Latest news with #CCA
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Construction Association partners with CBE for 'Adopt a Shop' school pilot
A new pilot program intends to connect students from schools across Calgary with skilled trades organizations. Article content Officials from the Calgary Construction Association (CCA) and the Calgary Board of Education launched the Adopt a Shop program Wednesday at Central Memorial High School's Career and Technology Centre. Article content Participating construction firms will provide middle and high-school students in shop programs with hands-on learning and exposure to professional industries. The companies will 'adopt' the school's shop program by donating funding, building materials, mentorship or other supports. Article content 'This is the future of our industry and the future of our cities represented in this group of young people,' he said, gesturing to a group of Central Memorial shop students. 'Our industry is used to seeking a backlog of future work, and we cannot do that effectively if we do not have a backlog of future talent.' Article content Article content Last fall, the CCA partnered with local elementary schools through the Honour the Work program, which aims to help introduce younger students to the opportunity of working in skilled trades and construction careers. Article content Article content However, until recently, Black said previous collaboration between the association and schools was typically on a one-time or casual basis, such as an annual construction career expo for students. Article content Programs like Adopt a Shop allow for broader investment in construction education and workforce development, added Black, who has long preached about the ongoing labour shortage in the construction sector. Article content 'What we like about this is that it's year-round,' he said. 'It's not just one (event), it's continuous. It's part of the curriculum and is woven into the day they spend coming to school.' Article content Grade 12 student Vivian Lucas, who is taking Central Memorial's Construction 20 class this semester, said that while she won't benefit from Adopt the Shop personally due to her impending graduation, the program will give shop students next year an advantage, in terms of getting their foot in the door of a potentially high-earning career.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hybrid-Electric GHOST Strike-Recon Drone In The Works For USAF
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded General Atomics a contract for work on what is described as a 'hybrid-electric propulsion ducted fan next-generation intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/strike unmanned aerial system,' or GHOST. A propulsion system of this kind can offer a very high degree of efficiency, which can translate to significant unrefueled range, as well as being very quiet. General Atomics has publicly touted work in this area in the past, tied in part to its Gambit modular drone family, which it has said could lead to a design capable of staying aloft for up to 60 hours, at least. The Pentagon included AFRL's GHOST award to General Atomics, a cost-plus-fixed-fee deal valued at $99,292,613, in its daily contracting notice today. The full entry reads: 'General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Poway, California, was awarded a $99,292,613 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for hybrid-electric propulsion ducted fan next-generation intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/strike unmanned aerial systems (GHOST). This contract provides for the advancement of the hybrid-electric ducted fan next-generation intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/strike unmanned aerial systems to provide capabilities across a spectrum of contested environments. Work will be performed at Poway, California, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 26, 2028. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test and appropriations funds in the amount of $26,867,479 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA2931-25-C-B035).' Additional details about the GHOST effort, including what plans there might be now to operationalize what the program produces, are scant. TWZ has reached out to AFRL for more information. 'For more than 30 years, General Atomics has advanced unmanned aerial systems in ways never before achieved and often poorly replicated,' C. Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for General Atomics, told TWZ when asked for more details. 'Satcom [satellite communications] control? Did it. Kinetic strike? That was us. Automatic takeoff and landing? That, too. Unmanned jets? We're building our third.' General Atomics' third jet-powered drone, at least that it has publicly acknowledged, is the YFQ-42A under development now as part of the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. It is derived from the experimental XQ-67A drone produced for AFRL's once-secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program. There is also the company's stealthy Avenger uncrewed aircraft. 'We've been promising something impressive related to hybrid-electric propulsion, and now I can't talk about it anymore,' he added. 'That's how it goes with these things. Contrary to what you see on the news, the revolution won't be televised.' In general, hybrid-electric propulsion systems offer improved fuel economy and other benefits by combining fuel-powered engines and electric motors. The system can be paired with batteries of various capacities to achieve its desired performance. Using ducted fans can offer additional performance and other benefits. Hybrid-electric configurations can also help reduce infrared and acoustic signatures on top of other low-observable (stealthy) design features. As noted, General Atomics has been very open in the past about its work on hybrid-electric propulsion involving ducted fans for future stealthy long-endurance drones. 'We are working on hybrid electric propulsion,' Mike Atwood, then Senior Director, Advanced Programs at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), told Breaking Defense in 2022. 'We believe that GA is going to pioneer a completely new way to propel airborne air-breathing [vehicles]. That will be unveiled in the coming years, but it is a completely disruptive technology. It uses a hybrid electric system where it's basically a Tesla Model S and an RQ-170 got together and you have a fully electric aircraft.' Atwood has since become GA-ASI's Vice President for Advanced Programs. At that time, General Atomics had presented a notional concept for a stealthy flying wing-type drone, referred to as MQ-Next, and pitched as a potential successor to the company's still-popular MQ-9. Two years earlier, the Air Force, the largest known operator of MQ-9s, had announced its desire to stop buying those drones largely over concerns about their vulnerability in future high-end fights, especially one against China in the Pacific. The service has continued to receive additional representatives since then. 'The key to this design is [a] heavy fuel engine, driving very efficient generators and motors. And that way we can get fairly low [fan] speeds, get really good efficiency,' Dave Alexander, GA-ASI's President, also told Breaking Defense in 2022. 'So, this is [a] game changer right here. This is a low-pressure ratio fan, so it's a little tricky and we got to be careful with it. But we believe once we nail this, get the thrust out of it and installed weight, then that'll drive that aircraft [to new lengths.].' Breaking Defense's report added that Alexander had talked about a 60-hour endurance for the MQ-Next concept and described it as particularly well suited for persistent long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the hotly contested South China Sea. He also talked about a goal being for the drone to be able to operate from a 3,000-foot-long rough runway in alignment with the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) expeditionary and distributed concepts of operations. Last year, Alexander again highlighted General Atomics' work on hybrid-electric propulsion systems utilizing ducted fans in an interview with Aviation Week on the sidelines of the annual Royal International Air Tattoo in the United Kingdom. At that time, he also directly linked these developments to the Gambit family of modular drones, and the Gambit 4 design in particular. General Atomics has presented a variety of very different potential Gambit drones, but they are all designed around a common 'chassis' that includes landing gear, as well as key mission and flight control computer systems. To date, Gambit 4 has been consistently depicted as a stealthy flying wing-type design intended for long-endurance persistent ISR missions that is fully in line with the MQ-Next concept General Atomics had previously shown, as seen in the video below. 'That part of the Gambit series is still out there and we want to make sure we don't lose sight of that,' Alexander said. 'It's very unique.' 'Heavy Fuel Engine 2.0 in development for the MQ-1C Block 25 is not the basis for Gambit 4's hybrid propulsion system, Alexander said,' Aviation Week's report added. 'A different diesel engine with eight cylinders will be developed to generate the power for the electric motors in Gambit 4.' Without knowing more about the work General Atomics is now doing for AFRL as part of GHOST, it is hard to say specifically what kinds of operational tasks the resulting drone might be capable of performing. However, in previous reporting about broadly similar designs, TWZ has highlighted the value that a stealthy, ultra-quiet drone with significant range and endurance could offer for conducting ISR missions, and doing so covertly, in denied areas. The GHOST contract announcement also mentions the potential for the drones to be capable of performing strike missions. The ability to immediately prosecute at least some targets of opportunity would be another major benefit of this kind of uncrewed aircraft. Northrop Grumman subsidiary Scaled Composites is currently working on a different highly efficient and whisper-quiet hybrid-electric flying wing-type drone called the XRQ-73 as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program called the Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD). DARPA has been running SHEPARD in cooperation with AFRL, as well as the Office of Naval Research, since 2021. The XRQ-73 design is also a direct outgrowth of the XRQ-72A that Scaled Composites developed for a previous effort called Great Horned Owl (GHO), which the U.S. Intelligence Community's Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) ran from the early 2000s until sometime in the 2010s. AFRL was also involved in GHO. TWZ was the first to report in detail on the XRQ-72A, which featured a hybrid-electric propulsion system with ducted fan propulsors. The U.S. military and U.S. Intelligence Community have a long history of work on ultra-quiet crewed and uncrewed aircraft dating back to the height of the Cold War, and additional relevant developments could well be underway now in the classified realm. It's also worth noting here that the GHOST contract comes amid renewed concerns about the MQ-9's vulnerability even to lower-tier threats following a spate of losses to Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen in the past year or so. With General Atomics now on contract with AFRL for GHOST, it remains to be seen whether more details about that specific effort begin to emerge. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas AG Paxton would get expanded powers to target elections under new law
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) would gain the right to investigate elections in Democratic districts under a new bill passed by the Texas Senate on Tuesday. H.B. 5138 now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) desk, where it joins H.B. 45, which gives Paxton broad new powers to fight 'human trafficking.' Put together, the new bills would give his office the ability to investigate alleged trafficking or election fraud in any jurisdictions — regardless of the wishes of local communities or the elected district or county attorney. Paxton has long used allegations of human trafficking to target nonprofit groups that provide aid to recent migrants. If Abbott signs the elections bill, Paxton — who has announced his intentions to primary incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) next year — would get new powers to prosecute alleged election crimes anywhere in the state, something state courts have denied him. In 2021, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) ruled that Paxton could only get involved in local elections if asked to by a district or county attorney, as The Texas Tribune reported, a ruling that Abbott explicitly criticized last year. That ruling created a structural problem, however, for the faction of Texas Republicans, including Paxton, that has long insisted election fraud is rife in Texas's Democrat-run jurisdictions. That didn't stop Paxton's office from raiding Democratic activists — and the candidate herself — during last year's race for a tightly contested state House district after the Democratic incumbent stepped down. The Republican in that race, former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, ultimately won in a campaign that cited Paxton's investigation into his opponent, Cecilia Castellanos, as evidence of her malfeasance. Up until Tuesday's bill passage, however, the attorney general's ability to investigate local candidates like Castellanos was limited to those jurisdictions where he could find a district or county attorney to partner with — a requirement that H.B. 5138 would free him of. Paxton has long conflated migration and election fraud. In one notable case from last year's election, Paxton insisted Democrats had secret plans to 'illegally register noncitizens to vote in our elections,' a claim that originated in a friend-of-a-friend story on Fox News that local Republican county officials later debunked. Democrats' plan was to 'tell the cartels, 'Get people here as fast as possible, as many as possible, we're not going to make them hide anymore — we'll get them placed in the right states,'' Paxton told conservative talk show host Glenn Beck last year. 'They want to fix the election so that we have a one-party country that we can't fix.' During last year's election, Paxton also sued Bexar and Harris counties, two of the state's largest Democratic strongholds, for a voter registration drive that he claimed aimed to register noncitizens to vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Texas AG Paxton would get expanded powers to target elections under new law
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) would gain the right to investigate elections in Democratic districts under a new bill passed by the Texas Senate on Tuesday. H.B. 5138 now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) desk, where it joins H.B. 45, which gives Paxton broad new powers to fight 'human trafficking.' Put together, the new bills would give his office the ability to investigate alleged trafficking or election fraud in any jurisdictions — regardless of the wishes of local communities or the elected district or county attorney. Paxton has long used allegations of human trafficking to target nonprofit groups that provide aid to recent migrants. If Abbott signs the elections bill, Paxton — who has announced his intentions to primary incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) next year — would get new powers to prosecute alleged election crimes anywhere in the state, something state courts have denied him. In 2021, the Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) ruled that Paxton could only get involved in local elections if asked to by a district or county attorney, as The Texas Tribune reported, a ruling that Abbott explicitly criticized last year. That CCA ruling created a structural problem, however, for the faction of Texas Republicans, including Paxton, that has long insisted that election fraud is rife in Texas' Democrat-run jurisdictions. That didn't stop Paxton's office from raiding Democratic activists — and the candidate herself — during last year's race for a tightly contested state House district after the Democratic incumbent stepped down. The Republican in that race, former Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin, ultimately won in a campaign that cited Paxton's investigation into his opponent, Cecilia Castellanos, as evidence of her malfeasance. Up until Tuesday's bill passage, however, the attorney general's ability to investigate local candidates like Castellanos was limited to those jurisdictions where he could find a district or county attorney to partner with — a requirement that HB 5138 would free him of. Paxton has long conflated migration and election fraud. In one notable case from last year's election, Paxton insisted Democrats had secret plans to 'illegally register noncitizens to vote in our elections,' a claim that originated in a friend-of-a-friend story on Fox News that local Republican county officials later debunked. Democrats' plan was to 'tell the cartels, 'Get people here as fast as possible, as many as possible, we're not going to make them hide anymore — we'll get them placed in the right states,'' Paxton told conservative talk show host Glenn Beck last year. 'They want to fix the election so that we have a one-party country that we can't fix.' During last year's election, Paxton also sued Bexar and Harris Counties, two of the state's largest Democratic strongholds, for voter registration drive which he claimed aimed to register noncitizens to vote.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
In the wake of Operation Sindoor
Rajeev Kumar Jha is a development professional with over 18 years of extensive experience in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) across the South Asia region. He currently serves as the Director of DRR and CCA at the esteemed Humanitarian Aid International (HAI). As the Director, Rajeev is entrusted with the important responsibility of overseeing a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing disaster risks and enhancing climate change adaptation capacities. He plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing innovative projects that integrate risk-informed approaches into development planning and humanitarian action, thereby contributing significantly to the betterment of society. Over the years he majorly invested in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, and Humanitarian Response work. Mr Jha's latest work includes working with UNDP India as a DRR consultant and as national lead for Practical Action on its DRR and Flood Resilience work supported by the ZURICH Foundation. His contribution after the Nepal Earthquake for Islamic Relief Worldwide as Senior Programme Manager cum Country Representative was noteworthy when he worked for the rehabilitation of disaster-affected communities. He works as a consultant for the World Bank India team in its Disaster Management program. He played an active role in shaping plans and policies during natural disasters such as cyclone Hudhud and the Jammu-Kashmir flood in India. He is also skilled in dealing with issues related to Urban and Rural Affairs, Civil Society partnerships, DRR and Climate Change issues, mainstreaming in development planning and policy, training and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and program management at the national and international level. LESS ... MORE On the 22nd day of April 2025, in the quiet valley of Pahalgam, where streams murmur and meadows bloom, terror once again intruded upon the sanctity of peace. In a moment heavy with cruelty, 26 souls were lost—among them a newlywed couple, torn from joy into the grip of horror, conscripted by fate to bear a chilling message to the Prime Minister of this great Republic. What words suffice for such sorrow? What balm for a nation wounded again? The perpetrators—The Resistance Front (TRF), a name shadowed by the spectre of Lashkar-e-Taiba—did not delay in boasting of their cruelty. And as the blood of innocents still cried from the earth, a voice from across the border sought not solidarity, but proof. Proof, in the face of agony; proof, in defiance of truth laid bare. But we have seen this play before. The theatre of denial, the pantomime of diplomacy, the habitual shrug in the face of pain not theirs. Let our grief not be idle. The pyres now burn, the nation bows not in defeat, but rises in remembrance. For every child orphaned, for every life cut short, for every silence where once there was laughter—India remembers. And India will answer. In response, the Prime Minister addresses a rally in Madhubani, Bihar, on 24th April 2025, with a powerful message: 'We will seek justice.' On May 7, 2025, Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the ongoing challenge of terrorism, a situation that affects us all deeply. The ensuing four days of intense fighting revealed the toll of conflict, showcasing a level of fighting that many hoped would never be witnessed again. The conflict has also seen the advanced use of drones, air defence systems, and precision strikes on the enemy territory by the Indian Air Force, It became evident that we cannot let fear dictate our actions. After extensive diplomatic discussions, both countries announced a ceasefire, which we hope brings some relief. However, the Indian government has reiterated that this is just a temporary pause; we remain vigilant in the face of potential threats across the border. This situation is a reminder of the strength we find in our unity, crossing political divides to stand together for peace and security. One important question that arises is how a country with a population of 1.4 billion people, which has historically advocated for peace and nonviolence, has shifted its stance and is now prepared to retaliate against its enemies, demanding retribution without seeking assistance from the UN or other international agencies. Notably, India has requested the UN Security Council to mediate the issue of Kashmir (Security Council passed Resolution 39 on January 20, 1948, which established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) to mediate the dispute. The reasons are many: Repeated incidents This is not the first time that terrorists from across the border have ruthlessly taken the lives of innocent Indians. Tragic incidents are etched in our collective memory, from the fierce battles of Kargil to the chilling assault on the Parliament (13th Dec 2001), and the horrifying events of November 26, 2008, in Mumbai. On that fateful day, 166 lives were brutally snuffed out by the gunfire of Pakistani terrorists, leaving behind a wave of grief and devastation that still echoes in the hearts of many. Remember when Bill Clinton, former US president of US visited India in 2000 AD. 35 people in Anantnag district were killed by gunshot, a similar story when Vice President JD Evans visited in 2025. So, what changes then and now? One of the plausible reasons is that personality factors in Indian politics have shaped the major strategic decisions in India. To some extent, this is true, but even at this level, decisions are based on the socioeconomic and cultural inputs and the ability to deliver the message. Another reason could be the role of the middle class, as in the growing India voice of the middle class matters more than before, and governments may not ignore them now. Change in the country's strategic posture from defence to 'offensive defence' could be another one since 2014. There is also a clear political mandate since 2014 to respond decisively to aggression. But the real reason can be attributed to the economic growth of the country since 2000, as well as its ability to reform and modernise its systems and processes, making it more resilient. It is widely understood that effectively attacking an enemy depends on a society's ability to first withstand the shock, neutralise the threat, and then retaliate. In my opinion, a resilient economy plays a crucial role in the decision to strike back, as it provides better choices that simplify the strategic decision-making process. Now let's examine the economic growth of both countries, since 2000 AD, which may tell the real story of growing confidence of the Indian system to strike, and strike hard. According to the World Bank, India's average annual GDP growth rate from 2000 to 2023-24 is approximately 6.2%. This average reflects periods of significant expansion, such as the mid-2000s, as well as downturns, including the contraction during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During the same period, the central government's revenue has increased dramatically from Rs 2.23 lakh crore (26 billion USD@83) to Rs 24.56 lakh crore (294 billion USD@83). This impressive revenue collection enables the government to allocate resources to various sectors, including defence. Let's also take a closer look at India's defence expenditure over recent years. India's defence spending has increased dramatically, rising from Rs 58,587 crore in 2000 AD (13 billion@45) to Rs 593,538 crore (71 billion@83), which amounts to about 2% of its GDP. Within this budget, capital expenditure typically constitutes around 28% to 32% of the total defence budget. While these figures may seem significant in absolute terms, the overall defence budget continues to hover around 2% of GDP. Given the fragile security situation, there is a growing call for India to increase its defence budget from 2% to 4% of GDP. At the same time, since 2000, Pakistan's average growth rate has been approximately 4.1%, starting from 1.9% of GDP growth in 2000, peaking at 7.5% in 2003-04, and then averaging around 4%. Notably, Pakistan experienced a contraction of up to 0.9% during the COVID-19 pandemic. When examining defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP, Pakistan allocates over 3%, which exceeds India's allocation of 2%. However, in absolute terms, and when factoring in the depreciation of the Pakistani Rupee against the Dollar, Pakistan's actual purchasing power is significantly lower. It can be concluded that despite Pakistan's defence spending, India's overall defence-related expenditure is considerably higher. This provides India with substantial capacity, knowledge, and skill to effectively respond to any incursions into its territory. What is evident is- a thriving economy, effective tax collection, and resource redistribution can be transformative forces that strengthen our ability to respond, enhance resilience against shocks, and accelerate India's thriving economy, which now exceeds USD 3.7 trillion, providing a solid foundation for national security. This economic scale allows for substantial and sustained investment in defence capabilities, including indigenous manufacturing (such as Tejas, BrahMos, and INS Vikrant) and the modernisation of the armed forces. Additionally, a vibrant economy enables India to maintain strong foreign exchange reserves (over USD 620 billion) and to fund strategic reserves and emergency responses. This context is further illustrated in the table provided below. IND & PAK defence budget and GDP growth comparison (2000–2024) Data Source-Several -SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Ministry of Finance – Budget in Brief & Economic Survey – Historical defence budget allocations. However, just because the country is witnessing better economic growth doesn't mean that problems are resolved. One should combine all his social, economic, and cultural power in one direction to achieve its goal that s powerful, peaceful, and prosperous India. A few of the suggestions are- Promote economic asymmetry- It is crucial to achieve a consistent annual growth rate of 6-7 percent in comparison to your neighbouring economies. This strategic focus on sustained growth can transform the economic landscape. Such significant prosperity not only enhances competitive edge but also empowers to address pressing challenges with greater resilience. Correct the political narrative that fosters an unnecessary anti-minority atmosphere- The security situation in our country remains challenging, especially given our proximity to two large neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh who has Islam is the state religion, Secular and modern India should avoid falling into the trap of responding based on dominant religious ideologies. We must reset our domestic political culture to improve our image by fostering an environment of maximum participation and minimal interference. Deradicalise the society- There should be an honest attempt at deradicalisation that aligns with our civilisational ethos of inclusivity and tolerance, while propelling the nation forward in modernity and development. India must invest in inclusive education, equitable development, and civic engagement rooted in constitutional values and ancient civilisation. Rise quietly – Our rise need not be loud or declarative; instead, it must be defined by quiet confidence. We must choose a different path — one of focused reform, institutional capacity building, and inclusive growth. Rather than seeking validation through headline diplomacy or reactive posturing, the emphasis should be on economic resilience, technological innovation, human capital, and social harmony. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
