Contract boosts jobs and streamlines military procurement

MIRABEL, QUEBEC - On August 31st, the Government of Canada announced a new amendment to the CF-18 Primary Air Vehicle contract with L-3 Military Aviation Services (L-3 MAS), an aerospace defence company, to include the full scope of the Optimized Weapon System Support program. The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture), made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, and the Honourable Julian Fantino, Associate Minister of National Defence.

In amending the contract to become an OWSS-type contract, L-3 MAS will now provide additional support such as program management, life cycle and obsolescence management, engineering services, integrated logistics and supply chain management, spares procurement, and repair and overhaul services."The top priority of the Harper Government remains the economy," said Minister Paradis. "The contract is great news for the region as it will help maintain aerospace industry jobs in Quebec.""This announcement is another example of our Government's support for the Canadian aerospace industry, and our commitment to creating jobs in a region with important aerospace capabilities," said Minister Ambrose. "We're continuously looking for innovative ways to improve military procurement that are both good for Canadians and good for our economy."Valued at $111 million, this amendment adds new work but will not change the duration of the current maintenance contract. This is another example of the Government of Canada's commitment to cut red tape in military procurement, reduce the number of contracts it manages and save money for taxpayers.The objective of the Optimized Weapon System Support program is to focus on service and reduce the number of contracts required to support the fleet by bundling them under broader, multi-year contracts.For more information on Canada's Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy, visit the Industry Canada website at www.ic.gc.ca/ic_wp-pa.htm.