplifying the service delivery model for medically releasing members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the document provides a more detailed account of the changes that Walbourne’s office is recommending.
Once more, the Ombudsman also decried the complex procedures which CAF members and their families had to deal with.
For example, medically discharging CAF members had to discuss their cases and produce documentation for three distinct offices – the CAF Veterans Affairs and the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP).
This meant they had deal with three separate case managers, file 21 separate applications, and navigate three different processes with different timelines.
Among the recommendation of the Ombudsman were:
- The retention of ill or injured CAF members until all benefits and services from CAF, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)and Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP) are put in place.
- The establishment of a transition concierge service to act as a single point of contact for members and their families. (The UK and U.S. provide this service).
- The development of a secure web portal (already done by VAC, but not DND and SISIP) single point of entry for all matters related to the transition from CAF to civilian life.
“Far too many members are medically released from the military before they learn what medical or financial support, if any, they will receive,” said Walbourne.
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Quantum computing is a much vaunted revolutionary way of computing which promises to help organizations solve complex problems more than a thousand times faster that they could with the fastest computers available today.
Researchers, technology experts and leaders of various sectors believe quantum computing will help accelerate innovation, cut down cost of production and more.
However, quantum computing could also usher in a new age of cyber insecurity where even the strongest data and network protection tools and techniques could be easily bypassed by hackers.
Greta Bossenmaier, head of the Canada’s Communication Security Establishment, warned that within a mere 10 years or by 2026 quantum computing will have the ability to break down even the toughest encryption method we use today.
This has a tremendous impact on how governments, militaries and businesses protect their networks since much of the world’s industries, businesses and utilities are tied to power grids and connected to the Internet.
The CSE fears that an attack on one system could create a cascading effect that would topple other systems connected to the initial target.
The CSE and other similar agencies around the world are now working to develop a new encryption standard before Y2Q – or year to quantum arrives.
“The clock has started to tick. So, unless we collectively get ahead of the quantum challenge and rethink encryption, the systems, and information of companies, governments, of organizations, of citizens – potentially every Canadian citizen – could be vulnerable,” she said.
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That’s it for this week’s Vanguard Radio.
Thank you very much again for tuning into our show.
If you would like read more about our stories today, please head over to vanguardcanada.com
I know not a few of you have your own thoughts about the developments we reported on.
You can always leave your comments and thoughts on the comment section of each story, tweet them to us, or share them on our Facebook page.
Until then, this is your host Nestor Arellano, saying see you again next week On Vanguard Radio.
The Maritimes become host to one of the worlds largest naval exercise,
the public safety minister shoots down a potentially troublesome firearms classification directive by his predecessor,
and CAE bags some $10 million in defence contracts.
This are the stories we’ll discuss on this episode of the Vanguard Podcast.
But first the latest from Operation Honour….
You’ll probably remember near the end of August that the CDS, provided an update on Operation Honour.
That’s the CAF’s campaign launch in 2015 in response to an investigation by Retired Justice Deschamp
On sexual misconduct in the military.
Justice Deschamp found “sexualized culture” within the armed forces
And an edemic sexual culture condoned by the military leadership
While Gen. Jonathan Vance reported last month, that 30 CAF members have been punished
and 97 more investigations were being carried out
He also warned people not to there would be no quick fixes.
It seems the armed forces is getting down to cleaning up its ranks.
Last week, it reported that two military personnel were facing sexual assault charges
One of them is a Master Seaman who is being charged for allegedly sexually assaulting
Another member of the HMCS Athabascan while the vessel in Nov of 20015.
The other, is a sergeant in the Military Police Unit based in Halifax.
The charged military personnel were identified in the released report although there were very little details accompanying the release.
But still, I think this is a step in the right direction and sends the signal that the CAF is serious about Operation Honour
and taking steps to be more transparent.
We look forward to learning from the military as well what is happening to these charges and cases
As they move along the military justice system
Simulation and training company CAE has several updates that they were happy to share as well.
The company, which has regional operations in Canada,
reported that it recently won in excess of $120 million in defence contracts.
Topping the list was an agreement to provide
aircrew training services and courseware development program
for the US the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Other notable contracts include:
Contract options on the MH-60 Tech Refresh and Procurement Simulators Program
And a contract to upgrade the Australian Armed Forces
Of their CAE GESI command and staff training system
The Royal Canadian Navy is leading a fleet of 11 ships
and approximately 25 aircraft from Canada, France, Spain, the United Kingdom,
and the United States in anti-submarine warfare drills
Cutlass Fury 16 takes place in and around the Maritime Operating Areas
off the coasts of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. John’s, Newfoundland, from September 12 to 26.
Cutlass Fury 16 brings together 3000 participants from five partner nations
and includes 11 surface ships, 3 submarines, and approximately 25 aircraft.
Former public safety minister Steven Blaney
Must have thought a directive he made to the RCMP was locked and loaded.
But Ralph Goodale, the current Liberal minister of public safety, stepped in to shoot it down.
In the waning days of the Conservative government, Blaney issued a directive
To RCMP Commissioner Bob Polson
Blaney gave the RCMP 180 days to evaluate, classify
and issue a Firearms Refernce Table (FRT)
for a certain firearm model so that that model could be imported into Canada.
Blaney then issued a press release
Announcing that he had overturned the RCMP’s earlier decision to classify as prohibited firearms.
The CEska Zbrojoyka CZ-858 rifle and some firearms from Swiss Arms.
Upon assuming office, earlier this year, Goodale discovered the directive and had them rescinded.
His reasons:
Bad time – the directive was issued just days before the federal elections
An arbitrary time line was imposed
And the directive could lead to misclassification of firearms
Which could put the public in danger, said Goodale.
This issue is important
Because it touches on the critical matter of gun control in Canada
And who can classify which firearms as restricted and non-restricted.
It's the new management methodology being used by the Liberal government, and if you work for the government, or are doing business with the government, you need to brush up on deliverology!
Here's your chance to learn the in's and out's of deliverology.
Also in this week's program, we congratulate 8 scholars of the Wounded Warriors of Canada Scholarship Program.
Check out our tips and advice for Canadian defence businesses seekig to expand overseas markets or do business in the U.S.
The latest edition of the Vanguard Magazine is finally out. In it, readers will find an exclusive interview with Chief of Defence Staff Gen Jonathan Vance. The CDS opens up on the CAF’s controversial Operation Honour and his assessments of how well the armed forces is the protecting rights of individual soldiers and.
Also in this podcast, we discuss the implications of an resolution by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to seek access to peoples’ smartphone passwords in the course of their investigation.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 A Lighting II fighter is designated "combat ready" by the United States Air Force. However, the fate in Canada controversial stealth-capable fighter is still up in the air.
Work begins in compiling and reviewing more than 20,000 submissions from Canadians who the government to hear their say on the country's upcoming Defence Policy Review. And Canadian troops are off to a number of military exercises and competition around the globe.
These and more and discussed in this episode of the Vanguard Podcast
For more Information
Follow Us on Twitter: @VanguardMag
Like Us on Facebook: Vanguard Magazine
Visit our Website: www.VanguardCanada.com
Subscribe to us on YouTube: Vanguard Canada
Honour the fallen, help the living
In the show today, we talk about Wounded Warriors and some of their programs that are being used to assist those who have been injured in the line of duty. Joining us to talk more about this is Astrid Neuland of Thales Canada. Astrid is also serving as VP Marketing & Affiliations for Women in Defence and Security and a strong supporter of Wounded Warriors.
We discus the work being done by Wounded Warrior, not only for wounded service men and women, but for those who have served as first responders as well. Finally they talk about how people can get involved and support Wounded Warriors through donating to the upcoming Wounded Warriors Highway of Heroes Bike Ride taking place September 24th and 25th.
For more information or to make a donation please visit:
www.woundedwarriors.caor,
www.woundedwarriors.ca/highway-of-heroes-ride/home/
In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast - A NATO report released before the military alliance's summit in Warsaw reveals that Canada lags behind other nation members in terms of defence expenditures.
However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces the deployment of Canadian troops at the very doorstep of Russia to act as a buffer against Kremlins recent aggressive stance.
It's back to drawing board for Liberals on the CF-18 replacement program and the latest edition of Vanguard Magazine is now available.
This week we interview Billie Flynn, a former Canadian Air Force Squadron Commander, with an impressive list of flight experience and combat experience throughout the globe.
Nestor Arellano discusses with him the pros and cons of the new F-35 and why it may just be a better "dog-fight" jet than most are making it out to be.
This week, Nestor covers the recent comments by Harjit Sajjan on the need for replacement fighter jets.
He also discovers the collaboration of Magellan Aerospace and Atlas Elektronik to create the SeaSpider. An underwater warfare weapon that's best described as an anti-torpedo torpedo.
And BlackBerry has scored a contract extension to the Pentagon, with BlackBerry's AtHoc PFPA network, used to safeguard the Pentagon building and 69 other buildings in the area. With upgrades to the system, BlackBerry's AtHoc solution should help to solve all networking issues the Pentagon had previously complained about.
In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast, we report on the Canadian Armed Forces' contributions to the multinational coalition efforts against ISIL which includes the deployment of three CH-146 Griffon helicopters and an intelligence centre in Iraq.
Bad news for the Navy, two Victoria-class submarines are grounded once more due to faulty welding.
Vanguard visits the new IMPACT Centre of Lockheed Martin Canada in Kanata. This facility will spearhead the company’s latest research work on projects such as the Canadian Surface Combatant programme.
Terri Pavelic, editor of Vanguard, speaks with Rosemary Chapdelaine, vice-president of Lockheed Martin Canada’s MST business area, to find out more about the new facility.
The Canadian Armed Forces sends aircraft, equipment and personnel to help first responders and residents devastated by the wildfires that have engulfed a large swath of Fort McMurray, Alberta.
The Auditor General’s Office has released two scathing reports that detail serious problems involving the Veterans Affairs of Canada’s handling of drug benefits for former soldiers and gross mismanagement of training and equipping Canada’s Army Reserve force.
In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast we take a closer look at C4ISR.
The C4ISR market is estimated to grow to more than $133 billion dollars by the year 2020. This represents a huge opportunity for many Canadian companies in the defence industry primarily those that conduct research and development of advance technologies.
However, a top executive of an American consultancy firm that deals with U.S. defence and military departments, has identified serious gaps in the military’s C4ISR program.
What are these gaps? How is this relevant to the Canadian defence and military establishment? How can these gaps be addressed?
To find out, listen to this episode of the Vanguard Podcast.
In this week's show we discuss the horrible tragedy of the ISIS terrorist attacks in the city of Brussels Belgium. We also talk about the reactions from people like our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and talk about the upcoming C4ISR event happening in Ottawa on April 20th.
C4ISR event, Game Changers and armed drones – Episode 16
In this week’s episode of the Vanguard Podcast, John Jones, publisher of Vanguard, tells us why the upcoming C4ISR event on April 20th is the place to be!
Nestor Arellano, also talks about Vanguard’s latest series the Game Changers.
We also cover the opening of the ADGA simulation lab in Kingston, Ontario and discuss the implications of chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance’s call for armed drones.
For more information on the C4ISR event:
www.C4ISRandbeyond.com
In this week’s episode of the Vanguard Podcast, we talk about successful airstrikes against ISIS positions, NATO’s war against refugee smugglers in the Aegean Sea, and our video interview series beginning with an exclusive one-on-one with Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister, materiel at DND.
Find out about the latest Conference of Defence Association (CDA) Institute conference in Ottawa and the ConvergX conference recently held in Calgary.
Here are the links from today’s show:
CF-18s Hit ISIS Weapons Cache: www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/11/cf…eapons-cache/
Canadian Vessel Part of NATO Warships Sent to Combat Migrant Smuggling:www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/11/ca…nt-smuggling/
NSP Program Criticized Analysts Industry Insiders: www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/12/na…try-insiders/
National Security Strategies Tackled at CDA Event: www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/16/na…at-cda-event/
Defence Aerospace Energy Industry Lines Disappear at Convergx Event:www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/12/de…nvergx-event/
I this issue of the Vanguard Podcast, we talk about the government’s sudden shift in strategy in its battle against ISIS.
Prime Minister Trudeau is putting an end to airstrikes against the terrorist group and pulling the Air Force’s CF-18s out of Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, the Canadian aerospace industry is very glad over the lifting of sanctions in Iran. This could mean more import opportunities for Canadian businesses in the industry.
Checkout our podcast to find out about these articles and other issues now.
Canada to pull out CF-18 fighter jets in Syria, Iraq
www.vanguardcanada.com/2016/02/08/ca…n-syria-iraq/
In this episode of the Vanguard Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Terri Pavelic, and Editor Nestor Arellano interview Alain Tremblay, Vice-President of Business Development at Rheinmetall Canada Inc.
They discus the "Connected Soldier", and the future of technology that will help connect command and control with the soldier and vise versa.