June 7, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
The federal government's request for proposals for a next-generation fighter jet may be delayed until July, but the company that provides aggressor or “red air” training for the fighter fleet is already preparing for a more data-driven training environment.
“More and more, that is how you fight: Take data, process data, share data, accomplish the mission,” said Paul Bouchard, a former CF-188 Hornet pilot and the president and CEO of Montreal-based Top Aces. “We have put a lot of thought into that.”
In October 2017, Top Aces, then under the banner of Discovery Air Defence, edged out a joint venture between CAE and Draken International to retain the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) contract, a program it pioneered in the mid-2000s. The 10-year deal is worth $480 million, but includes options that could extend the service to 2031 and the value to as much as $1.4 billion.
Though the CATS contract cemented the company's footprint in Canada and strengthened its export potential, Bouchard said it will have to evolve to meet a changing training environment.
“CATS is the largest program of its kind in the world today,” he told Skies during an interview at CANSEC on May 30. “That allows us to deliver the current service and have growth potential within that for Canada, which we think is really exciting given the next generation fighter and the future aircrew training program — as they roll out, there will be a need for more advanced training.”
That will likely mean the addition of a more advanced aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-16A to the Top Aces fleet of Dornier Alpha Jets and Bombardier Learjet 35As, if the Royal Canadian Air Force acquires the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.
“That is quite logical,” said Bouchard, though he noted that a decision on the next training jet for the Fighter Lead-In Training (FLIT) program could also be a factor in any future fleet.
“What's interesting for Canada is whether they will treat programs like FLIT and advanced adversary as separate or combine them, because the capabilities required for both those aircraft could be quite similar,” he said.
The company has invested significantly in a flexible and expandable proprietary mission system architecture for its aircraft to “effectively plug and play different applications or capabilities” as the Air Force, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Navy develop their digital networks and synthetic training environments.
As part of the CATS requirements to enhance training, Top Aces has begun modifying both the Alphas and Lear jets at its facility in Bagotville, Que., updating avionics suites, electro-optical and infrared capability, and night vision systems. It is also configuring some Learjets into special mission aircraft.
Consequently, Bouchard said the “workhorse” Alpha Jet would remain the prime adversary fighter for the foreseeable future, and he suspects that could involve more enemy role playing with new pilots as the Air Force seeks to introduce more advanced skills earlier in the training curriculum.
“I think that is what is likely to occur,” he said. “As that gets pushed down, it creates an opportunity for CATS and future aircrew training to take on more of the mandate that was inside the CF-188 training pipeline for years, including at 419 [Tactical Fighter Training Squadron].”
Top Aces is not one of the qualified bidders for the Future Aircrew Training program (FAcT), but he believes the company has some insight to support any future primate contractor.
“We think we offer a very deep understanding of how the Air Force trains, especially the fighter force,” he said. “So I think we have a role in providing expertise and the flying support as it evolves.”
The high standards set by the CATS program have been crucial to international opportunities. Top Aces secured a similar training support contract with the German Armed Forces in 2014 and, more recently, a two-year trial with the Australian Defence Force. And it will be a bidder on several large U.S. Air Force and Navy aggressor air programs, as well as a partnership with Leonardo and Inzpire on the U.K.'s Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) program.
“Canada did it right,” explained Bouchard. “They thought through how they were going to regulate and oversee this, because it is a commercial service. Normally, it would be regulated by Transport Canada as an air regulator. But this is providing a very specialized military mission, so they formulated a MOU [memorandum of understanding] in the mid-2000s and updated it for the CATS program, and it really represents the highest standard that this type of business is regulated to in the world, and that is a calling card for us. It was a differentiator in Germany and Australia.”
He said the same market forces that drove Canada to outsource aggressor air over a decade ago are still in play and forcing many NATO allies to consider contracting red air training, opening markets in Europe and Asia.
“You have this general downward pressure on operating budgets, you have fourth generation fleets that have had to operate longer and harder than was expected, you have the impact of fifth-gen, which is significant in terms of how air forces train and how robust the training has to be, and then there is an evolving and capable threat,” he observed.
“There are less than a handful of companies in the world that are qualified to do this. We are by all metrics the world leader in terms of hours flown, programs we operate, geographic footprint, safety record. We are really proud of that. And it's made in Canada. The CATS contract is a foundation we can build off of ... I think we're in a great position and I'm really excited for our future.”
https://www.skiesmag.com/news/top-aces-sees-expanded-role-for-red-air-as-air-force-training-evolves/
November 28, 2024 | Local, Land
Media are invited to participate in a one-on-one interview with Commodore Matthew Coates, Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) on December 2, 2024.
September 29, 2022 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
September 29, 2022 - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que - National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces The media are invited to attend the Leadersphere 2022 conference, which will be held on October 4 at Royal Military College Saint-Jean (RMC Saint-Jean). This year, the event will be held under the theme “Analyze, Decide, Act: Responding to contemporary security challenges”. What are the challenges facing Canadian leadership in the international environment? And those that come with thinking a constantly changing world? Leadersphere 2022 is structured in three panels around the key points of the strategic decision-making process. Researchers, ambassadors, politicians, business, and military leaders will be gathered to think about the world of tomorrow. Panelists include Dr. Caroline Quach-Than, Laure Waridel, and Megan MacKenzie, as well as Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill, Brigadier-General Krista Brodie, Madeleine Redfern of CanArctic Inuit Networks Inc., and Martine Saint-Victor of Edelman Canada. What: Leadersphere 2022 conference - “Analyze, Decide, Act: Responding to contemporary security challenges”. When: 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m, Tuesday, 4 October 2022 Where: RMC Saint-Jean, 15 boul. Jacques-Cartier Nord, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec Notes to editor/news director: Media representatives are asked to confirm their attendance before 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 3, by contacting Captain Rachel Lefebvre, RMC Saint-Jean Public Affairs Officer, at 450-358-6777, ext. 5733, or at rachel.lefebvre@forces.gc.ca. Associated Links Leadersphere 2022 Contacts Captain Rachel Lefebvre Public Affairs Officer Royal Military College Saint-Jean Phone: 450-358-6777, ext. 5733 Email: rachel.lefebvre@forces.gc.ca https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2022/09/leadersphere-2022.html
May 7, 2020 | Local, Aerospace
Le rapport sur le marché de À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires fournit la situation actuelle, les opportunités, les contraintes, les moteurs et également les prévisions de croissance du marché d'ici 2023. Analyse approfondie concernant le statut du marché de À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires, le modèle de concurrence des entreprises, les avantages et les inconvénients de la marchandise d'entreprise, les tendances de développement de l'industrie de À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires, les caractéristiques d'implantation industrielle régionale et les politiques économiques, les nouvelles de l'industrie et les politiques par régions ont été jointes en annexe. Les experts prévoient une croissance du marché À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires au TCAC de XX% d'ici 2019-2023. Obtenez un exemple de rapport PDF sur – www.precisionreports.co/enquiry/request-sample/13102602 Le rapport final contient l'impact de COVID-19 sur l'industrie Entreprises clés sur le marché À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires: – Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Bae Systems, Airbus, Embraer, Dassault Aviation, Russian Aircraft Corporation Mig, Sagem, Pilatus Aircraft Limited, Alenia Aermachhi, Saab, Eurofighter Typhoon, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited, Sukhoi, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Cassidian, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Cobham Dynamique du marché: – > Pilotes > Entraves > Opportunités Pour toute question, contactez à – www.precisionreports.co/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/13102602 Principaux développements du marché:: Janvier 2018: la France cherche à ajouter des avions militaires à voilure fixe pour réduire les coûts d'exploitation helicoptor. Portée du rapport sur le marché À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires: – La chaîne industrielle approfondie comprend l'analyse de la chaîne de valeur, l'analyse du modèle Porter Five Forces et l'analyse de la structure des coûts. Ce rapport sur le marché À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires décrit la situation actuelle, le contexte historique et les prévisions futures. Il fournit des données complètes sur les ventes, la consommation, les statistiques commerciales et les prix de À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires au cours des dernières années. Le rapport À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires indique une mine d'informations sur les fournisseurs de À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires. À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires Les prévisions du marché pour les cinq prochaines années, y compris les volumes et les prix du marché, sont également fournies. Les informations sur l'approvisionnement en matières premières et les consommateurs en aval sont également incluses. Réponses aux questions clés dans ce rapport: – – Quelle sera la taille du marché en 2023 et quel sera le taux de croissance? – Quelles sont les principales tendances du marché? – Qu'est-ce qui anime ce marché À voilure fixe aéronefs militaires? – Quels sont les défis de la croissance du marché? – Qui sont les principaux fournisseurs de cet espace de marché? http://tribune-tours.fr/2020/05/07/marche-a-voilure-fixe-aeronefs-militaires-dici-2023-fabricants-regions-types-applications-et-regions-amerique-du-nord-europe-et-asie-pacifique-amerique-du-sud-moyen-orient-et-afrique/