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  January 16, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Top Aces Achieves Record-breaking 75,000 Hours of Air Combat Training

  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 https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/top-aces-achieves-record-breaking-75-000-hours-of-air-combat-training-808279562.html

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  May 30, 2024 | Local, Aerospace

  Exclusive: To help Airbus, Macron pressed Canada to ease Russia titanium sanctions

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  January 7, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Installing Canadian software on Australian F-18s first order of business when aircraft arrive, says defence official

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN One of the first things that will be done to the used Australian F-18s that Canada is purchasing is that the aircraft will be outfitted with different ejection seats and software. The first two F-18s that Canada is buying from Australia will arrive sometime in the spring and will be sent to Cold Lake, Alta, said Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister for materiel at the Department of National Defence. “They land, they (the Australians) will remove their software and we'll install our software,” Finn explained in an interview. Also to be installed are ejection seats and a lighting system that is used on the CF-18s. “Ultimately the intent is the 18 aircraft are indistinguishable from our 76 aircraft,” Finn said. Canada has finalized its deal to buy the 25 used fighter jets from Australia, Eighteen of the Australian F-18 aircraft will eventually be flying while another seven will be used for testing and spare parts. The Department of National Defence still has to figure out how to get the aircraft over from Australia. “We would rather fly them over,” Finn said. “Or have them (the Australians) fly them over.” The Liberal government had originally planned to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing to augment the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s until new aircraft can be purchased in the coming years. But in 2017 Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its C-series civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the Trump administration brought in a tariff of almost 300 per cent against the Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada cancelled the deal to buy the 18 Super Hornets. That project would have cost more than US$5 billion. Instead of buying the new Super Hornets, the Liberals decided to acquire the used Australian jets. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the extra jets are needed to deal with a “capability gap” as Canada does not have enough fighters to handle its commitments to NATO as well as protecting North America. But Conservative MPs say the capability gap didn't exist and was concocted by the government to delay a larger project to buy new jets, a competition that might end up selecting the F-35 stealth fighter the Liberals vowed never to purchase. In November 2018 Auditor General Michael Ferguson issued a report noting that the purchase of the extra aircraft would not fix the fundamental weaknesses with the CF-18 fleet which is the aircraft's declining combat capability and a shortage of pilots and maintenance personnel. “The Australian F/A-18s will need modifications and upgrades to allow them to fly until 2032,” the report noted. “These modifications will bring the F/A-18s to the same level as the CF-18s but will not improve the CF-18's combat capability.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/installing-canadian-software-on-australian-f-18s-first-order-of-business-when-aircraft-arrive-says-defence-official