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March 17, 2008 |
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MDA joins General Dynamics Canada Team to Deliver Halifax
Class Modernization
CSI Halifax leveraging all-star team of more than 6,000
Canadian-based employees
OTTAWA, Ontario – General Dynamics Canada today announced that
Vancouver-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA) has joined
the CSI Halifax Team that is bidding on the Canadian Navy’s $1.1 billion Halifax
Class Modernization - Combat Systems Integration (HCM-CSI) program to upgrade
Canada’s fleet of twelve frigates. Led by General Dynamics Canada, MDA is the
latest addition to the team that also includes Thales, Raytheon Integrated
Defense Systems and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.
As the Canadian Navy’s existing prime contractor for the Naval Combat Operator
Trainer, MDA has an intimate knowledge of the combat systems on both the HALIFAX
and IROQUOIS class fleets. This experience will be leveraged to ensure the
Canadian fleet has the ongoing tools and skills needed to maintain maximum
operational availability during the modernization program and into the future.
MDA will also utilize its current experience to maintain training-system
currency and contribute to In-Service Support during the legacy period, and
seamlessly transition the systems to the new Command and Control System (CCS)
configuration.
With a coast-to-coast Canadian presence including facilities in Dartmouth, Nova
Scotia; Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec; Aurora, Brampton and Ottawa, Ontario;
and Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., MDA further strengthens the Canadian footprint
of the CSI Halifax Team, which is leveraging the combined talents of more than
6,000 Canadian-based employees to offer the Navy a uniquely Canadian solution.
Canada’s twelve HALIFAX Class frigates, which were commissioned between 1992 and
1996, form the backbone of the Canadian Navy’s surface combat force. The ships
are now in need of an upgrade to handle naval threats that today are faster and
stealthier. The CSI program is critical to ensuring that Canada’s Navy has the
enhanced command and control capabilities to lead domestic and multi-national
maritime operations. MDA’s Maritime Command Operational Information Network (MCOIN),
already operational with the Canadian Navy, will be integrated with the CSI
Halifax Team’s state-of-the-art customized CCS provided by Thales in a
multi-level secure environment to provide a proven, flexible and scaleable
capability.
As prime for HCM-CSI, General Dynamics Canada is leveraging 60 years of large
scale Canadian program management, CMMI Level 5 systems engineering and
integration expertise, and significant in-country resources–capabilities
critical to successfully delivering the complex, multi-decade program to the
Canadian Navy.
“The HCM-CSI program is a generational opportunity to ensure that the Canadian
Navy can continue its proud tradition of providing for Canada’s security at home
and showcasing Canadian maritime leadership to the world into the 21st century,”
said John Watts, president of General Dynamics Canada. “With the addition of MDA
we further strengthen the team by adding the training tools and Canadian
expertise critical to implementing this change with continuity while ensuring
ongoing operational fleet availability for the Canadian Navy.”
“MDA believes that joining our world-class naval capabilities with the highly
complementary capabilities offered by the CSI Halifax Team makes our combined
solution more comprehensive,” said David Hargreaves, vice-president of MDA’s
Integrated Information Solutions business unit. “MDA’s team of software and
systems engineers has been living with the existing combat systems for years,
giving us the ability to understand the operational needs and develop solutions
with the Canadian Navy. As part of the CSI Halifax Team, we are uniquely
positioned to continue to provide that experience and expertise and to deliver
this project to the Canadian Navy.”
The Canadian government has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to upgrade the
frigates, including the HCM-CSI program that will replace the Command and
Control system and provide enhanced support to the Command Task Group (CTG) at
sea. Bidding companies have 120 days to respond to the RFP.
About General Dynamics Canada
With an established Canadian presence for 60 years and over 2,200 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 system
engineering experience, ongoing investment in research and development,
collaboration with commercial and military systems industry leaders, and a
singular focus on customer service. A dedicated team of scientists and research
engineers within General Dynamics Canada continually investigate, develop, and
vet new ideas and technologies to ensure that the company delivers the most
advanced systems, equipment and capabilities to meet customer needs. More
information about the company is available at
www.gdcanada.com.
About General Dynamics
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, USA, employs
approximately 83,500 people worldwide and reported 2007 revenues of $27.2
billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and
expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine
systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the
company is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.
About MDA
MDA provides advanced information solutions that capture and process vast
amounts of data, produce essential information, and improve the decision making
and operational performance of business and government organizations worldwide.
Focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, MDA
delivers a broad spectrum of information solutions, ranging from complex
operational systems, to tailored information services, to electronic information
products.
MDA employs more than 3,000 people in locations across the United States, the
United Kingdom, and Canada. The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto
Stock Exchange under the symbol TSX:MDA.
www.mdacorporation.com