Close Combat Vehicle Meeting Cancelled At Least Mi – Candidate Vehicles Have Issues, Say Sources .........The Canadian government’s $2 billion program to acquire a fleet of Close Combat Vehicles has run into more problems, with a meeting to be held with the bidding companies cancelled at the last minute.
https://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/04/02/close-combat-vehicle-meeting-cancelled-at-least-minute-candidate-vehicles-have-issues-say-sources/
Representatives from the three firms bidding on the program – Nexter of France, General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, and BAE/Hagglunds, a European consortium, had been summoned to meet DND procurement officials in Ottawa last Friday, the day after Finance Minister Jim Flaherty revealed his budget.
But that meeting was cancelled with no explanation why or details on whether it would be rescheduled.
Defence sources say company representatives were to be told that DND had issues with the vehicles being offered for the army program and that the department planned to request the firms invest more money to produce new technology to rectify those problems.
But other government officials objected to the DND meeting, noting that the acquisition process was already well underway and that DND could not now alter the procurement rules in mid-stream. As part of the procurement DND had originally requested the companies provide an off-the-shelf vehicle, which they did do. In addition, testing of those vehicles was completed in December, with a winner to be announced this summer.
There have been complaints from the defence industry before that DND has asked for off-the-shelf equipment for other programs, only to then change the procurement process once underway to request changes.
The Defence Department declined to comment on why its officials called the meeting last week or why it was cancelled. DND officials referred questions to Public Works and Government Services Canada.
In an emailed statement to Defence Watch, Public Works noted that the March 30 meeting in Ottawa was to provide bidders with an update of the Close Combat Vehicle (CCV) request for proposal technical evaluation.
“The bidders conference was cancelled in order to allow more time to assess the Fairness Monitor’s advice in the procurement process,” Public Works spokesman Sébastien Bois added in the email. “PWGSC and DND are committed to move this project forward in an open and transparent manner. The CCV Project Office is currently determining next steps.”
This isn’t the first time that the CCV program has run into trouble.
In late December 2010, Public Works put out a new solicitation to industry for the CCV, noting that it was worried some companies may have “been disadvantaged” by the evaluation information they were originally provided with by government.
No further explanation was given.
In an earlier development in the program, in August, 2010 every vehicle offered by various companies was rejected by Public Works and the Defence Department.
The vehicles rejected included some of those being used in combat by Canada’s allies in Afghanistan.
Defence sources say the rejection of the vehicles happened because inexperienced government procurement staff made errors when writing up the requirements, making it impossible for any vehicle to win the competition.
The Defence Department wants to buy 108 of the Close Combat Vehicles. There would be an option for the purchase of up to 30 additional vehicles.
The army has argued that the Close Combat Vehicles, which would accompany its Leopard tanks into battle, are a priority for the future.
Testing of candidate vehicles finished at the end of December at a U.S. test facility.
The program has already fallen two years behind schedule, according to industry officials.