This article was originally published in WINGS Magazine on September 11, 2024.
Bill Blair, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, on May 29, 2024, at the CANSEC defence trade show in Ottawa, Ont., outlined the details of a 25-year, $11.2 billion contract being awarded to SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership for the Future Aircrew Training program. It is part of the largest recapitalization of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) since the Second World War. Since 2022 alone, the Government of Canada has finalized the procurement or upgrade of approximately 140 new aircraft for the RCAF, highlighted by F-35 future fighters and P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft.
Under the new Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program contract, Canada will acquire more than 70 training aircraft in total, split into five fleets. This includes fleets of Grob G120TP, Pilatus PC-21, Beechcraft King Air 260, Airbus Helicopters H135, and De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft equipped with a mission training system in the cabin. The contract also includes classroom instruction, simulator and flight training, as well as numerous on-site support activities for prospective RCAF Pilots, Air Combat Systems Officers, and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators. Training under this new contract will continue to take place at key locations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, building on an existing foundation, and is expected to be operational in 2029.
Initial aircrew training for Pilots, Air Combat System Officers, and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators will be conducted at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, and 402 Squadron, at 17 Wing Winnipeg, Manitoba. FAcT is a next generation training program following what is currently provided through in-house delivery by the RCAF, as well as two separate contracts for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (operated by CAE Inc.) and Contracted Flying Training and Support (operated by KF Aerospace) programs. The FAcT program, explains the Government of Canada, has the potential to create or maintain 3,400 jobs and contribute $405 million annually into Canada’s gross domestic product over a 25-year period.
