Why Team Spartan is visiting the Sault

NEWS RELEASE

TEAM SPARTAN

SAULT STE. MARIE - On Wednesday, July 17, Team Spartan’s Canadian partner tour, a series of cross-country events planned in support of its Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Replacement Program offering, the C-27J, will stop in Sault Ste. Marie.

The tour, which began on July 10, has already made stops in Halifax, Montreal and Toronto.

The tour finishes in Vancouver on July 19.

The team, made up of Alenia Aermacchi, General Dynamics Canada, and DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. (TCL), recently signed a comprehensive teaming agreement to compete for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) upcoming Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Replacement Program.

Together they will offer a market variant of the C-27J Spartan, Alenia Aermacchi’s best-selling medium tactical military aircraft.

The offering will leverage Alenia Aermacchi’s international success with the C-27J, General Dynamics’ system integration experience, and DRS’ training expertise.

The intention of the tour is to identify additional Canadian companies to add to the team.
 
The team is working closely with FedNor (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario) to organize one-on-one meetings with potential partners in Northern Ontario.

The team is examining capabilities of select aerospace companies, while focusing on identifying opportunities to bring economic benefit to the region.
 
“This partner tour represents another important step in building and strengthening Team Spartan’s Canadian supply chain. Our team, which already includes two world-class Canadian companies, General Dynamics Canada and DRS Technologies Canada Ltd, is dedicated to advancing the Canadian economy, with particular emphasis on well-balanced, regional distribution of benefits and involvement of SMEs,” said Ben Stone, president and chief executive officer of Alenia Aermacchi North America. “Northern Ontario’s highly skilled and technical workforce, combined with its diverse and ever-maturing aerospace sector, makes it an attractive option when looking to build a strong Canadian supply chain. The team looks forward to meeting with companies from Northern Ontario and to gaining some additional insight into how we might be able to help strengthen economic development and enhance business growth in the region.”
 
Team Spartan is committed to driving superior economic benefits to all parts of Canada.

The team’s FWSAR offering will provide incremental value for Canadians by creating and supporting new jobs, new work, and new opportunity within Canada’s aerospace sector.

Additionally, Team Spartan’s approach on the FWSAR program aligns perfectly with recent recommendations made in the Jenkins report.

Not only is the team interested in aligning its industrial regional benefit plan with one or more of the Key Industrial Capabilities identified, but it is committed to forming strong in-country partnerships that include transfer of meaningful work to all partners.
 
As the team will be unable to meet with all interested suppliers in Ontario, companies looking to engage Team Spartan are encouraged to register on Team Spartan’s new supplier registration page.
 
About Alenia Aermacchi

Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company, has a role of primary importance in the world’s civil and defence aeronautical industry counts a total workforce of ca. 11,000 people and operates in the design, development, production and integrated support of commercial and military aircraft, trainers, unmanned aerial vehicles and aerostructures.

In 2012 it reported revenues of € 2.97 billions, orders of € 3.2 billion and a backlog of € 8.8 billion.

About General Dynamics Canada

With an established Canadian presence for more than 60 years with employees in Ottawa, Calgary and Halifax, General Dynamics Canada is Canada’s largest defence electronics company with a worldwide reputation for excellence in the production of leading-edge, technology-based, integrated solutions for land, airborne and maritime applications.

The company’s success is based on strong systems engineering experience, ongoing investment in research and development, collaboration with commercial and military systems industry leaders, and a singular focus on customer service. 

The company’s portfolio of next-generation Command, Control, Communication, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions and integrated mission systems is backed by complete systems integration and in-service support.

General Dynamics Canada is part of General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

More information about the company is available at this website.
 
About DRS Technologies Canada

DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of military communications, electro-optics, surveillance, and sensor signal processing systems for naval and ground applications as well as electronic warfare threat simulation and training systems ranging from computer-based training to high-power threat simulators.

DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. is also an experienced provider of turnkey state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing, integration and test services for various aerospace, defence and space applications.

DRS Technologies Canada, Ltd. is a subsidiary of DRS Technologies, Inc. (DRS), a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA (FNC.MI).

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