20 août 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
SkyAlyne, a partnership between Canadian aviation and defence companies CAE and KF Aerospace, has officially unveiled its expanded team of strategic subcontractors to pursue the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program. SkyAlyne is a qualified supplier for the FAcT program.
Canadian-based companies ATCO Frontec, Bluedrop Training and Simulation, Canadian Base Operators, Canadian Helicopters, and SERCO Canada will add considerable expertise, experience and Canadian content to SkyAlyne's bid. PAL Aerospace is a notable new addition to the SkyAlyne team, bringing unparalleled Canadian experience in airborne surveillance and intelligence operations, sensor operator training, mission systems development and aircraft modification capabilities.
The SkyAlyne team collectively employs more than 14,000 Canadians and operates in every region of Canada — from coast to coast to coast.
“We are pleased to officially announce our pan-Canadian team of experienced partners,” said SkyAlyne board chair Tracy Medve. “Our goal is to work with the Royal Canadian Air Force to continue providing a world-class aircrew training program built by Canadians for Canadians. These partnerships will strengthen SkyAlyne's position and help us move towards our objective to retain this crucial military capability in Canada.”
As the only Canadian-founded and Canadian-based qualified supplier competing for the FAcT program, SkyAlyne has unique experience and expertise in military pilot and aircrew training specifically for the RCAF. SkyAlyne's parent companies – CAE and KF Aerospace – currently deliver all phases of pilot training for the Royal Canadian Air Force through the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program based in Moose Jaw, Sask./Cold Lake, Alta., and the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) program based in Southport, Man., respectively.
The subcontractors announced as part of the SkyAlyne team have extensive experience working with the RCAF. Most also currently support the existing training programs managed by CAE and KF Aerospace.
“This agreement further ensures that the FAcT program benefits from the very latest Canadian expertise and innovation in aircrew training,” said SkyAlyne president France Hébert. “If selected, SkyAlyne will train the next generation of Royal Canadian Air Force airwomen and airmen while helping grow Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses as well as local and Indigenous communities. The selection of the SkyAlyne team would be a win-win for the Royal Canadian Air Force and for the Canadian aerospace industry.”
14 juin 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
DND said the RCAF was unable to participate because 'many of our aircraft and personnel are currently committed to modernization activities'
12 août 2022 | Local, Aérospatial
LGen Eric Kenny has assumed command of the Royal Canadian Air Force from LGen Al Meinzinger.
5 juin 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
Team Invictus brings together programmatic and operational expertise to deliver a transformational, affordable scout aircraft to soldiers, the Bell 360 Invictus Fort Worth, Texas (June 4, 2020) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has announced agreements with nine premier aerospace industry leaders to form Team Invictus. The companies are producing the Bell 360 Invictus prototype submission as part of the U.S. Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. Each industry partner brings unique experience and technological expertise to provide a low-risk path for the Army's acquisition of a lethal, affordable rotorcraft with advanced mission systems to modernize aviation for multi-domain operations (MDO). “Team Invictus is working together to show how cutting-edge technology will give soldiers the ability to confidently operate in the complex and contested battlespace of multi-domain operations,” said Chris Gehler, vice president and program director for FARA at Bell. “Future Vertical Lift is critical for the Army's ability to win in multi-domain operations with FARA defeating defensive layers and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) exploiting opened areas to achieve operational objectives.” Team members are working closely together to deliver the Bell 360 Invictus prototype using a configuration that emphasizes operational availability, sustainability, and maintainability. The members of Team Invictus include: Astronics Corporation for a modular framework of airframe power generation, conversion, and distribution products Collins Aerospace for integration of a new generation of avionics hardware and software featuring cyber-hardened and digital backbone solutions to configure and integrate mission systems GE Aviation for the 3,000-SHP T901 engine and working on the aircraft Health Awareness System (HAS) ITT-Enidine Inc. for the passive Liquid Inertia Vibration Eliminator (LIVE) units for all modes of operation including high speed L3Harris Technologies for the WESCAM™ MX-15D, an advanced, stabilized multi-sensor, multi-spectral imaging and targeting system Parker Lord for rotor dampers, the main rotor CF bearing, the tail rotor tension torsion strap, and the Active Vibration Control (AVC) System Mecaer Aviation Group, Inc. for a fully retractable, tail dragger landing gear system MOOG Inc. for flight control computer (FCC) electronics, software, and flight control actuation, critical components of the Bell fly-by-wire, Flight Control System (FCS) TRU Simulation + Training for a high-fidelity flight simulator that gives pilots a true sense of the aircraft flight controls Team Invictus is applying digital design and manufacturing technologies, including maintenance as part of the design process, and use of emerging commercial practices to bring a holistic view of digital models, processing and analysis to reduce lifecycle maintenance and servicing requirements—and thus reducing sustainment costs. “Each team member brings a capability that is vital to the success of the Bell 360 and we are honored to have proven, capable, and well-respected industry partners on Team Invictus,” stated Gehler. “This is an outstanding industry team, and we are working diligently to produce a FARA weapon system that is operationally effective and affordably sustainable, as well as complementary and in many ways common to the FLRAA program.” Following the selection of the Bell 360 Invictus for the competitive prototype in March 2020, Team Invictus continues to rapidly move forward. Team Invictus' collective expertise reduces program risk while preserving the Army's FARA schedule leading to a first flight targeted for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. To learn more about Bell 360 Invictus and FVL, please visit the Bell 360 Invictus website, and follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. https://news.bellflight.com/en-US/189083-bell-teams-with-industry-leaders-for-u-s-army-future-attack-reconnaissance-aircraft-program