Features. Sylvain Bédard. L-3 MAS celebrates 20 high-flying years

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1 onyourwing Q S P E C I A L C E L E B R A T I O N I S S U E

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3 L-3 MAS celebrates 20 high-flying years Features A hangar in Mirabel takes on a festive mood as representatives from Canada s Department of National Defence join L 3 MAS and partner CAE to toast two decades of mutual success. 4 Sylvain Bédard Editorial CF-18 Modernization team delivers a perfect program L-3 MAS brings Phase 1 of this demanding program to completion on budget, on schedule and with virtually flawless quality. 6 Success breeds success L-3 MAS announces a new contract from Boeing to repair wing panels for the U.S. Navy F/A-18 fleet. 7 Looking back: the first decade Peter Hargrove CF-18 SES Program Manager from 1986 to 1996 reminisces about the excitement and challenges of the early days. 8 MHP: the year in review A second successful year wraps up on Canada s Maritime Helicopter Project. 10 ON YOUR WING is published semi-annually by: L-3 MAS 10,000 Helen-Bristol Street Montréal International Airport-Mirabel Mirabel (Québec) J7N 1H3 Telephone: (450) Fax.: (450) info.marketing@l-3com.com Editor: Marie-Claude Piché Editorial Consultant: Leah Curley Collaborators: Michel Gendron, Joann Johnson and Gilles Lefebvre Graphic Design: LADC Note: In previous issue of On Your Wing, photo page 8 was courtesy of Saveriano Marzio, Trento (Italy). To make use of the contents of this publication, you must first obtain permission from L-3 Communications MAS (Canada) Inc L-3 Communications MAS (Canada) Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. L3C-0061 (03/07) A past, present and future to celebrate Back in 1986, the first party celebrating the CF 18 System Engineering Support (SES) contract was held in a cafeteria. Twenty years later, the festivities required a hangar. It is my great pleasure, in this issue of On Your Wing, to share with you our latest celebration and our pride in this most important anniversary. So much has changed in the 20 years since we first undertook the support of Canada s CF 18 fighter jet. Our partnership with the Department of National Defence (DND) has proved steadfast and our fledgling relationship with CAE has blossomed. The initial contract has evolved and led to new contracts, both with DND and with other nations that operate the same aircraft platform. We have increased our experience and enhanced our expertise immeasurably. Yes, much has changed. Some things, however, remain constant, especially the calibre of our people and their commitment to our customer. L 3 MAS s future has never looked brighter. The Government of Canada has recently launched military procurements on a scale seen only once in a generation, and L 3 MAS is well positioned to participate in several of the resulting programs. In addition, our continuing efforts to evolve our CF-18 and MHP contracts into world-class in-service support solutions position us well for many new markets, both domestically and internationally. I am excited by the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead, as all of us are here at L 3 MAS. In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy and successful I hope you enjoy this special celebration issue, and I assure you we remain, as always, on your wing. Sylvain Bédard President L-3 MAS O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S 3

4 L 3 MAS celebrates 20 Mirabel, Québec, October 25, 2006 More than 1,200 people crowded into Hangar 7B at L 3 MAS s Mirabel facility this morning. The mood was buoyant, and with good reason. The next few hours would be given over to celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the company s first Canadian Forces CF-18 contract. The majority of those in attendance were co-workers on the CF-18 team employees of L 3 MAS and its partner firm, CAE Electronics. The audience also included several media representatives and dignitaries. The speakers were Lieutenant Colonel Richard Pageau, representing DND who received a commemorative painting; Sylvain Bédard, President of L-3 MAS; Marc Parent, CAE group president for Simulation Products and Military Training; and Stephane Germain, Vice-President L-3 MAS Business Development was the Master of Ceremonies! A CF-18 fighter/attack jet shared the platform, while a video featuring historic and aerial footage of the aircraft provided a dramatic backdrop. Sylvain Bédard opened the ceremony, welcoming everyone warmly and recalling the early days. Our role evolved gradually, he said, describing the progression from the initial contract toward full in-service support. Today, 260 CF-18 aircraft later, L 3 MAS provides everything from fleet management, design modifications, depot level aircraft maintenance and a full range of integrated logistics support services to highly complex support services such as fatigue testing and Centre Barrel Replacement (CBR). We are now the only company in the world outside the United States with experience in this area, he continued, pointing out the significant gains in expertise only this kind of relationship can foster. Mr. Bédard also spoke of the partnership between L 3 MAS and 4

5 high-flying years CAE, the success of which is clearly illustrated by the harmony within the Mirabel facility, where 250 CAE people are permanently employed, working side by side with their counterparts at L 3 MAS. CAE s Marc Parent reminded the audience of the importance of their work, and the pride to be found in providing Canada s men and women in uniform with the tools they require to complete their missions, safe and sound. Our role, he continued, in enabling highly trained armed forces to use advanced concepts and technologies effectively in joint operations, at home and abroad and in coalition, is an exciting source of challenges for our personnel. Lieutenant Colonel Pageau spoke on behalf of DND, praising the team as a whole for their efforts and providing words of encouragement for the future. As part of our initiative to optimize the CF-18 weapon system management, the Government of Canada is planning to increase the scope and devolve a greater level of responsibilities to L 3 MAS as the CF-18 primary air vehicle contractor, he announced. I have no doubt that with your experience, knowledge and maturity you will meet this challenge. The ceremony concluded appropriately, with a CF-18 flyby. A painting by Katherine Taylor commemorating 20 years of CF-18 in-service support was unveiled at the end of the ceremony. The original was presented to Lieutenant Colonel Pageau, who accepted it on behalf of General Paul McCabe. O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S 5

6 Speaking at the CF-18 Modernization Phase I completion ceremony and shown here, from left to right, were: Lieutenant General Steve Lucas, Chief of Air Staff, DND; Mr. Sylvain Bédard, President, L 3 MAS; Mr. James O Neil, Vice-President Integrated Logistics, Boeing Support Systems; and Mr. Stéphane Germain, Vice-President Business Development, L 3 MAS. Phase 2 of the Modernization Project is now under way at L-3 MAS s Mirabel facility. CF-18 Modernization team delivers a perfect program The mood was jubilant in hangar 7A at L 3 MAS s Mirabel facility last August as the CF-18 Modernization team celebrated a virtually flawless performance on a uniquely demanding project. The event was the conclusion of Phase 1 of the twophase CF-18 Modernization Program, which commenced in April Its goal: to bring the Canadian Air Force fleet of 80 CF-18 Hornet aircraft into full interoperability with the equipment of key allies. Phase 1 was, in every sense, a model project and both Boeing, the prime contractor and the Canadian Forces were extremely pleased with L 3 MAS s work. Between the end of 2002 and August 2006, a total of 80 CF-18s were equipped with new and improved communications and navigation features, a new radar compatible with the NATO-ally air forces, new mission computers and other equipment designed to support the Canadian Forces during joint forces missions. Despite the challenging scope of the work, L 3 MAS delivered 96 percent of the CF-18 aircraft on time and 97 percent of them free of quality variance an impressive performance that testifies to the teamwork, dedication, professionalism and commitment to excellence on the part of the entire L 3 MAS team. 6 L - 3 M A S O n y o u r w i n g

7 Success breeds success at L 3 MAS Without question, L 3 MAS has gained significant experience through two decades of maintaining and modernizing Canada s CF-18 fleet. The aerospace company has earned new contracts on the strength of it, including four from the Royal Australian Air Force, the latest of which calls on L 3 MAS s unique expertise in Centre Barrel Replacement. On October 25, 2006, however, L 3 MAS announced yet another, still more challenging win a contract from the United States Navy. The announcement came during an event celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the company s CF 18 in-service support contract with the Canadian DND. The $7.5US million firm fixed price contract with The Boeing Company mandates the repair of 32 outer wing panels for U.S. Navy F/A 18 aircraft. This important in-road with the prestigious and demanding U.S. military, announced today, is due in large part to L 3 MAS s exceptional work on the CF 18 fleet for the DND over the years. Obtaining a contract with Boeing to support the U.S. military is an extraordinary achievement and is due, in no small part, to our longterm relationship with the Canadian Department of National Defence, said Sylvain Bédard, president of L 3 MAS. In 1986, the Government of Canada made a critical decision to acquire technical data rights which in turn enables L-3 MAS to develop world class intellectual property and unique solutions for sustaining the CF 18 fleet. Further, DND has supported L 3 MAS s growth internationally, exporting our expertise from Quebec to obtain major military contracts with organizations such as the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. I am therefore very grateful to the DND for their continued confidence in us and to our employees for meeting their expectations year after year. The relationship with the DND has enabled L 3 MAS to develop unique expertise and maintain 1,000 highlyqualified jobs in Mirabel. This newest agreement with Boeing for the U.S. Navy is a testament to the quality of their work and to the impact and reach of Montreal s aerospace industry. I cannot repeat often enough how important our employees are to the continued success of L 3 MAS, added Mr. Bédard. While the ownership structure of our company has changed over the years, our employees have remained the common thread that delivers outstanding work to the most demanding domestic and international clientele. This is something L 3 MAS, Quebec and Canada should all be proud of. O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S 7

8 Looking back: the first decade As we listen to the sound of our 175 th aircraft leaving us for its base at Bagotville, transfer our 4 th software load to the test facility at Cold Lake and deliver our 250,000 th page of publications upgrade to NDHQ Ottawa for distribution, it s difficult to recall the excitement generated by the award of the SES contract that Friday, 31 st of October So began Peter Hargrove, in his article published in 1996, celebrating the 10 th anniversary of the CF-18 System Engineering Support (SES) program. The selection process had been long, arduous and contentious, but the industry consortium comprising Canadair, CAE Electronics and North West Industries prevailed. The contract, valued at $104 million over three-and-a-half years, was to provide SES to the Canadian Forces CF-18 fighter fleet. So what had we got? wrote Hargrove. Well, a set-up contract lasting 42 months with the obligation to establish a support organization unlike anything else in the world, the challenge to have two separate companies work together in a yet to be built facility A challenging contract, an enviable approach The To Do list was formidable. Negotiations began with OEM McDonnell Douglas to arrange a massive transfer of technology. Work began instituting new systems of program management, document handling and software generation. An entire project management organization had to be built in the heart of a matrixed company, while at the same time growing the organization by 100 skilled staff within the first seven months, to a total of 255 within the contract period. As Hargrove went on to point out, the contract was unique in many respects. It covers all aspects of the aircraft from its structural integrity through to the software of its 32 onboard computers, he explained. The soft side of the aircraft technical support required the development of an enormous distributed database to achieve full logistical support as well as the maintenance of all first-line technical publications. The relationship planned to accomplish all this was unusual. Conducted in a single location by a contractor/ subcontractor partnership, rather than by the OEM, the CF-18 SES found itself, according to Hargrove, achieving integrated support to DND for a complex aircraft in a manner envied by other operators. A decade of achievement A mere 10 years into the contract, much had been accomplished. The Canadair-led industry team had put together a depot level repair team capable of undertaking major repairs on- or off-site; developed a mission computer software change process that reduced change time from weeks to hours whilst automatically updating related documentation; established tooling to repair aircraft structural components at a fraction of projected costs and a composite repair facility to repair components; proactively made ready for the Gulf War, assembling a team of volunteers, vaccinated, visa d, and ready to go; and developed a test system that would allow complex full-scale fatigue testing to be performed at Mirabel. In the summer of 1988, Canadair announced plans for a new facility dedicated to its Military Aircraft Division, which was then occupied with T-33, Tutor, Cosmopolitan, CF-5 and Musketeer aircraft as well as with the CF-18 fighter jet. The new plant at Mirabel, outside Montreal, would provide 20,500 square metres (221,000 sq. ft.) of covered work space, including hangar space for nine CF-18s. 8 L - 3 M A S O n y o u r w i n g

9 It was a decade of extraordinary achievement. In conclusion, said Peter Hargrove, we have, in an often hectic and always challenging ten years, completed our promises to our customer, to our companies and to our employees. We look forward with confidence to the challenges of the next decade. The CF-18 Hornet A variant of the United States Navy s F/A 18 Hornet, both single- and dual-seat versions of the CF 18 aircraft were involved in the SES contract awarded in 1986, both powered by twin General Electric F 404 GE 400 engines. These low by-pass turbofans each generate approximately 16,000 pounds (71 kn) of thrust. The result is an aircraft capable of exceeding Mach 1.8, with a combat ceiling in the neighbourhood of 50,000 feet (15,240 m) and a range of about 400 nautical miles. The CF-18 can deliver Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles, Sparrow radar-guided missiles, bombs, or use 20-mm cannon, in either air-to-air or air-to-ground attack modes. The aircraft is backed up by a variety of sophisticated simulators, trainers, testers and supporting equipment. At the time the contract was awarded, a key point of interest was that much of the support equipment would, in fact, be computerized. O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S 9

10 MHP: 2006 in review Following our joint proposal with Sikorsky in 2004, L-3 MAS won a contract on February 3 rd, 2005, to support and participate in the delivery of 28 new maritime helicopters (CH 148 Cyclone), beginning in November 2008, to replace Canada s exhausted Sea King helicopter fleet. L-3 MAS is responsible for the 20 years of in-service support of the Cyclone. The first phase of the project involves the design and set-up of all the systems capabilities and infrastructure required to accept delivery of the fleet of new helicopters in To date, L-3 MAS has delivered, on time and within budget, all scheduled elements of the program. This program includes world-class systems and processes such as the design and implementation of a state-of the-art integrated information environment system. The second eventful year of the Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP) began in January 2006 with a complete review of requirements for the design of next-generation in-service support products and ended in December with the delivery to the National Defence of an innovative architectural design. This design comprises the definition of all of the services that will be established across Canada to maintain the Maritime Helicopter Weapon System (MHWS). The year s achievements included: Definition of the Main Operating Base (MOB) Level Maintenance, Material/Supply Chain, Special Test Equipment/Support Equipment, Logistic Support Analysis and Training Services that will be deployed throughout the Customer Field Offices in Shearwater and Pat Bay. Construction of a state-of-the-art Training Center. Design of the layout for physical and functional spaces required at each MOB. In addition, the third Line Maintenance Engineering and Mobile Party Services, which will be established in Mirabel, was conceived in record time, providing a clear picture of the nextgeneration maintenance and support services facilities that will be used by L-3 MAS and DND personnel starting in December The Contractor Management Office (CMO), which includes Weapons Systems Engineering, Airworthiness and Program Management functions/ services, is taking shape through the integrated efforts of Sikorsky, General Dynamics Canada, L-3 MAS and DND. This office represents the link between DND and the contractors to ensure a safe and airworthy MHWS. Efforts to design CMO services gave birth to the first Performance Based Logistic Management System, which measures key mission parameters such as availability of mission systems while also underscoring the leadership of logisticians in this important program. A complete, computer-based Integrated Information Environment (IIE) infrastructure was required to enable these services. The necessary software and hardware were defined and selected in time to perform a demonstration of the IIE in the last quarter of the year, giving all present stakeholders an appreciation of the power of an integrated environment. The year ended with a series of Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR), which confirmed that the current design was meeting the needs of the next generation of Integrated Logistic Support. L-3 MAS is extremely proud to be part of this Pan-Canadian undertaking, which will support the nation s troops and form an important part of Canada s Force structure. With the conclusion of the second year of the MHP, we also mark the half-way point of our four-year setup phase for the program. With the new year, we start moving from design to implementation, preparing for the delivery of the first aircraft in The team is motivated by its success to date, and looks forward with enthusiasm to meeting the many new challenges the third year of the program is sure to bring. 10 L - 3 M A S O n y o u r w i n g