Transition: Preparing for the In-Country Support of a New Submarine
Date: November 14, 2024
Time: 7:30 – 17:00 EST
Location: National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON
Agenda: DeepBlue 2024_agenda (vanguardcanada.com)
Babcock is delighted to return to the 5th annual Deep Blue Forum as a Platinum Sponsor.
About the Deep Blue Forum:
As a maritime nation, Canada’s defence and ability to operate in the underwater domain is vital and of utmost national strategic interest. Hosted by Vanguard Magazine Canada, the Deep Blue Forum provides an opportunity for those in the industry to learn more about emerging technologies and capabilities in the underwater domain and to hear from each other and military experts around the world.
To learn more about the conference, visit: DeepBlue 2024 (vanguardcanada.com)
Babcock at the Deep Blue Forum:
We are thrilled to have several of our team members speak at this year’s forum, stay tuned for more information.
- Tony March, VP Marine & Mission Systems, as a featured speaker
- Gord Szczepski, Director & Acting Head of Engineering and Technology, as a panelist
- Jake Jacobson, Strategic Advisor, as Master of Ceremonies
About Gordon:
Gordon Szczepski is a graduate of Royal Military College, served in the Royal Canadian Navy as a Marine Systems Engineering Officer onboard various RCN surface ships and submarines for over 13 years, and has been a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario and British Columbia since 2007. With more than 22 years of experience within the submarine enterprise, including various marine engineering, submarine test and commissioning, and engineering governance roles, his current role with Babcock Canada is Director and Head of Engineering & Technology (Canada).
At the Deep Blue Forum, Gordon will be a panelist and will discuss In Service Support, alongside members from Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, Thales Canada, and Serco. The panel will be moderated by Commander Ashley Hunt, Project Manager, Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. Stay tuned to meet more of our team members speaking at this year’s forum.
About Tony:
Tony joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997 as a Marine Systems Engineer. After graduating from the Royal Military College of Canada and completing initial occupational training, he deployed to the Arabian Gulf in HMCS Montréal, part of Operation APOLLO, Canada’s contribution to the international campaign against terrorism.
In 2003, Tony volunteered for Submarine Service. After completing the training and qualifying requirements in 2004, he served as the Marine Systems Engineering Officer in HMC Submarines Victoria, Windsor, and Corner Brook. Subsequently, Tony completed various offshore postings in Halifax and was selected for Post-Graduate Training in the UK. Posted to Ottawa, he held a variety of staff positions, culminating as the Deputy Director, Maritime Engineering Program Management (Submarines).
Tony March joined Babcock Canada in June 2018, entering the industry after retiring from the Royal Canadian Navy after 21 years of military service. In January 2020, Tony took on the role of Vice President of Engineering Services and in April 2023, the role of Vice-President, Engineering and Technology. In 2024, Tony assumed his current role of Vice President, Marine and Mission Systems.
At the Deep Blue Forum, Tony’s presentation will explore enabling operational availability through data:
In order to deliver the strategic outcomes demanded of a new submarine capability, it is essential to understand the barriers and enablers to achieving the requisite availability levels. In this continuously evolving age of digitalization, the management, liberation and exploitation of data is one of the critical enablers in achieving asset availability. That said, failure to appreciate this at the earliest stages of development of the platform can result in the unintended creation of barriers that ultimately serve to hinder platform availability. This presentation will explore the importance of data to availability and how it can be managed early to help deliver long term outcomes. Stay tuned to meet more of our team members speaking at this year’s forum.
