Team Spartan announced it will put its training facility for the fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) program at 19 Wing in Comox, BC, as well as assembling a Canadian-based team that will build and oversee the training and support for the C-27J if the aircraft is chosen by the government for the program.
The team announced that Kanata, Ontario-based DRS Technologies Canada Ltd., a Leonardo Company, will be the Team Spartan systems integrator for the training systems, leading the corps of Canadian-based specialized and experienced training and simulation partners and suppliers.
“By partnering with respected and experienced Canadian companies on this program DRS will provide an exceptional end-to-end training solution for the Royal Canadian Air Force aircrews and maintenance personnel,” said Steve Zuber, vice president and general manager of DRS Technologies Canada Ltd.
Flight crews will have to go through full training at the new facility housed at the training centre at CFB Comox. DRS is working with Calgary, Alberta-based ATCO Structures and Logistics to design, build and maintain the three-story training centre. The modular facility will also include space for flight simulators, cockpit procedures trainers, and the aircraft maintenance trainer. ATCO is an award-winning company in modular design, and building the facility in this way saves project time and money because site preparation occurs while the buildings are being manufactured and there are fewer delays, such as weather. Site installation is also much faster than the typical building construction because of the ease of construction in modular building. ATCO has experience building these high-performance and efficient buildings around the world, and DRS says the modular system was an obvious choice for cost and quality.
The training facility will house the simulators, and DRS has tapped St. Laurent, QC-based TRU Simulation + Training to design the various simulators from flight to sensor systems to maintenance as well as the courseware that will be incorporated into the simulators. The Textron-owned company has vast experience in commercial, military and civil simulator and courseware solutions not only with Canadian customers, but around the world.
The designs for the courseware by TRU and DRS will then be handed to Bluedrop Training & Simulation. The Halifax, NS-based company will be responsible for developing the courseware that air and maintenance crews will train on inside the simulators and printed material for classroom instruction. Bluedrop’s Defense and Aerospace Unit will lead the development and is a leader in producing mission-critical training solutions for defense, aerospace and security companies.
