This Background Index covering Canadian
Forces airlifters – transport aircraft flying in both the tactical and strategic roles – has been
rationalized. The earlier pages covering candidates for the Airlift Capability Project contests – Strategic and
Tactical – have now been removed. Summary pages will be prepared in the future for both the ACP-S and
ACP-T projects and their procurement outcomes.
Strategic Airlift – Liberal FTA and Tory 'Airlift Capability Project - Strategic'
CF strategic airlift was covered by the aborted 'Future Strategic Aircraft ' project which was revived
by the Harper Conservatives as the Airlift Capability Project - Strategic. FTA had danced around alternatives to the
desired Boeing C-17. The ACP-S went directly to an Advance Contract Award Notice resulting in CC-177s.
Strategic Airlifter (Procurement Documents)
• Advance Contract Award Notice for the Airlift Capability
Project – Strategic
ACP-S ACAN resulting in the order for four Boeing CC-177
Globemaster IIIs
• Contract Award Notice for ACP-Strategic –
Boeing C-17 Gov't news release
• C-17 Globemaster III Support
US Foreign Military Sales contract for ACP-S
• CC-177 Support Equipment ACAN
Recovery equipment for crashed airlifters
• CC-177 Cargo Loading System
44K 'Truck Aircraft Side Load/Unload Loader'
• CC-177 Industrial Regional Benefits
Funding for SFU/UBC visual analytics
Backing up the four CC-177s is the Strategic Airlift Interim Solution. SALIS is a European-based NATO
organization which Canada joined, giving access to 125 strategic airlift flying hours per annum on 6 leased Antonov
An-124-100 aircraft.
• SALIS: NATO's Strategic Airlift Interim
Solution Leased Antonov An-124s
Tactical Airlift – Hercules Replacement and Airlift Capability Project-Tactical
Tactical airlift procurement followed a similar trajectory to strategic. Successive Liberal governments tried
to avoid the Hercules replacement hot potato despite regular public relations embarassments. A 2005 decision
to deploy to Kandahar finally pushed the Hercules replacement nearer to the top of their priority list. In
Nov. 2005, a deal was announced with Lockheed Martin for 16 C-130J Hercules.
The least appealing aspect of this Liberal plan was that then-MND, Bill Graham, bundled Hercules
replacement together with the ill-considered FWSAR project. The Liberal deal – denounced as
"sole-sourcing" – was cancelled soon after the Harper Conservatives took power. The Tactical
Airlift Project became the Tories' Airlift Capability Project - Tactical ending in the Jan 2008 order for
17 C-130J-30s.
Tactical Airlifters (Procurement Documents, News Releases, &
Background)
•
ACP-Tactical Request for 'Letters of Interest' Hercules replacement
• Announcement of Lockheed Martin C-130J-30
purchase News release
• Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules
FWSAR – the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Project and its Tactical Aspects
Though tempting to simply ignore the drawn-out Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue project, FWSAR does involve several
transport aspects. First, one major rational for FWSAR is sparing the Hercules fleet – both retained
'H models and CC-130Js bought under ACP-T – from the wear-and-tear and high operating costs of SAR
missions ( the idea being that new FWSAR aircraft would be primary responders with Hercules transports
providing SAR back-up like other available CF aircraft).
New FWSAR aircraft would also have their own tactical transport role. This is, in part, inherited from the Arctic
supply role currently performed by the existing CF FWSAR types. But the so-called FWNOR project to replace CC-138 Twin Otters as Northern fixed-wing utility
aircraft has also been rolled into FWSAR (this may lead to the absurd situation of replacing float- and
ski-capable Twin Otters with the Air Force's desired C-27J Spartans which weighs almost five times as much).
Despite the FWSAR project remaining unfilled, the Alenia C-27J Spartan can be mentioned specifically
because of another FWSAR transport stipulation. Under FWSAR requirements, points will be given to types able to
transport a complete replacement propeller for a similar aircraft. Only the C-27J can do this (which has lead to
speculation that this FWSAR requirement was written around the C-27J in the first place). In any case,
all FWSAR aircraft will be based in the south with tactical airlift – Arctic or otherwise – comprising
a minor part of this $6B project.
FWSAR – Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Project (Background /
ModProp)
• FWSAR – Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue
Project Background article
• FWSAR CC-115 Buffalo
Arctic Supply Arctic Sovereignty Implications
Also see Rethinking Search and Rescue and
Interim FWSAR & Arctic Utility |