C295W CHOSEN: Airbus Defence and Space Canada's aircraft wins contract for FWSAR

(Volume 23-12)

By David Pugliese

It took more than 12 years for the process to unfold, but the Royal Canadian Air Force is finally getting a new search and rescue aircraft.

Procurement Minister Judy Foote and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced December 8 that the government had selected the Airbus C295W aircraft for its new fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) plane.

The RCAF will receive 16 C295Ws modified for search and rescue. The contract will also include in-service support, provided through a joint venture between Airbus Defence and Space and PAL Aerospace.

“This aircraft is a game-changer for search and rescue in Canada,” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told journalists during the announcement at Trenton, Ontario. A $2.4-billion contract was awarded, which includes the acquisition of the aircraft, the construction of a new training facility at Comox, B.C., as well as the first five years of support and maintenance. The contract also includes options to extend support and maintenance services for an additional 15 years. That would bring the total value of the contract to $4.7-billion.

“I’m very proud as a Canadian working for Airbus,” Simon Jacques, head of Airbus Defence and Space in Canada, said of the selection.

“This aircraft is already a Canadian aircraft — it is 20 per cent Canadian,” he noted in an interview with Esprit de Corps.

Every C295 is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines; pilots and technicians will be trained at a new facility developed by CAE in Comox, B.C.; and the electro-optical systems for the aircraft will be provided by L-3 WESCAM of Burlington, Ontario. In-service support for the life of the program will be provided by AirPro, a joint venture between Airbus Defence and Space and PAL Aerospace of St John’s, Newfoundland.

The federal government noted additional industry partners which will contribute to maintain this capability include Heroux-Devtek to repair landing gear; Hope Aero to repair propellers; Sonovision for technical publications; CLS Lexi-Tech for translation of publications; and Precision Aero to repair component parts on the aircraft.

In 2019, the first aircraft will be delivered and training will have started. The RCAF expects delivery of the final aircraft in 2022.

When the contract is finalized, 185 C295s will have been ordered by 25 countries.

The C295 was selected over the C-27J aircraft from Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica). An official from Leonardo said the firm would not be commenting until it had a briefing from government officials on the project.

Bids for both aircraft were found compliant.

Embraer of Brazil also bid its KC-390 for the Canadian program. Government officials said only two bids were compliant, indicating that the Embraer aircraft was eliminated early in the competition.

Jacques said his firm put together a strong industrial package, a good price and had a proven aircraft that was operational in 24 countries.

“We had a good Canadian aircraft and that was the edge,” he explained to Esprit de Corps. “It was low risk. Our mission system was already integrated with our aircraft. We’ve always [had] strong IRBs (industrial regional benefits).”

Jacques also noted the C295 is also the lower cost aircraft to operate among the competitors. “Overall, the government did it on best value,” he added. The new planes will replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 40-year-old Buffalo aircraft and older model C-130s currently assigned to search and rescue duties.

The project originally envisioned acquiring 17 aircraft, but that was changed to be capability based.

Under that arrangement, aerospace firms submitted in their bids the numbers of aircraft they believed were needed for Canada to handle its search and rescue capability.

The new aircraft will be stationed at the current main operating bases in Comox, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Trenton, Ontario; and Greenwood, Nova Scotia.

A request for proposals was issued on March 31, 2015, and potential bidders had until January 11, 2016 to provide their proposals. The evaluation of the bids included ground and flight-testing of the C295 and C-27J at the manufacturers’ facilities.

The Canadian government originally announced its intention in the spring of 2004 to buy a fleet of new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft but the purchase has been on and off ever since.

The Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) Project as it was called was sidelined over the years by more urgent purchases of equipment for Canada’s Afghanistan mission as well as complaints made in the House of Commons by domestic aerospace firms as well as Airbus that the RCAF favoured the C-27J aircraft for the FWSAR plane.

The RCAF strenuously denied any preference for an aircraft.

Super Hornets On The Way!

(Volume 23-12)

By David Pugliese

In the coming years, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s roundel will be affixed to Boeing’s Super Hornet fighter jet.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Procurement Minister Judy Foote announced on November 22 the government’s decision to enter into discussions with the U.S. aerospace firm and the American government for the eventual purchase of 18 F/A-18 Super Hornets.

During the announcement, the ministers noted that only after the government was satisfied on price and other issues would it then consider buying the jets.

But defence and industry sources say that, unless there is a major and totally unforeseen issue in the process, Canada will indeed acquire the Super Hornets.

Sajjan has called the purchase an “interim” measure until a competition can be held for a new fighter jet fleet. He blamed the previous Conservative government for mismanaging the fighter jet replacement, and through their inaction on replacing the existing CF-18s, creating a hole in Canada’s defences.

“Because they were not replaced we now have a capability gap,” Sajjan said.

So as a result, the Super Hornets will be used to augment the existing CF-18 fleet, which is now 35 years old.

Boeing’s Super Hornet has been on the radar for the Liberals for at least a year. During the federal election the party highlighted the aircraft as a cheaper alternative to the F-35, while claiming it had no preference for a specific plane.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, with advice from Sajjan, had been leaning towards the Super Hornet option starting in May, sources add. The Liberals first floated the idea of an interim purchase of Super Hornets in June but the proposal seemed to disappear in the face of opposition in the House of Commons.

However, it never left the agenda, say government insiders.

Asked why the Super Hornet was selected, Foote said Canada needs “a plane that’s not in development” — a pointed dig at the Lockheed Martin F-35, which the Liberals contend is still a developmental aircraft.

“The Super Hornet is not in development and we needed a plane that wasn’t in development,” Foote repeated a number of times in the news conference to announce the Super Hornet deal.

But journalists also pointed out that European aircraft — the Gripen, Typhoon and Rafale — were also mature planes and not in development.

It was here that Foote highlighted the perspective of not only government but of the RCAF senior leadership.

“We’re working with the American government, so we have to look at an American plane,” Foote explained.

Sajjan also highlighted that aspect, adding that interoperability in the U.S.–Canada North American Aerospace Defence Command, or NORAD, is “extremely important.”

“We, based on the analysis that has been provided, believe the Super Hornet meets those needs,” Sajjan said.

In addition, Foote rejected criticism that the Liberals were providing Boeing with a major advantage in the eventual competition for the future fighter aircraft fleet. Not only would the RCAF have the infrastructure in place to handle the Super Hornets, but pilots would already be trained on the aircraft, making them an obvious choice for the future fighter jet. But Foote dismissed claims those issues give Boeing an edge.

“We’re not stacking the deck in favour of Boeing anymore than we are in favour of Lockheed Martin by staying in the Joint Strike Fighter program,” Foote said.

Sajjan said the 18 Super Hornets would significantly lessen the risks associated with a capability gap. Bringing in the new aircraft as soon as possible will have real operational benefits, he added.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance had nothing but praise for the Liberal government’s decision. “This announcement represents a firm commitment to Canadian air power for decades to come and a crucial investment in the defence of Canada,” he said. “This is indeed a great day for the Canadian Armed Forces and for the Royal Canadian Air Force.”

Still unknown, however, are the costs, delivery dates and industrial benefits associated with the proposed purchase. Foote said the government has a sense of what the Super Hornets will cost but still has to enter into negotiations with Boeing.

“It’s really important for us to be able to sit down with them, see what they can provide, what the best service we can get from them in terms of capability,” she said. “So we will have that discussion with them during the negotiations. And after that, of course, once we’re convinced that they can do the job that needs to be done, at a price that’s fair for Canadians, then that price will be made public.”

Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, said Boeing would be required to invest dollar-for-dollar into the Canadian economy the value of the Super Hornet purchase. “When we talk about economic benefit, we want to see what is the best possible outcome for Canadian businesses, and of course, the jobs associated with that,” he added.

So what happens now?

“PSPC (Public Services and Procurement Canada), in consultation with the Department of National Defence and Innovation, Science and Economic Development, will engage with the U.S. government and the aircraft manufacturer regarding an interim fighter capability,” explained PSPC spokesman Jean-François Létourneau. “These discussions will focus on issues such as cost, delivery timelines, any required modifications to the aircraft, among other items.”

Létourneau said following the discussions, PSPC will draft a Letter of Request to the U.S. government, which will provide Canada with the aircraft.

The 18 aircraft will be a standard Super Hornet variant, a DND official told Esprit de Corps. The purchase would not include the Growler electronic warfare variant purchased by Australia.

It is not known when the negotiations for the aircraft would be finished. Industry sources say it will take about two years from the contact signing to the delivery of the first planes.

Boeing spokesman D. Scott Day noted that the Super Hornet can fulfill Canada’s “immediate needs for sovereign and North American defence.”

Day added that the “Super Hornet’s advanced operational capabilities, low acquisition and sustainment costs, and Boeing’s continued investment in the Canadian aerospace industry — US$6-billion over the past five years alone, especially in Winnipeg and Manitoba — make the Super Hornet the perfect complement to Canada’s current and future fighter fleet.”

Boeing also highlights the work Canadian firms currently do on a variety of its aircraft. In all, some 2,000 Canadians are employed by the firm.

Day pointed out that, as of September 2016, more than 720 Super Hornets and Growlers have been delivered, all on cost and on schedule.

Meanwhile, Boeing is already setting the stage for support and industrial benefits to Canada. On November 28 it announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with L-3 MAS under which the companies will collaborate on production and support of the F/A-18 Super Hornet should Canada move forward with the acquisition of the 18 aircraft.

“Boeing has a long-term commitment to Canada, and as we prepare for the potential procurement of Super Hornets, we aim to continue to bring meaningful and beneficial work opportunities to companies throughout the country,” Jim Barnes, Boeing’s director of Global Marketing for Canada, said in a statement. “Our work with L-3 MAS is just one example of how we leverage the breadth and depth of Canadian industry to support the country’s air force.”

L-3 MAS is one of more than 560 Boeing suppliers across Canada that support the firm’s various commercial and defence platforms.

In October 1986, L-3 MAS was awarded an integrated technical support contract for the CF-18 Hornet, an aircraft that was first produced by McDonnell Douglas before the company merged with Boeing in 1996. Currently, L-3 MAS also provides technical publications and support test equipment for Canada’s Chinook helicopter program.

“Over the past 30 years, L-3 MAS has demonstrated that it has the experience and capabilities needed to support the Super Hornet platform,” Jack House, vice president of Boeing Defense, Space & Security Supplier Management, said in a statement. “We’re confident that this MoU will help us to identify key areas of collaboration and further establish the Canada-based supply team who will provide support to the greater Super Hornet industry team.”

THE AIRCRAFT

The F/A-18 Super Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather multirole fighter jet. Boeing offers a suite of upgrades to the F/A-18 Super Hornet, including conformal fuel tanks, an enclosed weapons pod, an enhanced engine and a reduced radar signature. These capabilities, along with other advanced technologies, offer U.S. and international customers a menu of next-generation capabilities to affordably outpace future threats, according to Boeing.

Boeing officials point out their aircraft is combat-proven and, with orders from the U.S. Navy and other nations, will be operating into the 2040s.

The company also highlighted the fact that the aircraft’s two engines provide added safety for Arctic operations.

The jet has its landing gear designed to take the pounding of short landings on aircraft carriers, a design that works nicely with the forward operating locations in Canada’s Arctic, company officials note.

Another feature is that the Super Hornet can act as a refueller for other Super Hornets, extending its range significantly.

In addition, since the RCAF already operates the CF-18 Hornet, there should be a smooth training transition for the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The aircraft can also make use of Canada’s existing infrastructure.  

Replacing Canada's Fighter: The Top five contenders

By David Pugliese

The Canadian government is reviewing the information it received in the summer from five aerospace firms on the aircraft that could be considered as potential replacements for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 fighter jets.

But outside of acknowledging that review, how the Liberal government will proceed with replacing the aging CF-18s is still a large unknown.

In July 2010 the Conservative government officially announced it planned to buy 65 F-35A fighters to replace the CF-18s, but they put that on hold as technical and cost issues emerged and the acquisition became a political liability.

During last year’s federal election the Liberals announced they would not purchase the F-35 if they came to power. Instead, a less expensive fighter jet would be bought through a competition, they said. The Liberals’ promise of a competition seemed to fall by the wayside in early June when it emerged the government was prepared to move forward on a proposal to sole source the purchase of Boeing Super Hornets as an “interim” fighter jet for Canada. Most reports at the time indicated a purchase of 28 or 29 aircraft, but some sources say the deal would have covered up to 48 planes.

The proposal was scuttled when the Ottawa Citizen newspaper broke the story, prompting criticism of the Liberals in the Commons by opposition MPs who accused the government of putting politics before military needs.

The Liberals then proceeded with a request to companies to fill out a detailed questionnaire outlining the capabilities of their aircraft, costs, and industrial benefits that might come to Canadian firms in the event of a purchase of jets. Some of the information requested included the cost of weapons and an outline of potential missions, including operations in the Arctic. The information required was similar to what the previous Conservative government asked for during its review of the CF-18 replacement program.

Interestingly, the Liberal government told the companies that even though information was being gathered, “all procurement options are being considered.”

The companies responded with detailed packages to government at the end of July. Boeing submitted information on its Super Hornet jet, Lockheed Martin provided information on the F-35A, Dassault responded with the data on the Rafale, Eurofighter with the Typhoon, and the Saab Group offered details on the Gripen aircraft.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said he wants to act quickly on moving forward with a CF-18 replacement, suggesting that an open competition is his preferred choice. But despite his talk about the need for urgency for a replacement program, he has been vague on what comes next in the process.

“It all depends on a lot of the information that we do collect, but it is going to be months, not years definitely because of the urgency for this,” he recently explained. “I can’t give you a precise date, but like I said it will be in the months coming.”

Defence sources say a new statement of operational requirements will have to be drawn up before any competition could be started.

Some Department of National Defence sources point to a recent report by the Commons defence committee as providing insight on some issues that will be considered in a new statement of requirements and how the procurement process might unfold.

The report from the Liberal-dominated committee, which outlined recommendations for North American air defence, called on the government to decide within the next year on a CF-18 replacement. (Whether it is even possible to run a competition and make a decision within a 12-month time period is open to question, but the recommendation gives a sense on how Liberals view the urgency of the replacement.)

The other recommendations included:

Any new fighter aircraft should be interoperable with U.S. aircraft.

A CF-18 replacement should be able to use to a high degree Canada’s existing fighter jet infrastructure.

The new jet would have “well-defined capital and sustainment costs as to not jeopardize the recapitalization of other much-needed military equipment.”

It would possess an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and beyond line of sight communication equipment. AESA radar is easier to maintain, provides increased performance through longer detection range, has improved intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and can be used for electronic attack.

Pilot safety should be a key consideration for operations in the far north. The recommendation, however, does not stipulate either a one- or two-engine fighter aircraft.

Aircraft must satisfy both Canada’s international and domestic needs, but also be capable of effectively exercising Canada’s sovereignty in the high Arctic.

Conservative Party defence critic James Bezan tried to determine the extent of information gathered by the Department of National Defence before the questionnaire was submitted by the companies as well as any insight on DND’s views on how the process was proceeding.

His questions, submitted to Parliament, are required to be answered, but in this case the Department of National Defence’s refusal to provide any details was telling. Bezan requested DND’s current estimated per unit cost for the Super Hornet, F-35A, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, as well as the rationale behind a Super Hornet interim purchase, and the cost estimates of flying a mixed fleet of CF-18s and Super Hornets.

Jack Crisler, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of F-35 business development, said firms held meetings with Canadian officials at the July 2016 Farnborough International Airshow and have been given an opportunity to ask for clarification on some of the questions the government wanted answered.

Companies have been told that the information isn’t binding, he added.

But Crisler said the good news for Lockheed Martin is that Defence Minister Sajjan is talking about a fair and open competition.

“It looks like we’re being included so we look forward to competing on that basis,” Crisler explained. “I’m certainly more optimistic than I was in December 2015.”

Crisler added: “The minister has said he wants a fair, transparent and open competition. We welcome that.”

Roberto Valla, Boeing’s vice president of global sales in Canada, said the government’s questionnaire was very detailed. Valla and other industry officials say the Liberals have been very consistent with their message that all options for the fighter replacement are still on the table.

Valla said he expects the fighter jet replacement file will move quickly forward. “There is definitely a sense of urgency,” he explained. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we will see something by the end of the year.”