At CANSEC 2023, Vard Marine Inc. (VARD), a Fincantieri company, proudly launched VIGILANCE, as their solution to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Kingston Class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV) under Pillar Two of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). In conjunction with Team Vigilance partner companies Thales Canada, Ontario Shipyards, SH Defence, and Fincantieri, VIGILANCE will provide the RCN with a lightweight and operationally flexible military asset that is highly capable and globally deployable. VIGILANCE can perform all the roles of the existing MCDV, while also fulfilling crucial naval warfare duties beyond the capabilities of both the MCDV and the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPV).
This collaboration ensures Team Vigilance can meet the needs of the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet with a tailored naval solution, striking the optimum balance between capability and cost, while also maintaining the life-cycle cost advantages VARD’s naval designs are known for.
As a part of the ongoing effort, Team Vigilance continues to assemble a broad coalition of Canadian companies that can offer important services and vital equipment to the program. Building a robust coalition is key to the core objective that VIGILANCE be designed in Canada, built in Canada, and equipped in Canada. To this end, Team Vigilance launched their Preferred Suppliers Program at DEFSEC 2023 in Halifax last October.
IDS North America a Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance
At CANSEC 2024, it was announced that Montreal-based IDS North America Ltd. (IDSNA) has been recognized as a Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance. IDSNA is a Canadian company and subsidiary of the Italian-based IDS S.p.A., a Fincantieri NexTech company. IDSNA offers cutting-edge high-tech solutions to the defence and security industry. The company has deep knowledge and expertise in products and services applicable to the naval sector, as well as specialized engineering and smart infrastructures.
IDSNA has its roots in IDS, which was founded in 1980. The company was, and still is, serving the very niche market of electromagnetic design and engineering, covering critical aspects of naval combatant design such and EMC and EMI. Leveraging decades of experience, the IDSNA team of seasoned professionals and technology experts offers unique and customer-tailored solutions. Today IDSNA, as a part of Fincantieri NexTech Group, has extended its portfolio here in Canada to include integrated logistics support, simulation and training solutions.
Not only will VIGILANCE provide the sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve the modern tools they need to protect Canada’s vital interests at home and abroad, it will also allow them to continue to leverage the best that Canadian industry has to offer from companies like IDSNA that remain a trusted source of electromagnetic design and engineering, ILS and training and simulation solutions and services. VIGILANCE also aims to assist in the ongoing creation and development of a true sovereign capability across all aspects of the shipbuilding value chain.
Derek Buxton, Vice President Business Development, Vard Marine Inc., said,
“We remain committed to leveraging VIGILANCE to help generate a true sovereign shipbuilding capability across all areas of the shipbuilding value chain. This includes the areas of electromagnetic engineering and integrated logistics support critical to any naval newbuilding program. Bringing IDSNA into the Preferred Suppliers Program is an easy decision given the suite of services they offer and the strong potential for knowledge and technology transfer from the impressive list of Fincantieri NexTech family of companies.”