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The Vanguard Podcast

Welcome to the Vanguard Podcast, a weekly radio show discussing news, trends, and event coverage for the Canadian Defence Industry. Vanguard is Canada’s oldest trade journal of record that provides a forum for Canada’s security and defence community, discussing strategic perspectives and overviews of government and military policy and practice, through interviews with leading practitioners and contributions from renowned experts, including representatives from industry. Intersecting strategy, technology and policy, Vanguard explores emerging trends and best practices to help enhance Canada’s holistic approach to defence and security, both domestically and internationally.
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Now displaying: Category: general
Mar 5, 2023

In the latest episode of Vanguard Weekly, join host J. Richard Jones for the first of an ongoing series that will discuss the topic of training and upskilling using capstones. He is joined by guests Caleb Walker, Chief Strategy Officer for WithYouWithMe and Major General (Retired) Rupert Jones. Caleb is a 20-year combat veteran with a passion for HR and digital transformation as well as cultural change, and a frequent guest of the show. Rupert is a retired senior British Army officer, who served as the Standing Joint Force Commander from November 2018 to July 2021. Together, they tackle the questions of how to measure the returns on staff training and how to determine what value was gained.

Also in this episode:

  • What are capstones, how are they used, and how can they help?
  • How to determine if someone has the skills you need?
  • Mission rehearsal exercise as practical demonstration of skills
  • Capstones as inspiration for solving other problems
  • Attracting and retaining the right talent
  • Driving training to build capability
  • Capstones and the need for digital training
  • The CV test versus the capstone opportunity
Jun 15, 2022

Welcome to the concluding episode of our 5-part Digital Natives and Modern Military podcast series. Host, J. Richard Jones wraps up his exciting and enlightening discussion with very special guests General Sir James Everard, former senior British Army Officer, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and LTCOL Caleb Walker, Global Vice President of Defence for WithYouWithMe. In the final episode they explore the large and important topic of how to retain digital natives and how to retrain them as necessary.

In this episode:

  • Convincing the gatekeepers
  • Implementing and supporting retention methods
  • Defining career paths and training programs
  • Providing diversity of movement
  • Performance management
  • Mentoring and support networks
  • And much more!
May 25, 2022

Host, J. Richard Jones, speaks with Paul Guindon, CEO, Commissionaires Ottawa and National Business Management Committee Chair. Commissionaires is one of Canada’s leading security solutions providers and the largest private sector employer of veterans. It is founded on the core military values of dedication, responsibility, and sense of mission. It also employs 22,000+ people from coast to coast to coast.

In this episode:

  • Digital fingerprinting
  • Infrastructure
  • Background checks
  • Risk assessment
  • And many other areas of security
Jan 21, 2022

Vanguard Weekly is a weekly podcast produced by the publishers of Vanguard media. Segments include Insights, news and opinion for the Canadian Defence Industry. Vanguard is Canada's leading media source for magazines, events, podcasts and more!

Nov 22, 2021
Canada is considering qualified suppliers for the Future Aircrew Training Program (FAcT) – a generational training and in-service support program for the Royal Canadian Air Force. One of those suppliers is a Canadian-based solution called SkyAlyne – a partnership between CAE and KF Aerospace, two Canadian aviation and defence leaders.
 

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we will hear from two members of the SkyAlyne team.  Joining us is Abir Kazan, capture manager for SkyAlyne, serving as the company’s main point of contact with the Government of Canada and guiding a diverse team of experts through the process of creating SkyAlyne’s solution for FAcT. Abir has more than 20 years of experience navigating complex defence proposals and contracts for CAE. 

 

The other guest is Peter Fedak. Peter spent 25 years as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Peter was helicopter pilot with the RCAF, serving in Haiti and Afghanistan, and a Qualified Flying Instructor of the highest order, posted in various locations including Fort Rucker, Alabama, and as the Commandant of 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School at Southport, MB. Following his retirement from the RCAF, Peter became the Site Manager for the contractor at Southport – KF Aerospace – a position he holds today.  

 

Our guests will talk about their solution for this major government/military procurement, the benefits for Canada including jobs, Indigenous communities and as a home-grown innovation driver. They will touch on incumbency, in-service support and lasting community relationships.

Nov 3, 2021

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we will talk about a major problem that affects naval vessels - that problem is corrosion. How can we detect and assess corrosion behind surface coatings such as paint, insulation, tiles, and seamless decking onboard Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) platforms in order to reduce corrosion’s operational impact and improve the effectiveness of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance?

To tell us more is Tom Hughes, Sandbox and Test Drive Manager for IDEaS (Innovation for Defence, Excellence and Security).

Oct 4, 2021
Recently, Gastops was selected by the Department of National Defence to contribute to the “All Systems Go!” Challenge, an initiative of the Government of Canada’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program.
 
The objective of the challenge is to drive innovation in predicting and optimizing maintenance for military platforms through Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) that will support the transition from schedule-based maintenance to Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM), and ultimately, to a truly predictive maintenance regime that will optimize the use of limited maintenance resources while increasing the operational platform availability.
 
To speak more about this announcement and give us an overview of Gastops is Brennan West, Director of Gastops Defence & Aftermarket Business Unit. Brennan has 10 years of experience in the application of reliability centered maintenance to military aircraft. His experience in RCM has helped to contribute to the development of Gastops products and services to meet the most demanding military and commercial aircraft condition monitoring requirements. 
 
If you'd like to connect with Brennan, he will be attending DEFSEC 2021 from Oct. 5-7th and the Canadian Defence Marketplace on Nov. 4th.
 
About Gastops
 
Gastops is the world’s leading provider of intelligent condition monitoring solutions used in Aerospace, Defence, Energy, and Industrial applications to optimize the availability, performance, and safety of critical assets. We offer peace of mind to our customers with innovative online monitoring sensors, at-line analysis, complex modeling and simulation, world class laboratory testing, engineering, design, and MRO services that predict performance to enable proactive operating decisions. Gastops has been providing powerful insights into the condition of critical equipment since 1979.  www.gastops.com
Oct 1, 2021

Over a hundred years ago, The Boeing Company became a key partner in the Canadian aerospace industry.  Since that time, Boeing has grown to become a leader in the Canadian aerospace industry with 12 locations across the country supporting Boeing’s commercial and defence industries.

 
As our listeners would know, Boeing is one of the contenders for the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP), in which the Government of Canada is looking to acquire 88 advanced fighter jets to provide the capability the Canadian Armed Forces needs to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and meet its international obligations.  This is the most significant investment for the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years.  You can learn more about Boeing's offering for the FFCP here
Jun 21, 2021

The Government of Canada has tasked EY and WithYouWithMe, a company that helps jobseekers get tech jobs without having to invest years and money into training, to support Canada’s internal cyber capability, through its Cyber Workforce Enablement Program (CWEP).

As part of this, WithYouWithMe is providing Canadian Military Veterans with free transition, including training and support to start a career in technology, post military service. The program will validate the demand for Canadian military members to start technology careers and to roll them into government tech roles.

On the show today, hear from Caleb Walker who served 20 years in the Canadian Army, including three tours to Afghanistan. As a Task Force Commander, he received a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation. While deployed in Kandahar, he saw first-hand the potential of the Canadian veteran and their ability to operate and adapt to complex environments. After retiring from the Canadian Army, Caleb joined WithYouWithMe as the Country Manager and is seeking to solve underemployment across Canada for marginalized communities.

WithYouWithMe has a supply arrangement with Shared Services Canada to deliver technology talent from the veteran and military spouse communities. This summer WithYouWithMe will train 1,000 Indigenous people for free so that they can join this journey.

Hear more about the Cyber Workforce Enablement Program and how WithYouWithMe is working with Canada on this, Canada's digital talent accessibility problem, the government's skill gap, why does government talent need to be agile and skills over controls.

Mar 31, 2020

COVID-19 is affecting all facets of society today and life as we know it. This pandemic is creating havoc around the world and is being used by threat actors to perpetrate grey zone actions and to infiltrate security vulnerabilities.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Valarie Findlay, American Society for Evidenced-Based Policing member and a research fellow for the Police Foundation (USA). Valarie has two decades of senior-level expertise in cybersecurity and policing initiatives. She has worked extensively on federal cyber initiatives and is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police eCrimes Cyber Council and AFCEA DC. She has a Masters in Sociology and a Masters in Terrorism Studies with her dissertation addressing the impacts of terrorism on law enforcement in Western Nations.

In a time of crisis, there are a number of areas of potential exposure for malicious threats and non-malicious threats. The latter is more a part of a pandemic. Learn more about how one aspect is affecting other aspects of society, resulting in a broader state of vulnerability.

Hear about grey zone actions that can create vulnerabilities for a nation to be attacked and who it can be used to erode a nation's democracy. These are covert and often hard to detect actions. But how we respond to them is important in maintaining a democracy and the overall stability of a nation. When a country is in a state of crisis or vulnerability like the COVID-19 pandemic, it leaves that nation more susceptible to grey zone actions. The question at that point is, does that nation have the ability to handle additional threats in a state of crisis?

Valarie talks about Prevention, Detection, Response and Recovery strategies and how these can help in a crisis, the inconsistency of messages across social media, how governments need to have a consistent message for the social wellbeing of citizens and result of misinformation as a grey zone action that results in destabilization and phycological impact on people.

 

Feb 18, 2020

As a family-owned Canadian business, Thordon Bearings Inc. has made a mark on the international scene by designing and manufacturing non-polluting bearing systems in the marine and clean power generation industries. The 100-year old company has an international network of agents, distributors and regional sales representatives in 90 countries, its stellar marketing support providing high performance, oil and grease-free bearing systems, seals and other shaft line products.

Thordon Bearings Inc. is a true Canadian success story. In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with George A. ‘Sandy’ Thomson, Innovator at Thordon Bearings Inc.

Aug 20, 2019

We know that communications in the North is always a challenge. Recently, two communications companies teamed up to offer a new service to help solve this issue.

Galaxy Broadband and Hunter Communications have recently announced a new service to provide high-power Ku-band satellite service to Canadian federal departments and agencies using the new Hunter Ku-band satellite coverage. And now, for the first time this service is available through Shared Services Canada.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Doug Harvey from Galaxy Broadband and Brent Perrott from Hunter Communications about this new service.

Learn more about what prompted these companies to get together, what this means for Canada’s military, the coverage or reach, in-flight connectivity, the Hunter beam and their experience in providing service in the North.

To learn more go to https://huntercomm.net/and http://www.galaxybroadband.ca/.

 

Dec 19, 2018

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Astrid Neuland, Business Development Executive at Thales Canada. Astrid is an active volunteer at Wounded Warriors Canada, an organization that is dedicated to honour and support Canada’s ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders and their families.

Hear about the upcoming bike ride programs that Wounded Warriors is organizing to raise funds to increase awareness of PTSD issues and for mental health programs. Astrid shares her experience of participating in these bike rides at home and overseas and the camaraderie and support from fellow riders and the public.

To learn more about Wounded Warriors and how you can support, go to https://woundedwarriors.ca/.

Nov 23, 2018

In the show today, J. Richard Jones talks with Simon Olsen, Director of Business Development for Strategy and Partnerships at Sentient Vision. Hear about Simon’s perspective on the future of marine search and rescue for Canadians, the challenges officers are facing when it comes to water defence and marine SAR and new technologies to consider.

He also shares his insight on new approaches and technologies that the US Coast Guard, the UK Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy are using that Canada should consider adopting and the world’s first Optical Radar - ViDAR. This is an airborne persistent wide-area maritime search system that autonomously detects objects on the ocean surface and provides the operator with a detailed image of objects that other search methods often miss. A "game-changing" system for search and rescue!

As the Director of Business Development, strategy and Partnerships at Sentient, Simon has extensive networks within the aviation, unmanned systems, general aircraft integration, sensors and exploitation markets both in Australia and around the world. He is also a former member of the board for the Australian Association of Unmanned Systems.

To learn more, go to: http://www.sentientvision.com/

Aug 7, 2018

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology has evolved significantly over the past decade, with innovative new drones hitting the enterprise and consumer market regularly. While the focus has been primarily on how drones can be used to enhance enterprise applications -- everything from Public Safety applications, to military deployments, hydro and telecom infrastructure inspections, and even to agriculture -- there are some security risks that are inherent with drone availability.

In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Marc Bouvrette, President of Gap Wireless, a stocking distributor of mobile broadband and wireless solutions including one of the most impressive suites of vendor partner UAV solutions in North America. Marc delves into the security aspects of the UAV market and how the latest technology is enabling protection from rogue drones and their pilots.

Jul 20, 2018
Nigel Stewart, BAE Systems talks about the significant benefits of the Type 26
 
In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Nigel Stewart, BAE Systems, Managing Director for SEA 5000 Bid. Nigel led BAE Systems’ successful bid for Australia’s SEA 5000 Hunter-class frigate program. Hear more about BAE’s Type 26 for its Hunter-class frigate and the connection to the Canadian Surface Combatant program.
 
Show Notes
 
Hear more about the Type 26 that is currently under construction in the UK and the takeaways that can apply to Canada. Nigel talks about the recent selection of the Type 26 for the Australian frigate program and some of the unique capabilities that position the Type 26 above the rest in that competition. He also addresses what critics have termed a paper ship design and more.
Jul 6, 2018

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones interviews Astrid Neuland, Business Development, Thales Canada Defense & Security, about her participation in the Highway of Heroes Ontario Bike Ride 2018. Listen and learn about her experiences on the road, the rewards and lessons learned, as well as why this is such an important event to support.

May 25, 2018

In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Lee Obst, President and Managing Director of Rockwell Collins in Canada.

Since 2011, Lee has been serving in his current role in overseeing the Canadian operations and production facilities. Prior to joining Rockwell Collins in 2000, Lee served for 21 years as a test pilot and fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and three years as a program manager/business director with Spar Aerospace, Canada.

In this Vanguard Radio podcast, hear about the future growth strategy of Rockwell Collins in Canada and what they are doing to align investment with the mandates of the new Defence Procurement Strategy. Learn about Wideband HF and the role the Canadian subsidiary of Rockwell Collins played in its development.

Also, Rockwell Collins Canada will be at CANSEC this year. Hear more about their ‘Made in Canada’ NSS offering and how it will be represented at CANSEC, and other capabilities that they will be exhibiting at the event.

Rockwell Collins Canada will be exhibiting at Booth 1103 at CANSEC 2018 at the EY Centre in Ottawa on May 30-31. 

Thanks for listening.

May 2, 2018

In this episode of Vanguard Radio,  J. Richard Jones chats with Brent Perrot, President of Hunter Communications.  They discuss the challenges of satellite communications and how technology is winning the battle,  what satellite communications are doing to help the defence industry and Hunter Communications participation at CANSEC 2018.  All this and more on this episode of Vanguard Radio.

Mar 28, 2018

In this episode, J. Richard Jones guest hosts Vanguard radio. He interviews Mathew Overton, Executive Director, Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute about the need to understand AI technology and its impact, upcoming events and projects that are being worked on. All this and more, on this episode of Vanguard radio.

Mar 27, 2018

In this episode of Vanguard radio, J. Richard Jones joins the show as guest host. He discusses Towed Reelable Active-Passive Sonar, (TRAPS) a new program for reservists and Canada’s role in the Iraq mission. All this and more, in this episode of Vanguard radio.

Mar 26, 2018

In this episode, Uber self-driving car killed a woman in Arizona recently, was that accident avoidable? There are many calls coming from different quarters to quite Facebook and streaming is taking over the music industry, so what's next?

 

Show Notes

 

Last Sunday, in the city of Tempe, Arizona, Elaine Herzberg who was 49 years old, attempted to cross a busy road. She was pushing a bicycle across the road about 100 meters from the closest pedestrian crosswalk when she was hit by a vehicle, which was travelling at 38 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone.

 

The Police Chief of Tempe said the crash may have been unavoidable.

 

One analyst who follows autonomous vehicles, said laser and radar systems can see in the dark much better than humans or cameras and that the victim was well within the range.

 

He said, “It absolutely should have been able to pick her up. From what I see in the video it sure looks like the car is at fault, not the pedestrian.”

 

Delete Facebook

 

How often do you post on Facebook? A lot of people are calling for others to quit Facebook. Even the hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending.

 

Many are wondering if it is time to say goodbye to Facebook.

 

At its best, Facebook is a nice way to stay in touch with friends around the world, in business to learn what’s important to the people we serve and to share the work we’re doing. But there’s a concern to all of this. The very data that make it work so well, have power, power that can be used for good or evil.

 

And because of this, many are now waking up to the concerns over privacy and how our personal information is being shared.

 

Streaming Music

 

Over the years we have seen the evolution of the way music is consumed. From cassettes to cds, then onto digital downloads. For a little while now streaming is the main way of getting our music.

 

Streaming music is taking over the music industry, and that can be seen with digital download sales which have fallen so much in the past few years that they’re now smaller than sales of CDs, vinyl, and other physical media.

 

A recent report shows that digital downloads fell to $1.3 billion last year, whereas physical media, while also falling, only declined to $1.5 billion.

Mar 16, 2018

An overview of the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018 

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo gives an overview of the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018 that was held recently in Ottawa. 

On March 1st, over 150 attendees from the military and industry gathered at the Shaw Centre for Vanguard's fifth annual Shipbuilding Technology Forum. This event is a one-day conference with the aim to showcase emerging technologies, presentations on marine and shipbuilding issues and ship repair. 

Vanguard has been working with industry, government and military over the years to provide a platform to create an environment for the different parties to share lessons and showcase cutting-edge technologies. 

This year's event was built on the theme: Agility through Technology.   

Hear an overview about presentations on:  

Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, (IDEaS),  

Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP),  

Keynote by Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner - Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard 

Naval Infra-Red Search and Track Systems (IRST),  

Decarbonization and Marine Propulsion Systems 

Well, that was an overview of the event. I found it to be quite interesting, hearing about the different technologies currently available and what we can look forward to in the future. Especially, what can be done with autonomous technology and AI? 

To learn more about the Shipbuilding Technology Forum, go to VanguardCanada.com, and click on the SHIPTECH 2018 tab. 

Vanguard will be hosting the 2019 version of this event at the same time next year. Please stay tuned for more details.  

Mar 6, 2018

CF-18 replacement suppliers shortlisted and marijuana legalization in the CAF

In this episode, Canada issues a shortlist of suppliers for CF-18 replacement competition. The Canadian military is trying to decide how to handle marijuana legalization and a look at an interview with Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.

Show Notes:

The Government of Canada has released a list of eligible suppliers who would be invited to submit bids for the country’s future fighter aircraft fleet competition. The Royal Canadian Air Force plans to purchase a total of 88 advanced fighter jets. These jets will replace the current CF-18 aircraft fleet, which has been serving Canada for more than 30 years.

The companies shortlisted to submit bids are:

· Boeing Super Hornet

· Lockheed Martin F-35

· Eurofighter Typhoon

· Dassault Rafale

· Saab Gripen

Speaking about the release of the suppliers, Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said, “The Government of Canada is leveraging procurement to create jobs, drive innovation, and grow small businesses. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive investment in innovation and research across all sectors of our economy, including with post-secondary institutions.”

The contract for the aircraft development program is expected to be awarded in 2021 or 2022.

Canadian military trying to decide how to handle marijuana legalization

With the legalization of marijuana being a topical issue in Canada, the military is looking at how to apply this to members of the CAF. Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said, “We’re going to try to be smart about it. But in the end, this is dangerous duty, this is serious duty for the country, and we don’t want people doing it stoned.”

Gen Vance made these comments during an appearance before the Senate defence committee.

“We are looking at it,” Vance told the committee. “I am very soon to make decisions on the specific and unique circumstances associated with military service that would preclude someone from using cannabis at a particular point in time.”

Interview

Vanguard recently conducted an interview with Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard. In that interview, we asked him what are his top 3 short-term goals? Where he sees the future of shipbuilding for the Coast Guard given the average age of the fleet –

can it be done within the service lives of the current fleet or do you see a reduction in fleet capability/capacity? If he sees a long-term fleet capital investment program similar to the Navy for the Coast Guard? Also, he touches on maintenance and life extension, success stories - CCGS Sir John Franklin and strategies and programs of the Canadian Coast Guard that he is really excited about.

For the full interview, please go to VanguardCanada.com.

Feb 28, 2018

Defence Minister visits Europe and Vanguard's Game Changers 

In this episode, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's visit to Europe and he also shares an overview of Vanguard's Game Changers for the February/March issue.  

Show Notes: 

Due to its commitment to lasting peace and security, both at home and abroad, Canada is working on all fronts including the international community to ensure the protection of rights and freedoms for all.  

As part of this effort, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan visited Europe. The Minister participated in a meeting of the Defence Ministers from the main force contributors to the Global Coalition against Daesh, and in Brussels, at the NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting.  

In Rome, the Minister highlighted Canada's ongoing commitment to the Global Coalition against Daesh, and to working with allies and partners to set the conditions for long-term security and stability in the Middle East region.  

While in Brussels, he participated in the NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting, alongside other NATO Allies and partners.  

Minister Sajjan highlighted Canada's commitment to NATO and working with NATO Allies to actively maintain and strengthen the transatlantic bond.  

 

Game Changers 

  • Dr. Ben Cecil, CEO, The Canadian Centre for Product Validation 
  • Jordan Kyriakidis, President and CEO, QRA Corp 
  • Farhoud Shirzadi, CEO, VSETA 

To learn more, go to: https://vanguardcanada.com/category/game-changers/  

 

Thanks for listening. 

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