“Extensive discussion and planning determined that upgrading the CH-149 fully to the Norwegian variant of the AW101 was not a cost-effective solution to effectively meet the RCAF’s needs,” a spokesperson for National Defence said at the time. In July 2021, however, the government conceded that it had reached an impasse in its negotiations with Leonardo. The squadron currently supports SAR calls with a fleet of five much smaller CH-146 Griffons - a variant of the Bell 412 - across a search area of more than 10 million square kilometers that includes the Great Lakes and Arctic Ocean. “Using this already established configuration accelerates the project considerably,” PSPC stated.Īt the same time, the department said it would seek to expand the fleet by as many as seven new helicopters, allowing the RCAF to return the Cormorant to 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario. In May 2018, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) announced it would begin sole-source talks with Leonardo for an upgrade program after the Italian company submitted an unsolicited proposal the month before to bring the current CH-149 fleet of 14 aircraft up to the same standard as the new Norwegian AW101-612 All-Weather Search-and-Rescue Helicopter.
The RCAF is adding three new CH-149 helicopters to its existing fleet of 13, and the existing fleet is to receive a “mid-life upgrade.” Mike Reyno Photo
The two contracts, valued at up to C$1.24 billion, cap a lengthy and, at times, difficult negotiation with Leonardo to find a solution within the government’s budget that also met RCAF requirements. and Montreal-based CAE to upgrade systems, sensors, engines, and the airframe of the 20-year-old Cormorants to the latest standard of the AW101 helicopter, and deliver a flight simulator to a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) training center. In December, the federal government awarded contracts to Leonardo U.K.
Over the next six years, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fleet of CH-149 Cormorants will receive what is being called a “mid-life upgrade.” In reality, the overhaul program will deliver an almost brand-new search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter. Estimated reading time 19 minutes, 58 seconds.
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