"Unsupportable" radar systems to be "refurbished"

[FiveParadox]

It turns out that the Department of National Defence is going to be refurbishing two ground-based radar systems, backing away from the previous plan to retire them out of service. This comes in the wake of the collapse of a procurement deal between the Government of Canada and Thales Canada Ltd., wherein the previous Government cancelled the procurement and paid out $2.6 million in development costs. The replacements were supposed to be delivered and put into service this year.

The existing TPS-70 radar systems have been described by Public Works and Government Services Canada as being "past their life expectancy," and "no longer supportable" (as early as 2008). The Honourable Jason Kenney PC, then the Minister of National Defence, was also advised in 2009 that replacements were urgently required by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Public Works and Government Services Canada has advised that they are going to be awarding a contract for the repair and overhaul of the TPS-70 radar systems in early 2016, as the radars are used by CF-18 aircrafts in the interception of potential air threats.

Source:

• Military plans to refurbish "unsupportable" radar systems (CBC News)

 

[Curious Cdn]

Cancelled procurements like this are going to get worse and more common, now, not better.

 

[CDNBear]

If the previous govt was scrapping the CF 18, than scrapping its supporting TPS 70 radar is a pretty wise idea.

There's no need to refurbish a system whose primary service is to an ageing aircraft that was headed for the scrap yard.

Seeing as how we'll likely be keeping the CF 18's in the livery for the foreseeable future, I'm not surprised it's being revamped now.

 

[Curious Cdn]

I would think that the F-35 is going to be cancelled very soon. Those F-18s are only about 15 years newer than the Sea Kings. How many times can you re-furbish an airframe? It's a Canadian thing, like sailing destroyers that are older than each and every crew member on board.

 

[CDNBear]

It's as Canadian as reinventing the f@cking wheel every time we need new military equip.

 

[Curious Cdn]

I was on the shiny, almost new HMCS Protecteur when I was 18. I'm 59 now, and she was just decommissioned. It truly boggles my mind that that happened. Trudeau-Chretien-Trudeau. Those Frigates are going to have to make it to the 22nd century.