DEW Engineering and Development from Concept to Combat: Innovation, Flexibility and Responsiveness in Defence

INDUSTRY PROFILE

R cility epair ichi fa and overhaul is done at the DEW’s Miram DEW Engineering and Development From Concept to Combat: Innovation, Flexibility and Responsiveness in Defence

ariwala By Joetey Att 25 DEW Engineering and Development ULC is an Ottawa-based, defence contractor that provides its customers with total solutions involving platform integration, vehicle armour innovation, and large-scale manufacturing. Incorporated in 1978, DEW owes its genesis to the vision of founder and consolidator, Wally Rouche, who recognized the need to provide solutions to a plethora of requirements coming from the Canadian Forces. Rouche positioned the company as an engineering firm with strong production capabilities when the mantra of the day was innovation and responsiveness to the customer. That core ideology continues to fuel DEW today.

DEW Engineering and Development has es- team with the right partners. We’re not an OEM degree of autonomy in conducting its business. tablished itself as a project centric company, [Original Equipment Manufacturer]. What we DEW is able to draw upon CoorsTek resources however it is much more than its name states. are is a very versatile company that can bring whenever necessary, and the acquisition has While DEW is exceptional in engineering, it is a lot of capability to the table. One of our core provided DEW with the additional support to also a company which specializes in fabrica- strengths is to be a generalist in a world of pursue its strategic objectives. Today, DEW has tion, integration, contract management and specialists. With that said, we have some pretty approximately 400 people in its organization support. To reinforce these prime capabilities, sophisticated capabilities and we are a very which is supported by a highly experienced the company’s mission statement reads: credible source of manufacturing in Canada. If management team. Provide value added in many diverse markets you give us a task we will make it happen. Our In its first fifteen years, DEW established by employing our core business strengths, goal is to work within our well defined core itself through a number of projects and areas custom engineering and prototyping, systems areas to offer OEM’s the best potential to win ranging from trailers to trucks and shelters. expertise, manufacturing and supply chain man- programs in Canada and abroad.” Indeed, cargo trailers for the LSVW (Light agement, combined with operational excellence Support Vehicle – Wheeled), the MLVW and rapid execution in expanding or developing In the CoorsTek family (Medium Logisics) and the Iltis fleets were some solutions for our customers. On 9 June 2008, DEW Engineering was acquired of the first large scale programs the company Company president, Ian Marsh told CDR for by CoorsTek Inc, of Golden, CO. DEW remains cut its teeth on. In the early 90’s, DEW teamed this report, “Part of our success is our ability to a Canadian-run company and retains a large with Western Star for the engineering work required for the cargo bed and shelters which would be found on the trucks of the LSVW program. These activities were all located in Ottawa, and were primarily focused on Canadian Army programs. DEW's 125,000 square foot facility in Ottawa houses the company’s headquarters, research and development, ballistic test range, engineering, prototyping and general manufacturing spaces. Collectively, the CF programs allowed DEW to steadily grow and diversify its capabilities in the defence sector. From the mid-90s and onwards, DEW has grown its business through capability enhance- ment, through partnership, research and development, and strategic focus. A key attribute of DEW is the ability for the company to tackle virtually any task it’s presented with. This ability has been built upon over a number of years and has been possible through engineering excellence married to exceptionally talented fabrication specialists. A remarkably high per- centage of DEW employees have been with the company for over ten and even twenty years.

Presence in eastern Canada Success and resulting growth led to the acquisition of a large hangar facility at former CFB Chatham in Miramichi, New Brunswick, in 1998. The new Miramichi facility served DEW built shelters for the LSVW program to diversify the company and add a presence

26 www.canadiandefencereview.com | FEBRUARY 2013 DEW marries engineering excellence with fabrication specialists in Eastern Canada. The 100,000 square foot building was renovated to be optimized for amour production and repair and overhaul op- erations. All DEW locations are registered to ISO 9001:2008 standards and International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Controlled Goods Program, as appropriate. Recently, the DEW Ottawa facility also achieved the ISO 14001 (Environmental) standard. The company’s contract manufacturing service produces components, assemblies and finished products in accordance with customer requirements. This can be build-to-print, or designed, engineered and manufactured in accordance with customer technical requirements. The company’s high degree of vertical integration means most items are processed entirely in-house, providing total control over planning, tooling, schedule, testing and quality. DEW is capable of tackling jobs involving all ranges of production volumes, high complexity components and cutting edge technology. Prototype shop was used on the M113 R&O program

www.canadiandefencereview.com | FEBRUARY 2013 27 The M113 program It clearly demonstrates the capabilities of the tract for the 6x6 AVGP (Armoured Vehicle, One of the key programs which solidified DEW company on a multitude of levels. That particu- General Purpose). DEW was also selected as as a premier engineering, development, fabrica- lar vehicle has had even more work done to it prime contractor for the Leopard tank thermal tion and program management company was since Canada got involved in Afghanistan, and sight project and the LAV II / Bison Re-role the M113 life extension program. As prime DEW has been fundamentally involved in all of project. In the former, DEW was responsible contractor, DEW Engineering led a team which that and the evidence of the product is clear for removing turrets on Leopard C1 tanks, included BAE Systems and 202 Workshop to in terms of how well it did in Afghanistan.” integrating and installing new thermal sights, deliver 274 refurbished and improved M113 During this time the company also diversified and then reinstalling the turrets prior to certi- armoured personnel carriers to the Canadian itself with service contracts. DEW has the long fication testing at CFB Gagetown. Army. term support contract for Canadian Army M113 For the latter program, DEW was awarded Bill Brewer, Senior Advisor to the President vehicles. a contract to reconfigure 199 Bison vehicles of DEW Engineering, told CDR, “The M113 Other programs of note have been the from one variant into a number of other vari- life extension project has been huge for DEW. Depot Level Inspection and Repair (DLIR) con- ants. These large and complex programs had

28 www.canadiandefencereview.com | FEBRUARY 2013 DEW’s ballistic range is a key element in armour innovation

Canadian requirements. All of these vehicles demonstrated a high level of performance, and have now been delivered and are in service we’ve seen a high level of customer satisfaction. with the Canadian Forces. And Bill Brewer pointed out, “Once we got into armour, we immediately recognized that Excellence in armouring you needed to have a comprehensive research Vehicle programs served as a springboard to and development program in order to remain lead DEW into the world of armouring solutions on the cutting edge of this technology. As for combat and wheeled vehicles in order to a result, we established just such a program protect against ballistic, mine-blast and Impro- along with a range testing facility in order to vised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Early forays into have the ability to put together new armour DEW’s armour can be found on US Army this capability were with the M113 and AVGP products, test them and very quickly determine Stryker vehicles However, the true breakthrough for DEW if they will nullify or defeat a specific threat. in the armouring realm came with the U.S. This has significantly decreased our turn-around Army’s Stryker program. DEW’s add-on armour time in developing new armouring products. engineering activities done in Ottawa, and can be found on all of the 4,000-plus Stryker It’s been a key factor in making DEW a leader manufacturing in Miramichi. “All of these vehicles in service around the world today. in armouring research and development, and programs span many years of work and all DEW’s armouring solutions have also found we see that in the OEMs [Original Equipment have gone extremely well. They have served to their way onto LAV II, LAV III, and a number Manufacturer’s] that continue to recognize our strengthen DEW’s credibility on vehicle defence of wheeled vehicles, as well as MRAP (Mine innovative and capable armouring solutions.” programs,” said Brewer. Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles which It was in fact this credibility that led Navistar have been fielded in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recent successes Defense to select DEW as the primary Canadian DEW’s armour product line specializes spe- In July of 2009, The Government of Canada subcontractor for the 1,300 vehicles of the cifically in ceramic composite armour. DEW awarded DEW a contract to design and produce MilCOTS (Military Commercial Off-The-Shelf) president Marsh said, “Our armour is on ap- a family of shelters for the MSVS (Medium portion of the MSVS (Medium Support Vehicle proximately 5,000 vehicles around the world. Support Vehicle System) Project. The scope System) Project. These vehicles were delivered We’ve been in continual production of armour includes six distinct baseline shelter variants to DEW for modification and optimization to solutions since 1997. Those solutions have built to ISO standards. In addition to a mechani-

www.canadiandefencereview.com | FEBRUARY 2013 29 This portion of the MSVS project has yet to be announced. DEW is also engaging with OEM’s for the Standard Military Pattern (SMP) portion of the MSVS Project.

Involved in CCV bid DEW is also a contributor to the BAE Systems CV90 solution for the Close Combat Vehicle program. DEW is designated as the complete turret assembler (CTA) for the vehicle. If selected, BAE Systems in Sweden will deliver the CV90 chassis to the DEW Miramichi facility. “We would then manufacture some components, assemble the turrets, complete difficult bits of vehicle integration and manage the supply chain in Canada. It will be significant value added work for the country,” explained Marsh. This program is also awaiting a contract award announcement. Although Army programs have been a core to DEW’s success, the company certainly has the knowledge base to successfully compete in other areas. A primary interest in the future, will include engineering and fabrication of components and sub-components which are used in naval applications. “The one thing that DEW can assure is genuine made-in-Canada products. With the Government’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, we see significant opportunities to assist OEM’s with high-quality components for any of the ships Bill Brewer foreground with company president, Ian Marsh the country will be building,” said Marsh. DEW is also keen to compete in In-Service Corporate Snapshot cal room which includes a generator and HVAC Support Contract awards for vehicle fleets and (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), the programs across the defence spectrum. The shelters all feature a separate working area company’s belief in a “Concept to Combat” Company: equipped with the infrastructure (lights, electri- ethos reiterates its commitment to in service DEW Engineering and cal outlets, mechanical room control panels, support activities. “We design things and turn Development ULC standard mounting points, and other items) them into products that are ready to field. In Parent: to allow specialized kitting tailored for specific doing so, we see an obligation and duty to CoorsTek military functions. support our products with technical manuals, The overall project includes the design, pro- field service reps, mid-life upgrades, support Top Executive for totyping, formal qualification test program, warehousing, 24-hour call-center support, and Canada: standard integrated logistic support activities more,” said DEW’s Marsh. Ian Marsh, President and production of 896 shelters. Manufacture DEW’s focus has been in North America, Key Products/ of these shelters is taking place in Miramichi. however the company also has international Capabilities: About 15% of the shelters have already been aspirations via teaming arrangements with Engineering, Fabrication, completed, with the first delivery taking place established OEMs which are engaged around Armour, In-Service Support on 20 April 2012. Production will continue for the world. “We are leveraging our products to another two years. In the words of Ian Marsh: compete on the international stage so our OEM Locations (Canada): “This project leverages DEW Engineering’s partners can capture programs in other parts Ottawa, Ontario; Miramichi, well established expertise in military shelters. of the world. We like to take on new projects New Brunswick Designs have been validated and production and we have every reason to believe we will Number of employees: is underway. The end result will be the fielding have success in doing that.” Said company of a world class capability for our soldiers.” president, Marsh. 350-400 The Special Equipment Vehicle (SEV) Kitting Web-site: Component of the MSVS project went through Joetey Attariwala is CDR’s Senior www.dewengineering.com a SOIQ process which yielded four pre-qualified Staff Writer bidders of which DEW Engineering was one.

30 www.canadiandefencereview.com | FEBRUARY 2013