Canada’s controversial purchase of airlifters and helicopters from the U.S. continues to generate business for the country’s training industry.

In addition to a 250 million Canadian dollar ($236 million) contract to provide aircrew training for a fleet of 15 new Boeing CH-147F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, CAE has also received a 90 million Canadian dollar addition to its CC-130J airlifter aircrew training contract to provide maintenance technician training.

The 20-year CH-147F Operational Training Systems Provider (OSTP) contract includes a weapon system trainer, fixed and deployable tactical flight training devices, an integrated gunnery trainer, laptop- and desktop-based virtual simulators, and courseware. Following delivery of the equipment in early 2014, CAE will begin providing aircrew training.

The training management information system, tactical control center and databases will be common across the CC-130J and CH-147F aircrew training programs, CAE says.

CAE was awarded the 20-year, 329.5 million Canadian dollar OSTP contract for the Canadian Forces’ fleet of 17 new Lockheed Martin CC-130J Hercules airlifters in February 2009. That contract includes two full-mission simulators, one flight training device, three integrated procedures trainers, a fuselage trainer and construction of a new Tactical Airlift Training Centre in Trenton, Ontario. Aircraft training is to begin in the second half of 2012.

The new contract covers a CC-130J maintenance training suite that includes two fuselage systems and servicing training devices, an integrated cockpit systems training device, laptop- and desktop-based virtual maintenance trainers, courseware and schoolhouse. From 2013 to mid-2016, CAE will manage in-service support for the maintenance training program at CFB Trenton.

The purchase of CH-147Fs and CC-130Js direct from U.S. production lines generated a political backlash in Canada because of the limited potential for local industrial involvement. Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin promised to place the bulk of in-service support work with Canadian companies, and so far CAE has been the major beneficiary.

CAE leads a team of Canadian suppliers that includes a number of smaller companies such as Atlantis Systems’ Eduplus (ASE) division, which is supplying courseware for CC-130J aircrew training. ASE has delivered aircraft commander, first officer and loadmaster training plans and is beginning work on computer-based, instructor-led and mission briefing courseware for first officer and loadmaster training.

Atlantis Systems, meanwhile, is to supply a Level 5 flight training device for the Grob 120 primary trainer to the Canada Wings Aviation Training Centre in Southport, Manitoba. Part of the Kelowna Flightcraft-led Allied Wings team that provides contracted flight training for the Canadian Forces, Atlantis is responsible for the ground-based training system.

CAE, meanwhile has also added a new C-130H full-mission simulator at its training center for the Hercules airlifter in Tampa, Fla. The device joins the C-130E/H full-flight simulators already operational in Tampa. The new simulator features CAE’s Medallion 6000 visual system and True electric motion base, and represents a C-130H upgraded with Canadian company Esterline CMC Electronics’ glass-cockpit avionics.

— Karen Walker