Back to news

November 3, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Security

Cormorant mid-life upgrade project: less search, more rescue

Posted on November 3, 2020; Leonardo Press Release

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has been operating the AW101/CH-149 Cormorant since 2001 undertaking thousands of lifesaving search and rescue (SAR) missions in the most extreme and harsh environmental conditions, from coast-to-coast.

The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) Project is included in Canada's Strong, Secure and Engaged (SSE) Defence Policy as a key defence procurement program, and is currently in the “Definition Phase.”

The CMLU Project will:

  • Extend the life of the Cormorant helicopter until 2040 and beyond;
  • Return the Cormorant fleet to Canadian Forces Base Trenton as the primary SAR helicopter;
  • Provide enhanced aircraft flight management, communication and navigation systems, complying with latest regulations;
  • Address existing and projected obsolescence while incorporating maintainability and reliability enhancements;
  • Introduce modern SAR mission sensors;
  • Ensure there is no disruption to Cormorant Rotary-Wing SAR capability during the Project;
  • Deliver Industrial Technological Benefits to Canadian companies.

  • The CMLU solution will leverage the existing design and development work undertaken by Leonardo on the latest generation of the AW101 – the Norwegian All Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) – which is currently being delivered to Norway.

    Dominic Howe, Head of International Campaigns – America and Canada at Leonardo Helicopters, said, “From the outset we have proposed a low risk upgrade solution utilizing an existing design which will provide the RCAF with much greater SAR capability and provide greater peace of mind to all Canadians across Canada.”

    The CMLU Project includes augmentation of the fleet with a minimum of two additional helicopters enabling the return of the Cormorant helicopter to the Trenton Main Operating Base which covers the Great Lakes region.

    The CMLU Project will include state-of-the-art avionics, a new glass cockpit, the addition of the latest SAR sensors including a surveillance radar, Electro Optical Infra-Red device, more powerful digitally-controlled engines, wireless in-cabin communications, LED lighting, rescue hoist upgrades, synthetic training solutions from CAE which include: a training centre, Full Mission Simulator and Rear Crew Trainer, among others.

This isn't a development program – it's using Commercial Off-The-Shelf technology,” said Howe. “This is utilizing the design and development undertaken for the NAWSARH project which will provide Canada with a low risk, and value for money solution; it also provides long-term benefits with a drive towards a standardized common configuration across multiple AW101 operators.”

Leonardo and its Team Cormorant partners: IMP Aerospace, CAE, GE Canada and Collins Aerospace will provide significant Industrial Technological Benefits with a strong Value Proposition and the provision of long-term Canadian employment – with Leonardo transferring knowledge and technology enabling the vast majority of the CMLU work to be performed in Canada by Canadians.

Howe commented, “The significant capability the CMLU Project will deliver, through the introduction of the surveillance radar, EO/IR device, the Mobile Phone Detection and Localization System and other updated systems, will ensure less search and more rescue.”

https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/cormorant-mid-life-upgrade-project-less-search-more-rescue

On the same subject

  • First Royal Canadian Air Force CC-295 shows off its final livery

    October 9, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

    First Royal Canadian Air Force CC-295 shows off its final livery

    The first Airbus CC-295, purchased by the Government of Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) program, rolled out of the paint shop showing off its final livery at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain. The aircraft will now go through the final preparation phase before its delivery to the customer, planned to take place in Spain before the end of the year. The aircraft adopts the yellow paint scheme following the tradition defined in the 1970s for search and rescue aircraft, giving high visibility for those in the air and on the ground. The contract, awarded in December 2016, includes 16 CC-295 aircraft and all in-service support elements including training and engineering services, the construction of a new training centre in Comox, B.C., and maintenance and support services. The aircraft will be based where search and rescue squadrons are currently located: Comox, B.C.; Winnipeg, Man.; Trenton, Ont.; and Greenwood, N.S. Considerable progress has been made since the FWSAR programme was announced two and a half years ago: the first aircraft is due to be delivered in Spain in the coming months; another six aircraft are either completing flight tests or in various stages of final assembly; and seven simulators and training devices are starting up preliminary acceptance tests. The first RCAF crews started training in late summer 2019 at Airbus' International Training Centre in Seville, Spain. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/first-royal-canadian-air-force-c295-shows-off-its-final-livery

  • Driving job creation and innovation in Canada through defence spending

    April 23, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Driving job creation and innovation in Canada through defence spending

    Canada positioned to lead globally in five emerging technology areas while building on its strengths April 23, 2018, Ottawa Canada has a strong and innovative defence industry with over 650 companies that employ more than 60,000 Canadians. One way the Government of Canada supports this industry is the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, which requires that for every dollar it spends on big defence purchases, the winning contractor must put a dollar back into Canada's economy. In the past 30 years, the ITB Policy has generated investments of $30 billion in Canada's economy, and generates around 40,000 jobs annually. Through Canada's defence policy, Strong Secure, Engaged, defence purchases are being used to unlock billions of dollars in economic benefits and create middle-class jobs. To maximize these opportunities, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, today announced that the government will use the ITB Policy to motivate defence contractors to invest in Key Industrial Capabilities (KIC). These are five areas of Canadian industrial strength in emerging technologies, which have the potential to grow quickly, and 11 established industrial capabilities where Canada is globally competitive or where domestic capacity is essential to national security: Emerging technologies Advanced materials Artificial intelligence Cyber resilience Remotely piloted systems and autonomous technologies Space systems Leading competencies and critical industrial services Aerospace systems and components Armour Defence systems integration Electro-optical and infrared systems Ground vehicle solutions In-service support Marine ship-borne mission and platform systems Munitions Shipbuilding, design and engineering services Sonar and acoustic systems Training and simulation Key Industrial Capabilities align with the government's Innovation and Skills Plan by supporting the development of skills and fostering innovation in Canada's defence sector. Quotes “Our defence industry asked for a list of Key Industrial Capabilities, and we delivered. As a result of promoting investment in areas with potential for rapid growth, our armed forces will be better equipped, we will have a stronger economy and we will create thousands of middle-class jobs.” – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development “Canada's defence industry welcomes Key Industrial Capabilities as an important policy tool to strengthen our government-industry partnership. KICs will incentivize strategic investments in existing and emerging defence and security capability where Canada has leading-edge and globally competitive technologies. The capabilities identified today demonstrate the world-class, innovation-led nature of the defence and security industry here in Canada.” – Christyn Cianfarani, President and CEO, Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries “By defining its Key Industrial Capabilities, the government has provided another significant instrument for leveraging public procurements to increase investment in areas of Canadian industrial strength and opportunity. The strong aerospace presence in the KICs identified by the government today illustrates the strength of our industry, as well as its potential to continue building its competitive advantage in the years ahead. We are very pleased that the government has identified its KICs, and congratulate Minister Bains on the successful launch of this important procurement tool.” – Jim Quick, President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada Quick facts The list of Key Industrial Capabilities will evolve over time to reflect technological advances and changing defence requirements and will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Adoption of these Key Industrial Capabilities was first recommended in the 2013 report, Canada First: Leveraging Defence Procurement Through Key Industrial Capabilities (also known as “The Jenkins Report”). The defence industry is both innovative, with an R&D intensity 4.5 times the Canadian manufacturing average, and export-oriented, with 60 percent of its sales in 2016 taking place in the global market. From 1986 to 2016, the overall portfolio of ITB obligations included 137 contracts valued at $41.5 billion, with $28.3 billion in business activities already completed, $9.4 billion of activities in progress and $3.8 billion in unidentified future work opportunities. Associated links Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy Key Industrial Capabilities Defence Acquisition Guide 2016 Strong Secure, Engaged Innovation and Skills Plan Canada First: Leveraging Defence Procurement Through Key Industrial Capabilities Contacts Follow the department on Twitter: @ISED_CA Karl W. Sasseville Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development 343-291-2500 Media Relations Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 343-291-1777 ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2018/04/driving-job-creation-and-innovation-in-canada-through-defence-spending.html

  • Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade to contribute $79M annually to Canada's GDP - Skies Mag

    June 1, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

    Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade to contribute $79M annually to Canada's GDP - Skies Mag

    The project builds further upon the relationship between Canada, Leonardo, and Leonardo’s Canadian partners, and is expected to contribute $79 million annually to the Canadian GDP over 12 years.

All news