Government of Canada Delivers Advanced Technology to Navy and Coast Guard

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced today that the Government of Canada has awarded a contract for an Interdepartmental Maritime Integrated Command, Control and Communications (IMIC3) system to Thales Canada.

“This state of the art system will give navy and Coast Guard commanders the information they need as they work together to protect Canada’s coast line,” said Minister MacKay. “By equipping the Canadian Forces with the tools they need to do their jobs, our government is delivering on our commitment to protect Canada and Canadian interests.”

The IMIC3 system will equip the navy and the Canadian Coast Guard with an advanced capability to gather and share data from coastal surveillance in near real time. Using sophisticated, integrated technologies, it will improve the secure exchange of positional information by providing operational commanders and other government departments — on shore and at sea — with the same satellite data at the same time. This will allow for more coordinated planning and execution of maritime operations in defence of Canada.

“This new data system will enhance maritime safety and allow commanding officers of government fleets to better coordinate operations such as search and rescue, environmental response, and fisheries patrols,” said Minister Shea. “With our government’s investment, the safety of mariners and protection of the marine environment will benefit from this new arrangement.”

“Our government is providing the men and women of our navy and Coast Guard with the technology they need to get the job done,” said the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. “After completing this thorough competition among Canadian high technology firms, the result is a contract that achieves the best value for Canadian taxpayers and supporting local Canadian technology jobs.”

Through the $11 million contract, the IMIC3 system will be integrated into to the 12 Kingston-Class ships, 44 Coast Guard vessels, seven onshore stations (Maritime Security Operations Centers and Canadian Coast Guard Regional Operations Centers), and be available through seven portable systems for use on other vessels.

This integration will take place between early 2011 and spring 2014, supporting a dozen high-technology jobs in project management, engineering, logistics support, and testing in the Ottawa area. This contract demonstrates how the Government is investing in Canada’s high technology industry to acquire necessary, up-to-date equipment for the Canadian Forces.
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Source: Department of National Defence DND,March 21, 2011;