Alion Science and Technology, along with its subsidiary Alion Canada, recently confirmed the submission of their proposal for the Canadian Surface Combatant program.
Their solution, according to Bruce Samuelsen, Chief Operating Officer for Alion is one that “delivers an effective, affordable, production-ready 21st-century naval capability to meet Canada’s defence needs.”
Samuelsen said that Alion’s offering is focused on affordability, risk reduction and Canadian content, grounded in nearly 50 years of experience designing and producing combatants. “We feel confident this ship provides a secure and supportive foundation for the objectives of the National Shipbuilding Strategy,” he added.
Alion’s proposal is based on on the De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. This ship has more than 10 years of operational excellence. The combat system solution is based on the world-class capabilities of ATLAS-Elektronik and Hensoldt Sensors according to a release.
Other key suppliers include L3 Technologies Canada, Raytheon Canada Limited, DRS Technologies Canada Limited (DRS TCL) and Rheinmetall Canada Inc.
“Each decision we made for equipment selection and systems integration focused on delivering cost-effective solutions that meet the requirements while delivering robust Canadian content,” said Samuelsen. “Many original system suppliers are building systems in Canada, but our combat system partners are actually creating manufacturing jobs for Canadians.”
The release highlighted that by selecting a ship with proven operational and combat experience, Alion’s solution also eliminates the risk associated with the typical lead-ship transition from design to production.
“Our bid focused on reducing development and design activities, which delivers a lower overall cost,” said Samuelsen. “This is also significant from the standpoint of accelerating production.”