June 8, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
The Government of Canada recently announced it is replacing two Bombarder Challenger 601 utility aircraft with two Challenger 650s for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to allow for continuation of mission critical roles. The retiring aircraft that entered service in the 1980s fall short of operational requirements and are nearly obsolete due to new rules in the United States and Europe that will restrict their ability to fly internationally before the end of this year.
The replacement ensures CAF can continue to operate a modern and flexible utility flight service fleet that serves a variety of roles — including reconnaissance and liaison missions with international partners, and the speedy deployment of specialized capabilities and expertise, including the Disaster Assistance Response Team.
Without this needed replacement, the Royal Canadian Air Force's operational effectiveness for missions would be limited. The aircraft are used for the medical evacuation of military personnel serving overseas and the safe transport of CAF medical personnel and specialized equipment in the critical first few hours and days of someone being wounded. They are also used for the safe extraction and repatriation of personnel and citizens. The fleet further provides the ability to transport specialized teams from Canada to operational theatres around the world. Earlier this month, a Challenger quickly brought Royal Canadian Navy search experts to Naples, Italy, to support the search for the Cyclone helicopter lost in the Ionian Sea.
This fleet provides critical abilities here at home. It has been used in the whole-of-government effort to support Northern, Indigenous and remote communities during COVID-19. In May 2020, it supported the delivery of COVID-19 testing supplies to Nunavut. The aircraft have been at the ready to help provincial and territorial partners with medical evacuations, if required.
This fleet is also critical in facilitating the travel of senior government officials, as well as Parliamentarians from all parties due to security and safety considerations.
The CAF's existing Challenger fleet consists of four aircraft, two purchased in the early 1980s and two purchased in the early 2000s. With the implementation of new international regulatory and interoperability requirements in 2020, only half of the fleet is fully compliant with international standards.
That is why the Department of National Defence has been working on this consolidation initiative since 2018, and why the government entered into a contract with Bombardier this week, after negotiating the most cost-effective option for these capabilities, which were accounted and paid with existing funds in SSE's fiscal framework.
The Challenger 650 aircraft is the current production version of the model that the CAF currently operates. This commonality will result in significant benefits in efficiency, cost, and interoperability, both in terms of training and support to operations.
“This purchase is another example of our government's commitment to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the modern equipment they need to carry out the critical work we ask of them. This fleet is a crucial operational capability and ensuring its continuity is another important investment in our women and men in uniform,” said Harjit S. Sajjan, minister of National Defence.
“While helping to fulfill the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) operational requirements, this purchase also demonstrates our commitment to Canada's world-class aerospace industry. Having this ready, off-the-shelf option also offers long-term value to the RCAF and to Canada,” said Anita Anand, minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada.
July 26, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
Resulting contract with SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership will support training for more than 20 years
November 4, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
OTTAWA -- The federal government could be forced to buy new executive jets to transport the prime minister and other VIPs because of changes to air-traffic control rules in the U.S. and Europe. Two of the four Challenger jets currently used by the Canadian Forces for executive transport lack the equipment needed to comply with the new ADS-B system, which replaces radar-based air-traffic control with the transmission of GPS-based data. That will curtail the aircraft's ability to fly in the U.S. and Europe beginning next year. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has set Jan. 1, 2020, as the date aircraft will require ADS-B transmitters to operate legally in most airspace. Europe is implementing the system in June 2020. It doesn't make sense to install the equipment on two of older 1980s-era Challenger 601 jets flown by 412 Squadron, the defence department says. "Given the age of the fleet, investing in an ADS-B modification/upgrade would not be cost effective," the department said in an email. "We are therefore looking at other mitigation options. Timelines and costs will be determined once options have been selected." Buying new executive jets to replace the aging Challengers could be politically risky for the Trudeau government when it still hasn't acquired fighter jets to replace the aging fleet of CF-18s. Opposition parties of all stripes have assailed governments for what they considered profligate use of government aircraft in the past. "The executive fleet has been perennial issue where the country is penny-wise and pound-foolish," said David Perry, a defence procurement expert with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "We don't want to spend the money to buy aircraft and we have this bizarre expectation where you're taking the people in government whose time is most valuable and making them fly economy, basically, around the world." The continued use of older aircraft makes Candians look like "cheapskates," he said, comparing political opposition to the planes with the government's refusal to renovate 24 Sussex, the prime minister's official residence. The defence department projects spending between and $20 million and $49 million to "consolidate" the Challenger fleet, a figure likely based on acquiring used aircraft. Sources familiar with the operation of 412 Squadron say it would be difficult to meet its mandate with only two aircraft available to travel outside the country. The jets are used to transport the prime minister and Governor General and cabinet ministers, as well as the chief of defence staff, and visiting members of the Royal Family. But the jets are also on-call for medical evacuations, deploying advance teams with the Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) and, on occasion, covertly transporting Canadian special forces personnel. With only four Challengers, the squadron is operating close to capacity and losing two aircraft could threaten its ability to perform these missions, the sources said. If the government chose to acquire brand-new aircraft, it might be tempted to consider the Bombardier Global Express, which is faster and has a longer range than the smaller Challenger, making travel to Europe and Asia easier. Most of the aircraft is assembled in Canada. The German government currently uses four of Bombardier's Global 5000 jets for executive transport. Other documents show DND is projecting spending up to $249 million to extend the lifespan of the five larger Airbus 300-series jets beyond 2026, including one that prime minister and his staff fly on occasion. Once dubbed "the flying Taj Mahal" by then-opposition leader Jean Chretien, the Airbus is antiquated compared to most modern commercial aircraft, though it does have a private room for the prime minister to sleep in. Flight crews on the Airbus run extension cords and power bars down the aisles to allow passengers to run their laptop computers. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/air-traffic-control-changes-in-u-s-europe-may-force-ottawa-to-buy-new-executive-jets-1.4668608
February 18, 2020 | Local, Naval
Rolls-Royce has started expansion work on its Centre of Excellence for Naval Handling equipment in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The ground-breaking ceremony was witnessed by Peterborough-Kawartha Minister Maryam Monsef, Provincial Parliament Member Dave Smith, and Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien. The newly expanded facility will accommodate the design and manufacture of Rolls-Royce Mission Bay Handling System (MBHS). MBHS is a manufacturing system that will support the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC), as well as the UK's Type 26 and Australian Hunter-class programmes. The MBHS offers a flexible and compatible low-risk solution, holding the capability to launch and recover naval vehicles. It can also move containerised packages without the aid of a dockside crane. Rolls-Royce Business Development & Government Affairs vice-president Bruce Lennie said: “We are pleased to welcome Minister Monsef, MPP Smith and Mayor Therrien to mark this significant milestone in developing our infrastructure, which will support the Canadian Surface Combatant programme. “This centre will harness and build upon the wealth of Canadian engineering and technological expertise we have at Rolls-Royce. We look forward to growing our business in-country, further developing our supply chain and enhancing our contributions to the Canadian economy.” The upcoming infrastructure expansion is aimed to benefit the Canadian economy and Canada's Armed Forces. The Global Combat Ship design for ships CSC ships have been approved by the Canadian Federal Government. Under the deal, 15 new CSC ships are to be manufactured. According to the company, the Canadian supply chain network has also been expanded to support the domestic and international export openings created by the Global Combat Ship programme. Rolls-Royce currently has over 1,000 Canadian workforces across five facilities, including in Montreal, Ottawa and Peterborough. https://www.naval-technology.com/news/rolls-royce-invests-in-facility-expansion-for-canadas-csc-project/