31 janvier 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
A training variant of the CC-295 that will be used to instruct Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) maintenance technicians is now flying across the country towards CFB Comox, B.C., the home of search and rescue training in Canada.
Flown by an Airbus Defence and Space flight crew, the fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft maintenance trainer (AMT) landed in St. John's, N.L., before arriving at CFB Greenwood, N.S., on Jan. 30.
It left Greenwood on Jan. 31 and is making its way across the country, stopping at the RCAF bases where it will eventually be in service (Greenwood, Trenton, Ont., and Winnipeg, Man.) before arriving at its new home at Comox.
According to 14 Wing Greenwood public affairs officer Capt. Matt Zalot, the AMT attracted much attention from RCAF members on base, who currently fly the aging CC-130H Hercules in a search and rescue role.
The arrival of the AMT represents a key milestone in Canada's FWSAR aircraft replacement program, said the RCAF.
“As with any program, the FWSAR project is one of milestones, and the arrival of the AMT is an important one on the overall journey towards operational implementation of the CC-295 fleet,” said Isabelle Latulippe, FWSAR project manager.
The AMT is for training purposes only and is not equipped to perform search and rescue missions. It is not part of Canada's order, signed in December 2016, for 16 CC-295 aircraft.
Upon arrival in Comox, the RCAF said the aircraft will be disassembled and then reassembled inside the new training centre as a maintenance training aid.
On Dec. 20, Airbus announced via Twitter that Canada had accepted the first of its 16 CC-295s at the manufacturer's facility in Seville, Spain, and that it would be ferried to its home base at Comox sometime in mid-2020. Members of RCAF 434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron have been at Airbus's International Training Centre since last fall to evaluate and train on the aircraft.
In November, Skies reported that complications with the CC-295's technical manuals could delay the first delivery. Airbus unveiled the aircraft in RCAF livery in mid-October.
Last July, the RCAF asked the public to help choose the name of the new search and rescue aircraft, offering five choices: Canso II, Guardian, Iris, Kingfisher and Turnstone. About 33,000 people voted for their favourites and RCAF Commander LGen Al Meinzinger was set to make the final decision. However, no announcement has been made to date. The RCAF is reportedly in the midst of legal procedures associated with using its selected name and no further details have been released.
Canada is receiving the latest C-295 variant, featuring winglets for fuel savings and increased performance. The aircraft has an advanced avionics suite, fuselage reinforcements and a hatch for rapid evacuation in case of a forced water landing.
Airbus tailored the cabin interior to meet RCAF operational requirements, with a new wireless intercom system for crew communications, increased equipment storage space, brighter lighting for medevac treatment, and lighting compatible with the use of night vision systems.
The CC-295s will eventually replace the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo and Lockheed Martin CC-130H Hercules fleets that currently perform the search and rescue role.
https://www.skiesmag.com/news/cc-295-maintenance-trainer-arrives-in-canada
22 avril 2024 | Local, Terrestre, Sécurité
The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will visit the Northwest Territories from April 23-25, 2024 to discuss Budget 2024 and Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence
1 octobre 2018 | Local, Naval
© 2018 FrontLine Defence (Vol 15, No 5) The Canadian Surface Combatant program is the largest and most complex procurement to be undertaken by the Canadian Government to date. This program intends to replace the existing Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) frigates (specializing in anti-submarine capabilities and multi-role mission support) and the now-retired destroyers (providing anti-air capabilities) with a fleet of 15 versatile new warships that will be in service to the mid 21st century, if not longer. As outlined in its defence policy, the Government remains committed to replacing the Navy's surface fleet with 15 surface combatants, which will all be built by Irving Shipbuilding as part of the “combatant” portion of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Although rumours are swirling about the possibility of two variants on a common platform, a DND spokesperson confirms that “the current requirement is that all 15 CSC ships will have the same capabilities: anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare as well as command and control.” The DND email to FrontLine goes on to say that “Funding has been set aside to deliver the full complement of ships the Royal Canadian Navy needs, in order to provide capability across the full range of operations. This will replace both the recently retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates with a single class of ship capable of meeting multiple threats on both the open ocean and the highly complex coastal (littoral) environment.” Full article: https://defence.frontline.online/article/2018/5/10490-CSC-2018-Evaluation-Stage
7 mars 2023 | Local, Autre défense
Le 7 mars 2023 – Kingston (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes Aujourd’hui, le premier ministre Justin Trudeau et la ministre de la Défense nationale Anita Anand ont annoncé que le Canada a envoyé sept techniciens médicaux et adjoints médicaux en provenance d’unités des Services de santé des Forces canadiennes (SSFC) des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) en Pologne, où ils aideront des membres des forces armées de l’Ukraine à acquérir les compétences nécessaires pour sauver des vies avec efficacité en situation de combat. Ces instructeurs en soins médicaux canadiens seront intégrés au programme d’instruction dirigé par la Pologne, qui est axé sur des compétences médicales tactiques avancées et met un accent particulier sur la survivabilité au combat. L’instruction commencera au début de mars et chaque cours devrait durer environ un mois. Le personnel des FAC participant à ce programme d’instruction provient d’unités partout au Canada. En outre, le Canada prolonge jusqu’en octobre 2023 ses efforts en cours pour former des sapeurs ukrainiens en Pologne dans le cadre de l’opération UNIFIER. Par l’entremise de cette formation offerte depuis l’automne 2022, environ 45 membres des FAC aident des sapeurs de combat ukrainiens à acquérir des compétences spécialisées portant notamment sur la reconnaissance technique et l’utilisation d’explosifs pour les travaux de démolition et de déminage. Depuis février 2022, le Canada s’est engagé à fournir plus d’un milliard de dollars en aide militaire à l’Ukraine. Ces dons comprennent huit chars de combat principaux Leopard 2, un véhicule blindé de dépannage, plus de 200 véhicules blindés, un système national de missiles surface-air perfectionné (NASAMS) accompagné de munitions, 39 véhicules blindés d’appui tactique, des armes antichars, des armes légères, des obusiers M777 accompagnés de munitions, des caméras pour drones à haute résolution, des vêtements d’hiver et plus encore. Citations « L’attaque de la Russie contre l’Ukraine est une attaque contre la démocratie, la liberté et la souveraineté. Devant cette guerre injuste et horrible, l’appui du Canada envers l’Ukraine demeure inébranlable. Grâce à des dons d’aide militaire, à la formation de sapeurs ukrainiens et, maintenant, à la formation d’Ukrainiens en premiers soins au combat, le Canada dote les forces armées de l’Ukraine des compétences et de l’équipement dont elles ont besoin pour gagner cette guerre et sauver des vies. Nous épaulerons l’Ukraine pendant aussi longtemps qu’il le faudra. » L’honorable Anita Anand, ministre de la Défense nationale Faits en bref Les membres des Forces armées canadiennes soutiennent les Forces armées ukrainiennes au Royaume-Uni et en Pologne dans le cadre de l’opération UNIFIER en leur offrant de l’instruction pour acquérir diverses compétences militaires. De 2015 à 2023, le Canada a formé plus de 35 000 membres des forces de sécurité de l’Ukraine dans le cadre de l’opération UNIFIER. Les Forces armées canadiennes contribuent à l’acheminement de l’aide militaire destinée à l’Ukraine en Europe depuis le Canada et au nom de nos Alliés et partenaires. Elles ont notamment transporté plus de sept millions de livres de dons militaires depuis mars 2022. https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2023/03/le-canada-envoie-des-instructeurs-en-soins-medicaux-en-appui-a-loperationunifier-et-prolonge-le-programme-de-formation-de-sapeurs-en-pologne.html