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Congrats to all active CAF members on receiving your retro-active to April pay increases today. Well deserved and long time coming.
Canada moves to 2% GDP end of FY25/26 - PMMC
- Thread starter Maxman1
- Start date
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Fossil
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Germany has our same procurement problem. The pace of the bureaucracy imposed by existing processes.
Solution is apparently to change the process.
When you get down to your shortlist don't pick a winner. Buy them all. And the fix them.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com
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The Americans
www.businessinsider.com
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These seem to be trying to emulate practices forced on Ukraine by circumstances.
Solution is apparently to change the process.
When you get down to your shortlist don't pick a winner. Buy them all. And the fix them.
Germany Tries Something New—and Risky—on Defense Acquisitions
In procuring drones, Germany is applying the lessons that Western armed forces should be taking from the war in Ukraine.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com
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The Americans
The US Army says it's getting soldiers next-day fixes on new tech rather than making them wait 6 months
Army officials said the work on its new command and control system is iterative and an example of a totally different relationship with industry.
www.businessinsider.com
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These seem to be trying to emulate practices forced on Ukraine by circumstances.
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Estonia to spend over €10 billion on defense between 2026-2029
The Ministry of Defense's 2026–2029 development plan focuses on establishing a multi-layered air defense system, enhancing deep-strike capabilities and improving situational awareness. The state also plans to procure additional ammunition over the next five years.
news.err.ee
Estonian defence budget
5% Infrastructure
37% Procurement
25% Ammunition
13% Operations
3% Intelligence and early warning
14% Labour (Regulars) 7700
3% Support for the Defence League (Unpaid Volunteers) 14,000
Reservists 250,000
Trained Reservists 80,000
Ready Reservists 38,800
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Korean K808 APCs and KLTV Armored Vehicles Will Be Assembled in Peru - Militarnyi
Peru has officially launched a plant that will assemble South Korean K808 wheeled armored personnel carriers and KLTV light tactical armored vehicles.
militarnyi.com
Another instance of South Korea's Hyundai franchise system?
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Korean K808 APCs and KLTV Armored Vehicles Will Be Assembled in Peru - Militarnyi
Peru has officially launched a plant that will assemble South Korean K808 wheeled armored personnel carriers and KLTV light tactical armored vehicles.
Another instance of South Korea's Hyundai franchise system?
It also occurs to me thatthe popularity of this solution may also have to do with the difficulty in finding skilled trades. With this system Hyundai can supply Lego blocks and the future mechanics can literally learn their trade from the ground up under close supervision from factory trainers. Each client country then gets a qualfied maintenance and support system.
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There is probably more the question of buying or creating the machinery that makes the part. Assembly as you say is akin to putting together a Lego kit that only requires limited skills supported by quality control.
A truly independent maintenance system requires having the tools and dies necessary to manufacture all the constituent parts of the vehicle on an indefinite basis. Anything less than that keeps you dependant on the OEM. LG1s and C3 howitzers enter the chat.
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There is probably more the question of buying or creating the machinery that makes the part. Assembly as you say is akin to putting together a Lego kit that only requires limited skills supported by quality control.
A truly independent maintenance system requires having the tools and dies necessary to manufacture all the constituent parts of the vehicle on an indefinite basis. Anything less than that keeps you dependant on the OEM. LG1s and C3 howitzers enter the chat.
Four separate trends
Lathe operators of the old school are becoming hard to find
Many parts are machined on multi-axis CNC mills
The rise of additive processes
Broken parts are replaced not repaired.
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The Lego parts may also be turned out locally with the necessary software for the latest design being transmitted through cyberspace.
I am guessing that it is operators for that environment that Palantir is trying to recruit from high school.
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Meanwhile Transport Canada pilots join the Coast Guard under DND
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Just because something is CNC doesn’t mean it is push button and instantly works. If your making it wrong on a CNC it means your making a lot of wrong fast. One offs need constant checking in programs and making sure everything is going right. Once proven it is a different story, however your making a bunch to get away from skilled machinists as opposed to operators.
Lots of parts are still repaired, it is what repair shops (like where I work) exist for. Smaller parts it is usually easier to just replace, larger it is usually easier to repair. If a bearing fit on a large shaft gets destroyed it is easier to undercut, weld, and re-machine said fit than it is to remake the whole shaft.
You would be amazed at how much of the work I do is just repairing/fixing work done on a CNC which was made incorrectly from the get go. Even quality manufacturers are accidentally letting out of spec parts through.
The military is better off having a robust supply system and a supply of quality verified parts in said system than trying to make such parts themselves. Any system bought should be enough to supply what we currently have with enough spare parts for the expected lifespan of the product and war stock.
The MilCots was a perfect example of trying to not have the supplies available on demand due to it being a ‘commercial model vehicle’ ignoring that the fleet became obsolete from civilian perspective within 5 years of being produced and as such parts became much harder to source.
Machinists can be a justified trade for the CAF. However it isn’t a fix all solution and it isn’t as easy as plug and go. You might be able to do one offs here and there, but machining also takes time, likely more time than getting it shipped to them by a good supply system.
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My problem with the article was the statement by the Coast Guard Commissioner that his assets didn't need defending because they weren't in a theatre with threats.
I disagree.
Red Security - Civil
RCMP
Coast Guard
Transport Canada/NavCan
RCAF - SAR Transport
Rangers
CBSA
Corrections
Canadian Space Agency
CSIS
Teal Security - Military
RCN
CA
RCAF
....
I disagree.
Red Security - Civil
RCMP
Coast Guard
Transport Canada/NavCan
RCAF - SAR Transport
Rangers
CBSA
Corrections
Canadian Space Agency
CSIS
Teal Security - Military
RCN
CA
RCAF
....
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The lesson to me comes from the C3 howitzer which has major issues in being repaired. The gun is dead simple. A family machine shop in a back alley in Mumbai could probably recreate any part we need (as can our Navy machine shops) but the IP problem re the C1 to C3 conversion has been a significant multi decade problem.
Lego part replacement is a good thing . . . if you can get the part in a timely manner from the OEM . . . or can fabricate it locally if not.
In another thread I said that I liked the FMTV - one reason is that all the parts are straightforward flat plates or standard beams that any shop should be able to field fabricate and slap on. I hate formed metal like those on most of our logistics vehicles - it always requires being tied to an OEM.
I like simple crap for the army.
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What is the IP problem. The gun is so old how can there be any IP not already under license to Canada.
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The lesson to me comes from the C3 howitzer which has major issues in being repaired. The gun is dead simple. A family machine shop in a back alley in Mumbai could probably recreate any part we need (as can our Navy machine shops) but the IP problem re the C1 to C3 conversion has been a significant multi decade problem.
Lego part replacement is a good thing . . . if you can get the part in a timely manner from the OEM . . . or can fabricate it locally if not.
In another thread I said that I liked the FMTV - one reason is that all the parts are straightforward flat plates or standard beams that any shop should be able to field fabricate and slap on. I hate formed metal like those on most of our logistics vehicles - it always requires being tied to an OEM.
I like simple crap for the army.
We keep running into absolutes though.
We will always run out of horseshoe nails.
If it isn't ammunition, or fuzes then it will be barrels or tires. Or ball bearings and hydraulic fluids.
Not everything can be fixed.
Sometimes the right answer is to quit.
Or bring in a replacement.
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The big problem seems to be that nobody can get good machinists, even the Chinese judging from the quality of the work I have had to deal with.
I agree fully with what you say about the CNC system. They do work best in a high volume line with a good QA system.
On the other hand you can do a pretty awful repair job with a lathe and a drill press.
You can do one offs on a mult-axis mill. Subject, again, to the inputs and set up.
