Meet the EMS Space and Technology Group MS Space and Technology/ EMS Supplies the Canada Group is the Canadian “Missile Defense” Giants E subsidiary of a U.S. company When Forbes magazine published an called EMS Technologies. Based in article in August 2001 noting that Georgia and founded as Electro-Mag- President Bush’s sponsorship of netic Sciences, EMS purchased this the “missile defense” weapons Canadian company in Ste-Anne-de- program would mean a major Bellevue, , in 1999. At that time, boost to the faltering high-tech- it was the Satellite Products division of nology sector, it named just Spar Aerospace. three companies that were Spar was the prime contractor likely to cash in: DRS Tech- for -1, the world’s most ad- nologies, L-3 Communications vanced commercial Synthetic Aperture and EMS Technologies. The Radar (SAR) satellite. It is also the top short blurb in Forbes about EMS, subcontractor for RADARSAT-2. highlights only one branch of its busi- ness, its Space and Technologies RADARSAT 1 group, led by the former Spar division lthough Spar was the prime con- in Quebec.6 Atractor that designed and built Forbes described EMS Tech- RADARSAT-1,1 it is better known for nologies by saying that the company’s: benefited most handsomely from the manufacturing the . This “Re- “Space and Technologies segment “missile defense” cash cow. mote Manipulator System” has aided (45% of revenue) manufactures hard- On the EMS website, under a many military missions of the U.S. ware for space and satellite commu- typical but misleadingly euphemistic . nications, radar, surveillance and mili- subheading, “Defense Electronics,” the Spar was formally touted as tary countermeasures.”7 company lists only four clients of its Canada’s “largest space company with When the influential Forbes “Space & Technology” products. The 2,500 employees and $594 million in Magazine predicts that a company will corporations cited are none other than sales.”2 However, Spar virtually left the benefit from “missile defense” con- “The Big Four” prime contractors for space business when it sold its Satel- tracts, it probably means something, at the “missile defense” weapons pro- lite Products division to EMS in 1999. least to potential investors. gram. As EMS says: Spar Aerospace was also a part- In puffs that appear to flow from “Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Mar- ner in the corporate consortium called the pens of Forbes’ own promoters, the tin and Northrop Grumman rely on RADARSAT International (RSI). RSI magazine is described with accolades EMS to provide critical components won the contract to oversee the mar- saying that it is the: for radar, secure communications and keting and sales of data gathered by “most trusted voice in business jour- electronic warfare systems. Our Space RADARSAT-1,3 and subsequently sold nalism. The voice of market & Technology products are meeting off those rights to Lockheed Martin capitalism…for over 80 years…. the Pentagon’s strengthened em- and ORBIMAGE, two large U.S. war in- packed with…stories that anticipate phasis on defense electronics.”9 dustries.3 (See pp.30-32.) major trends [and] identify new op- The links between EMS Tech- portunities…. revealing what’s new nologies, “The Big Four” and Canada RADARSAT 2 and what’s next.”8 are not limited to its “Space & Technol- par won the subcontract to design The Forbes article mentioning ogy” division in Quebec. A 2004 media Sand build the most important as- EMS was perhaps wrong to cite only release from the EMS head office, men- pect of RADARSAT-2, the satellite’s three secondary military corporations, tions its Ottawa-based SATCOM Divi- payload, namely, “the SAR antenna and instead of “The Big Four” (Boeing, sion (previously known as CAL Cor- the radar electronics package.”4 Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and poration), which it acquired in 1993.10 MacDonald, Dettwiler and As- Northrop Grumman), which receive The Ottawa-based, satellite sociates (MDA), the prime contractor some 60% of the contracts for “missile communications branch of EMS serves for RADARSAT-2, paid Spar $90 mil- defense” weapons development. clients in the U.S. military as well as lion for this subcontract, which it called However, it is likely that EMS several top U.S. firms that profit from “the most advanced commercial SAR falls near the very top of a second-tier war. In fact, three of the five U.S. war payload in history.”5 of military subcontractors that have industries listed as its customers are EMS Space & Technology EMS SATCOM 21025 Trans Canada Hwy 1725 Woodward Dr. Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Ottawa QC H9X 3R2 ON K2C 0P9 www.emsstg.com www.emssatcom.com 48 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 58) March 2006 again from the notorious “Big Four”: Meet Phillip Baines ment’s role in helping Canadian com- “EMS Technologies announced to- ne former EMS executive who now panies to supply the U.S. with hun- day [November 1, 2004] at the Owanders Canada’s halls of gov- dreds of major components for the de- MILCOM 2004, Military Communi- ernment is Phillip Baines. After receiv- livery systems of these weapons. cations Conference, the appoint- ing a University of Toronto degree in In putting forward its “disarma- ment of Jim Kershaw to Account aerospace engineering, Baines gravi- ment” face to the world, DFAIT has done Manager, U.S. Military and Govern- tated into Canada’s biggest space-re- well by hiring a seasoned veteran of ment Sales, for the Aeronautical lated military industry, Spar (now EMS). the military-related company responsi- Group of EMS’s SATCOM Division He worked there for nearly 20 years in ble for this country’s most famous [in Ottawa]. Kershaw…will serve the “various mechanical engineering, space technology, the Canadarm. Few needs of EMS customers, including systems engineering and project however realise that the EMS Space and L-3 Communications, General Dy- management assignments of increas- Technology Group is also one of Cana- namics, Boeing, Northrop Grum- ing responsibility.”12 da’s major participants in the militarisa- man, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. His skills and knowledge may even have tion of space. military.”11 (Emphasis added.) assisted EMS work on RADARSAT-1. It certainly helps military indus- Since 2000, Baines has worked References tries in their efforts to gain lucrative war- as Senior Advisor on Science and Tech- 1. RADARSAT-2 Team related contracts when their personnel nology in the “Non-Proliferation, Arms www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/satellites/ have good connections within govern- Control and Disarmament” (NPACD) radarsat2/teams.asp 2. Spar Aerospace, December 1998. ment. It is likewise true that when per- 13 division of Canada’s Department of www.wtec.org/loyola/satcom2/ sonnel from military industries venture Foreign Affairs and International Trade e_17.htm through the revolving door from the (DFAIT). (See below.) Nowadays, 3. Remote Sensing Then and Now world of business into the world of gov- Baines is cited as the Senior Policy Ad- www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/ccrs/org/history/ ernment, that they can still serve their visor on Science and Technology with history21_e.html previous, corporate masters. They can NPACD’s “Chemical, Biological and 4. RADARSAT-2 Team, op. cit. do this in a number of ways including Conventional Weapons Division.”14 5. MDA media release, “MacDonald, Det- influencing public policies to benefit It is unknown whether Baines twiler Awards Spar $90 Million Con- tract to provide RADARSAT-2 An- their former friends in business, or ad- has ever criticised the U.S. for its fla- tenna & Radar Electronics Payload,” vising their corporate buddies about grant abuses of these weapons sys- December 21, 1998. government contract opportunities. tems or, more pointedly, his Depart- www..ca/radarsat-2/news/ pr1998122101.html Meet DFAIT’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 6. Tricia McGinnis, “Markets Stock Fo- cus: Star Wars Stocks,” Forbes, August ronically, alongside its noble role in Canada is America’s biggest military 29, 2001. Ipromoting dialogue on disarmament supplier, and although U.S. military www.forbes.com/2001/08/29/ and arms control, the Department of forces are inarguably involved in more 0829sf.html Foreign Affairs and International Trade wars, invasions, coups and violent re- 7. Ibid. (DFAIT) is also responsible for help- gime changes than any other govern- 8. Classbrain.com ing increase Canada’s military exports. ment on earth, DFAIT’s reputation as a www.classbrain.com/artread/publish/ DFAIT uses many methods to promoted of peace is still secure. article_170.shtml 9. About EMS, EMS Technologies push Canadian arms exports, many of This is not to say that some of- website which end up in the hands of military ficials at DFAIT aren’t well meaning, or www.ems-t.com/aboutEMS/ forces in dozens of that DFAIT doesn’t overview.asp far-flung regimes do some positive 10. About EMS, EMS Space and Technol- every year. Many of work. Rather, the ogy website the governments point is merely to www.emsstg.com/aboutems.asp receiving Canadian expose the Dr.- 11. Media Release, “EMS Technologies’ war technologies, Jekyll-and-Mr.- Satcom Division appoints Jim Kershaw as past issues of Hyde qualities of to Military Account Manager,” Novem- ber 1, 2004. this magazine have DFAIT’s good cop- www.ems-t.com/emspressroom/press/ amply shown, are bad cop contribu- press_elmg/press2004/11-01- engaged in wars against other states, tions to promoting both war and peace. 04_Kershaw_Appointment.pdf. and—sometimes even more brutally— There is certainly a duplicitous 12. Commercial Satellite Remote Sensing against their own civilian populations. and contradictory agenda in the works, Symposium, May 13-15, 2003. Despite the fact that some of its and DFAIT does its best to bridge the www.strategies.org/symposium/ employees facilitate Canadian military chasm between a delicate facade of dip- SymposProgram.pdf exports to a motley crew of violent lomatic words about ‘disarmament,’ on 13. Ibid. 14. Standing Senate Committee on goernments, DFAIT is still widely per- one hand, and the harsh reality of push- Foreign Affairs, November 22, 2005. ceived as a leader in promoting global ing military exports to warmongers and www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/commbus/ ‘arms control.’ Oddly enough, although human rights violators, on the other. senate/Com-e/fore-e/21cv-e.htm March 2006 (Issue # 58) Press for Conversion! 49