WWII German sub in Canadian river?

This image submitted to the CBC by Brian Corbin was taken with side-scanning sonar and shows with Mr. Corbin believes is a German U-boat. (source)

HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, Newfoundland, July 25 (UPI) -- It hasn't been confirmed yet, but searchers believe they've found a World War II German submarine at the bottom of a Canadian river, 60 miles from the ocean.
What appears to be a German U-boat was first spotted at the bottom of the Churchill River in Labrador two years ago by searchers using sonar to locate three men who had gone over Muskrat Falls, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Wednesday.
"We were looking for something completely different, not a submarine, not a U-boat -- I mean, no one would ever believe that was possible," Brian Corbin told the CBC. "It was a great feeling when we found it."

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Canada orders 7 patrol ships, but are they the best for Arctic waters?

Analysis: Canada's Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) have been in the pipeline for five years. Now, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has signed a CAN $9.3 million contract with the Nova Scotia-based Irving Shipbuilding to begin work on the vessels.
It's an important first step, as for a while the number of AOPS that Canada would acquire was in flux.
However, the amount of money represented by the contract is quite small, as the ships are estimated to cost $3.1 billion to acquire and a another $4.3 billion to maintain. With the funding from the initial contract, Irving Shipbuilding will review the existing blueprints for the AOPS and begin working on an execution strategy.
As part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, Irving Shipbuilding received a $25 billion contract to perform work on 21 large combat vessels. Vancouver Shipyards will construct seven large non-combat vessels under an $8 billion agreement.

Canada First defense strategy

In a press release, Defense Minister Peter McKay stated, "This strategic relationship with Canadian shipyards will help us deliver on our commitment to the Canada First Defence Strategy, and enable us to provide our Navy with the modern ships they need to defend Canada's interests at home and abroad. Canada has the longest coastline of any nation on Earth and these new ships will allow the Royal Canadian Navy to enforce Canada's northern sovereignty."

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New Boeing CH-147F Chinook Medium-to-Heavy Lift helicopter for Canada completes 1st flight.

The new Boeing [NYSE: BA] CH-147F Medium-to-Heavy-Lift Helicopter for Canada is progressing ahead of schedule after making its first flight on June 24. "Boeing and the Canadian Department of National Defence are focused on delivering the next generation of advanced vertical-lift aircraft to meet the needs of the Canadian military today and well into the future," said Leanne Caret, Boeing Vertical Lift vice president and H-47 Programs manager.

The new Boeing CH-147F Medium-to-Heavy-Lift Helicopter for Canada is progressing ahead of schedule after making its first flight on June 24. (Photo credit Boeing)

The inaugural flight lasted more than 80 minutes and confirmed the initial airworthiness of the aircraft, including its new electrical system and advanced Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit, which reduces pilot workload. After the Chinook's third flight on June 25, Boeing also completed the Limited Acceptance Test Procedure to validate aircraft performance and systems. The aircraft will continue to progress through ground and flight test activities in the coming months and soon will be joined by the second CH-147F, which is scheduled to roll off the production line later this month.

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Canada to buy new jet trainer aircraft

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Canadian air force officials are examining options to buy a new jet trainer aircraft to replace its aging fleet of BAE Systems-built CT-155 Hawk aircraft.
The official Canadian position on the planned purchase remains unclear but the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is looking at an upgrade with the option to allocate the existing Hawks elsewhere in the Canadian armed forces.
British-built Hawk, operational worldwide since 1974, is used by armed forces globally and remains in production. At least 18 air force and military establishments worldwide are known to be using more than 900 Hawks.
Harper's procurement strategy appears to be aimed at priming the air force for the much more ambitious task of the planned switchover to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
The Hawk is both a training aircraft and a light combat plane and can likely fit into the pattern as the F-35 is eased into service -- whenever that happens over the next four years.
Canada originally planned to buy 65 F-35s but controversy over the government's alleged mishandling of the planned purchase has built up pressure to negotiate prices and buy less aircraft. The current price tag on Canada's likely purchase of 65 F-35s exceeds $15 billion.
A government decision on buying a new trainer jet is also in exploratory stages.
Government defense procurement teams have looked at several options, which include the BAE System's Hawk 128, Alenia Aeronautica's M-346 Master and Korean Aerospace International's T-50 Golden Eagle.
The training program for the trainer jet will likely include simulators and training curriculum designed to initiate air force pilots into the F-35 program.
However, Canada's aim isn't necessarily to go for a replacement contract for the Hawk trainers, as the air force could simply upgrade the fleet to manage the training tasks associated with the F-35, Flight Global reported.
Meanwhile, the F-35 acquisition program is moving slowly after an earlier flap in which Canada's auditor general took Harper's government to task for not being transparent enough while sharing information on the program with parliament and government agencies.
The procurement was heavily criticized by the opposition and the media and was labeled a national "scandal" and "fiasco." Harper's government has moved quickly to control political damage over the controversy.
The F-35s will replace about 80 McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornets in a phased program likely to conclude in 2016. However, Harper is under pressure to be more transparent and provide more details of the acquisition than originally supplied.
The F-35 program continues to be a major political issue, requiring Harper to be extra cautious in managing the purchase of new jet trainer aircraft.

Source :http://www.spacedaily.com

Canada Ramps Up Arctic Arsenal

Trekking Up North: Canadian Rangers ride snowmobiles over the Arctic tundra on an April 19 sovereignty patrol near Baring Bay, Nunavut. Canada plans to expand its Arctic military role with a new training base, a fleet of patrol ships and other new gear. (Canadian Forces)

OTTAWA — The Canadian Forces’ push to boost its presence in the Arctic is fueling the need for new equipment, ranging from stealthy snowmobiles to UAVs that can operate in the remote region.

Other companies are preparing to bid on the Canadian Army’s project to buy a new fleet of all-terrain vehicles for operations in the north.
The Army’s commander, Lt. Gen. Peter Devlin, said efforts to improve Arctic capabilities are progressing well, and that 800 Canadian soldiers conducted exercises in Norway in February and March. But increasing presence in such regions will require support from industry with new equipment, as well as help with logistics.
A new Arctic training base is set to be built, and plans are underway for construction of a new fleet of Arctic and offshore patrol ships at a cost of 3 billion Canadian dollars ($3 billion), as well as a 700 million-Canadian dollar Polar-class icebreaker.
“The challenge in operating in the north is that it costs big bucks,” Devlin said. “You have to transport yourself there, and then there are additional costs tied to fuel, tied to how syou feed yourself, tied to water, tied to sanitation.”
But defense companies are lining up to bid on the potential contracts.
Northrop Grumman has made a presentation to the Canadian government about selling a fleet of Global Hawk UAVs capable of patrolling the Arctic.
Canada has a plan to eventually purchase UAVs, but Northrop’s proposal would see the acquisition of Global Hawks outside of that project. Canadian government sources said the purchase is being consi-dered by the Conservative Party government as a way to show it is delivering on its promise to project Canada’s sovereignty over its Arctic territories.
Northrop official Dane Marolt said the company has proposed the purchase of at least three UAVs, dubbed Polar Hawks.
“One Polar Hawk can fly the entire Northwest Passage five or six times in a single mission,” said Marolt, director of international business development for the company’s Global Hawk program.
“With three aircraft, you can do coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That gives you situational awareness of what’s going on, so if something’s identified, then action can be taken by the government,” Marolt said.
The price would be about $150 million to $170 million for each UAV, plus long-term maintenance.

Armored Vehicle Proposals

The Army has an Arctic capability project underway called the medium all-terrain vehicle. Canada already operates the Hägglunds Bv206, a tracked armored vehicle built by a Swedish subsidiary of Britain’s BAE Systems.
“We have a re-life package for that or separately we have the BvS10,” said Jim Reid, BAE’s business development director for Canada.
Reid said such vehicles could play more than just a role in the Arctic.
“It’s not just about the snow. It actually gives you a capability to do other things,” he said, noting that the BvS10 has been used in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.
General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and ST Kinetics, a Singapore firm, also have their eye on the Army project. They’ve joined forces to promote the Bronco New-Generation Marginal Terrain Vehicle.
No cost details or timelines have been released on the Army project.
The country’s decision to build a fleet of Arctic and offshore patrol vessels, as well as a new Polar-class icebreaker, has sparked discussions between the Army and Arktos Developments, Surrey, Bri-tish Columbia.
The company builds the Arktos amphibious craft, and company President Bruce Seligman said the government is interested in placing those onboard the patrol vessels and icebreaker.
The craft originally was designed to evacuate people from oil rigs, and it can carry 52 in that mode. Arktos has sold 21 amphibious craft so far, mostly to the oil and gas industry.
Seligman said in the Canadian situation, the Arktos could be used as a “connector” to transport people from ship to shore.

Stealth Snowmobile

The Special Operations Forces Command also has an eye on developing equipment for the Arctic.
In August 2011, the Department of National Defence informed industry it was interested in the development of a prototype snowmobile for covert military operations in Canada’s Arctic. The department’s science branch, Defence Research and Development Canada, has reserved 500,000 Ca-nadian dollars to develop a prototype gas-electric hybrid vehicle.
The government has told industry that existing gas-powered engines are too noisy for covert operations, and it wants a snowmobile with a silent mode that could be activated when necessary.
The special operations forces are interested in acquiring such a vehicle, military sources said. It is expected that a prototype can be developed by next March.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been pushing for an increased military presence in the Arctic for several years.
“Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic; we either use it or lose it,” Harper said in July 2007, after he announced the patrol ship program. “And make no mistake — this government intends to use it.”
He has cited the presence of oil, gas and minerals in the country’s Arctic region, resources he labeled as critical to its economic growth.
Canada also is creating a 500-member Army response capability for the Arctic, and it is expanding the Canadian Rangers, a reserve force made up of First Nations and Inuit personnel.

Source :http://www.defensenews.com