CMC Electronics Joins General Dynamics Team for Halifax-class Frigates Modernization Program

Released on Monday, April 07, 2008

OTTAWA, Ontario � General Dynamics Canada today announced that CMC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, has joined the CSI HALIFAX Team bidding on the Canadian Navy's $1.1 billion HALIFAX Class Modernization Combat Systems Integration program (HCM-CSI). An industry leader in human factors engineering (HFE) with proven performance on Canada's HALIFAX Class frigates, the strategic addition of CMC Electronics further strengthens the solution being offered by the CSI HALIFAX Team.

Acting as the prime contractor, General Dynamics Canada is leading the team that also includes defence industry suppliers Thales; MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA); Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems; and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. The CSI HALIFAX Team boasts the combined talents of more than 6,000 employees across Canada and is leveraging its coast-to-coast footprint to offer a uniquely Canadian solution for the HCM-CSI project.

Human factors engineering focuses on the human systems integration aspects of military systems, ensuring that the human performance, personnel training and safety of overall systems are optimized. CMC Electronics has extensive experience in the operations rooms on Canada's HALIFAX Class frigates and on modern warships around the world � providing a full range of product development from initial requirements analysis to final product qualification and acceptance. The CSI HALIFAX Team will employ this critical expertise to ensure that both individual and team performance in the modernized frigates is optimized and solutions are tailored to specifically meet Canadian Navy operational needs.

"We have strategically selected CSI HALIFAX Team members to ensure that we deliver the best possible solution customized to meet the specific needs of the Canadian Navy," said John Watts, president of General Dynamics Canada. "CMC Electronics is ideally positioned to provide the human factors engineering expertise needed to ensure that the Navy has the right tools to safely and consistently meet operational requirements."

CMC Electronics' world-class Canadian-based HFE team draws on multi-disciplinary skills and complementary expertise to improve human performance, maximize system effectiveness and reduce costs and risk. The team's extensive experience with the Canadian Navy includes providing complete analysis of the operations room and communication requirements of the operations team. The team has also developed components for the Royal Navy's Astute-class submarine and is currently investigating crewing effectiveness, joint fires support and collaborative tactical picture compilation for multi-nation task groups.

"CMC Electronics is proud to be part of the CSI HALIFAX Team assembled by General Dynamics Canada," said Jean-Michel Comtois, vice president of CMC Electronics in Ottawa. "The CSI Halifax Team has unparalleled expertise and is offering a premier solution to meet the Navy's project needs."

Canada's 12 HALIFAX Class frigates, which were commissioned between 1992 and 1996, form the backbone of the Canadian Navy's surface combat force. The ships are now in need of an upgrade to handle naval threats that today are faster and stealthier. The Canadian government has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to upgrade the frigates, including the HCM-CSI program, which will replace the command and control system and provide enhanced support to the Command Task Group (CTG) at sea. Bidding companies have 120 days to respond to the RFP.