By Jason Davis
Airbus highlighted on social media June 8 that it continues to make steady progress on the first A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force at is conversion centre in Getafe, Spain. The next major milestone for the tanker aircraft will be its maiden flight, according to Airbus.
Canada is acquiring nine aircraft under the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC) project to replace RCAF's existing Airbus CC-150 Polaris fleet. This includes four newly-built A330 MRTTs and five used A330-200s for MRTT conversion, according to the RCAF. The contract, worth $3 billion contract, was awarded to Airbus Defence and Space in 2023. The aircraft will be known as the CC-330 and will conduct roles such as in-flight refueling, cargo and troop transport, medical evacuation and strategic transport of Canadian government officials. One of the nine aircraft is configured for VIP transport, according to the RCAF.
Saab and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. announced they successfully completed the first flight of the world’s first unmanned Airborne Early Warning (AEW) solution. This flight was made possible by integrating Saab’s LoyalEye radar sensor with GA-ASI’s unmanned MQ-9B aircraft, the firms noted. The partnership, announced in 2025, aims to enhance airborne early warning surveillance capabilities to support critical decision-making.
On 19 May, Saab’s airborne early warning sensor, LoyalEye, successfully completed its first flight on an unmanned aircraft at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon facility in Southern California. This milestone marks the start of a several-month test evaluation phase, which will culminate in a full capability demonstration later this year, the two firms noted.
“LoyalEye on the MQ-9B offers critical airborne sensing, supporting extended persistence and operational reach,” said Carl Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s business area Surveillance.
SkyAlyne, a joint venture between CAE and KF Aerospace, has acquired the ASR-NG air traffic control (ATC) radar from HENSOLDT to support safe and efficient operations at 15 Wing Moose Jaw under the RCAF’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program.
The new ATC radar selected for 15 Wing Moose Jaw is the ASR- NG (Area Surveillance Radar – Next Generation) from the system sensor house HENSOLDT in Germany. The radar is the latest version of the ATC radars used at six RCAF locations and will enhance air safety of FAcT operations, according to SkyAlyne.
The primary radar of the ASR-NG features a special signal processing technology for wide-area air surveillance and for suppressing false signals, including those from wind turbines. Where, for example, previous generation radars have been dazzled and confused by the radar returns from wind farms, the processing within the ASR-NG provides safe air tracking.
The radar will be delivered by a joint Canadian and German team, under the leadership of SkyAlyne. The new ASR-NG system is expected to be installed and operational by the end of 2027.
The Canadian Commercial Corporation announced that De Havilland Canada (DHC) is on track to deliver the world’s most advanced, purpose‑built waterbomber to European partners. In 2024, CCC signed government-to-government contracts with six European countries for the first twenty Canadair 515. The contract is the largest purchase order in DHC’s history, and is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs across Canada.
CCC is Canada’s government to government contracting agency.
DHC’s Canadair 515 program continues to advance, marking an important milestone in Canada’s contribution to global aerial firefighting capabilities, the CCC noted. Designed and manufactured in Canada, the 515 builds on Canadair’s aerial firefighter lineage while incorporating modern avionics, enhanced safety features and updated production standards. The aircraft is purpose‑built to respond to the growing operational demands faced by firefighting agencies, as climate‑driven wildfire risks continue to escalate globally.
CCC officials noted that its contracting approach helped secure six individual government contracts, providing the certainty and scale necessary for DHC to establish the new Canadair 515 production line in Canada.
The Canadian Coast Guard officially welcomed Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Naalak Nappaaluk to its fleet at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Built at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, the CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk becomes the largest science vessel in the Government of Canada’s fleet and will support science missions on Canada’s Atlantic coast.
The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, an Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel, will support important ocean research, conduct critical missions, and improve Canada’s understanding of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
This vessel was built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy,
The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk will support the Government of Canada’s oceanographic science research for the next 30 years and beyond, as the Canadian Coast Guard’s primary east coast ocean science research vessel. It can accommodate up to 34 crew and 26 scientists. The ship features a large working deck capable of carrying a range of modular payloads to support its science missions, a large ocean sampling room, multiple laboratories, and cutting-edge technology to study and monitor ocean ecosystems. The vessel is equipped to support search and rescue missions and environmental response efforts, when needed.
The Canadian government announced May 22 that it was investing $816 million over seven years to strengthen maritime security and expand the Canadian Coast Guard’s role in monitoring Canada’s waters.
The money will go to finance key projects that will strengthen the Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic maritime domain awareness. The include the creation of a year-round Maritime Domain Awareness Hub in Iqaluit, Nunavut, for collecting and analyzing maritime intelligence; addition of reconnaissance equipment to helicopters operating across the country, including in the Arctic, to support security patrols; the establishment of four new Arctic long-range marine radar sites at strategic points along the Northwest Passage and the Hudson Strait; and acquisition of short- and medium-range endurance aerial, surface and subsurface drones to extend the reach of the Canadian Coast Guard from land or sea.
Voyageur Aviation Corp. is expanding its aircraft component support capabilities with the opening of a new, dedicated landing gear repair and overhaul facility in Ottawa, ONT., specializing in ATR regional aircraft. The new facility enhances Voyageur's established in‑house component programs and further strengthens its comprehensive repair and overhaul (R&O) capabilities.
