Canadian Navy contracts MDA for naval operations management software

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has awarded MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) a CA$9 million contract to continue work on software solutions for the department’s naval operations.

The contract includes a base value of CA$5.3 million over three years and two additional one year options, each valued at approximately CA$1.8 million. Under this contract, MDA will continue the iterative development and expansion of RCN’s Naval Operations Software Solutions (NOSS) until 2021.

MDA was originally awarded the contract in 1997 and has been continually upgrading and enhancing the capability for the RCN since that time.

NOSS is an operational maritime command, control and information management system that is utilized by RCN personnel, for shore and ship based command and control, and military message handling and distribution.

The system also allows the RCN to manage dynamic information on the location and status of RCN vessels and the vessel’s personnel, and all other vessels within areas of interest to Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND). The command centres located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Esquimalt, British Columbia receive various maritime data and information feeds and then distributes the information globally to all operational units.

NOSS connects directly to DND’s strategic communications infrastructure and interfaces to other Canadian government departments and allies.

Norman Hannaford, MDA’s general manager responsible for this business said, “MDA is proud to develop and enhance this world-leading, fully operational maritime intelligence infrastructure capability and in supporting the RCN for over two decades.”