Opportunités IMP aerospace

On the same subject

• 

  June 8, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  CAF inks deal with Bombardier to replace two 30-year-old Challenger aircraft

  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. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/caf-inks-deal-with-bombardier-to-replace-two-30-year-old-challenger-aircraft

• 

  November 16, 2017 | Local, Aerospace

  Australian F-18s being considered by Canada will need overhaul to keep flying

  Canada is waiting to hear back from Australia on its offer to purchase F-18s from that country. The Australian planes would be added to the RCAF's flight line to shore up the existing fleet of CF-18s. But if that deal does proceed the RCAF expects that structural work will have to be done to extend the lives of the planes. RCAF commander Lt.-Gen. Michael Hood suggested to Defense News and FlightGlobal that L-3 in Quebec would get any upgrade contract since that firm has done similar work for the airforce on its existing CF-18s. But Hood told Defense News at the Dubai airshow that even with that work to be done, the RCAF would be able to acquire the Australian aircraft “within the next couple of years” once a decision is made. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/australian-f-18s-being-considered-by-canada-to-need-overhaul-to-keep-flying?utm_source=skies-daily-news-news-from-the-web

• 

  January 4, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  AETE must move to make room for new fighters says commanding officer

  Kelly-Anne Riess ADJUSTCOMMENTPRINT Moving the Canadian military's Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment out of Cold Lake to Ottawa is the only way 4 Wing can grow to accommodate new fighters, says AETE commanding officer Col. Eric Grandmont, referring to feasibility studies conducted by the Air Force. He said the loss of AETE will be offset by a gain for 4 Wing. “We are planning ahead for the long-term future of Canada's fighters,” he said. “The RCAF is committed to Cold Lake and Bagotville as our fighter bases, and there will be significant investment in these areas to prepare for the arrival of the future fighters.” The new aircraft will require an expansion of 4 Wing. Facilities will need to be updated and the current AETE building, which is the newest and second largest hanger on the base, will need to be repurposed. Canada is currently in the process of purchasing 25 used fighter aircraft from Australia and buying another 88 new jets to replace the existing fleet of CF-18s. The costs for relocating AETE are included in the $470 million the Liberal government has set aside for buying the used Australian F-18 fighter jets. Grandmont said he is hoping the transition plan for AETE will be approved by this spring. The move, which would not take place before the summer of 2021, could affect one-third of AETE, which employs 166 military personnel and 22 public servants. The remainder would be reassigned elsewhere in the air force, either in Cold Lake or other military bases. “We are trying to minimize the impact on the city,” said Grandmont, adding the current plan is to stagger his staff's moves to Ottawa. He said some of the positions in question are currently vacant and, if filled, those employees would start their jobs immediately in the nation's capital instead of coming to Cold Lake in the interim. Also, some public servants currently working for AETE in Cold Lake are close to retirement and would likely choose to end their careers and stay in Alberta's north instead of moving to Ottawa. Grandmont says once the unit relocates it will augment its staff with civilian test pilots. “We are hoping to recruit retired members back to the unit once it's in Ottawa,” said Grandmont, adding that moving AETE would put the unit in a central position to service all Canadian Forces aircraft, many of which are in Eastern Canada. “Our people spend a lot of time on the road. They can be away for five or six months a year,” said Grandmont. Recently, some AETE personnel spent seven months in Petawawa, Ont. doing the work necessary to have two Chinooks available to send to Mali, where Canada has been providing emergency medical evacuation for the United Nations peacekeeping mission going on in that country. There are 19 fleets in the Canadian Air Force and only two of them are in Cold Lake—the CF-18 and the Griffon helicopters, said Grandmont. Other aircraft, like the CC-130J Hercules, CC-17 Globemaster and CC-150 Polaris are all based in Trenton, Ont. The CC-144 Challengers are in Ottawa. The CP-140 Aurora and the CH-149 Cormorants are in Greenwood, NS. The CH-148 Cyclones are in Shearwater, NS, The CH-147F Chinooks are in Petawawa, Ont. There are CC-138 Twin Otters are in Yellowknife. AETE, like all units in the Air Force, is facing a shortage of pilots. Recruiting multiengine pilots from Eastern Canada is a challenge for AETE, and a CC-130H Hercules pilot based in Winnipeg does not necessarily want to uproot his or her family to Cold Lake where his or her spouse would have limited options for employment, as well as restricted access to health care. “Although once people get to Cold Lake, they usually enjoy their time here,” said Grandmont. “It is a beautiful area.” AETE has also been losing personnel to private industry, which can offer better working conditions for experienced testers. Postmedia first revealed the proposal to move AETE in 2016. The plan first started under the Conservative government, but the Liberals continued with the relocation initiative. -With files from David Pugliese (Disclosure: The editor of the Cold Lake Sun is married to a member of AETE.) https://www.pinchercreekecho.com/news/local-news/aete-must-move-to-make-room-for-new-fighters-says-commanding-officer