January 16, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
MONTREAL, Jan. 16, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Top Aces Inc. announced today that it reached an unprecedented 75,000 hours of operational air combat training. The historic milestone was achieved in December during a deployment to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Top Aces Alpha Jet aircraft supported Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Exercise PUMA STRIKE, providing both Red Air and electronic attack training for Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake 410 Fighter Squadron operational training unit and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. This exercise featured RCAF units including CF-18s and KC-130s, supported by RCAF Air Weapons Controllers.
Top Aces teams were also recently deployed to Holloman Air Force Base in support of RCAF 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron Exercise TIPIC STRIKE where they flew mutually beneficial training exercises with the USAF 8th, 311th and 314th Fighter Squadron F-16 Replacement Training Units (RTU) and worked with Canadian and American Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC). Top Aces aircraft participated in combined close air support operations with CF-18, Alpha Jet and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft that included inert weapon deliveries. Top Aces deploys annually to meet its clients' needs wherever they perform their exercises.
"Thanks to the trust of our clients and the dedication of our team, we have just established a world record in the number of hours flown by an adversary air provider," said Paul Bouchard, President and CEO and founder of Top Aces. "Reaching 75,000 hours is unparalleled in our industry worldwide. We are very proud of this milestone and of our industry-leading safety record and airworthiness standards. We are ready to deliver the next generation of highly-representative adversary air to all our customers worldwide."
To meet the needs of its customers, Top Aces intends to introduce the next generation of aggressor training using the supersonic F-16 Fighting Falcon equipped with advanced radar, electronic attack (EA) and on-board systems. Top Aces is committed to the continued delivery of the industry-leading standards of quality and performance demanded by the world's air forces.
About Top Aces
Top Aces provides advanced airborne training to the world's leading air forces. Founded in 2000 by a small group of highly accomplished former fighter pilots, Top Aces has the largest worldwide footprint of privately-held operational fighter aircraft that provide advanced adversary, air-defence and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training services around the globe. The mission-critical training offered by Top Aces enhances the operational readiness of combat forces by providing a realistic real-world experience while prolonging fleet life.
The company is changing the face of air combat training with its unparalleled safety record, outstanding team and an industry-leading 75 000 hours of operational training flown in support of its customers worldwide. Top Aces has the experience that matters. For Further Information please visit www.topaces.com.
SOURCE Top Aces Inc
For further information: Media contact: Rachel Andrews, Director of Marketing, rachel.andrews@topaces.com, +1 514-694-5565 ext. 2201, +1 514-451-5131
November 22, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
For a project that even politicians have stated they want to de-politicize, the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) is rapidly becoming highly political.
December 9, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada (SPAC) invite les entreprises canadiennes détenues ou dirigées par des personnes LGBTQ2+ à remplir un questionnaire en ligne afin de fournir des renseignements sur leurs entreprises. Les renseignements recueillis gr'ce à ce questionnaire nous aideront à élaborer des façons d'accroître la participation des entreprises détenues ou dirigées par des personnes LGBTQ2+ aux marchés publics fédéraux. Ils permettront également de s'assurer que les initiatives visant à accroître la participation reflètent leurs réalités et leurs besoins. Rendez-vous au lien vers la DDR sur Achatventes.gc.ca pour accéder : • le questionnaire en ligne ou une autre version du questionnaire en Word • une foire aux questions • des renseignements sur les personnes à contacter si vous avez des questions La date limite pour soumettre vos réponses au questionnaire est le 28 janvier 2022. Ce questionnaire utilise un logiciel qui respecte les directives pour l'accessibilité du contenu Web 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) de niveau AA. Si vous avez besoin de mesures d'adaptation supplémentaires pour accéder au questionnaire ou le remplir, ou si vous avez des questions supplémentaires sur le questionnaire, veuillez contacter : TPSGC.PAPiloteSocioEconomique APSocioEconomicPilot.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
August 28, 2018 | Local, Aerospace
by Chris Thatcher When Tom Enders, then the chief executive officer of Airbus, announced in October 2017 that Canada would become the company's fifth home country and first outside of Europe, following a deal with Bombardier to acquire a majority stake in the C Series passenger jet, small- and medium-sized Canadian aerospace companies had reason to be optimistic. Canada has typically ranked eighth or ninth among Airbus suppliers. But with the C Series now firmly under the Airbus tent (it was renamed the A220 in July), a contract award in 2016 to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with 16 C295W fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft, and looming competitions for a future fighter jet and strategic tanker and transport aircraft, Airbus is aggressively sourcing more Canadian content. Before you make your pitch, however, Ruben Tauste Caro, responsible for Airbus's strategic procurement in North America, has a few words of advice: no bashing the competition, no me-too products, and go easy on the wonders of your new shop floor machinery. “I want you to tell me that you work in a very, very dedicated frequency. And in that frequency, I want you to tell me that you are the expert in a very specific niche. Then you've got me,” he told the Abbotsford Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo in August. Airbus routinely conducts in-person assessments of its prospective suppliers and, while cost, quality, and on-time production are obvious baseline requirements, what interests Tauste Caro are signs of continuous improvement and true innovation. He said companies that claim to build a better mouse trap or be a one-stop shop for all his supply needs are quickly dismissed. “Tell me what you are really, really good at, and if I have an opportunity in the future, that will be yours,” he said. Continuous improvement need not involve large investments. A dashboard with measurable targets will suffice if it clearly shows progress, said Tauste Caro. “Show me your KPIs [key performance indicators]. If you don't [meet] a target that month, do you have an action behind it?” A clear ability to set and reach targets is important, he emphasized, because if there is ever an issue with product quality, “The question is, will you overcome that issue? Do you have the right procedures, the right way of working? Is your workforce engaged?” That's why he also asks questions about innovation. Most companies have a tendency to highlight their shop floor. While new machines and robotics are important, he always looks beyond to the people operating them. “Innovation is people,” he said. “{They] are the key parameters in the innovation equation...[D]on't waste time on machines, tell me your way of working.” In particular, how do ideas move from the shop floor to the C-suite? For suppliers eyeing opportunities with Airbus's commercial aircraft production, an ability to ramp up production and deliver at high rates is critical. “This is extremely important,” he stressed. “We cannot afford to have one aircraft system stopped in the warehouse.” Tauste Caro heads a small four-person team responsible for supplier identification and development throughout North America, so he encouraged companies to call or “knock on the door,” to keep him apprised of product changes, expansion plans, new strategies, and contract awards. “Feed me with that information. That is the daily bread and butter of my job within strategic procurement,” he said, explaining that if he's asked to recommend a supplier, “I have to be able to answer right away.” While ramp-up of A220 production this year and delivery of the first FWSAR aircraft in 2019 might mean more opportunities for Canadian suppliers, Airbus is particularly focused on the value proposition it can offer in a future fighter jet and air-to-air refuelling aircraft competition. “We need to work with you right now,” he told executives at the Abbotsford trade show, to identify industrial and technological benefits (ITBs) proposals for both programs and meet FWSAR obligations. There is a “huge requirement” for ITBs within the fighter jet program, he noted. “We need to be creative, we need the suppliers.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/airbus-aggressively-sourcing-more-canadian-content