october / november 2016 | volume 22 | number 6
The forum for canada's security and defence community INNOVATORS & TRAILBLAZERS
See page 5
Drones Helping humans make sound decisions and decisive actions
PLUS: Part II of the Gen. Jonathan Vance interview
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The CDS discusses policy, procurement, and his working relationship with the government
Defsec Atlantic 2016
Photos and updates from Atlantic Canada’s premier defence, security, and aerospace exhibition Publication Mail Registration Number: 40052410
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Contents C
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
16
5 Game Changers
Bodo Gospodnetic of Dominis Engineering Ltd.
7 Game Changers George Palikaras of Metamaterial Technologies Inc.
24
9 Game Changers Heather Pilot of Pilot Hill Ltd.
Features
32
12 Part II Interview with Gen. Jonathan Vance
Departments 6 SITREP: Bringing the Toronto Police Service into the 21st-Century and ripping red tape for medically discharged military personnel
10 Dashboard: An automated underwater vehicle roadmap 42 TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Securing your supply chain 46 THE LAST WORD: Why we need oversight on what the Five Eyes see and share
www.vanguardcanada.com It’s in the archives Missed an issue? Misplaced an article? You’ll find them all online: interviews with government, military and industry leaders, and articles on the programs and policies of Canada’s security and defence community.
Letters We welcome feedback on articles and story ideas. Email editorvanguard@netgov.ca.
The CDS discusses his thoughts on the Defence Policy Review, evolving operations, the new Armed Forces leadership and more By LGen Michel Maisonneuve (ret)
19 Drones and the new way of planning emergency response
UAVs and Intergraph Planning and Response can be used together as a resource in emergency management By Ken Chadder and Kevin Young
22 Check this tech
Featured technology at the Best Defence Conference By Alexandra Sweny
28 Defsec 2016
CSC update, AOPS, and more
30 Reliable platform key to Canada’s FWSAR program
The Airbus C295W By Nestor Arellano
34 Future roles for the RCN
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2016 | VOLUME 22 | NUMBER 6
THE FORUM FOR CANADA'S SECURITY AND DEFENCE COMMUNITY INNOVATORS & TRAILBLAZERS
See page 5
IN THIS ISSUE
Meeting the challenges of a new environment By Serge Bertrand
There’s been a lot of negative press about military killer
DRONES drones. In this issue, we look at how unmanned vehicles HELPING HUMANS MAKE SOUND DECISIONS AND DECISIVE ACTIONS
PLUS: PART II OF THE GEN. JONATHAN VANCE INTERVIEW
WWW.VANGUARDCANADA.COM
can help the armed forces and first responders carry out dangerous tasks and make better decisions.
The CDS discusses policy, procurement, and his working relationship with the government
DEFSEC ATLANTIC 2016
Photos and updates from Atlantic Canada’s premier defence, security, and aerospace exhibition Publication Mail Registration Number: 40052410
www.vanguardcanada.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 3
E editor’s note EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Terri Pavelic terri@promotivemedia.ca PUBLISHER and EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Jones john@promotivemedia.ca EDITOR Nestor Arellano nestor@promotivemedia.ca Technology Editor Nicole Verkindt CONTRIBUTORS Lt. Gen. (Retd) J.O. Michel Maisonneuve Valarie Findlay Ken Chadder Kevin Young Alexandra Sweny Steven Fouchard Serge Bertrand EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD VAdm (Ret’d) Greg Maddison LGen (Ret’d) Michel Maisonneuve Ambassador Graham Green SALES VP Content & Business Strategy Marcello Sukhdeo (905) 727-4091 ext. 224 marcello@promotivemedia.ca MARKETING DIRECTOR Mary Malofy ART & PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Elena Pankova artwork@promotivemedia.ca SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ADDRESS CHANGES Circulation Services Mary Labao (905) 841-7389 circulation@promotivemedia.ca
Publisher’s Mail Agreement: 40052410 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept. 23-4 Vata Court, Aurora, ON L4G 4B6 Vanguard magazine is published 6 times per year by Promotive Communications Inc. All opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any person or organization associated with the magazine. Letters, submissions, comments and suggested topics are welcome, and should be sent to nestor@promotivemedia.ca REPRINT INFORMATION: Reproduction or photocopying is prohibited without the publisher’s prior written consent. High quality reprints of articles and additional copies of the magazine are available through circulation@promotivemedia.ca
Vanguard was at the recent Defsec Atlantic conference in September and we found out from the Department of National Defence’s senior official that there will be a bit of a delay in the issuing of a request for proposals to defence contractors for the Navy’s Canadian Surface Combatant program. The request for proposal for the CSC was originally scheduled for release in September, however, Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister of materiel, said that instead, the document will be issued sometime mid-October. For certain, there are some bidders to the program that “are not completely happy,” according to Finn, however, he said this delay would allow companies to come up with the final suggestions on the project. Check out our news and photo coverage of Defsec Atlantic 2016 on pages 28 and 29 of this issue where we delve a bit more into the surface combatant schedule and provide some updates from Irving Shipbuilding and Team Spartan. Also in this issue, we take a dive into the subject of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. The Navy is looking to procure AUVs for marine mine hunting operations. Rick Gerbrecht of Atlas Elektronik explains why underwater drones are perfect for such a task and also provides us a glimpse of the future of “drone swarms.” Meanwhile, Ken Chadder and Kevin Young of Hexagon Safety and Infrastructure, explain in their article the critical role that drones will play in the planning of real-time emergency response. Don’t forget to check out our Dashboard which focuses on the U.S. Defence Department’s future plans for deploying AUVs. In the previous issue of Vanguard, we featured the first installment of an exclusive interview with Gen. Jonathan Vance. Now, we provide you with the second part of that interview. This time, the CDS focuses on policy, procurement, and his working relationship with the government. Our Game Changer series continues and 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. Serge Bertrand a former adviser to commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy and a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute writes about the key global trends impacting ocean politics and how the Canadian Navy needs to prepare for this new reality. These are just some of the articles we have for you on this issue. Enjoy,
PRIVACY POLICY: We do not sell our mailing list or share any confidential information on our subscribers. VANGUARD OFFICE 23-4 Vata Court, Aurora, ON L4G 4B6 Phone: (905) 727-4091 Fax: (905) 727-4428
4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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Terri Pavelic, Editor-in-Chief
Bodo Gospodnetic President Dominis Engineering Ltd.
Established in 1985, Dominis Engineering specializes in designing, machining and measurement of marine propellers, water jet impellers and hydro turbine runners. The company has developed state-of-the-art technology for CNC milling of sculptured surfaces to final form and finish which eliminates the need for hand finishing from the manufacturing process. The Gloucester, Ont.-based company is considered a leader in the manufacturing of propellers and water jet impellers. Bodo is the president of a thriving and innovative small Canadian company, but there are moments when he feels more like a “lion tamer.” The best advice Bodo received:
“Deliver superior quality and value to your customer, and charge a fair price.”
For the interview, see page 39
S sit rep
Toronto police eyes 21st century policing This would entail the use of alternative ways for people to report non-emergency situations. The TPS is looking into on-line, digital, and by-phone reporting tools for low-risk incidents with civilian reporting and intake personnel available by appointment at police stations.
Traffic cameras technology to improve community safety The use of cameras that are owned and operated by the City of Toronto, in school zones and areas identified as having higher collision rates, as a way of modifying driver behaviour and reducing risks. The Service will provide collision and enforcement-related data to inform where the cameras should be located.
More accessible and transparent information and services The Toronto Police Services (TPS) is looking into a number of sweeping changes geared at modernizing the forces, and this could be an excellent business opportunity for Canadian technology vendors. The way forward: Modernizing Community Safety in Toronto, is a 47-paged interim report that outlines 24-key recommendations of the TPS Here are some of the recommendations of the TPS and TTF that might be of interest to vendors:
Connected officers The service is looking to transition from mobile workstations in vehicles to smart devices carried by all officers. This will include a full application suite and e-notebooks, as well as updating existing applications to a mobile environment and al-
lowing officers to be connected at all times to the most current operational information. The next steps will include research, analysis of best practices, assessing network opportunities, and developing and costing different options, leading to purchase decisions and implementation in 2019.
Data analysis, big data The TPS wants to support a new service delivery model with a beefed up capacity to collect, measure, and evaluate data from a wide range of internal and external sources, including an improved capacity to model demand and workload as well as analytics of large complex data sets.
Non-emergency reporting and response
Investment in modern technology to offer the public open access to information and tools that communities can use to improve neighbourhood safety, including. This includes a public safety data portal to encourage the creation and use of open data for public safety in Toronto; alternative means of speaking with officers such as video calling, and social media; enhancing the TPS app to connect with a mobile-connected officer; and enhancing real-time data collection and metrics.
Shared services delivery for court services and parking enforcement The TPS wants an assessment of the possibilities around cost reduction through shared services between the TPS, court services; parking enforcement unit; and background screening related to the TPS hiring process.
Red tape blocks injured soldiers’ path to civilian transition Every year more than 1,500 Canadian Armed Forces members are released from the service due to a variety of medical reason. Transitioning into civilian life is not always smooth. However, for many ill or injured CAF members, the process means waiting for months to have their benefits applications processed and to receive the services or medical attention they require. Gary Walbourne, National Defence and CAF Ombudsman, released a complicated flow chart which detailed the hurdles that ill and injured 6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
solders need to navigate in order to return to civilian life, once they are released from active duty. He said the document reveals that those released from the service face and why it is critical that the administrative burden be dealt with. “Medically releasing from the Canadian Armed Forces is complicated,” Walbourne said in a statement. “The burden has taken its toll on members transitioning from military to civilian life and their families. It is evident that a stream-
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lined process is needed.” The report released by his office said members and veterans are frustrated by the “heavy administration, the duplication of effort, the lack of clarity, the onus placed on them to gather the proof from CAF for VAC to determine their entitlements,” and the delays in the release of benefits. “The model is broken as is evident from the plentiful media reports and the embarrassing statistics of service,” according to the report. “It is also very unfair to the medically releasing CAF member.”
George Palikaras Founder and CEO Metamaterial Technologies Inc.
Inspiration comes to people in varied ways. For George, it came by way of wanting to prevent athletes from being blinded by laser beams aimed at their eyes by nasty spectators. This led to further research in nanotechnology and eventually the founding of Metamaterial Technologies. Six years later, MTI has become a thriving optical solutions and nano-composites company specializing in metamaterials, nanofabrication, as well as theoretical and computational electromagnetics. Today, MTI has three wholly owned subsidiaries. Lamda Guard Inc. develops advanced filters to block out selected parts of the light spectrum, protecting the eyes from lasers or other sources of hazardous light. Lamda Solar Inc. products increase the efficiency of solar panel cells by absorbing more light. Lamda Lux Inc. technology increases the delivered lumens and reduces the cost of thermal management of LED lighting.
The best advice George received:
“Lead by example and pay it forward by sharing what we know with the next generation.� For the interview, see page 40
S sit rep
Boeing preps legal challenge against Denmark
Aerospace company Boeing said it is poised to legally challenge the decision by Denmark’s Ministry of Defence to buy Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lighting II instead of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Just like Canada, Denmark wants to replace its fleet of aging jet fighters. And like the situation
here, the top contenders for the contract are the F-35 (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter) and the F/A-18. The Eurofighter Typhoon, manufactured by a consortium of Alenia Aermacchi, Airbus Group and BAE Systems, is also competing for the Danish contract.
The Danish government, however, concluded in June that replacing its F-16s with 27 Lighting II planes would be cheaper and would meet its needs better than purchasing 38 Super Hornets. It is estimated by the Danish government that a fleet of Super Hornets would cost US$122 million per plane. The U.S. Department of Defense lists the flyaway cost of a Super Hornet at closer to $78 million per plane. Denmark would require 38 Super Hornets to fulfill its needs, compared to 27 F-35s, based on the defence ministry’s estimate of the service life of a Super Hornet. The ministry estimates that the service of a Super Hornet is 6,000 hours compared to compared to 8,000 hours for the Lightning II. Boeing maintains the service life of its fighter is 9,500 hours. Boeing said it believes the procurement decision is based on faulty cost estimates and said it has “taken the first step toward bringing a formal legal challenge” of the Danish Ministry of Defence’s evaluation.
Op Honour off to a ‘good start’ The Canadian Armed Forces campaign to clean its ranks amid widespread concerns over what has been described as “endemic” sexual misconduct within the military appears to be making some headway, but Canada’s top soldier cautioned against being too optimistic about the early results. General Jonathan Vance, chief of defence staff, reported in late August that 30 CAF members have been punished and 97 investigations into other cases of inappropriate behaviour are still underway as part of the military’s Operation Honour. In the period of April to July 2016, a total of 148 incidents of harmful sexual behaviour were reported to the chain of command. Vance said the military has so far completed between April and July this year, 51 investigations into inappropriate sexual behaviour in the forces. Of the concluded cases, 30 resulted in the handing down of “career impacting” punish8 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
ment that ranges from fines to dismissal from the service. Administrative consequences ranged from warnings and probation to removal from command positions and dismissal from the Cana-
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dian Armed Forces. The CDS characterized the initial accomplishment as a “good start” but cautioned against being too optimistic about the results because there are “no quick fixes.”
Heather Pilot President Pilot Hill Ltd.
As a business consulting firm for both Canadian and international companies, Pilot Hill specializes in connecting people and organizations in order to help them form strategic partnerships and business opportunities. Pilot Hill’s main focus is on the defence and advanced manufacturing sectors. Pilot Hill is also the lead organizer of the Best Defence Conference. The exhibition held each year in London, Ontario, is considered to be one of the country’s top defence events. It brings together companies from across Canada and the United States. The Best Defence Conference has become an ideal forum for the exchange of ideas about the defence procurement space and it provides not only supply chain opportunities but B2B and B2G networking opportunities as well. As president of Pilot Hill, Heather Pilot draws on her extensive business development and stakeholder relations experience to help defence companies built the partnerships and assistance they need to develop their business.
The best advice Heather received
“Trust yourself.” For the interview, see page 41
T the dashboard
System integration roadmap for unmanned underwater vehicles
Source: United States Department of Defence
10 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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the dashboard T
The sea fox Maximum Operating Depth 900 Feet Maximum Range from Controller 3,000 Feet
Manufacturer Atlas Elektronik of Bremen, Germany Weight 88 Pounds Size 4 Feet Long Equipped with Sonar Video Camera Explosives
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 11
I Interview Lieutenant-General (Retd) J.O. Michel Maisonneuve, CMM, MSC, CD
Part 2:
Interview with General Jonathan H. Vance
Chief of the Defence Staff
In Part 1 of the exclusive interview, Gen. Vance discussed the importance of adjusting personnel policies to today’s world. Now, the CDS focuses on policy procurement and his working relationship with government. Q: Everybody arrives in a new job with
a vision for the future of the institution. After ten months, have you changed that vision? Honestly, no. I saw my role and any good that I can do fall in two or three categories. One is operations, with which I was quite comfortable and remain so. So I’m committed to making certain as we develop options for government, that those options have tangible deliverables, that we don’t over promise.
Q: How do you find your relations with the new government, are they getting their feet under them? Are you getting the direction that you need?
12 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
Yes! First, it is kind of a privileged position to be a senior official in government as a new government comes in and goes from campaigning to governing. That has been a lesson in civics and I feel privileged to have been a part of it. In my working world, the government consists of the senior officials, the Deputy Ministers and Assistant DMs across government that I work with. Then there is the political level, the Ministers’ office and the PM’s office and sometimes touching one of the other Ministers depending on the file. I’ll tell you that I’ve found a whole new world looking at this through the eyes of the Chief of Defence Staff for the first time. First, I was happy and amazed at how respected we are. From the PM down there has been incredible
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respect. There may in some cases not be full understanding of some of our specifics and so there is learning that occurs but the learning and the attitude toward the Armed Forces has been nothing but absolutely respectful. That’s a pretty good feeling to be able to experience. It’s amazing that we have Harjit Sajjan as our Minister. We’ve been on operations together so I’ve watched him go from being a citizen to an elected official to a Cabinet Minister really fast and the journey continues; he’s doing a great job.
Q: What about the Defence Policy Review?
I think the government was wise, to undertake a policy review. It’s a different government and the world has continued to change since Afghanistan. A lot of the vision I had when I was first appointed is necessarily held in abeyance right now, but it’s still present in the factors underpinning the policy debate. I still present my views but as we are go through this process it is kind of a privilege thing. I’m a respected player in the process; the influence that I have, and so on. There will be national pol-
Interview icy decisions, political policy decisions that will underpin defence, how much money we are going to spend, how much bigger we are going to be, all those big macros, yet to be decided. I think the government are committed to a pure process; one that is based on what is it we want to achieve out there, what outcomes we want. So I’m delighted at the prospect…though it’s going to be a lot of hard work…
Q: It is very quick… Oh, yes! The battle rhythm is intense. The public consultation is ongoing right now, I think we’re being loyal to that, allowing the consultation to occur and I’m looking forward to when we start to get to the anchor points in a policy that will ultimately provide the shape and form of where we are going to go in the future. What I think we are all interested in is making sure that we don’t have a policy that far outstrips out ability to achieve it. And so I think it’s a very healthy time for us. And I pinch myself a little bit to say hey I’m going to be a part of this…!
Q: If you had to say what is our biggest
priority, our biggest need at this moment for the Canadian Forces?
I think it’s our ability to be able to run operations globally in a much more contested dangerous space. It’s command & control, force protection, the ability to deliver in a globally dispersed and much more dangerous space. So I’ve said that we need to be able to deploy with the C2, with bandwidth that will be allow us to communicate, the intelligence, a sure force protection, to have
a globally dispersed, adapted dispersed kind of laydown. If you look at Army doctrine about Adapted Dispersed Operations, and I have discussed this with [Lgen] Marquis Hainse [Commander Canadian Army]. I feel like we are on the verge of Adapted Dispersed Operation on a global scale, not just on a theater scale. You can identify all the tenets of sharing information, making sure that we are agile, making sure that we can account for threats that go up and threats that go down, including here at home. And we’ve got to be able to command of control that because these things just don’t run on auto-pilot anymore. They need constant feeding of intelligence for force protection, for decision-making. To me that reinforces the importance of connectivity, intel, the ability to see, the ability to report, the ability to share information; to put together the information necessary for that targeting cycle. Decide, detect, act, all to happen very very fast so that we are successful.
Q: So we are really looking to continue our success in operations…
Exactly; we’ll see this play out in Iraq; we are not there with the kind of combat power that will allow us to assume battlespace control. We are truly advising someone else; our fate is their fate…and their fate is our fate, to a certain degree. We just simply don’t have the capacity to manage that battlespace on our own, like we did in Afghanistan. At that time if we got in trouble we could move the battlegroup in, then take over the problem; we can’t do that now. It’s okay, that’s how it works, that’s how the Allies have operated for a long time so we can do it too,
I
and we can protect ourselves, individually, to get the mission done. So, imagine the kind of C2 that we need to have: a pipeline of information, sharing information, and understanding if what is happening in that theater affects Canada. Are there any threats to Canada from there and anywhere else? So: hyper-connected, and then to be able to make sense of it and issue the correct orders; that to me is essential.
UAVs Sensors Software Support Defence
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 13
I Interview Q: Operations today are completely different…
Yes, absolutely! We may also be enabling UN operations, which are totally different. We are now, as a nation, a tier one military in the world. We’re enabling others to be successful as opposed to being a principal war fighter; we are enabling the Peshmurga, we are enabling the Iraqis, we are going to be potentially enabling UN contingency missions. Now, an enabler just doesn’t mean hardware and high technology. I think an infantry battalion is an enabler. A Canadian infantry battalion or any part of it is an enabler because we can just bring a lot of energy and expertise to a situation that allows for the framework to get better. So I’m proud of that. Now it’s just the matter of how we are going to actually account for that. But I do believe that we will be in this globally dispersed, highly-connected world and everything that we are contemplating in terms of our structure needs to account for that. Then look at cyber, then look at social media and look at space, all of these new domains. We’ve got to put horsepower onto that.
Q: In terms of acquisitions, what do you think is the greatest need in the Canadian Forces right now; obviously, that is going to flow from the Defence Policy Review, but is there something right now that you think is at the forefront?
I think that all of the things that are in process right now are valid. Replacing the ships, replacing the CF-18s, replacing the “B” fleet of army land vehicles, it all counts. I guess the most important thing for the Armed Force is that that process continues to work without delay and that we get the equipment that is in the pipe. Good work has been done with the due diligence required, looking at the future security environment. We have in the pipeline what we need to have into the future. So I’m satisfied. There is nothing new; we’ve added some emphasis on UAVs, just because it’s the nature of where we are at. I think all the projects that we need to have loaded into our investment plan are there; there is nothing missing. But the process has to deliver. To me, that’s the thing that is most important, it is delivery that is key; but I’m optimistic. The areas of growth that we have not yet identified 14 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
down to the project level, we are working on, in some respects, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years down range. For example, in the army the ability to actually produce light forces that are not just unequipped mechanized forces; working on making sure that we have that agility. There are some things that we are going to need to get on the books because some of our fleets are going to peter out, for example, the Airbus fleet, we’ve got to replace that at some point. We are going to have to get refuellers in place, North Warning System modernization, etc. We know what we need, or rather we know the effect that we want to have but we don’t know with what that is going to be. There are other questions being posed in public consultations about North American defence including BMD so, any decision-making around that are a whole other area. But Michel I have confidence; we can work out how to get a project in the pipeline but I want to be sure that the pipeline continues to deliver. The process has been challenged but at the same time I think it’s been sometimes overstated: we spend billions every year and we get stuff all the time. Of course, the big marquis acquisitions that make it into the press are challenging and involve a huge sum of public money.
Q: So, how about your family life, how
much time do you spend in Ottawa, and how are you finding the pressure? I’m committed to certainly supporting the first year while the government gets its feet under it and we’re doing a pretty heavy Cabinet schedule. Through the summer I’ll be doing a lot of traveling, I try to limit it, to shorten trips to see the Forces or overseas but there’s also a heavy workload
here in town., there is important work getting the CDS signature on stuff, that tells people this is important and you are accountable. That’s the most vital work. and the time that needs to be spent with the Government to provide the advice that is required. So, I front-end loaded here this year, until the Policy Review is done, so I expect sometime next year maybe that pace will just slow down a little bit.
Q: And you are getting a whole new slate of leaders as well now?
Yes; Guy [LGen Thibault – Vice-Chief of Defence Staff] is going to leave, Mark [VAdm Norman] is going to come in, Marquis [LGen Hainse – Commander of Canadian Army] is leaving, Paul [LGen Wynnyk] taking over, and I think it’s a great team. I look around at that bench strength; I mean I went to school with a lot of those guys! Everybody has their part to play and it doesn’t run by itself; you need them. I’m confident about the future! Thanks for your time. Lieutenant-General (Retd) J.O. Michel Maisonneuve, CMM, MSC, CD, is Academic Director of Royal Military College Saint-Jean. He completed 35 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2007 culminating in the position of Chief of Staff of NATO’s Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, USA. He also held the position of Assistant Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff in Ottawa. An Armour officer from 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, Lt. Gen.(Retd) Maisonneuve distinguished himself in progressive leadership and staff positions in Canada and abroad at every level.
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12/5/16 15:51
P policing
by Valarie Findlay
Ignoring
the weight of the badge
Safety, policing and public sentiment
The boiling anger in the United States over police use of force and charges of racism and racial bias can’t help but spill over into Canada and its effect has been profound as we wrestle with our own issues.
T
rue, the US and Canada appear to be similar but our challenges in policing and their causes remain distinctly different. In the aftermath of any negative incident involving the police, public sentiment drops and accusations fly in the wake of unanswered questions and diplomatic rhetoric from police brass.
Bridging the communication gap
Respecting due process, impartiality and examination of the facts prior to commenting, police cannot and will not speak too many of the questions posed by the public and the media especially where an incident is under investigation. Obviously, this is when answers are most needed and the window of opportunity 16 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
that would quell anger stays closed. Understandably the public is left exasperated and demanding answers to square the circle. Policing organizations are silent but are well aware of the lack of trust and confidence expressed by the public. In the field, the rank and file show up for their shift and go about their job with an added weight to their duties. But as many recent headlines are jarring, can the public be so far off-centre and fail to recognize the commitment by those who police our communities? In the same context, can police be so detached from the public that they cannot empathize with the public’s fears? Maybe the divide has less to do with empathy and more to do with what feels like a stalemate - no one knows how to fix it or where to start.
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Bridging the communications gap between the public and police is difficult for many reasons but it must start with trustbuilding and honest dialogue before, not after, a serious incident. Truthfully, police explaining policing is tenuous at best - you can select the most articulate officer with most exemplary soft skills and a perceived bias will still emerge. It doesn’t help that the inherent language of authority is loaded with negative connotations and that the policing ethos encourages shouldering not sharing - the weight. What results is an impervious barrier. Even if the communications were fluid, the public is unlikely to hear the truth: the horrors of policing, the struggle with stress and depression, the burden it has placed on their families and how their chosen ca-
policing P
reer is not what they thought it would be, but still there is nothing they would rather do. Moreover, you wouldn’t hear about irreconcilable policing dichotomy; the person they arrested today was the same person they served and protected yesterday.
Accepting reality
However, truly progressive police organizations are recognizing the importance of the confidence of the public and do strive to find innovative ways to educate, communicate and explain processes to the public. But it’s not only up to the policing organizations. Communities need to accept the reality of operational challenges of policing and abandon the role of armchair judge and jury while we demand super-human capabilities of officers - to act as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and mediators, to absorb the operational stress and resource constraints and the psychological impacts of the worst of calls. It’s easy to critique and replay the video
over and over, but the expectation of police perfection is real and results in charges of hyper-masculine aggression and insufficient police training - it’s either lacking, out-dated, militarized or a deficient in other means. While training criticisms may have merit, there are functional aspects of human behaviour that no amount of training can mitigate. Since training is scenario-based, controlled and with managed consequences, it is impossible to recreate all environmental variables, physiological reactions and human behaviours. Woven into this are increasingly common behaviours, such as excited delirium, mental health disabilities, and narcotic-induced states, and they present a massive challenge in crisis management. A recent incident in Toronto was compared to that of James Forcillo’s handling of his interaction with Sammy Yatim’s, by writer Andrew Mitrovica in a Toronto Star article, and states: “The cops kept their cool, working together – as they’ve no doubt been trained – to disarm a kid who was wielding a knife not that much different from the one Yatim was flashing on the streetcar on that fateful morning. They resolved the tense situation without firing a shot despite the fact that, arguably, this kid posed more of a danger to the police and public than Yatim did. In the end, I can’t help but think that if this group of police officers – who, like Forcillo, swore an oath to serve and protect the public, but, unlike Forcillo, responded so differently, wisely, calmly and professionally to another disturbed young man in distress – had been there when Sammy Yatim needed help, he might be alive today, getting the help he so desperately needed.” The expectation that these incidents are
all alike, can be equally compared and can be assessed by an untrained bystander, are common but ignores the reality. It goes without saying, the most valued officer is the one who is able to achieve the desired result with the least risk or injury to all parties while maintaining the confidence of the public. But in a job where stress is insurmountable and there is little reciprocity for kindness, how realistic is this? Yes, they chose this job but it is important to consider that without that individual in that job, the job still remains - and it is a job that only a human can do. In the 2014 Ontario Human Rights Commission report on mental health disabilities and use of force and the 2016 Ontario Ombudsman’s report, A Matter of Life and Death, on improved crisis intervention in policing both recommend a revised use of force model, an emphasis on de-escalation and improved training. Shifting from behaviour causality to a generic ‘people in crisis’ profile and de-escalation as core training makes sense. However, the theoretical obscures the practical, which is often the case in reports that are conducted without the collaboration of subject matter experts and those who operationalize these methods. In the Ombudsman’s report, there were no recommendations to maintain program-specific capabilities and resources in crisis management, such as where community-level police should deal with community-level calls for service and that specialized units remain as such, preserving valuable knowledge, intelligence, and relationships. (I had requested clarification on the formulation of the recommendations and involvement of subject-matter experts from the Ombudsman’s office and did receive a reply, albeit vague.)
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 17
P policing utilize certain capacities, such as fine motor skills.
The power of news headlines
The power of news headlines and social media is formidable and it will feed the negative perception of police from hundreds of miles away. Instead, the report hones in on the simplification of the use of force model and adoption of a linear model (even though it is represented as a circle), rather than a continuum of options. This presents an issue. Linear models only work well with repeatable processes, such as event and selection-based actions, and do not account for complex human behaviours in conflict scenarios; in fact, they are rarely effective except in the instance of communicating to non-experts.
A proactive approach
A by-product of this simplification is the inference of subjective standards - canned, acceptable responses of the least or minimal amounts of force. If expert observation and response capabilities of an officer are stifled, a conundrum of negotiation versus authority and liability for judgment and decisions made under stress, quickly emerge. The more proactive approach is objective reasonableness that empowers and entrusts the officer’s capabilities and judgement in the elastic dynamic of crisis management. Considering this, maybe the use-of-force model has seen its day and it’s time to rescope the entire approach and evolve to a crisis management model that includes a use of force component with other options around de-escalation and specialized skills support. Assessing and responding become cyclic and iterative, as the scenario can change 18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
at any time and risk mitigation becomes the driving force. When considering training improvements, conceptualizing the many fixed factors (perceived mental state, physical capabilities, weapons or their possible concealment, etc.) and fluid factors (emotional state, passive and active resistance, willingness to sustain an injury, etc.) is impossible. The formulation of responses ranging from strategic (diffusion and de-escalation) to tactical and defensive (less-thanlethal and counter force) must be agile and must respond to the factors related to capability, intent, means and opportunity. A person’s intent (reaching for their pocket, verbalizations, body posture or rigidity, etc.) can be obvious or subtle but suppression, before they are acted out, is the goal in any case. For these reasons, the context of police training can’t help but be flawed; there is no way counter mechanism to prepare for every encounter nor is there a means to temporarily disconnect human behaviours or physiological responses. On top of this, cumulative stress, multiple-trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder or other physical states, such as fatigue, have a tremendous impact. While training scenarios are designed to mitigate some this by simplifying steps and actions for rapid enactment and enabling assessment that establishes control in the safest manner, the functional reality of human physiology remains: under pre-existing or situational stress humans lose the ability to
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Clearly, there’s an educational component to the much-needed communications strategy. Although most Canadians will have few interactions with police in their lifetime, it is confounding that while the majority of these interactions are not negative the growing sentiment towards police is. The power of news headlines and social media is formidable and it will feed the negative perception of police from hundreds of miles away. Because of this, the idea of “abuse of authority” and “excessive use of force” by police exists both objectively and subjectively with the public and must be dealt with as valid realities. As much as there is a policing dichotomy, there is also a dichotomy to be reconciled by the public: a generational mythology and expectations of police contrasted by glaring media images, all fuelled by the absence of communication and information. Policing is not federated, with the exception of the RCMP, for a reason and its centralization have failed over and over in history; it must be treated as a core service that establishes and maintains the quality of our communities. These communities have unique needs and they form multitudes of societies across our country and those needs cannot be met through borrowed best practices - best practices work at the procedural level not at the strategic or legislative. If we allow the public to ignore the necessary authoritarian role and realities of policing and the police organizations refuse to adopt innovative community and public communications, the divide will widen. The public will hold firm to their expectations, expressing anger and dismay when they are not met and frontline officers will continue to operate below capacity but to super-human expectations placed upon them. And the badge will only get heavier. Valarie Findlay is a research fellow at the Police Foundation (USA) and an expert in cyber-security for policing, military and government departments. She holds a Masters in Terrorism Studies from the University of St. Andrews. She can be contacted at vfindlay@humanled.com Website: http://www.humanled.com
by Stuart Beare Autonomous vehicles A
by Ken Chadder and Kevin Young
Drones
and the new way of planning emergency response
Optimizing real-time technologies with real-time emergency response solutions
T
he Canadian Armed Forces face a number of harrowing mandates – both domestic and international - to ensure the safety of our country. Domestic emergencies like natural disasters often come to light when provincial governments seek federal resources, through manpower, machinery, and tools. However, Canada’s military still relies heavily on dated paper copy emergency operating procedures, captured in physical binders that are often forgotten until an emergency arises, and often lack the updated information and lessons learned from recent emergency situations. Regional military bases and wings are quick to jump in to provide assistance, as troops stationed in Gagetown did when spring thaws produced dangerously high flood levels. Search and rescue, in the case of a flood, is just one example of the kind of domestic emergencies that keep our forces busy. As insurance costs rise, planning and immediate responsiveness can save millions of dollars lost in damages caused by natural disasters.
This type of mandate is not rare; in May of this year, the army deployed troops and aircrafts to Alberta to battle the wildfires in Fort McMurray. CH-146 Griffon helicopters were sent to perform evacuations, while C-130J Hercules planes and a C-17 Globemaster stood at the ready to aid in the movement of firefighters and equipment as needed. As natural disasters like floods and fires are primarily a regional issue, provincial governments need to coordinate emergency response protocols with the federal government— an integration process that can be challenging. It can be difficult to communicate and execute emergency plans that involve different groups with different mandates, but with a single platform that houses and provides access to all documents, resources, and communications from one platform, emergency responders can streamline efficiencies and improve response time to significantly minimize lost dollars due to damages caused by natural disasters - and in some cases, reduce the loss of life.
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 19
A Autonomous vehicles UAVs and Intergraph Planning and Response can be used together as a resource in emergency management. While emergency response solutions continue to progress and evolve with technology, there is a definite need for single platforms like Intergraph Planning and Response to streamline emergency response planning, execution, and documentation.
Military technology today
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are frequently used to survey and monitor operational areas and capture visual data. They are becoming an increasingly important part of the C4ISR capabilities being acquired and used by the Canadian Forces. While there are technologies that provide options for integrating the video or still shots collected from UAVs, Intergraph Planning and Response is a solution currently trusted and well-regarded by the German Federal Police Force to manage both planned and unplanned events. The solution provides the force a common operating picture and fully-integrated solution for special operations rooms, command staffs, and command posts in the field, enabling the ability to effectively and efficiently plan and allocate resources for a variety of situations. UAVs and Intergraph Planning and Response can be used together as a resource in emergency management for activities across Canada. The technology can also provide a start-to-finish solution for domestic operations in Canada, such as the surveillance and image capturing of hazard zone perimeters, flood levels, burn rates, and search and rescue requirements, among others.
Stages of Emergency Response
With the variety of situations that can require military attention, preparation and planning are especially important. Typically, there are six stages in a good emergency response protocol, that when followed closely can minimize impact and maximize efficiency. A solution like Intergraph Planning and Response ensures cohesive communication and integration throughout these important steps of response. Planning information availability: Creating and streamlining accessibility to a detailed emergency response framework ahead of time is critical to responding to emergency situations when they arise. Response activation: With a single activation point, the time between activation and response can be reduced by collectively notifying and assigning tasks to responders defined in a response plan. Scene development and damage assessment: A single accessible and interactive visual representation of the emergency zone, that can be updated in real-time from a variety of sources including visuals and data captured by drones and other UAVs, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and body cameras, enables emergency commanders to identify and execute an appropriate response plan, strategically place responders, coordinate evacuation orders, direct involved parties and identify resources immediately available – while averting further issues and risk. Resource management: Integrating and modifying varying reporting structures, equipment inventories, and training documents into a single platform give responders quick access to the resources needed to make fast decisions - allowing them to react 20 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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and potentially resolve a disaster before it escalates. Intergraph Planning and Response allows commanders to revise the plan and implement changes in real-time as available resources change. Communication and task tracking: Communication is invaluable when it comes to keeping troops and responders safe in an emergency. Consistent sharing of tasks, information, images and documents through a single platform accessible to all involved parties can be the difference between mitigation and escalation. Documentation and reporting: Often overlooked, the documenting stage is critical for the auditing process. A digital platform ensures all information is captured in a single location, enabling for a better understanding of the issue and response, as well as post-event reporting. While Intergraph Planning and Response provides the ability to plan for and manage the situation, the platform’s strength lies in real-time updates and communications to and from various stakeholders involved in controlling the situation. For example, UAVs, body cameras, and sensors are some of the recent technologies that capture and provide the data that is populated into the interface, providing all appropriate stakeholders of a response team with diverse, accurate information in real-time to ensure safety and efficiency.
Proactive solutions
These technologies are able to efficiently collect information that would be unobtainable by ground troops. In the instance of the New Brunswick flooding, drones would allow personnel to actively monitor the rapidly changing water levels to keep troops informed while providing the information needed to make necessary search and rescue or evacuation orders. An interface like Intergraph Planning and Response allows military commanders to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively both proactively and reactively. By planning and programming emergency response plans ahead of time, military forces are enabled to practice, adapt and update procedures as needed. In addition, having these plans properly documented and updated in real-time as emergency situations arise provides a lessons learned capability that helps improve the response process and time. Given the wide range of mandates, the Canadian Armed Forces could be called on for at any given time, the importance of having the systems in place to ensure the exemplary emergency response is high. With the rate of technological advances providing constant opportunities for growth and betterment in the military, investing in smart technology to improve efficiencies and effectiveness is crucial. Ken Chadder is a business development consultant with Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure in Ottawa. A highly decorated, retired colonel, he became the first Commanding Officer of the newly named Canadian Forces Warfare Centre in June 2010. Kevin Young is a solution consultant with Hexagon. Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure provides mission-critical and business-critical solutions to governments and service providers.
O
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T Tech Showcase
Check this tech
by Alexandra Sweny
OVA what: StellarX - Rapid creation by non-experts of virtual and augmented reality environments that can be published, shared and collaboratively used with others. where: Quebec City, Montreal and New York
The Tech Showcase at the Best Defence Conference will feature Canada’s most innovative tech companies.
why: “It‘s currently super long to create, manage and share virtual and augmented reality content. Not to mention that prototyping an idea, testing it and then developing within VR/AR is a back-andforth process. That being said, we decided to create a new authoring tool for this new medium, a sort of ‘wordpress’ for virtual reality, allowing anyone, programmer or non-programmer alike, to use our WYSIWYG platform and create immersive simulation content.” sector: Defense, Public Security
Cognitive Systems Corp. what: High-performance and ultra-low-SWaP RF sensors and sensor networks — based on custom silicon — to enable an unmatched standard of flexible, real-time, low-latency electromagnetic spectrum operations. where: Waterloo, ON
T
his November, the Best Defence Conference will be a veritable hotbed for partnerships. Bringing together Canadian and international companies, Best Defence creates an intersection where big defence names can meet and do business. Hosted by Pilot Hill Ltd, the Best Defence Conference is entering its fifth year. Unlike past years, the 2016 event will feature a Technology Showcase with 11 of Canada’s most novel tech companies. Though they range from everything between virtual reality and drone technology, they all have one thing in common: innovation. The skills they bring to the table have the potential to strengthen Canadian defence and propel businesses to the forefront of the industry. “Selection criteria dictated it was novel technology across a broad array of sectors,” says Heather Pilot, President, Pilot Hill Ltd. “So not just in the IT space but in advanced manufacturing processes, marine technology, clean tech, IT, etc.” This year’s participants were nominated by consultants for industry giants like Lockheed Martin, GDLS-C, KPMG, CFN, and AR Innovation + Strategy, with suggestions and input from members of the Build in Canada Innovation program. Once all the companies were compiled into a list, Best Defence struck an informal “ranking” group. Judges included GDLS-C, Western University, BCIP, Ministry of Economic Development & Growth, and local London company Mikutec. “The secret ingredient for the companies we reviewed was either because they had entered into new or emerging fields, improved a manufacturing process, had really novel technology, had that wow factor, and so on,” explains Pilot. The following companies held up against the competition and will at the Best Defence Conference in London, Ontario on November 8-9. There, they’ll have the opportunity to give a three-minute overview to an audience composed of big defence and procurement names. 22 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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why: “Given the growing complexity of the cyber/electromagnetic spectrum fronts, disruptive wireless solutions that provide high-capability, high-performance, and low-footprint RF sensing, processing and actuation will be vital enablers of forward-thinking defence, civilian, government and consumer roadmaps.” sector: Defence, Sensor Networks, Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations
Antris Registry Corp. What: Personnel Safety & Security - Scheduling, Monitoring and Proactive Safety Response for remote or lone workers. Where: London, ON (product available globally) Why: “All organizations have a duty of care to mitigate the security risks associated with work alone employees, volunteers or members with AntrisPRO, our fully automated, cloud based saas app for personnel scheduling, monitoring and proactive safety response, personnel location
Tech Showcase T monitoring and work-alone safety for organizations. Antris’ dashboard, TracDash, enables administrators with real time personnel monitoring of check-ins, alert status and GPS locations and collects data for analytics and reporting on all active users. “
the noise, bringing users the real-time media and government insights they need to take quick, decisive action.” Sector: Government, Defence, Public Security, Communications
Vrvana Inc. What: The only Mixed Reality headset to do fully immersive VR & AR.
Sector: Human Resource Safety and Security
Where: Montreal, QC
Shimifrez Inc. What: Precision light-gauge flat and formed metal parts, fine-line shadow, small aperture and RFI/ EMI shielding gaskets, shims, flexures, and ultramicro metal parts. Where: Concord, ON Why: “With over 35 years of experience in fabricating light gauge metal components, Shimifrez fabrication thicknesses range in thickness from 0.5 mil [0.0127 mm] to 30 mil [0.8mm], with features as small as 2 mil [0.025 mm].” Sector: Defence, Aerospace Space and Satellite, Medical, Consumer Electronics & more
Island Water Technologies What: A wastewater technology company specializing in modular, solar powered treatment solutions providing robust, low-complexity selfpowered wastewater treatment for domestic and industrial industries. Where: Montague, PE Why: “We have developed technologies focused on focused on low-energy, mobile wastewater treatment and also offer professional engineering capabilities consulting on any and all aspects of decentralized waste-water management.”
NovAtel Inc. What: High precision GNSS positioning technology Where: Calgary, AB Why: “NovAtel’s GNSS receivers, antennas and subsystems offer precise, robust positioning, navigation and interference solutions for integrators across a wide range of industries and environments. Our GPS anti-jam technology (GAJT) antenna products provide protection against GPS jamming and interference signals, increasing position solution availability and robustness in contested signal environments.” Sector: Defence, Aerospace, Survey & Mapping, Agriculture & Construction, Offshore, Autonomous Systems
Pegasus Aeronautics What: Cutting drone/UAV powertrain solutions for industrial and commercial use. Where: Kitchener, ON Why: “Pegasus’ goal is to unlock the potential of drones in industrial applications by designing a cost effective and reliable alternative power source to conventional lithium-polymer batteries.” Sector: Aerospace & Robotics, Powertrain Development
Labforge What: Gnowit CoreAlerts, HansardWatch and Insight Engine Where: Ottawa, ON Why: “Gnowit (pronounced “know it”) is a provider of strategic web intelligence. We help organizations find and act on the crucial information found in news sites, blogs, and in online transcripts of government proceedings. In essence, we filter out
What: Augmented Reality for military training, non-GPS digital tracking for security details & applying edge computing for large-scale surveillance. Where: Kitchener, ON Why: From Canada to USA, Germany, Austria, Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We know security is an essential survival need, we have lived it, and we are deploying technology to make the world a safer place. Sector: Security, Technology, Defence
Sector: Technology, Defence
Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. What: Zenyatta Ventures’ Albany Graphite Deposit located in Ontario is the largest & highest purity graphite deposit of its kind in the world. Graphene, a new “wonder” material has a wide range of unique properties (light, strong, thermal and electrical conductivity). Where: Thunder Bay, ON
Sector: Domestic and industrial
Gnowit, Inc
Why: “Vrvana is a world class hardware and software engineering team that is passionate about VR, AR, and blended reality. We are open for collaboration with game changing projects in all industries. In the coming months we will launch TOTEM, our high end visualization and interaction HMD and off the shelf solution for enabling our scenarios envisioned for VR and AR.”
Why: “Recently Zenyatta’s graphite material was tested by independent R&D teams in Canada, Israel & Japan and found to convert much easier and with higher yields of graphene nano-particles than any other natural graphite types that they tried. It is widely expected to lead to new and improved applications for defence such as advanced lightweight ballistic body armour, thermal imaging, sensors, smart camouflage systems and lighter / stronger military equipment.” Sector: Industrial, Manufacturing
Many companies in the defence industry – like Lockheed Martin and Kongsberg Gruppen – operate in multiple sectors, and are actively seeking out novel technology. Case in point: Lockheed Martin recently signed an $8 million contract with a London, Ontario company to provide software to protect their e-health records. A successful pitch at Best Defence, then, could be huge for these businesses. All those who are interested in hearing what these companies have to say can register online at www.bestdefenceconference.com. With tech this new on the table, these companies are worth keeping an eye on.
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 23
A AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
by Nestor Arellano
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Corey Green
Critical naval roles seen for
UNDERWATER DRONES Atlas Elektronik proposes multi-purpose autonomous underwater vehicles for sub-surface mapping, mine detection
W
hen it comes to naval procurement, the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) program and Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program are the headline-grabbing, big-ticket items. But literally swimming under the water is a program that could be linked to the future the Royal Canadian Navy’s underwater warfare capability. The Royal Canadian Navy is poised to release a Request for Proposal for its proposed Remote Mine Hunting and Disposal project. The project aims to leverage proven off-the-shelf autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV ) technology 24 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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to provide the Navy with mine hunting and underwater domain awareness. Granted, the proposed funding for the project is only $20 million to $49 million (a mere drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $2.8 billion for the AOPS and $40 billion plus for the CSC), but there are some that believe crewed submarines will one day be replaced by underwater drones. For instance, United States Deputy Defence Secretary Robert Work has on several occasions discussed how AUVs could help cut the cost of operating and maintaining submarines. Submarines have been a staple for navies when it comes to discretely observing enemies at sea and launching missiles and torpedoes. Today, to a certain extent, those tasks can be accomplished more cheaply by smaller AUVs. It would also cost much cheaper to build a fleet of AUVs than it would a lesser number of manned submarines. AUVs have the added advantage of keeping humans out of harm’s way as they go about their tasks in perilous situations and environments, according to Rick Gerbrecht, director of Atlas Elektronik Canada. The Victoria, B.C.-based company is positioning its AUVs for the Navy’s Remote Mine Hunting and Disposal program. “AUVs are ideal for performing what we call the 3Ds – dull, dirty and dangerous work that you would hesitate to hand over to a person,” he said. “What’s more, with the advancement in sensor and navigation technology AUVs can now accomplish much more than they could a decade ago.” The first AUV was developed by Stan Murphy, Bob Francis and Terry Ewart back in 1957 at the University of Washington. Their Special Purpose Underwater Research Vehicle (SPURV) was used to study diffusion, acoustic transmission and submarine wakes. Until relatively recently, AUVs were used for a limited number of tasks, dictated by the available technologies. Advancement in sensor technology, data processing and transmission, global positioning systems and propulsion has paved the way for a wider scope of applications. Today, AUVs are deployed by oil and gas companies to map seafloor beds as well as inspect pipelines and oil rigs. Researchers use AUVs to study underwater marine life and environments. AUVs have been used to search for crashed aircraft and sunken vessels. Outfitted with GPS,
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14/10/16 18:22
A Autonomous vehicles U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas S. Tenorio
traffickers to transport contraband. Naval UAV missions include: • Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance • Mine countermeasures • Anti-submarine warfare • Inspection/identification • Oceanography • Communication/navigation network nodes • Payload delivery • Information operations • Time-critical strike
The SeaFox can be launched from the side of almost any marine vessel. It can also be deployed from a helicopter.
Atlas Elektronik has a number of underwater vehicles that are most likely to fit the Canadian Navy’s needs. Primary among them is the SeaFox mine disposal vehicle, the SeaOtter AUV, and SeaCat multi-task AUV.
SeaFox
The fibre optic-guided SeaFox is classified as an ROV or remotely operated vehicle and is described Atlas Elektronik as a “one-shot” mine disposal vehicle. It measures about 1.2m long and weight 39kg. It has a range of 1km and a top speed of 6kts. “The SeaFox is our most successful system,” said Gerbrecht. “It is being used by 13 navies around the world including the U.S. Navy and as well as navies of several other NATO nations.” The SeaFox comes in three variants: • SeaFox I, is a recoverable vehicle that is used for location and identification of underwater objects • Seafox T, is a recoverable vehicle used for location and identification of underwater objects plus training in the procedures of mine disposal • SeaFox C, is the expendable combat version of the SeaFox. It is used for the location, identification and disposal of moored, ground and floating mines The SeaFox I is equipped with a built-in TV camera and high-resolution sonar but does not carry any explosives. The SeaFox T comes with a ballast weight and re-settable special attack unit instead of a live warhead. Maneuvering, operations and arming sequence correspond with that of the SeaFox C. The SeaFox C is equipped with both a high-resolution sonar, CCTV, and GPS but also carries a 1.4Kg shaped charge to destroy its target. All three variants are linked to the operator’s console via fibre-optic cable. The 26 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
vehicles are 1.2m in length and weigh approximately 43kg. They operate to a maximum depth of 300m, have a range of 1km, a maximum speed of 6 knots and operating time of 100 minutes. The SeaFox C was used by the Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby off the coast of Libya in 2011. The U.S. Navy deployed dozens of SeaFox C units in the Persian Gulf in 2012 after the Iranian government threatened to use Soviet-era mines to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. One big advantage of the SeaFox over other mine hunting underwater drones is that the SeaFox can be launched from a variety of platforms, according to Gerbrecht. Unlike many AUVs that require dedicated platforms or specialized modifications to existing surface vessels, the SeaFox can be launched from the side of almost any marine vessel. It can also be deployed from a helicopter. The system can be delivered as a standalone or a fully integrated version .In case of stand-alone, the console contains all electronics, software, displays and operating elements to guide the vehicle automatically or manually towards the target and to relocate, identify and destroy it. In the fully integrated version, a multi-function console or any existing console can be used.
SeaOtter
The SeaOtter AUV is designed for multiple military and commercial purposes. Its main tasks are: mine detection and countermeasures; covert intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; environmental
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assessment; seabed mapping; and hydrographical surveying. The 3.65m long AUV weighs 1,200kg. It has a maximum payload of 160kg and can be equipped with mine countermeasure, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance, environmental assessment, as well as sonar technology. The SeaOtter has a top speed of 7kts and can operate up to 20 hours.
SeaCat
The SeaCat is Atlas’ configurable, hybrid ROV/AUV underwater vehicle. Depending on its payload and battery options, the SeaCat length is approximately 2.5 m to 3.5 m. It weighs anywhere from 130 to 220 kg, again depending on the configuration. The vehicle has a maximum forward speed of 6kts and operational depth of 2 m to 600 m. The SeaCat’s standard payload consists of and Edgetech 220 Side Scan Sonar and a Tritech Micron DST Scanning Sonar. However, the SeaCat’s unique swaphead technology makes it the “Swiss Army knife of underwater operations,” according to Gerbrecht. The swap-head system is made up of an array of switchable head-mounted payloads that provide different functions. They include: • Survey Head One – R2 sonic multibeam echo sounder for bottom topology mapping • Survey Head Mk 2 – A Norbit wideband multi-beam sonar and video camera deliver bathymetric images paired with high resolution videos
Autonomous vehicles A ance systems and sensing technologies will drive the development of AUVs and catapult unmanned underwater vehicles to a greater variety of missions, according to Gerbrecht. There’s also work being done in the area of CoCoRo or Collective Cognitive Robotics. Current projects involve working with miniature underwater robots that work together as an AUV swarm. Each of these tiny AUVs is capable of operating on its own. However a small group of them can share data among themselves allowing
SeaCat AUV is fitted with both vertical and bow thruster technology to provide undisputed agility and responsiveness including hover capability. Photo: ATLAS ELEKTRONIK
the entire swarm to “make decisions based on the collective data,” according to the IEEE Spectrum. AUV swarms can provide organizations with a versatile and adaptable fleet of miniature underwater robots that can continue working on a mission even if one or several units fails. One potential application is in the area of underwater search and rescue operations. “We’ve just scratched the surface in terms of how and where AUVs can be deployed,” said Gerbrecht.
BEST DEFENCE CONFERENCE London, Ontario
• Survey Head Mk 4 – A G882 magnetometer as well as a sub-bottom profiler are featured in addition to the Norbit wideband multi-beam sonar and video camera • Inspection Head AUV – Video camera mounted on a pan-tilt frame and imaging sonar for inspection • Water Quality Head – Systems for measuring water quality like dissolved oxygen, hydrocarbons, dissolved organic matter, turbidity, etc. • Tunnel Inspection Head – Able to inspect autonomously fresh-water supply ducts over long distances • Inspection Head ROV – Scanning predefined sections of underwater structures with a 3D video camera and a highfrequency multi-beam echo sounder on a rotating sensor suite • Geomagnetic Head – Detecting and mapping all sizes of ferrous objects buried in the sediment • Subbottom Head – A Tritech dual-frequency seeking parametric subbottom profiler enables an acoustic view into the sediment
NEW Tech Showcase
Get a first-hand look at some highly innovative technologies from across Canada
November 8-9, 2016 London Convention Centre
Early bird registration is now open:
bestdefenceconference.com
The future of AUVs
Currently, the unpredictability of the underwater environment, especially those in regions such as the Arctic, poses some limiting factors for AUVs. However, advances in battery and propulsion systems as well as development of better guid-
For more information, please contact:
Heather Pilot: heather@bestdefenceconference.com | 519.471.3406 or Holly Doty: holly@connectdot.ca | 519.204.2499 www.vanguardcanada.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 27
D DEFSEC Atlantic
DEFSEC 2016:
Design bids for CSC expected next year
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ore than 400 exhibitors from companies around the globe, as well as hundreds of military and government officials and defence industry experts gathered at the Cunard Centre in Halifax for the Defsec Atlantic 2016 defence, security, and aerospace exhibition this September. A majority of the companies were aspiring to become a link in the supply chain for the top military and government procurement projects. For those eyeing a piece of the pie of the Royal Canadian Navy’s estimated $40 billion plus Canadian Surface Combatant program, the Department of National Defence’s senior procurement official’s message was: they’ll need to wait a bit longer. The request for proposals for the CSC, which was originally expected to be issued in September, will instead be released on or before mid-October, according to Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister of materiel. The slight holdup will enable bidders to fine tune their “one last proposal” and come up with their final cost calculations, he said. Finn said the government is getting “really, really excellent feedback” in its consultations with industry regarding the CSC and the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships programs. 28 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
Photos: © DEFSEC Atlantic 2016 – Greg Gidney
The Defence Department is working with Irving Shipping, the prime contractor for the CSC program which calls for the development of an off-the-shelf design of the country’s next generation of warships. “There are areas where I would say some of the bidders are not completely happy with the approach. There are areas where we get diametrically opposed comments and we have to deal with it,” he said in an interview with the Canadian Press. “But fundamentally it’s getting the Navy the ships that it needs.” When the CSC was announced back in 2008, the cost to build the 15 surface combatant vessels was said to be $28 billion. Irving was announced prime contractor in 2015. By the fall of that year, it was reported that the price tag on the project had gone up due to increased cost. A later study said the project would now likely cost more than $40 billion.
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Finn said that he expects design bids to come in by early next year. By the end of summer 2017, the government expects that a general design would be selected. However, negotiations for final contracts on detailed designs might take several more years. He said by the time steel is cut on the first CSC vessel, the Irving shipyard will be well acquainted with the process of completing and delivering vessels for the Navy. “They will have a workforce and a production and a facility and processes that enable them to have success,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to achieve; I often describe it as building through AOPS into the Surface Combatants, and that is work we have underway.”
First AOPS vessel done by 2018
Kevin McCoy, president of Irving Shipyard, said his company intends to deliver the first of the AOPS vessels by 2018, as originally planned. However, he said, building a modern shipyard to deal with the contract has been full of challenges. Starting the Irving Halifax Shipyard from scratch, he said, involved putting into place more than 700 new procedures, creating
Defsec Atlantic D new software, and establishing a Canadian-based supply chain. McCoy said the AOPS project could sustain the shipyard for the next two decades. “The Arctic ships are a great warm up for the Canadian Surface Combatant,” he said.
Team Spartan’s economic benefit to Nova Scotia
Team Spartan, the consortium proposing the Alenia C-27J military transport aircraft for the Air Force’s fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) program highlighted the airplane’s capabilities, as well as its potential economic impact for Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada. The team’s industrial partners that will create high-tech and manufacturing jobs across Canada – including significant programs in and around Halifax if the C-27J is chosen to be the next FWSAR platform for Canada. “Team Spartan has developed a very strong partnership with Canadian companies here in Halifax and across the country that will play an enormous role in bringing this aircraft to all Canadians,” said Steve Lucas, Team Spartan’s spokesman. Nova Scotia represented companies that are part of Team Spartan include IMP Aerospace, Bluedrop Training & Simulation, and General Dynamics Mission SystemsCanada. All three companies expect to bring long-term, high-tech jobs to the region with a program win.
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F FWSAR
Reliable platform key to Canada’s FWSAR program: Airbus
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A pilot’s airplane that is exceptionally safe, reliable and SAR mission optimized FITS Mission System Two consoles, previously certified, very low risk, flying with 12 customers on 67 aircraft
PWC 127G Engines Proven enhanced performance, efficient, reliable, low maintenance – A key part of an optimized SAR platform solution. Over 350 engines delivered to date. Made in Canada
NVIS compatible cockpit
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The Airbus FWSA and has been deve world class capab continuous sales a platform. This solu capable mission s of this solution for standards at all tim
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Wescam MX-15 EO/IR Best in class and made in Canada
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A Proven Solution: C295W FWSAR
reliable platform is critical for meeting the rigorous demands of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Fixed Wing Search and Research (FWSAR) program, according to officials of one of the contenders in the project which aims to replace the RCAF’s fleet of DeHavilland CC-115 Buffalos. “It’s a no-fail mission,” says Pablo Molina, head of the Airbus Defence and Space’s military aircraft wing in Canada. “Lives will be depending on the ability of the aircraft to bring people and supplies to and from rescues locations in often very severe and extreme conditions.” Airbus is proposing its C295W maritime patrol and transport aircraft for the $3.1 billion FWSAR replacement program. According to Molina, the top advantages of the C295 twin-turbo prop maritime aircraft platform is that it has been proven in military missions in various types of environments including the hot and humid jungles of Brazil, the Columbian mountains, the dusty desserts of Algeria and Jordan, as well as, the cold winters and icy conditions of Poland and Finland. He stresses that the C295W is compliant with the FWSAR program’s demands and requirements for the ability to operate in cold weather and strong winds. Airbus has sold 168 C295s and C295Ws in 23 countries, and the aircraft is operating around the world in a variety of configurations, including maritime patrol, anti-submarine, and search and rescue. “It’s already in service in several air forces around the world and fully missionized to op-
1 System racks with power and space growth 2 Crew-safe cabin height Long, In-Flight Operable, Rear Ramp FITS station 3 LargeLargeprivate stowage area and no need to kneel the aircraft for loading/unloading organized storage 4 TwoAccessible, Large Fixed Spotter / Aerial Delivery Windows and markers aft 5 Aft ofFlares landing gear - true unobstructed vertical visibility
The C295W FWSAR Airbus DS is proud to offer Canada a fully compliant, high value solution for the FWSAR Project. Not only is our proposed solution proven in arctic and rugged operations, it has a number of important attributes that will imply a fundamental change in how Canada will execute SAR missions. With a host of new sensors and a sophisticated mission system, the C295W FWSAR offers new capabilities that will significantly transform the RCAF’s ability to perform SAR and surveillance.
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of this solution for its life, meeting or exceeding Canadian standards at all times.
the lowest total cost of ownership.
Lowest Operating Cost There are several reasons for the high level of availability and reliability and the associated low total cost of ownership for the C295W. With highly efficient, less maintenance intensive engines, the C295W has much lower fuel consumption and maintenance/overhaul costs than its competitors. With rugged simple systems, there is less to break, less to fix.
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maximum takeoff weight ratio. It features high performance while offering 20 year fleet fuel cost savings of $40 million at current prices. This modern and continuously improved design benefits from feedback from a large number of operators and an extensive worldwide fleet.
The C295W is an optimized design. It has a high payload to
Lowest Operating Cost MRO Costs per Hour (ICF International)
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benefiting from increased payload and range. The cargo cabin’s length has been increased by three meters, to 12.70m, providing the volume to carry up to 71 people, five standard pallets or up to 24 stretchers for medical evacuation. The maximum payload is in excess of nine tons, and maximum cruise speed is 260kts (480 km/h).
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with a similar mission system, the third erate in conditions we see in Canada,” he generation of Airbus Fully Integrated adds. Tactical System (FITS) that has been proOver the last few months, the C295W empty weight, simple efficient systems and lowest In addition to direct emissions, the C295W has a lower posed to Canada. hasLight achieved several milestones as well. overall fuel consumption make the C295W the greenest production and support carbon footprint. The mass of FITS integrates and displays At the beginning of September, Pratt spares missionized platform in this market. transported over timecontrols is substantially lower, reducing the carbon content of fleet support. Major items, such as Overall, just accounting for direct(PWC) aircraft fuel delivered consumption, themission sensors. This enhances the tailpilot’s and Whitney Canada the engines, are supported in Canada, thus the logistic is the FWSAR C295W fleet will save approximately 250,000 mission and facilitates decision thetons 400th turboprop for shorter, further awareness reducing environmental impact. of C02 PW127G relative to its nearest competitorengine over 20 years, equivalent ofAssembled removing 50,000at vehicles from the Lonroad. making. thetheC295W. P&WC’s “Brazil’s repeat order reflects Brazil’s gueuil, Que. facility, the engine is the exhigh level of confidence in the C295W and clusive powerplant for the C295W. further confirms the demonstrated excelAlso, last month, the first C295W airlence of this aircraft in an SAR role,” said craft configured for sear and rescue (SAR) Simon Jacques, president Airbus Defence that the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea and Space Canada. “The mission system is Brasileira) ordered, made its maiden flight. the heart of the platform….The C295W The new aircraft joins Brazil’s existing fleet and its integrated SAR mission systems are of transport-configured C295s. Accessible large items such as pumps already in service and proven.” A few days after that, Airbus announced Overheads safely accessibleelectro-optical/infrared in flight The C295W has an outstanding low-level that the advanced flight capability, as well as short take-off and turret systems produced by L-3 WESCAM Fixed, spacious spotter stations landing characteristics from unprepared of Burlington, Ont., reached the 1,000 Large flight-hour in-flight SAR crew area rough, soft and short airstrips. It also has a markwork in service on customerflying endurance of up to 11 hours. operated Airbus C295 maritime patrol Long ramp for exceptional stowage and easy on/off loading The aircraft retains the basic characteraircraft. istics of Airbus’ best-selling CN235 while In addition to providing imaging systems for the worldwide fleet of C295 aircraft, L-3 Wescam is a major partner in the Airbus bid to supply the C295W as Canada’s 1 System racks with power and space growth 6 new (FWSAR) aircraft. 7 2 Crew-safe cabin height
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Brazil’s new SAR C295Ws are very similar to the C295W aircraft that Airbus is offering as part of its bid for Canada’s FWSAR project. The Brazilian C295Ws are fitted
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Airbus says it values the partnerships is has with Canadian suppliers. “The Canadian content of the C295W is more than 20 per cent,” says Jacques. “Airbus is spending $1.3 billion a year in Canada and we have some 570 suppliers around the country.” For instance, beyond the PW127G P&WC engines, the C295W employs an advanced electro-optical system from L-3 Wescam. CAE Canada will provide flight simulators and training systems for Canadian C295W crew members and PAL Aerospace of St. John’s, N.L. will provide in-service support for the C295W. According to Airbus, the C295 is the medium ISR market leader, with 52 per cent of the market share in the past 10 years. “We are confident the C295W will meet Canada’s demanding SAR requirements, and that our proposal for the FWSAR project provides the most long-term benefits and international opportunities to Canadian industry,” Jacques says.
Accessible large items such as pumps Overheads safely accessible in flight Fixed, spacious spotter stations Large in-flight SAR crew work area Long ramp for exceptional stowage and easy on/off loading
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P procurement
by Steven Fouchard
Argo XT, D900, Rampage trials clears path for
Arctic Mobility Project
Under the current project timeline new vehicles will be in service by 2025
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he Canadian Army (CA) is working with three new vehicles in a long-term effort to ensure soldiers are able to move effectively across the difficult Arctic terrain. The CA purchased eight of the Argo XT, a tracked small unit support vehicle, and 20 of the DEW Engineering D900, a diesel-powered snowmobile in what is being referred to as a “buy and try” arrangement. Also being tested in the Polaris Rampage. As Major Peter Chan, director of the CA’s ongoing Arctic Mobility Project explained, the Army is not planning to make these vehicles a permanent part of its arsenal. Their use will instead help in determining what specific features and capabilities will best serve its needs in the far north. The Arctic’s isolation and climate have always presented challenges to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Maj Chan said. The region has a great deal of what he calls “marginal terrain,” meaning ice sheets,
32 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
various types of snow and muskeg, an Algonquin term for the grassy bogs formed over the past 10,000 years in areas that were covered by glaciers during the last ice age. “Basically just a very wide variety of terrains,” said Maj Chan. “Too many for one vehicle.” Under the current project timeline, new vehicles will be in service by 2025. They will replace the BV206, a tracked, allterrain transport vehicle that first entered service in 1983. The BV206 fleet was upgraded between 1998 and 2001. Funding to further extend its active life to at least 2022 by replacing engines and transmissions was recently approved. Despite those upgrades, Maj Chan explained, the fleet’s age means replacement parts are getting harder to come by and so the Army is acting now to ensure effective replacements are selected in a timely manner. The Argo XT and D900 will also fill any interim needs arising before the new
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The Polaris Rampage vehicle during Operation Nunalivut at Resolute Bay, Nunavut.
vehicles arrive in 2025. Half of the Argo XTs are in use in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories by members of the CAF’s Joint Task Force North and the rest are at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. Manufacturer Argo, which also builds vehicles for commercial and personal use and is based in New Hamburg, Ontario, has adapted the XT for CA roles by adding an enclosed cab, a kit that enables it to carry stretchers, and a military fuel can holder. “We’re going to trial them in those locations and assess what the capabilities are in marginal terrain to help us define our real, high-level mandatory requirements for future purchases,” said Maj Chan. The D900, built by Ottawa-based DEW Engineering and Development, is unique among snowmobiles in that it is purposebuilt for military use. Its diesel engine, Maj Chan added, also provides greatly increased fuel efficiency, which is a major consideration in Arctic operations.
procurement P The Arctic’s isolation and climate have always presented challenges to the Canadian Armed Forces “Few manufacturers make a diesel snowmobile and fuel is a precious commodity up north so we’re assessing how a diesel machine works in the Arctic environment. Anything we use up in the northern region we have to bring with us. It’s not as simple as going to the gas station and filling up.” Over the course of winter 2015-2016, the D900 will be used by Canadian Ranger patrols and as part of the Army’s Arctic Observer and Advisor Course, in which soldiers receive Arctic-specific survival training. The D900 and the ARGO XT are being tested by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), an agency of the Department of National Defence. The vehicles are part of the 2016 Joint Arctic Experiment (JAE). Taking place every two years, the JAE is an opportunity to scientifically assess equipment from all three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces. While the Army assesses the vehicles’ suitability to the environment, Maj Chan explained, DRDC will be making more technical assessments of features such as fuel economy.
Operation Nunalivut proved an ideal circumstance for a DRDC team to test the Light Over Snow Vehicles (LOSV) trial. First, teams tested the vehicles at DRDC’s Suffield Research Centre. In phase two of the trial they were able to integrate into Op Nunalivut in Resolute Bay, Nunavut. “Our biggest benefit in being part of Op Nunalivut is being able to take advantage of the unique environment in the Arctic and getting that direct feedback from the soldiers. We couldn’t have done this anywhere else in the world,” explains Defence Scientist Jared Giesbrecht, the trial lead from DRDC. The LOSV trial tested three vehicles --the Argo XTs, the D900s vehicles and the Polaris Rampage. They cannot be directly compared explains Giesbrecht - “each one has their own unique roles and capabilities so we are not comparing apples to apples.” The Argo XT is a tracked small unit support vehicle. It can move through varied terrains such as streams, tundra, and ice as well as in -40 C temperatures. The Argo
models purchased are gasoline-powered and have a large cargo capacity. “With the Argo you can haul anything but you move at a slower pace. It proved useful as ‘go-for’ around camp,” explains Giesbrecht. The DEW D900 is a diesel powered version of a regular snowmobile. The main advantages of a diesel engine are improved towing capacity at low speed, and better fuel economy. The Polaris Rampage is a tracked vehicle with a fully enclosed heated cab that can allow for laptops and other electronics to be used safely within. It has a high towing capacity, on-board storage, is amphibious, and can travel up to 80 km/hr. In October 2016, DRDC will be participating in an experiment where manned and unmanned systems will be tasked with detecting and neutralizing a subsurface minefield. It is part of The Technical Cooperation Progam with participants from Canada, Australia, UK and US. In March 2017, DRDC will also be participating in a trilateral experiment involving Canada, Sweden and Norway in Nanoose Bay, BC. They will be using sea bed sensors for maritime surface and subsurface detection, identification and tracking. Steven Fouchard is with the Army Public Affairs
CAFJAE 2016 team member Blaine Fairbrother test drives the DEW D900 snowmobile on Arctic terrain.
The BV-206 all-terrain vehicle, which carries troops and equipment over snow, swamps and other challenging terrain, will be out of service by 2020. Photo by: Sergeant Greg Fedorov. www.vanguardcanada.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 33
D Defence policy
by Serge Bertrand
Future Roles for the RCN The Navy will need to be prepared to operate in an environment that is orders of magnitude more complex than anything the RCN has yet experienced
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anada’s maritime forces are much more deeply connected to national security and prosperity than suggested from a traditional reading of their missions and roles. To understand why, we must examine how Canada’s relationship with the world has been transformed over the past several decades through globalization. Canadians tend to think of their prosperity in terms of Canada’s access to the United States and the networks of bridg34 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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es, roads and rail that move goods within North America. In reality, these networks are part of a larger global economy made possible by maritime commerce. Over 90 per cent of all global commerce travels by sea, including two-thirds of the world’s oil. Maritime commerce touches daily on Canadians’ lives. They experience it in the variety of goods from which they can choose as consumers, and they interact with it through virtually every purchase they make. The pervasiveness of maritime commerce
Defence policy D
Maritime defence and security threats are merging and expanding…
is only partially observable in Canada’s international trade figures. Hidden in the data is the deeper structural reality that national and regional economies have been completely reorganized into an integrated global economy. That global economy has enriched Canadian lives as producers and consumers, but it has also created deep interdependencies the world over. The economies of the United Kingdom or Japan, for example, would begin faltering in a matter of days without maritime commerce. But even North America, arguably
the most self-contained regional economy in the world, depends heavily on international maritime commerce. The forces that have created a global economy have also transformed societies themselves by creating a vast and intricate web of relationships − political, economic, financial and social − that have permitted unprecedented flows of wealth, ideas, goods, services, culture and people among the world’s nations. We call this hyperconnected and massively interdependent world order the “global system.” There are few states more “globalized” than Canada. It is among the world’s most connected societies. It is among the world’s most successfully plural societies, with personal connections and family roots extending around the globe. It is among the world’s most active participants in the international community. And it is among the world’s largest trading states.
THE RCN’S FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE
Today’s global system has evolved beyond recognition from its earliest days, when the Portuguese first rounded the Cape of Good Hope. But oceanic trade has been fundamental to the Western way of life ever since, as has the sea power that served
to protect it. It is no accident that across those five centuries, the leading economic power of the day − Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain and today the United States − was also the dominant sea power of its era. There is a deep relationship between sea power and the economic, legal and political world order. In today’s globalized era, Western navies, led by the United States, are the principal guarantors of the maritime peace and good order upon which the global economy depends. But even as large a navy as the US Navy is insufficient to the task. Defending the global system – and hence Canada’s prosperity and way of living − is a cooperative outcome that navies such as Canada’s and like-minded allies deliver as one of the greatest public goods of this global era. We turn to the missions for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), now recast in terms of this fundamental strategic purpose. In the coming decades, Canada’s maritime forces shall: • Protect Canada by exercising Canadian sovereignty in home waters, securing the maritime approaches to North America and contributing to maritime peace and good order abroad. • Prevent conflict by strengthening global maritime partnerships and deploying for-
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 35
D Defence policy ward to promote global stability and deter conflict from the sea. • Project Canadian power to shape and, when necessary, restore order to the global system
NAVY FOR THIS GLOBAL ERA
Key trends and drivers in today’s global era have deepened the political, legal, economic and military stakes in the world’s oceans, making for an increasingly complex and competitive future at sea. Ocean politics continue to intensify at home and abroad. Maritime defence and security threats are merging and expanding as operations across the spectrum of conflict grow more complex. This is especially the case in a relatively narrow zone near the world’s coastlines where the majority of humanity resides. This is where the most serious consequences of massive change and social disruption will continue to unfold in the decades ahead, making intrastate conflict nearly certain to challenge Canada in the coming decades. This is also where the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), as part of a joint Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), will need to be prepared to operate against both state adversaries as well as armed maritime groups, against the backdrop of an intensely populous littoral environment that is orders of magnitude more complex than anything the RCN has yet experienced. A reordering of global power is also underway, with profound implications for great state cooperation, competition and
confrontation. Nowhere is this more evident than in the evolving Sino-American relationship, which may already be the defining geopolitical issue of our time, and specifically in the interaction of the maritime strategies each state is pursuing in the AsiaPacific region. At stake is the integrity of global maritime order itself, an issue which is central to Canada’s vital interests. On the one hand, China has conflated ‘core interests’ with a priori but tenuous historical claims to waters in the East and South China Seas that it calls its ‘near seas,’ while invoking an unusually expansive interpretation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in its perceived national interest. On the other hand, the United States, as the ultimate guarantor of the current global and maritime order, must find ways to accommodate China’s rising ambitions and interests without fundamentally changing that order. Moreover, the United States must also contend with the prospect that China may well succeed, without approaching the rough parity of naval power needed to match the US Navy’s ability to project power globally. Indeed, all China needs to do is deny American access in its near seas for a period of grave instability in the global maritime domain to ensue, bringing with it the prospect of great power conflict. This paper does not suggest that such prospects are pre-determined. It argues that Canada must be prepared for such outcomes over the period spanning the
The RCN’s most fundamental task remains to defend Canada’s home waters.
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operational lives of the RCN’s next generation of major warships, which will still be at sea in 2060. Nonetheless, the RCN’s most fundamental task remains to defend Canada’s home waters. It will continue to do so primarily through support to its federal partners that are mandated to enforce Canada’s jurisdictions, rights and obligations as a coastal state. This will continue to require the RCN to exert its presence where and when needed, including the requirement to control events at sea. The ability to do so will remain founded upon maritime domain awareness, an understanding of who is operating in Canada’s home waters, what they are doing and why. The outcome of these three maritime capabilities − awareness, presence and control − is what allows Canada to exercise its sovereignty at sea. Accordingly, Canada will continue to require a fleet of sufficient size to operate in Canada’s three oceans and deploy abroad on an ongoing basis, while retaining the ability to respond to a major international contingency. Canada will continue to need a navy that can act with sovereign independence to defend Canada’s territory but that is highly interoperable with the United States to help defend North America. Canada will continue to need a navy that can contribute effectively to major international operations. However, to meet defence and security challenges in the coming decades, Canada’s maritime forces will need to be: • Better equipped for sustained Arctic operations. The Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) will serve as the RCN’s primary springboard for meeting growing defence and security obligations in the Arctic, resulting from their ability to help regulate Arctic home waters as well as to monitor and respond to events, ranging from assuring the safety of mariners and responding to environmental disasters, to
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D Defence policy confronting incursions against Canada’s sovereignty. These ships will also play an important part in developing Canada’s High North in the coming decades, a process that will be conducted largely by air and from the sea. Future joint and maritime operations in the Arctic will hinge upon the continued development of a constellation of unmanned, semiautonomous and remotely-operated intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) systems, such as those being explored by Canada, Norway and the United States. • Better equipped to conduct peace support operations. Recent operations by the RCN as well as allied navies have underscored a pressing need for the CAF to acquire a dedicated peace support ship, specifically to meet the unique demands of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) operations. Such operations typically unfold in chaotic conditions, often in the absence of, or hampered by extensively damaged, transportation networks and infrastructure. The characteristics that would permit such a ship to act as a seabase include: a substantial sealift capacity to embark personnel, vehicles, force logistics and humanitarian materiel for transport into theatre; equipment to embark/disembark cargo as well as transfer cargo at sea; deck space to accommodate or operate medium or heavy lift aircraft and landing craft to act as the ship/shore connectors to project, sustain and support a force ashore, as well as to recover it; and the internal space that can be dedicated to a joint headquarters, civil-military coordination centre, and medical and dental facilities and accommodations for evacuees. Such a vessel would likely be among the most heavily utilized assets in the future CAF inventory. Capable of anticipatory pre-positioning or rapid deployment, a peace support ship would be an ideal platform for joint action across a range of relatively permissive scenarios. Such scenarios would include the evacuation of non-combatants from zones of incipient conflict, as well as support to forces ashore during a post-conflict recovery or stabilization period. Moreover, such a vessel would likely emerge as the CAF’s principal defence diplomacy asset, deployed routinely to regions of strategic interest to Canada 38 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
Maritime commerce touches daily on Canadians’ lives. with a range of personnel and joint capabilities embarked to strengthen regional capacities and strategic partnerships, or more broadly to conduct goodwill missions with other federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations and assets embarked. • Better equipped to contribute to joint action ashore, through the acquisition of weapons designed for precision operational or tactical fires in support of a joint force, as well as systems for theatrelevel air defence to permit the protection of joint forces and populations ashore from short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. The latter capability would also be especially pertinent for the strategic North American defence partnership, as it would represent a major step-change in Canada’s capacity to contribute to NORAD and would likely encompass significant changes to current bi-national command arrangements.
DELIVERING TOMORROW’S NAVY
Today’s maritime forces are the result of investments made by governments prior to 1993, when defence spending equated to 1.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or higher. The modernization or replacement of those assets was advanced with considerable difficulty when defence spending fell to an average of 1.1 per cent of GDP. The ability of future governments to continue leveraging these prior investments, in terms of current policy-directed defence outcomes, is rapidly drawing to a close. There is simply no question more fundamental to the success of the Defence Policy Review (DPR) than to bring expected defence outcomes and spending levels into balance in the long term. The recommendations offered below recognize that it will take more than a
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decade to achieve a new balance. Accordingly, this paper advocates the sequencing of additional investments in the near to mid-term through modest adjustments involving public/private partnerships and a reprofiling of fleet renewal by extending the life of the RCN’s current generation of patrol ships and in particular its submarines. In this vein, the government should: • Continue efforts to accelerate the RCN’s recapitalization, consistent with the need for robust requirements definition to reduce strategic risks, while retaining the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) as the most assured basis of recapitalizing the fleet. The costs of such an approach compare favourably to offshore production, especially in light of the strategic advantages that accrue from a robust domestic industrial base. • Use public/private partnering as a complementary activity to the NSPS, where requirements can be met through vessels built to modern commercial standards. Such an approach, already in place to acquire an interim AOR for the RCN in 2017, holds promise for the potential acquisition of a purpose-converted peace support ship, described earlier, as well as the acquisition of a new generation of coastal patrol ships to replace the Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDVs). • Increase funding for fleet maintenance (DND’s national procurement account). Aging hulls need enhanced levels of deep maintenance, and recurring shortfalls in relation to demand have incrementally led to growing liabilities that will need to be addressed, especially in relation to the life extension proposals that follow. • Extend the life of the Victoria-class submarines and the Kingston-class MCDVs as a means of retaining fleet capacity while the RCN undergoes the transition from the modernized Halifax-class frigates from the mid-2020s through the mid-2030s. • Plan to replace the Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Victoria-class submarines. Serge Bertrand served in the Canadian Armed Forces for nearly four decades. Before retiring in 2015, he served as an advisor to several successive Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy. This article was previously published by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Bodo Gospodnetic
President Dominis Engineering Ltd.
ers in the world. Until then we only made ship model propellers, hydro turbine blades, small CP propeller blades for the US Coast Guard and propellers then, for Canadian ice breaker “Griffon”. It took me two months to prepare and submit our bid and it took about two months for the Government to evaluate all the proposals and award the contract. If we had not been awarded this big contract, we would not be where we are today.
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1) How did you start out in this industry and how has it brought you to where you are today? I left my job as application programmer at the Airborne Radar Laboratory of the Communications Research Center in 1986 when my father retired from the Ship Research Laboratory of the National Research Council and we started Dominis Engineering. For the first three years we worked out of a 400 sq.ft. office in Vanier. We purchased DEC VAX computers and dived into developing our ideas and testing of new algorithms for CNC milling of propellers. In 1989 we bought our first 5-axis CNC milling machine. In our current 9,000 sq. ft. facility we now have: three large 5-axis CNC milling machines, vertical boring mill, two balancing machines and a high resolution laser scanner for inspection of propellers. We are planning on expanding.
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What is your role at your organization today? I am officially the president but from time to time I assume the role of lion tamer. I also lead Dominis R&D efforts.
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What was your most challenging moment? Getting the contract in 2003 for supply of spare propeller blades for the Canadian Patrol Frigates. We were competing against all the big propeller manufactur-
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What is your parting piece of advice? Do not accept compromises that may compromise the quality of your work. Always strive for perfection. Churchill says it so well: “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”.
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What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innovation mindset?
What was you’re a-ha moment?
It happened while I was at a drafting table and was working on a design of fixtures and tools with the objective to achieve the best possible precision of the propeller blade surface. I realized that the only way to get the best results is to CNC machine all surfaces to final form and finish completely eliminating hand grinding from the manufacturing process.
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What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? …The biggest challenge is the amount of effort that a small high-tech company has to expend to be noticed by the large players in the defence sector. Canadian small enterprises lack the kind of protection that U.S. small companies benefit from, such as request for proposals which are “set aside” for small businesses or purchases which are subject to restrictions under the Buy America Act.
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What is the best advice you received? It came from my father. He said: Deliver superior quality and value to your customer, and charge a fair price.
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I firmly believe that both Thordon Bearings and Gastops are top-notch small Canadian companies that have been very innovative and very successful.
Questions about Dominis
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How is your organization changing the game within your industry sector? Dominis is conducting research to demonstrate that machining to final form and finish reduces cavitation induced noise and increases propeller efficiency.
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What are some of the biggest impediments to innovation in our industry sector? In Canada, spending on R&D as a percentage of GNP has been on a steady decline for more than a decade. Canada does not rank anymore in the top 10 R&D spenders in the world. We have been surpassed by Russia, India and Brazil who have outspent Canada relative to the size of their economies…We spend more to acquire technologies developed by other countries than the rest of the world buys from us, i.e. we have an intellectual property deficit.
What is a habit that contributes to your success?
See the full interview online
Striving to always be better. Good enough is not good enough. www.vanguardcanada.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 39
George Palikaras
Founder and CEO Metamaterial Technologies Inc.
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What is your role at your organization today?
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How did you start out in this industry and how has it brought you to where you are today? I am a sports enthusiast. I noticed fans watching certain European sports teams were using lasers to blind opposing team players to influence the game. Then a friend of mine in the aviation safety industry mentioned that lasers were being pointed at pilots at night commercial aviation. A laser can cause temporary flash blindness, glare and distraction. I realized that nanotechnology had the potential to provide a long term solution to this increasing problem. My father inlaw was an aircraft maintenance engineer and he educated me on the process to integrating a solution on to an aircraft. A metamaterial thin film to block lasers was one of the first products that I designed when we started our company in 2010. Then in Oct. 2011, I was invited to speak at a conference at Eurcontrol in Brussels, which is the European equivalent of the FAA, where I first presented my work on metamaterials. Within a few months, we were approached by NATO, airlines and aircraft manufacturers about our technology. In 2014, our company signed a partnership agreement with Airbus to test our breakthrough innovation designed to deflect unwanted bright light or laser sources from impacting jetliner flight paths and causing pilot disorientation or injury. Flight tests started with Airbus using large scale prototypes of our metaAIR product in November 2015 and the product is now in final stages of development. 40 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
As founder and CEO of MTI, I travel around the globe establishing relationships with various world leading companies to discuss how our platform technology can be integrated into their supply chain. I am constantly on the lookout for new opportunities and problems that our technology can solve. Part of this is identifying potential business partners. I also spend as much time as possible involved in the ideation and innovation of our products.
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What was your most challenging moment? We are one of the first companies working to commercialize metamaterials. One of the biggest challenges we faced was the absence of viable manufacturing tools to produce large-scale, high-volume optical metamaterial products. In June, we acquired the business of a Silicon Valley nanofabrication company called Rolith, which included their RML lithographic technology, a perfect complement to our business, allowing us to scale up our manufacturing of metamaterials.
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What was you’re a-ha moment?
A few years ago, I contacted the civil aviation authorities in the United Kingdom to find out what the number of laser strikes in commercial aviation had been over the last 10 years and found out that the number of strikes more than double year-over-year. And the cost of owning a powerful laser was dropping by 70 per cent every year. Last year, the number of FAA-reported laser incidents in the US nearly doubled to 7,703 and in the UK the British Pilot Association reported 1,439 laser attacks in 2015.
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What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? I am passionate about helping people
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change the way they use, interact and benefit from light. Our scientists at MTI are re-writing the books of physics, offering new solutions to complex problems. The potential applications for nanotechnology are endless and the next two decades will be pivotal for many industries.
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What is the best advice you received? Lead by example and to pay it forward by sharing what we know with the next generation.
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What is a habit that contributes to your success? Perseverance and surrounding myself with the best team has played a key role in our success. I work daily with some of the top scientists in the world that are at the forefront of metamaterials. We continuously collaborate with the best in our field and it has definitely given us a competitive advantage.
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What is your parting piece of advice? The size of your business doesn’t matter, it’s about the problem you are solving.
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What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innovation mindset? Airbus is a great example of a leading company that embodies the innovation mindset. We were a small business with a product that could potentially provide vision protection against laser strikes for pilots when Airbus began working with us to help us tailor a solution for the industry. We are very grateful for the faith they put in us.
See the full interview online
c.
Heather Pilot
President Pilot Hill Ltd.
The decision to give up a great job at a great organization to strike out on my own.
Q What was you’re a-ha moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader, tell us that story.
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How did you start out in this industry and how has it brought you to where you are today? My deep appreciation of the defence sector began while at the London Economic Development Corp. KONGSBERG Gruppen of Norway approached us to provide the business case for London as they were looking for a location in Canada. Through working with them, I became aware of the significant cluster of defence-related companies we had in London (beyond GDLSC) and was soon immersed in the sector.
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What is your role at your organization today? As president of Pilot Hill Ltd. I produce and organize The Best Defence Conference in November each year and provide a range of consulting services to companies and organizations. My varied experience in export development, stakeholder relations and business development has provided me with a solid foundation on which to assist defence companies with their business development needs.
Q What was your most challenging
I knew that if I did not pursue my passion for the defence industry and take the conference into the private sector, I would always look back with deep regret at the path not taken. What drives me today is the opportunity to develop even more creative platforms for the Best Defence Conference that will enhance the ability of companies to actually conduct business.
Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? Technologies of all kinds are profoundly changing the way we work, live and play. The Technology Showcase is a new element to this year’s Best Defence Conference which I hope becomes an established, must-see aspect of the conference. I am amazed at the number of talented and creative companies that exist in Canada and I am only touching the tip of the iceberg.
Q What is the best advice you
Q What is your parting piece of advice? It is scary to leave behind a secure position to start a business. That first year is an emotional rollercoaster but the ride is what makes it valuable whether you succeed or fail.
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What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innovation mindset? I only have to look right in my own back yard to see that GDLS-C embraces innovation throughout its entire corporate culture and acts as an innovation catalyst throughout its supply chain. I really get excited when I meet a supplier that has gone from making simple commodity products to providing really creative solutions and developing their own IP.
Q How is your organization changing the game within your industry sector? I see us filling a need by acting as a catalyst for strategic partnerships and bringing technology-driven innovators to the table. What technologies, business models and trends will drive the biggest changes in your industry over the next two years?
received? Trust yourself.
Q What is the habit that contributes
Artificial intelligence is being applied to manufacturing and the whole area of additive manufacturing will leave behind those companies that do not invest in technology.
to your success? I just keep moving ahead until I achieve the goal. I don’t let obstacles stop me from finding a path forward.
See the full interview online
moment? www.vanguardcanada.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 41
T Technology Watch
by Nicole Verkindt
Why taking care of your smallest suppliers is important
Your company’s success is directly related to the strength of your supply chain
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hen I was running a manufacturing business and responsible for delivering final goods to an end user in the defence sector, our team had become very comfortable with our supply chain and since we didn’t have any issues for so many years, there never seemed to be a huge urgency to fix anything. After all why to fix it if it isn’t broken? Our head of supply chain was incredibly talented and had fostered relationships with everyone, particularly the larger and critical suppliers, such as advanced coatings providers and other suppliers that made up a large percentage of our spend, such as raw materials providers. We paid very little, if any, attention to the smaller suppliers, such as the nuts, bolts and tent stakes providers for instance. When our large U.S. Department of Defense contracts started to decrease, we needed to go to our suppliers to have them adjust delivery schedules, reduce their prices and work with us on slightly revised work scopes. These changes were no problem and life continued as normal. That is until there was a near-colossal mess up with one of the minuscule components of the shelter system - tent stakes.
most critical have the most cushion and how sometimes the smaller and “insignificant” ones need to be watched closest. We learned that, as buyers, we should be wary of squeezing these suppliers on cost or forcing them to change delivery schedules. But most of all, we learned how much the strength and success of our supply chain translated directly to our success. Overall, when managing complex supply chains, aerospace, and defence (A&D) companies face challenges that can pose tremendous risks to their overall product delivery and profitability. While my example above is more about timing, communications and taking care of the smallest of suppliers, there can be more extreme issues having to do with quality and reducing the risk of poor quality parts being delivered in supply chains. For instance, the Takata airbag recall was a major setback in the automotive industry, both in reputation and cost to the industry. In total, a single point of failure that was found in the supply chain of 14 different automakers, specifically a metal Isaac’s team
Small but not insignificant
At 17 cents a piece there was little to no margin available for that supplier for some kind of error. We missed the supplier on our radar and despite their seeming insignificance, one missing link caused a near miss delivery...and a missed delivery is a missed revenue hit, which can be for some SMEs running on the margin, a near payroll and expense miss too. In other words, the tent stakes can take down an entire business. In our case, they didn’t, but served as an important lesson in how some of the suppliers that feel 42 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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cartridge in the inflator, affected an estimated 100 million vehicles worldwide.
Supply chain risks
As of March of 2016, the estimated costs to the industry were pegged at approximately $31.6 billion. These losses amounted to more than the $26 billion initial estimates for Canada’s Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program, which will be this country’s largest procurement to date. Takata itself is unlikely to survive the fallout and the reputations of some of the world’s best-known automotive brands have also taken big hits as a result. This example should serve as a cautionary tale about the importance of reliable supply chain partners across any industry, but especially ones where the safety and security of people lie at the core of every product, as is the case in aerospace and defence products. Shifting back to aerospace and defence supply chains, KPMG released a report earlier this year highlighting concerns from executives in A&D firms about their
Technology Watch T own supply chains and where they felt most and reduce sourcing risk. The company has extensive experience across all functional exposed to risk. The findings of this report show that 87 areas of a supply chain including subconper cent of the aerospace and defence com- tracting, procurement, supplier managepanies that responded cited “supply chain ment, logistics, receiving, warehousing, risk” as the second largest risk facing their kitting, and stores. Isaac first works with a company to uncompanies. Additionally, only one in 10 of these derstand how a company’s supply chain fits companies stated that they have visibility into the overall business process, and where into their tier two supply chain and unsur- the primary risks lie within that process. prisingly, only 50 per cent of companies They then work with the company to trace said they have full visibility into their tier, every factor down to the root cause of the risk, and identify opportunities to reduce one supplier. Outside of purely focusing on supplier the risk and methods to track performance. product delivery, OEMs are also subject Nick Boragina of Isaac told me that, “Most to various global reputational risks such as commonly, the greatest risk and subsecorruption or other potential unethical is- quently the greatest cost is around program sues that can negatively come from its sup- schedule delays as a result of missing parts ply chain. As stated in the Thomas Reuters or materials – late delivery dates and/or inTransparency Webinar Series, corruption in correct parts can run additional costs into the supply chain can increase the total cost the millions through pushing out the finish of doing business globally by up to 10 per- date. The risk is most amplified in situacent, furthering the need to ensure trans- tions where there are aggressive and inflexible schedules and in these cases communiparency when managing supply chain risk. We have been in extensive discussions cation and alignment of schedules between with the team at Isaac, a local Toronto functional areas are critical.” It reminded me all consulting firm that works together with 5:37:38 magazine_ad.pdf 1 8/23/2016 PMtoo much of my emotional tent stake businesses to increase their performance drama nearly a decade earlier.
Another Canadian company making headway in supply chain risk is Creation Technologies, located in Burnaby, British Columbia. This company specializes in medium-volume, complex electronic products. Creation Technologies has expanded its Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VAVE) services due to the increased supply chain risks associated with consolidation in the electronics industry. VAVE helps OEMs identify risk in design, prototyping, and production and the team at Creation Technologies can then suggest solutions. Supply chain risks are further complicated globally by offset/industrial participation/localization requirements. Where countries like Canada don’t tend to present a major challenge to quality, there is still the issue of finding and qualifying the appropriate suppliers. Traditionally, this has proven to be a time-consuming and expensive process. At OMX, we have tried to make this process easier by providing supplier data that can be filtered by capability, size, official quality certifications, region and whether or not they have been validated by another
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T Technology Watch Risk is most amplified in situations where there are aggressive and inflexible schedules. The collaboration is what makes it worthwhile.” Jon and I further discussed the importance of these technologies in the coming age where millennials begin to move ahead in the workforce. For this generation, technology is a natural extension of who they are, and it is ultimately the future of managing procurement and supply chain.
Procure-to-pay solutions Jon Hansen supplier in the ecosystem. We will also be moving towards providing internal ratings of suppliers by other users, and feel that the more information is readily available on companies, the more risk will be mitigated. This process is much harder in some emerging economies that don’t have such a robust manufacturing sector for government contractors and OEMs to draw from, especially when online data tends to be less trustworthy. These are the economies where offset programs aren’t meant to sustain an existing industry, but are in place to fully kickstart a new industry or sub-sector of one. In these instances, it is often much harder for foreign OEMs to discover suppliers and significantly more difficult to assess their quality and ability to deliver without flying half-way around the world to see their facilities. This difficulty can add significant cost to the bid itself and increases the risk further. I also asked Jon Hansen, the author behind the blog Procurement Insights and the host of the radio show PI Window on Business Blog Talk Radio, about his thoughts on supply chain risk and procurement technologies. Jon believes that “Technology becomes ineffective the more people become dependent on it. We must look beyond the technology to the people working behind the technology. Historically, 80 per cent of e-procurement initiatives in the public and private sector have failed to achieve the result because they pass off the role of the people to the software.” Jon explained further. “Technology has advanced and the determining factor of the success of these online platforms is in the end, users coming together and using them. 44 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
Cloud-based platforms such as Coupa and Ariba provide procure-to-pay solutions that streamline procurement management processes and allow for greater visibility as well as reducing costs and time. These supply chain management platforms are mainstream, do not accommodate for some of the specifics around “local regional investments” and other specific needs from the offset and defence/aerospace community. Further, at the end of the day, it all comes down to user adoption and needing good data to be entered in to extract good data out. As I mentioned earlier, OMX has begun tackling the issue of supplier quality and risk by layering additional features that allow companies to “Verify” other organizations in the platform that they have worked with. This feature serves as a way for companies that are proven and trusted in the industry (those that have been verified themselves) to anonymously endorse the reliable suppliers that they have worked with. A more robust ratings and rankings system, similar to what we have already seen with platforms such as Yelp, are another solution to this common supply chain problem. However, this is going to require a degree of openness from an industry that is notoriously guarded about revealing details about its suppliers. Essentially, OEMs/Primes/Tier 1s are going to have to be open and honest about their experiences with suppliers - which ones worked and which ones didn’t. Here, the issue for OEMs is balancing the value and usefulness of the reviews between what is for the good of the industry and their own competitive advantage by not exposing their supply chain weaknesses. OEMs will have to consider the benefit of the industry as a whole when taking part in ratings that potential competitors will be able to see.
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If successful, this type of system will ultimately help the entire industry separate out the great suppliers from the not so great. From what I can see, it would have the potential to have two positive effects: 1. Encouraging greater effort on the part of suppliers to get into the ‘great’ rankings which will have a positive effect on overall quality and delivery, and 2. Reducing risk for the OEMs on supplier failure by allowing them to choose the best overall supplier for their need based on previously tested and proven recommendations. OMX is tackling this challenge in 2016/2017 and is opening the door to software integrations with major players to help OEMs gain greater insight into the visibility of their supply chain. One way that we intend to achieve this goal is by introducing additional anonymous supplier rating and ranking features to help OEMs reduce risk. Linking with other apps like AirDesign and SAP will allow companies to have a true end-to-end visibility into their supply chains on programs. B2B networks will allow OEMs to map their entire supply chain through gaining visibility into their tier 1’s suppliers and all the way down the supply chain to the source of materials. Any company is only as strong as the weakest link in its supply chain and thus companies need to recognize that developing and using better data on lower supply chain tiers can aid in reducing risk and developing a more productive supply chain. Leading technologies, when fully adopted, will prove to be a determining factor in limiting these risks. It is the combination of user adoption and the right technology itself that it is the winning answer, and for me, it is this idea of bringing best in breed from other sectors to the specific needs of the defence and offset community to reduce supply chain risk. The risks are too high to be ignored and there is often too much at stake for it to ever be worth it. Nicole Verkindt is founder and president of OMX. She is a board member of the Canadian Commercial Corporation and was recently appointed to the board of the Peter Munk School of Global Affairs. She is also the technology editor of Vanguard Magazine.
www.maritimearcticsecurity.com
@mass_conference
by Nestor Arellano
Limits sought on what the Five Eyes see and share
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he revelations about the scope of global surveillance made two years ago by NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden has thrown a spotlight on how intelligence communities around the globe gather and share information among themselves. With the lid blown wide open on the fact that these massive data gathering practices have the potential to peer into the private details of any individual, many organizations have called for a reexamination, a revamp even of the role of intelligence services. In Canada, the federal privacy commissioner is seeking better oversights and safeguards in the sharing of intelligence data with Canada’s allies in order to better protect the privacy rights of lawabiding Canadians. In a report that laid bare many of the failings of the government’s ability to ensure the safety of individuals’ private information, Federal Privacy Commissioner David Therrien also warned of the dangers posed by Bill C-51 and the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act (SCISA). Bill C-51, brought in by the former Conservative government, which introduced sweeping data gathering powers for intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Bill C-51 received Royal Assent in June 2015 as the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015, and came into force in August 2015. It introduced the SCISA which the Office of the Privacy Commissioner expressed serious concerns in submissions to a number of parliamentary committees studying the bill. The Liberal government created a parliamentary committee to look into the legislation and has promised to repeal elements of C-51 that pose risks to privacy. The efforts fall short. “While the question of oversight has, in part, been addressed, our concerns regarding thresholds remain,” according to the 2015-2016 Annual Report to Parliament on the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Privacy Act, presented by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. The commissioner also outlined the dangers of data sharing among our allies. The danger of information sharing was illustrated in the 201415 Annual Report of the Office of the CSE Commissioner (the CSE’s oversight authority). The report said that details on the communication activities of Canadians were shared with Canada’s Five Eyes signal intelligence partners. The leak was traced to a defective filtering technique which failed to minimize (remove, alter, mask or render unidentifiable) certain data pertaining to Canadians. SCISA’s current standard dictates that certain federal government institutions may share information amongst themselves so long as it
46 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
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is “relevant” to the identification of national security threats. “In our view, that threshold is inadequate and could expose the personal information of law-abiding Canadians,” the report said. “A more reasonable threshold would be to allow sharing where necessary.” The Office of the Privacy Commissioner identified several key concerns which SCISA. Among them where: • The act is broadly worded and leaves much discretion to federal entities to interpret and define “activities that undermine the security of Canada”, potentially resulting in an inconsistent approach in its application. • The scale of information sharing that could occur under this act is unprecedented. The potential for sharing on a much larger scale combined with advances in technology allow for personal information to be analyzed algorithmically to spot trends, predict behaviour and potentially profile ordinary Canadians with a view to identifying security threats among them. “Our intent in future reviews will be to examine whether law abiding citizens are indeed subject to these broad sharing powers, and if so, under what circumstances,” the report said. • Fourteen of the 17 entities authorized to receive information for national security purposes under the SCISA are not subject to dedicated independent review or oversight. • There are legal authorities that existed before the SCISA that permit the collection and disclosure of information for national security purposes. Some of these authorities are also very broad, including the common law powers vested in the police and others and the crown prerogative of defence. Therrien derided the failure of federal agencies and departments to conduct assessments on privacy impact. The commissioner’s report recommended that legislation requiring government departments and agencies to conduct Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) prior to implementation of programs. For example, said, in the 2013 caseEarly of the Bird Canada Bor-visit Takeheadvantage of the rate, der Service Agency (CBSA) High Integrity Personnel Security www.C4ISRandbeyond.com Screening Standard, the Commissioner’s office was not consulted prior to implementation and a PIA was received upon the program’s implementation. “As a result, new Information and more invasive screening measures Forthe more on Sponsorship, pleasebecontact: gan without our input and a related complaint under the Privacy Marcello Sukhdeo, National Account Manager Act followed,” Therrien said. “A legislative requirement to com905-727-4091 Ext. 224 or marcellos@netgov.ca plete a PIA prior to implementation could have resulted in privacy risks being highlighted and mitigated early on.” “In pursuit of a better balance, we have recommended, for example, changing SCISA’s information sharing threshold from ‘relevance’ to ‘necessity,’ that private and public sector institutions follow through on transparency reporting; and amending the National Defence Act to add legal safeguards for protecting personal information collected and used by the CSE,” the report said. The privacy watchdog is calling for higher standards in protecting citizens from surveillance. Canadians understand the value of security, especially under the current threats our country is exposed to. However, they also deeply care about their privacy. That is why the Commissioner stresses that finding the right balance is” absolutely critical.”
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OFSV PROGRAM ON SCHEDULE TO BEGIN DELIVERY IN 2017
OFFSHORE FISHERIES SCIENCE VESSELS ON SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERY IN 2017 Work on the first two OFSV Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard is well underway, with construction on the third OFSV slated to begin later this year.
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