Situational awareness is an integral part of C4ISR. It plays a huge part in operations for airborne, land-based, and maritime platforms.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Carl Daniels, Chief Operating Officer of CarteNav. Hear more about a software that enhances situational awareness by processing and managing imagery and data from a variety of sensors and some of the trends in C4ISR.

Also, Carl delves into what CarteNav is doing in the C4ISR space, their acquisition by PAL Aerospace, their involvement in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) contract, and some of the Canadian programs CarteNav looking at.

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.

There is increased awareness of the secondary impact trauma has on children, especially those with a parent diagnosed with Operational Stress Injuries (such as PTSD) from service-related experiences. While several treatment programs have been designed for caregivers, limited programs exist that support children/youth through the stressors connected to parental Operational Stress Injuries.

Today, joining us to talk about a program for kids who face this type of trauma is Dr. Helena Hawryluk.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we continue our series of supporting ill and injured Veterans, First Responders and their families.

Hear from Dr. Megan McElheran, a Clinical Psychologist with WGM Psychological Services in Calgary, AB. She completed her graduate training at the Stanford University clinical psychology consortium, during which she obtained specialized training in the treatment of PTSD through the National Center for PTSD in Menlo Park, CA. Dr. McElheran has been in practice in Calgary since 2008.

She also continues to focus her work with first responders, and her clinical practice involves work with active-duty members of the Canadian Forces, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, members of the Calgary Firefighter Department, medical personnel and others who are directly or vicariously impacted by traumatic events. She routinely engages in teaching and supervisory activity to ensure sound dissemination of empirically-grounded interventions for trauma.

She also works closely with Wounded Warriors Canada on their Before Operational Stress (BOS) program. BOS has been designed to provide Military, Police, Fire, Paramedic and Corrections officials with theoretical, practical and experiential learning to enhance their resilience and mental health as they continue to operate within their public service positions.

Hear more about this program, how you can participate in it, where and when the program is delivered and how it aligns with other services of Wounded Warriors Canada.

To support this program, sign up for Vanguard magazine. We have a partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada where a portion of all subscriptions is donated to help them with their various programs.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, we continue our series on veterans and some of the challenges they face. In our last episode, J. Richard Jones spoke with LCol Chris Linford (Ret'd) about his journey with PTSD.

Today, we have joining us is Capt Phil Ralph (Ret'd) to talk about an Animal Assisted Therapy program that is helping injured and ill veterans and first responders. Phil currently serves as the National Program Director of Wounded Warriors Canada and has served in various capacities with the charity since its founding in 2006, including serving as Chair for two years. As Program Director he oversees the implementation of a robust and exciting slate of transformative programming benefiting Veterans, First Responders and their Families.

For over a quarter-century until releasing from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2016, Phil served our nation as the Regimental Chaplain to the 32 Combat Engineer Regiment (formally 2nd Field Engineer Regiment) in Toronto. In that capacity, he was exposed to the challenges and needs of today’s veterans.

Having seen firsthand the effects of deployments on our Veterans, he has a passion to contribute to assisting today’s Veterans towards wholeness and healing. As the son of a Firefighter whose families service extends back into the 1800’s, he has also witnessed first-hand the challenges that face first responders and their families as well.

Hear more about some of the highlights of his career in the Canadian Armed Forces, his current work as Director Health Services at Wounded Warriors Canada, and the Wounded Warriors' Animal Assisted Therapy program. Learn more about how this program is helping Veterans and First Responders and how you can participate.

Vanguard has an active program in place where we are partnering with Wounded Warriors to spread the news of what Wounded Warriors is doing and also supporting financially through our subscription program. For each subscription to Vanguard magazine, we are donating a portion of it to Wounded Warriors so that Veterans, First Responders, and their families can benefit from programs like Animal Assisted Therapy.

To support, subscribe to Vanguard magazine by going to vanguardcanada.com/subscription.

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.

Serge Carignan, Superintendent, Quality Engineering Test Establishment at the Department of National Defence will be speaking at ShipTech Forum 2020. In this episode of Vanguard, Serge shares some of the highlights of what he will be speaking, his experience and his role at DND.

Serge joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1979 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1984. After completing initial training in Borden, he served in various maintenance organizations in Canada and Germany. He was also the Commanding Officer of 5 Service Battalion and deployed to Afghanistan in 2004. Serge Carignan has been the Superintendent of the Quality Engineering Test Establishment since 2012, responsible for failure investigations, and specialized test and evaluation for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Vanguard's ShipTech Forum will take place on Feb 25 at The Westin in Ottawa. As a one-day conference, ShipTech brings together members of industry, government, and military to share knowledge and lessons learned from a technological perspective to showcase successful investments in cutting-edge technologies for the shipbuilding and marine industries.

To learn more about ShipTech Forum 2020, visit vanguardcanada.com/shiptech2020. We have a few seats remaining, register today to hear more from Serge Carignan and other speakers.

As Canada continues to ramp up for the execution of the Future Aircrew Training program (FAcT), the shortlist of qualified suppliers is getting ready for the release of the RFP. One such supplier is Lockheed Martin Canada.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Amy Gowder, Vice President and General Manager for Lockheed Martin’s Training and Logistics Solutions line of business within the Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) business area about their capabilities and what they can offer to Canada if selected for FAcT.

In her current role, Amy is responsible for the execution and strategic growth of Lockheed Martin’s mission readiness and sustainment programs with more than 5,400 employees around the globe. Before joining RMS, Amy served as Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. In this role, she was responsible for developing and implementing acquisition policies and strategies for all Lockheed Martin Aeronautics lines of business and oversaw a procurement budget of approximately $10B annually. She was also the President & General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Commercial Engine Solutions, with locations in San Antonio, Texas, and Montreal, Canada where she was responsible for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of 11 engine product lines that powered more than 15 military and commercial aircraft.

Learn more about Lockheed Martin's development and delivery of integrated, performance-based military training solutions, the full scope of the FAcT program in Canada, similarities of other global training programs to FAcT, how to partner with Lockheed Martin or become a potential supplier for this program, ITBs and what sets Lockheed Martin Canada apart for this training program.

To learn more, go to: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-ca/future-aircrew-training-fact.html. 

The legal, intelligence and ethical perspectives of surveillance along with a focus on its associated opportunities and challenges will be discussed at C4ISR and Beyond 2020, taking place on January 28 in Ottawa.

This panel will be moderated by LGen D. Michael Day (Ret’d). In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Day shares a teaser of what we can expect from this discussion. The panelists will tackle the complications associated with the legal, intelligence and ethical perspectives for ISR so that industry can build capabilities with these considerations “baked” in.

LGen D. Michael Day (Ret’d) joined the Canadian Forces in 1983 and had the privilege of serving and commanding within his Regiment. He spent the majority of his career as an Operator within Canada’s Counter Terrorist and Special Forces community commanding both Joint Task Force Two ( JTF 2) & Canada’s Special Operations Forces Command. He was deployed operationally to Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Afghanistan and was responsible for the preparation, training, and oversight of NATO’s Response Force, with distributed command throughout Europe.

He has served in a variety of Senior Staff appointments including the Canadian Armed Forces Senior Military Officer in the Defence Policy Group, and the Chief Strategic Planner for the CAF where he also oversaw the development of the Department of National Defence’s Space and Cyber Programs. After retiring in September 2015, he began consulting with many companies, with a particular focus on the Tech Sector specifically ISR, Space and Cyber. 

The panelists:

Jessica Davis, President & Principal Consultant, Insight Threat Intelligence

Leah West, Lecturer of International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University

Stephanie Carvin, Assistant Professor Assistant Professor of International Affairs - National Security Issues, Terrorism, Critical Infrastructure Protection, International Law, Humanitarianism, Foreign Policy, Carleton University

Hear more about this panel, the speakers and what they will be talking about, some of the takeaways and why you should attend C4ISR and Beyond 2020.  

We have a few seats remaining. Be sure to register today!

Post-traumatic stress disorder or as is commonly called, PTSD, is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some of the symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about a terrifying event.

Some who have gone through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. Symptoms can sometimes get worse, last for months or even years, and may interfere with day-to-day functioning.

By getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop is critical in reducing symptoms and improve function.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with LCol Chris Linford (Ret'd) who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 33 years. During his service, he completed three operational deployments - The Gulf War in 1991, Rwanda in 1994, and Afghanistan from 2009-2010.

In 2004, he was diagnosed with PTSD. With proper treatment, he returned to health and went back out serving his country. While serving in Afghanistan, his PTSD returned. This led to him writing a book about his experience - “Warrior Rising- A Soldier’s Journey to PTSD and Back” which was published in 2013. 

Today, he and his wife Kathryn are National Ambassadors of Wounded Warriors Canada, a national charity providing innovative programming for veterans and first responders with PTSD and their spouses/partners. They are actively involved in promoting Wounded Warriors Canada programs called “COPE” or Couples Overcoming PTSD Every Day and the Trauma Resiliency Program or TRP. 

Tune in to listen to LCol Linford's story. His years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces, PTSD, the specific event that caused it, getting better, the return of PTSD, and the impact on his family. He shares tips to help those suffering from PTSD, Wounded Warriors' COPE and TRP programs and their impact and how someone who is suffering from PTSD can be a part of these programs. 

You can help support these programs and the work that Wounded Warriors Canada is doing by donating at WoundedWarriors.ca or subscribe to Vanguard magazine, the organisation behind this podcast. We recently partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada to give a portion of each subscription to our bi-monthly magazine to them to help support Canada’s ill and injured Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders, and their families.

Go to vanguardcanada.com/subscription, to subscribe today to help support a great cause. 

Wounded Warriors Canada, a leading mental health service provider for ill and injured Veterans, First Responders and their families and Vanguard, a leading security and defence publication in Canada are working together to raise awareness, education and funds to ensure those who serve our country at home and abroad receive the mental health support they deserve in their time of need.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, hear from Terri Pavelic, Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard and Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada as they explain how this program was conceived, the benefits that it will provide to our wounded heroes and how you can participate.

By taking a subscription to Vanguard magazine, you will be supporting wounded heroes. A portion of all subscriptions will be donated to Wounded Warriors Canada. To learn more about the program, go here and to start subscribing to Vanguard magazine, visit http://www.vanguardcanada.com/subscription.

The Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) project was talked about and debated for a number of years. Today, the contract has been awarded and work will commence in the early 2020s with an expected delivery of the first of 15 ships by mid-2020s.

In February 2019, the Government of Canada confirmed that the bid from Lockheed Martin Canada has been selected for the design of CSC, which is based on the BAE Systems Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

Lockheed Martin Canada is partnering with BAE Systems, CAE, L3 Technologies, MDA and Ultra Electronics in offering the Royal Canadian Navy an advanced and modern warship design. Part of this solution includes Lockheed Martin Canada’s internationally renowned and Canadian-developed combat management system, the CMS 330.

Today on Vanguard Radio, we are excited to talk with Gary Fudge, Vice President & General Manager of Lockheed Martin Canada about CSC and CMS 330.

Hear about Lockheed Martin Canada’s innovation in this space going all the way back to the 1980s. Learn more about some of the innovative projects that were done over the years, the genesis of the CMS 330,the upgrades that were made to keep this solution current with the times, how this technology is being used by other navies, areas that are being considered to advance the CMS 330, new innovative technologies for CSC, and some of the next steps in the CSC process?

To learn more about Lockheed Martin Canada, go to https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-ca/cms330.html

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/.

On the show today, J. Richard Jones talks with Keith D’Sa from Axis Communications Canada about how technological developments are elevating surveillance and security.

Keith has more than 15 years providing insight and strategy tactics around business development, solution selling and account management in the security and surveillance industry. He is responsible for business operations in Canada, including new business development and sales team leadership.

Keith has been involved with industry leading associations and was featured in Security Products and Technology (SP&T) Magazine for the Top 10 under 40 Decision makers in the security/surveillance industry in Canada.

Hear about technologies in the security space, perimeter protection, network audio systems as a detect and deter function, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and the future of surveillance and security.

In May 2018, CAE and KF Aerospace joined together to form SkyAlyne Canada, a 50/50 joint venture that focuses on developing and delivering military pilot and aircrew training in Canada.

Currently, CAE and KF Aerospace deliver all phases of pilot training to the Royal Canadian Air Force through the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program managed by CAE, and the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) program managed by KF Aerospace.

These programs will come to an end in the next few years and the Government of Canada is looking to award a new contract to renew its existing aircrew training services through the Future Aircrew Training Program (FAcT).

In December 2018, Canada issued a list of qualified suppliers for this program, which includes:

Airbus Defence and Space
Babcock Canada Inc.
Leonardo Canada
Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. and
SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Peter Fedak, Program Solutions for SkyAlyne.

Hear more about this joint venture and how it is being positioned for the FAcT program, some of the capabilities and solutions SkyAlyne will bring to Canada if selected for the FAcT program, top challenges of pilot training in Canada, advancement in training solutions, some of the lessons or takeaways from CFTS, the shortage pilot problem and steps to solve it, and the future of pilot training.

Peter Fedak is a retired RCAF LCol and helicopter pilot. He joined the RCAF in 1989 and after receiving his pilot wings in 1994 commenced his life as a tactical helicopter pilot supporting the Canadian Army. He has held operational tours with 408 and 403 Squadrons and a training tour at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School achieving an A1 instructor category with the Central Flying School. Other than flying over most of the vast expanses of Canada at 100kts, Peter was deployed to Haiti in 1995 and in 2008 deployed to Afghanistan working with the USAF training Afghan Army Air Corps pilots on the nuances of tactical operations in the Mi-17 helicopter.

Peter’s final post in the RCAF was as the Commandant of 3CFFTS from 2012 to 2014. Upon release after 25 years of service he worked as a HEMS pilot for a year before assuming his current role as the KF Aerospace Site Manager for the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) contract supporting the training program for RCAF primary, rotary wing, and multi-engine pilots. Peter has just under 5000 hours of helicopter flying time on five different types including 1900 hours instructing.

To learn more, go to http://www.skyalyne.ca.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Joseph Galimberti, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs of PAL Aerospace.

PAL Aerospace is a diversified international aerospace and defence company headquartered in Canada. With over four decades of operations, PAL has continuously built on their experience to evolve into a global leader of airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions. 

Hear more about PAL Aerospace and some of their exciting capabilities within the aerospace field. Joseph shares of lessons and capabilities that PAL has that will be incorporated to provide in-service support for the Fixed Wing Search and Rescue project. Their ISR special mission platform called the Force Multiplier and what specific issues this will solve for the Canadian Armed Forces and militaries around the world, aerial surveillance for Canada’s inland, coastal and offshore waters, and emerging technologies for ISR solutions.

Joseph Galimberti joined PAL in late 2018 as the Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs. Prior to joining PAL, Joseph held a variety of executive positions including: President of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, Vice-President of Public and Corporate Affairs at Hill + Knowlton Strategies Canada, Director of Government and Community Relations at Air Canada, and has also served in various capacities with the Government of Canada. Joseph is co-owner of his family business Broad Street Cycles in Victoria, B.C., and a former Trustee on the Board of Pearson College UWC. Joseph lives in Ottawa with his wife Heidi and their twin sons Jonah and Bennett.

To learn more about PAL Aerospace, go to https://www.palaerospace.com.

Command, Communications, Control, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) is a crucial facet of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations and a growing area that is getting more attention in recent years. 

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, I’m excited to speak with Lieutenant Colonel Ian R. Graham Director of Land Requirements 4, at the Department of National Defence.

Lieutenant Colonel Ian Graham is currently the Directorate Land Requirements section head responsible for projects focusing on Command and Control (C2), Electronic Warfare and Simulation in support of training systems.  

He joined the Canadian Armed forces in 1990, graduating from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario in 1995 with a degree in Computer Engineering.  Since that time has served in Petawawa, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kingston, Iraq and Ottawa.  He has held a wide variety of staff positions including managing C2 system security accreditation, multiple postings as a project manager and project director focusing on delivering tactical land C2 systems to the Canadian Army and various operational communications planning positions. 

His operational deployments include a 6-month tour in Bosnia in 2003 as the Task Force G6 Operations, deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 as the Canadian Battle Group Signals officer and finally to Kuwait as the Operation IMPACT J6 in 2013.  As a Major, he commanded 1 Squadron, Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment and has attended the United States Marine Corps Staff Program in Quantico, Virginia.

Within DLR, Lieutenant Colonel Graham is currently focused on advancing the Canadian Army Land C4ISR capital projects and specifically looking to enable more agile approaches for high tech capability development.

Richard Jones, host of Vanguard Radio talks with Johnathon (Lee) Obst, President and Managing Director, Rockwell Collins Canada, a Collins Aerospace Company, of the capabilities of the newly formed company.

Lee joined Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins) in 2000 as a Program Manager in the Government Systems Airborne Solutions portfolio and shortly afterwards transitioned in to a business development role. Since 2000, Lee has held a variety of business development leadership roles in the Airborne Solutions portfolio with increasing responsibilities. In 2010, Lee was appointed as the Senior Director, Marketing for Collins Aerospace Government Systems.

In 2011, Lee was appointed as the President and Managing Director of Collins Aerospace based in Ottawa, Ontario. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the Canadian operations and production facilities in Ottawa and providing shared services for the Montreal operations.

Prior to joining Collins Aerospace, Lee served for 21 years as a test pilot and fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Hear more about Collins Aerospace, which was created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, the plans for growth in Canada, programs that Collins Aerospace has the capabilities for, training,         and what to expect from Collins Aerospace at CANSEC.

Visit Collins Aerospace at booth 1103 at CANSEC to learn more.

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industry. Created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers' toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. 

In addition to being a pioneer in the development of world class avionics, aircraft interiors, aerostructures, power and controls as well as mechanical and mission systems – which are delivered by 70,000 employees worldwide – Collins also has a renowned global service and support capability. This is demonstrated locally with our longstanding relationships with many of the world’s airlines, aircraft manufacturers and national defence organizations, including the Canadian Armed Forces.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Jean-Claude Siew, Vice President for Technology and Simulation for Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc.

Jean-Claude has a deep understanding of training and simulation and management leadership, which he accumulated over 20 years of working in the aerospace and defence industry. He has a strong focus on growing Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. through technology leadership and by further developing the products and services in working closely with large aerospace and defence OEMs.

Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. (BTS) operates within the defence and aerospace industry by designing and developing highly specialized, high performance, tactical training for front line operators of equipment working in complex environments and high-risk situations. This includes, training systems needs analysis, custom courseware development, virtual simulation training devices, and ongoing training support for in service support.

Hear more about Bluedrop, some of the lessons learned in working with the Canadian Armed Forces to shape future courseware and training, developing training programs for a variety of different systems on the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels and the role that it will play in helping the Canadian Coast Guard to effectively operate these vessels.

Jean-Claude talks about how Bluedrop provides training solutions for other countries. He shares some of the takeaways of working with foreign organizations that can be applied to Canada and vice versa.

Check out Bluedrop at CANSEC at booth 1215 to learn more.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Ken Peterman, President, Government Systems at Viasat, a global communications company. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate.

In April 2013, Ken joined Viasat as Vice President, Government Systems. Just over a year later in June 2014, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Government Systems, and in May 2017, he assumed his current position as President, Government Systems.

Ken has over 30 years of experience in general management, systems engineering, strategic planning, portfolio management, and business leadership in the aerospace and defense industries.

In the show, he talks about how private sector is now developing technologies that are being adopted to fit defence, which is a reverse of what was done previously. This is an opportunity for defence forces to tap into and leverage the accelerated trajectories of these technologies. As in the case with Viasat, they are not just building these technologies for commercial markets but for defence as well.

Ken talks about how it is about bring forward cutting edge technologies to serve both markets in an affordable manner. This helps armed forces and benefits the tax payers as there is no R&D cost associated with it as it was already funded by private sector in the development of these technologies. 

Ken was selected as a Vanguard Game Changer, check out his profile on VanguardCanada.com to learn more about the leadership initiatives that he is employing to lead Viasat.

To learn more about Viasat, go to viasat.com.

Since 2008, Babcock has been operating in Canada in working with committed experts to design, build, manage, operate and maintain assets vital to the delivery of critical public services. Globally, the company is a 35,000-strong organization, which helps customers around the world to improve the capability, reliability and availability of their most critical assets within the key market sectors of Marine, Land, Aviation, and Nuclear.

Recently, Babcock was awarded a contract for aerial firefighting by the Government of Manitoba. This Wildfire Suppression Services contract is for a period of ten years. 

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Mike Whalley, President of Babcock Canada and Jake Jacobson, Vice-President of Babcock Canada about this contract and the operation of Babcock in Canada. 

Hear an update on the Victoria-class submarine program, lessons gleaned from this program that can be applied to future naval in-service support programs, lessons from working in the United Kingdom and the Australasia regions in incorporating those in Canada, some of the services they provide in the different sectors, the recent contract by the Manitoba government for aerial firefighting services and the future for Babcock Canada.

To learn more about Babcock Canada, go to https://babcockcanada.com.

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/.

Calian, a provider of business and technology services and solutions to industry, public and government in the health, training, engineering and IT services domains and also in satellite networks, recently announced that it has been selected to deliver a significant training contract for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Army Simulation Centre. The Training and Support Services Contract is valued about $170 million, running over a full nine-year period. 

In this episode, J. Richard Jones talks with Kevin Ford, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calian about this re-win for the company and what it means to Calian. Hear about where Calian fit into Strong, Secure, Engaged, their innovation agenda, their #DontLetGoCanada space campaign and what we can expect from the company in the future.

To learn more, go to https://www.calian.com/en.

Thanks for listening.