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Background —
Aerial Electronic Warfare Training — CATS / ICATS |
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Aerial EW Training and Public/Private Partnerships – "... great open spaces where cats are cats."
In 1999, DND decided to end the CF's aerial electronic warfare training capability as an economy measure. In 2000,
the CE-144 Challengers were stood down, these
aircraft being officially retired in January 2001. In 2002, the CE-133 Silver Star fleet followed. Both types
were offered for sale by Crown Assets – through Lancaster Aviation. Surplus Challenger bizjets sold
quickly but the CT-133s lingered. Unfortunately, selling off the Silver Stars was the cornerstone of
DND's plan.
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The DND economy measure was to substitute an "Alternative Service Delivery" scheme branded as 'Contracted Airborne
Training Services'. Under CATS, EW training would be provided by a private contractor flying its own aircraft.
It was assumed that any CATS provider would buy the former CE-133s from which to hang the CF-supplied EW pods.
One CATS bidder, ACWI, did buy 14 surplus Silver Stars (right).[1] It didn't secure them the ASD contract.
Another CATS hopeful, Northern Lights, offered a fleet of Hunter fighters matched with Learjet 35
bizjets.[2] DND rejected both offers, declaring "no compliant bidders".
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With CF EW training aircraft sold and no compliant bids to fill CATS, DND was in trouble. The solution was to
invoke a clause in the Canada-US Test and Evaluation Program to gain access to the DoD's private contractors.[3]
The result was short-term EW training services from US firms like Arizona- based ATSI (its Skyhawks
simulated fighters) and Virginia-based Phoenix Air (with Learjet 35s carrying EW pods ).[4] This
solved the immediate EW training problem but contracts were kept quiet since they advertised the failure of DND's
CATS project.
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Phase Two – Interim CATS and Top Aces
With no successful bidders for their CATS project, DND turned to Interim Contracted Airborne Training
Services. In Feb. 2005 – three years after retiring the CE-133s – an ICATS contract was awarded
to Top Aces of Pointe Claire, PQ, to provide fast jet EW training using ex-Luftwaffe Dornier
Alpha Jet trainers.
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In March 2006 – six years after the CE-144s were phased out – Top Aces received another ICATS
contract, this time to provide Type 2 airborne training using former bizjets. Top Aces equipped four IAI
Westwinds with wing pylons for this role. [5] Meanwhile, at NDHQ, plans continued for CATS.
ICATS contracts were 3-year 'standing offers' to be eclipsed by DND's "long-term combat airborne training
services strategy." CATS was to "be in place in the 2008-2010 time- frame." Ten years to secure a contract passes as
acceptable at DND. Fortunately for the CF, ICATS contracts have an option to renew!
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[1] Air Combat Warfare International bought these 14 ex-CF Silver Stars through Crown Assets' agent, Lancaster
Aviation. ACWI aircraft were repainted and given US civil registrations ( N577KK has now been restored for the
airshow market as 133577 in its 414 Sqn markings.
[2] At the time, Northern Lights Combat Air Support had a dozen Hawker Hunter Mk. 58/ '58As. The ex-Swiss
Hunters were almost as old as the CE-133s they were to replace. Montreal-based Northern Lights CAS is
now Lortie Aviation Inc., which still operates three Hunters.
[3] A new CANUSTEP MoU was signed in late 2002 to provide for Reciprocal Use of Test Facilities allowing
"bilateral cooperation in all areas of test-related activities [ including ] testing services". That clause gave DND
access to the DoD's military contractors. CANUSTEP dates back to 1983. Its object was to give the DoD access
to DND facilities and ranges to test unarmed AGM-86 cruise missiles in Canada. As originally agreed to, CANUSTEP was
entirely one-sided. Reciprocity, to give DND access to DoD's facilities, wasn't added until 1993.
[4] DND has not gone out of its way to publicise these contracts. When a contracted Skyhawk had an accident at
CFB Bagotville in 2004, neither the pilot nor contractor was identified in accident reports. DND is known for
going overboard trying to control information. But, in the released accident reports, the ATSI logo is visible on the
Skyhawk's fin. In itself, that's not conclusion. ATSI often trades aircraft with Virginia-based contractor,
ATAC (which has also been a DND contractor in the past). This secrecy is probably more habitual than useful.
[5] The IAI Westwind has two advantages for Top Aces. While not much more economical to operate than the
retired CE-144 Challenger, the smaller Westwind is much cheaper to buy (being a less desirable bizjet)
and its mid-position wing provides good clearance for stores.
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