Lockheed C-130J not
entered in Canadian FWSAR competition
18 JANUARY, 2016 - BY: JAMES
DREW - WASHINGTON DC
Canada’s
decade-long quest to purchase a new fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR)
aircraft has come down to three contenders, the Embraer KC-390, Alenia
Aermacchi C-27J and Airbus Defence & Space C-295W.
Proposals were due in
mid-January, and Alenia and Airbus have both confirmed their entry to
Flightglobal. The jet-powered latecomer, the KC-390, has also reportedly been
submitted by Embraer.
The
winglet-enabled C259W and hardy C-27J have long been considered top candidates
to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's six de Havilland CC-115 Buffalos and 13
Lockheed Martin CC-130Hs, which currently perform the mission. Embraer’s
in-development military transport was announced as a candidate late last year,
promising to shake things up.
Public Works and Government
Services Canada (PWGSC) confirms that just three proposals were received, which
means the Bell-Boeing V-22 andViking Air's concept for a new-build DHC-5
Buffalo did not make surprise returns. Lockheed tells Flightglobal it decided
not to submit the C-130J – an odd twist in this procurement saga.
CC-115
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Super Hercules had long been
considered a prime contender, since US Air Force and Coast Guard HC-130Js have
been performing search-and-rescue missions for some years, and Lockheed had
participated in FWSAR as a “potential bidder”.
“After following an extensive
and thorough analysis of the request for proposal’s requirements, we decided to
not submit a formal response to Canada’s FWSAR RFP,” a company spokeswoman said
on 18 January. “We remain fully committed to supporting the RCAF and its
CC-130J fleet as it continues to perform the tactical transport role in Canada
for decades to come.”
The decision not to bid comes as
the new government in Canada prepares to withdraw from the Lockheed F-35
programme and launch a competition. The previous government had wanted 65
Lightning IIs to replace the outdated Boeing CF-18 Hornets.
According to the PWGSC, the
evaluation process including aircraft testing will take “about six months” and
a contract award is expected in "late 2016 or early 2017".
That aircraft testing might be
tricky for Embraer, since the KC-390 first flew in February 2015 and the
initial examples are devoted to flight certification. Brazil expects to begin
operating the type in 2018.
Now valued at $3.1 billion, the
FWSAR programme is one of Canada’s longest running aircraft acquisition
debacles. Canada first announced its requirement for a new fixed-wing SAR
platform in 2002, but the project has been delayed, cancelled and revived many
times over.
The government had said it would
consider mixed-fleet proposals and did not specify a certain number of
aircraft.
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