Q1 2007 — SPECiAL CELEBrATion iSSuE - L-3 MAS

onyourwing
Q 1 2 0 0 7 — S P E C I A L C E L E B R A T I O N I S S U E

L-3 MAS celebrates
20 high-flying years
Features
A hangar in Mirabel takes on a festive
mood as representatives from Canada’s
Department of National Defence join
L‐3 MAS and partner CAE to toast two
decades of mutual success. 4
Sylvain Bédard
Editorial
CF-18 Modernization team
delivers a perfect program
L-3 MAS brings Phase 1 of this
demanding program to completion on
budget, on schedule and with virtually
flawless quality. 6
Success breeds success
L-3 MAS announces a new contract
from Boeing to repair wing panels for
the U.S. Navy F/A-18 fleet. 7
Looking back: the first decade
Peter Hargrove – CF-18 SES Program
Manager from 1986 to 1996 – reminisces
about the excitement and challenges of
the early days. 8
MHP: the year in review
A second successful year wraps up
on Canada’s Maritime Helicopter
Project. 10
ON YOUR WING is published semi-annually by:
L-3 MAS
10,000 Helen-Bristol Street
Montréal International Airport-Mirabel
Mirabel (Québec) J7N 1H3
Telephone: (450) 476-4201
Fax.: (450) 476-4460
E-mail: info.marketing@L-3Com.com
www.L-3com.com/mas
Editor: Marie-Claude Piché
Editorial
Consultant: Leah Curley
Collaborators: Michel Gendron, Joann Johnson
and Gilles Lefebvre
Graphic Design: LADC
Note: In previous issue of On Your Wing, photo page 8 was
courtesy of Saveriano Marzio, Trento (Italy).
To make use of the contents of this publication, you must first
obtain permission from L-3 Communications MAS (Canada) Inc.
© 2007 L-3 Communications MAS (Canada) Inc.
All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. L3C-0061 (03/07)
A past, present and future to celebrate
Back in 1986, the first party celebrating the CF‐18 System Engineering
Support (SES) contract was held in a cafeteria. Twenty years later, the
festivities required a hangar. It is my great pleasure, in this issue of On Your
Wing, to share with you our latest celebration and our pride in this most
important anniversary.
So much has changed in the 20 years since we first undertook the support of
Canada’s CF‐18 fighter jet. Our partnership with the Department of National
Defence (DND) has proved steadfast and our fledgling relationship with CAE
has blossomed. The initial contract has evolved and led to new contracts,
both with DND and with other nations that operate the same aircraft platform.
We have increased our experience and enhanced our expertise immeasurably.
Yes, much has changed. Some things, however, remain constant, especially
the calibre of our people and their commitment to our customer.
L‐3 MAS’s future has never looked brighter. The Government of Canada
has recently launched military procurements on a scale seen only once in
a generation, and L‐3 MAS is well positioned to participate in several of the
resulting programs. In addition, our continuing efforts to evolve our CF-18 and
MHP contracts into world-class in-service support solutions position us well for
many new markets, both domestically and internationally. I am excited by the
challenges and opportunities that lay ahead, as all of us are here at L‐3 MAS.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy and
successful 2007. I hope you enjoy this special celebration issue, and I assure
you we remain, as always, on your wing.
Sylvain Bédard
President
L-3 MAS
O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S
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L‐3 MAS celebrates 20
Mirabel, Québec, October 25, 2006
— More than 1,200 people crowded
into Hangar 7B at L‐3 MAS’s Mirabel
facility this morning. The mood was
buoyant, and with good reason. The
next few hours would be given over to
celebrating the twentieth anniversary
of the company’s first Canadian
Forces CF-18 contract.
The majority of those in attendance
were co-workers on the CF-18 team
– employees of L‐3 MAS and its
partner firm, CAE Electronics. The
audience also included several media
representatives and dignitaries. The
speakers were Lieutenant Colonel
Richard Pageau, representing DND
who received a commemorative
painting; Sylvain Bédard, President
of L-3 MAS; Marc Parent, CAE group
president for Simulation Products
and Military Training; and Stephane
Germain, Vice-President L-3 MAS
Business Development was the
Master of Ceremonies! A CF-18
fighter/attack jet shared the platform,
while a video featuring historic and
aerial footage of the aircraft provided
a dramatic backdrop.
Sylvain Bédard opened the ceremony,
welcoming everyone warmly and
recalling the early days. “Our role
evolved gradually,” he said, describing
the progression from the initial contract
toward full in-service support. Today,
260 CF-18 aircraft later, L‐3 MAS
provides everything from fleet
management, design modifications,
depot level aircraft maintenance and
a full range of integrated logistics
support services to highly complex
support services such as fatigue
testing and Centre Barrel Replacement
(CBR). “We are now the only company
in the world outside the United States
with experience in this area,” he
continued, pointing out the significant
gains in expertise only this kind of
relationship can foster.
Mr. Bédard also spoke of the
partnership between L‐3 MAS and
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high-flying years
CAE, the success of which is clearly
illustrated by the harmony within
the Mirabel facility, where 250 CAE
people are permanently employed,
working side by side with their
counterparts at L‐3 MAS.
CAE’s Marc Parent reminded the
audience of the importance of their
work, and the pride to be found in
providing Canada’s men and women
in uniform with the tools they require
to complete their missions, safe and
sound. “Our role,” he continued,
“in enabling highly trained armed
forces to use advanced concepts
and technologies effectively in joint
operations, at home and abroad and
in coalition, is an exciting source of
challenges for our personnel.”
Lieutenant Colonel Pageau spoke on
behalf of DND, praising the team as
a whole for their efforts and providing
words of encouragement for the
future. “As part of our initiative to
optimize the CF-18 weapon system
management, the Government of
Canada is planning to increase the
scope and devolve a greater level
of responsibilities to L‐3 MAS as the
CF-18 primary air vehicle contractor,”
he announced. “I have no doubt that
with your experience, knowledge and
maturity you will meet this challenge.”
The ceremony
concluded
appropriately,
with a CF-18 flyby.
A painting by Katherine Taylor
commemorating 20 years of CF-18
in-service support was unveiled
at the end of the ceremony.
The original was presented to
Lieutenant Colonel Pageau,
who accepted it on behalf of
General Paul McCabe.
O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S
5

Speaking at the CF-18 Modernization Phase I completion ceremony and shown here, from left to right,
were: Lieutenant General Steve Lucas, Chief of Air Staff, DND; Mr. Sylvain Bédard, President, L‐3 MAS;
Mr. James O’Neil, Vice-President Integrated Logistics, Boeing Support Systems; and Mr. Stéphane
Germain, Vice-President Business Development, L‐3 MAS. Phase 2 of the Modernization Project is now
under way at L-3 MAS’s Mirabel facility.
CF-18 Modernization team
delivers a perfect program
The mood was jubilant in hangar
7A at L‐3 MAS’s Mirabel facility last
August as the CF-18 Modernization
team celebrated a virtually flawless
performance on a uniquely
demanding project. The event was
the conclusion of Phase 1 of the twophase
CF-18 Modernization Program,
which commenced in April 2001. Its
goal: to bring the Canadian Air Force
fleet of 80 CF-18 Hornet aircraft into
full interoperability with the equipment
of key allies.
Phase 1 was, in every sense, a model
project and both Boeing, the prime
contractor and the Canadian Forces
were extremely pleased with L‐3 MAS’s
work. Between the end of 2002 and
August 2006, a total of 80 CF-18s
were equipped with new and improved
communications and navigation
features, a new radar compatible with
the NATO-ally air forces, new mission
computers and other equipment
designed to support the Canadian
Forces during joint forces missions.
Despite the challenging scope of
the work, L‐3 MAS delivered 96
percent of the CF-18 aircraft on
time and 97 percent of them free
of quality variance – an impressive
performance that testifies to
the teamwork, dedication,
professionalism and commitment to
excellence on the part of the entire
L‐3 MAS team.
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L - 3 M A S O n y o u r w i n g

Success
breeds
success
at L‐3 MAS
Without question, L‐3 MAS has gained
significant experience through two decades of
maintaining and modernizing Canada’s CF-18
fleet. The aerospace company has earned new
contracts on the strength of it, including four
from the Royal Australian Air Force, the latest
of which calls on L‐3 MAS’s unique expertise
in Centre Barrel Replacement. On October 25,
2006, however, L‐3 MAS announced yet
another, still more challenging win – a contract
from the United States Navy.
The announcement came during
an event celebrating the 20-year
anniversary of the company’s CF‐18
in-service support contract with the
Canadian DND. The $7.5US million
firm fixed price contract with The
Boeing Company mandates the repair
of 32 outer wing panels for U.S. Navy
F/A‐18 aircraft. This important in-road
with the prestigious and demanding
U.S. military, announced today, is due
in large part to L‐3 MAS’s exceptional
work on the CF‐18 fleet for the DND
over the years.
“Obtaining a contract with Boeing
to support the U.S. military is an
extraordinary achievement and is
due, in no small part, to our longterm
relationship with the Canadian
Department of National Defence,” said
Sylvain Bédard, president of L‐3 MAS.
In 1986, the Government of Canada
made a critical decision to acquire
technical data rights which in turn
enables L-3 MAS to develop world
class intellectual property and unique
solutions for sustaining the CF‐18
fleet. “Further, DND has supported
L‐3 MAS’s growth internationally,
exporting our expertise from Quebec
to obtain major military contracts with
organizations such as the U.S. Navy
and the Royal Australian Air Force. I
am therefore very grateful to the DND
for their continued confidence in us
and to our employees for meeting their
expectations year after year.”
The relationship with the DND has
enabled L‐3 MAS to develop unique
expertise and maintain 1,000 highlyqualified
jobs in Mirabel. This newest
agreement with Boeing for the U.S.
Navy is a testament to the quality of
their work and to the impact and reach
of Montreal’s aerospace industry.
“I cannot repeat often
enough how important
our employees are
to the continued
success of
L‐3 MAS,”
added Mr. Bédard. “While the
ownership structure of our company
has changed over the years, our
employees have remained the common
thread that delivers outstanding work
to the most demanding domestic and
international clientele. This is something
L‐3 MAS, Quebec and Canada should
all be proud of.”
O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S 7

Looking back:
the first decade
“As we listen to the sound of our
175 th aircraft leaving us for its base at
Bagotville, transfer our 4 th software
load to the test facility at Cold Lake
and deliver our 250,000 th page of
publications upgrade to NDHQ Ottawa
for distribution, it’s difficult to recall the
excitement generated by the award
of the SES contract that Friday, 31 st
of October 1986….” So began Peter
Hargrove, in his article published in
1996, celebrating the 10 th anniversary
of the CF-18 System Engineering
Support (SES) program.
The selection process had been
long, arduous and contentious, but
the industry consortium comprising
Canadair, CAE Electronics and
North West Industries prevailed. The
contract, valued at $104 million over
three-and-a-half years, was to provide
SES to the Canadian Forces’ CF-18
fighter fleet.
“So what had we got” wrote
Hargrove. “Well, a set-up contract
lasting 42 months with the obligation
to establish a support organization
unlike anything else in the world,
the challenge to have two separate
companies work together in a yet to be
built facility…”
A challenging contract,
an enviable approach
The ‘To Do’ list was formidable.
Negotiations began with OEM
McDonnell Douglas to arrange a
massive transfer of technology. Work
began instituting new systems of
program management, document
handling and software generation. An
entire project management organization
had to be built in the heart of a matrixed
company, while at the same time
growing the organization by 100 skilled
staff within the first seven months, to a
total of 255 within the contract period.
As Hargrove went on to point out,
the contract was unique in many
respects. “It covers all aspects of the
aircraft from its structural integrity
through to the software of its 32 onboard
computers,” he explained. The
‘soft’ side of the aircraft technical
support required the development of
an enormous distributed database to
achieve full logistical support as well as
the maintenance of all first-line technical
publications.
The relationship planned to accomplish
all this was unusual. Conducted in
a single location by a contractor/
subcontractor partnership, rather
than by the OEM, the CF-18 SES
found itself, according to Hargrove,
“achieving integrated support to DND
for a complex aircraft in a manner
envied by other operators.”
A decade of achievement
A mere 10 years into the contract,
much had been accomplished. The
Canadair-led industry team had put
together a depot level repair team
capable of undertaking major repairs
on- or off-site; developed a mission
computer software change process
that reduced change time from weeks
to hours whilst automatically updating
related documentation; established
tooling to repair aircraft structural
components at a fraction of projected
costs and a composite repair facility to
repair components; proactively made
ready for the Gulf War, assembling a
team of volunteers, vaccinated, visa’d,
and ready to go; and developed
a test system that would
allow complex full-scale
fatigue testing to
be performed at
Mirabel.
In the summer of 1988, Canadair announced plans for a new
facility dedicated to its Military Aircraft Division, which was
then occupied with T-33, Tutor, Cosmopolitan, CF-5 and
Musketeer aircraft as well as with the CF-18 fighter jet.
The new plant at Mirabel, outside Montreal, would provide
20,500 square metres (221,000 sq. ft.) of covered work
space, including hangar space for nine CF-18s.
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L - 3 M A S O n y o u r w i n g

It was a decade of extraordinary
achievement. “In conclusion,” said
Peter Hargrove, “we have, in an often
hectic and always challenging ten
years, completed our promises to our
customer, to our companies and to
our employees. We look forward with
confidence to the challenges of the
next decade.”
The CF-18
Hornet
A variant of the United States Navy’s F/A‐18 Hornet, both single- and
dual-seat versions of the CF‐18 aircraft were involved in the SES
contract awarded in 1986, both powered by twin General Electric
F‐404‐GE‐400 engines. These low by-pass turbofans each generate
approximately 16,000 pounds (71 kN) of thrust. The result is an
aircraft capable of exceeding Mach 1.8, with a combat ceiling in
the neighbourhood of 50,000 feet (15,240 m) and a range of about
400 nautical miles. The CF-18 can deliver Sidewinder heat-seeking
missiles, Sparrow radar-guided missiles, bombs, or use 20-mm
cannon, in either air-to-air or air-to-ground attack modes. The aircraft
is backed up by a variety of sophisticated simulators, trainers, testers
and supporting equipment. At the time the contract was awarded,
a key point of interest was that much of the support equipment
would, in fact, be computerized.
O n y o u r w i n g L - 3 M A S
9

MHP: 2006 in review
Following our joint proposal with
Sikorsky in 2004, L-3 MAS won a
contract on February 3 rd , 2005, to
support and participate in the delivery
of 28 new maritime helicopters
(CH‐148 Cyclone), beginning in
November 2008, to replace Canada’s
exhausted Sea King helicopter fleet.
L-3 MAS is responsible for the 20 years
of in-service support of the Cyclone.
The first phase of the project involves
the design and set-up of all the
systems capabilities and infrastructure
required to accept delivery of the fleet
of new helicopters in 2008.
To date, L-3 MAS has delivered, on
time and within budget, all scheduled
elements of the program. This program
includes world-class systems and
processes such as the design and
implementation of a state-of–the-art
integrated information environment
system.
The second eventful year of the
Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP)
began in January 2006 with a complete
review of requirements for the design
of next-generation in-service support
products and ended in December with
the delivery to the National Defence of
an innovative architectural design.
This design comprises the definition of
all of the services that will be established
across Canada to maintain the Maritime
Helicopter Weapon System (MHWS).
The year’s achievements included:
• Definition of the Main Operating
Base (MOB) Level Maintenance,
Material/Supply Chain, Special Test
Equipment/Support Equipment,
Logistic Support Analysis and Training
Services that will be deployed
throughout the Customer Field Offices
in Shearwater and Pat Bay.
• Construction of a state-of-the-art
Training Center.
• Design of the layout for physical
and functional spaces required at
each MOB.
In addition, the third Line Maintenance
Engineering and Mobile Party
Services, which will be established in
Mirabel, was conceived in record time,
providing a clear picture of the nextgeneration
maintenance and support
services facilities that will be used by
L-3 MAS and DND personnel starting
in December 2008.
The Contractor Management Office
(CMO), which includes Weapons
Systems Engineering, Airworthiness
and Program Management functions/
services, is taking shape through the
integrated efforts of Sikorsky, General
Dynamics Canada, L-3 MAS and DND.
This office represents the link between
DND and the contractors to ensure a
safe and airworthy MHWS.
Efforts to design CMO services gave
birth to the first Performance Based
Logistic Management System, which
measures key mission parameters such
as availability of mission systems while
also underscoring the leadership of
logisticians in this important program.
A complete, computer-based
Integrated Information Environment
(IIE) infrastructure was required to
enable these services. The necessary
software and hardware were defined
and selected in time to perform a
demonstration of the IIE in the last
quarter of the year, giving all present
stakeholders an appreciation of the
power of an integrated environment.
The year ended with a series of
Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR),
which confirmed that the current
design was meeting the needs of the
next generation of Integrated Logistic
Support.
L-3 MAS is extremely proud to be part
of this Pan-Canadian undertaking,
which will support the nation’s
troops and form an important part of
Canada’s Force structure.
With the conclusion of the second
year of the MHP, we also mark the
half-way point of our four-year setup
phase for the program. With the
new year, we start moving from
design to implementation, preparing
for the delivery of the first aircraft in
2008. The team is motivated by its
success to date, and looks forward
with enthusiasm to meeting the many
new challenges the third year of the
program is sure to bring.
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