Quebec military tech company awarded two defence contracts

If testing goes well, Canada's Armed Forces will be equipped with new, leading-edge technology in the next few years.

The federal government is awarding the military technology company contracts worth potentially $500 million.

Defence Minister Jason Kenney made the announcement about two projects at Rheinmetall Defence in St. Jean sur Richelieu Monday morning.

The projects will create 80 new jobs, he said.

Firstly, Rheinmettal Defence has been commissioned to produce 10 radar systems for the Canadian Armed Forces. They employ technology similar to Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system.

“The fact that we are going to be using that proven Israeli technology makes me very confident that this is not a theoretical system,” said Kenney.

Israel's ambassador to Canada Rafael Barak attended Monday’s announcement.

The radar systems will allow the army to track airborne threats and along with a service contract represent a federal investment of up to $250 million.

The Integrated Soldier System, or ISS, is the second major investment.

“So the basic elements of the system: a radio, you have a technical interface. It kind of looks like your smartphone at home,” explained Stephane Oehrli, vice-president of Rheinmetall Canada.

The system is much more rugged than a standard cellphone, though, and includes GPS, mapping and tracking capabilities.

The ISS includes weapons, accessories and electronics.

“The actual goal is to increase the situational awareness of the soldier on the battlefield – that he knows where he is, that he knows where his buddies are,” said Oehrli.

The army will test out the system before signing off on a plan for more than 4000, explained Kenney.

“We will start with a few dozen of the proposed systems, letting the Canadian army rigorously test them to make sure they all meet the requirements,” he said, while also listed his government's other military spending.

“We've modernized our fleet of Leopard 2 tanks… an on-schedule project,” he said.

Kenney maintained that the investments are not electioneering, but rather an emphasis on keeping projects on track.

If all goes well, delivery of the ISS and radar systems is expected to begin next year.