CAE announced the Canadian government has extended the contract for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program through to 2027. (DND PHOTO)
by David Pugliese
CAE ANNOUNCED the Canadian government has extended the contract for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program through to 2027. That contract extension includes a one-year option to extend through 2028 if necessary. CAE notes the deal is worth more than $550 million.
By extending the NFTC contract with CAE and aligning it with the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) program managed by KF Aerospace, the Canadian government now has both of its existing pilot training programs contracted through 2027, the firm noted. That will enable the government to conduct an orderly transition to the next-generation Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program when it is ready.
As the prime contractor, CAE operates the NFTC base facilities, delivers the ground-school classroom and simulator training, and supports the live flying training with a cadre of instructors on a fleet of Beechcraft T-6 (CT-156 Harvard) and BAE Systems Hawk (CT-155 Hawk) aircraft. CAE operates the NFTC program out of 15 Wing Moose Jaw in Saskatch- ewan and 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta in cooperation with the Canadian govern- ment. The NFTC program combines basic, advanced, and lead-in fighter training as part of the comprehensive military pilot training program.
Since NFTC program inception in 2000, more than 2,400 students have graduated to become military pilots and the fleet of CT- 156 Harvard and CT-155 Hawk aircraft have flown more than 450,000 hours, CAE stated.
SkyAlyne, a joint venture between two Canadian-based companies CAE and KF Aerospace, is one of two qualified bid- ders for the FAcT program. The second qualified bidder is Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training.
The Canadian government has awarded a contract to Nasittuq Corporation, an Inuit owned company, for the operation and maintenance of the North Warning System or NWS.
The NWS consists of a chain of re- motely operated radar stations in the Arctic, which provides aerospace surveil- lance of Canada’s and the United States’ northern approaches.
This new contract is for an initial period of seven years and is valued at $592 mil- lion. The contract also includes four two- year option periods for a total estimated value of $1.3 billion.
Under the contract, Nasittuq will be responsible for preventative and corrective maintenance for the NWS, and ensuring that NWS radar data is always available in support of NORAD and Canadian Armed Forces operations. This includes full logistics support, infrastructure and environmental stewardship, engineering and life cycle material management, and general program and project management.
A transition period between the existing contractor, Raytheon Canada Limited, and Nasittuq will begin on April 1, 2022 and is expected to be completed by September 30, 2022.
The NWS was constructed between 1986 and 1992, and uses a series of long and short-range air defence radar sites. Forty-seven of the 50 sites are located across the Canadian North, and are within Inuit Nunangat, across three Inuit Settlement Areas, represented by Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and the Nuna- tsiavut Government.
Radars are linked by a satellite com- munications network and are remotely monitored and controlled by NORAD from the Canadian Air Defence Sector, located at 22 Wing, North Bay, Ontario.
KWESST Micro Systems Inc. is as- sisting in the development of an initial prototype system that networks soldiers with information from various sources in real time, including the location of friendly forces and adversaries, and facilitates more effective and coordinated fire.
The first orders are for delivery over the course of 2022 by KWESST’s Digitization business unit. The company sees this work as an important showcase precursor for Canada’s next-generation Land Command Support System for various procurements planned under the Liberal government’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged as well as Canada’s Joint Fires Modern- ization Project. That project will enable tactical, operational and strategic fires and effects information to be shared through a digital network in near real-time. This capability will enable instantaneous sharing of the common operating picture including targets, friendly locations and command and control information.
The Liberal government will spend $50 million to purchase between 30 and 40 specialized Canadian-made cameras for Ukraine’s Bayraktar TB2 armed drones. The Bayraktar TB2 is built by Turkey and has been sold to Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Poland and a number of other nations.
The cameras for Ukraine will be purchased from L3Harris Wescam in Hamilton, ON.
In April 2021 then Foreign Affairs Minis- ter Marc Garneau put a halt to exports of the L3Harris Wescam cameras to Turkey for use in the Bayraktar TB2. The ban on exporting the sensors to Turkey came after the Canadian government determined the Baykar drones were used by Azeri forces fighting Armenia in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. “This use was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy, nor end-use assurances given by Turkey,” Garneau stated at the time.
The Canadian government has awarded a contract to Nasittuq Corporation, an Inuit owned company, for the operation and maintenance of the North Warning System or NWS. (PHOTO BY DAVID PUGLIESE)
The ban on exporting the cameras to Turkey will still remain in place.
Ukraine is believed to have around 50 of the Baykar TB2 drones, which they first bought in 2019.
MDA will provide space imagery to Ukraine’s government to help it counter Russia’s invasion of that country. Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA, released a statement that the company has secured special authorization from the Canadian government to collect synthetic aperture radar satellite imagery over Ukraine. “Images captured by MDA’s SAR technology, which is unique for its ability to see through all weather and cloud conditions, will be merged and analyzed with other sources of imagery from com- mercial Earth observation companies to develop comprehensive near real time intelligence reports for Ukrainian govern- ment officials,” he noted.
Canadian government sources say that RADARSAT-2 will be used to collect the data. “We’re honoured that we are able to use our radar satellite capabilities to contribute to these international efforts, and will continue doing everything in our power to help the Government of Ukraine protect its citizens,” Greenley added.
MDA’s imagery will be shared with a commercial space partner in the United States. The imagery will then be merged and analyzed with additional imagery collected by other Earth observation companies, and intelligence reports will then be shared with the Government of Ukraine. MDA has not released informa- tion on the other companies involved in this venture. MDA did not put any time- lines on the provision of space imagery to Ukraine and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
The Canadian government also an- nounced on March 3 that it would provide Ukraine with $1 million to use for the pur- chase of high-resolution satellite imagery. “Canada is providing funding to an Allied program that enables the rapid collection and dissemination of commercial satellite imagery to select partners,” explained De- partment of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier. “We cannot provide any more details as this is a sensitive Allied program.”
