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Canadian government aims to proceed with CH-149 Cormorant life extension

By Chris Thatcher | May 24, 2018

Estimated reading time 6 minutes, 45 seconds.

Canada’s federal government intends to move forward with a plan to extend the life of CH-149 Cormorant helicopter fleet to at least 2040, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

The Rescue 901 crew was able to hoist all five fishermen into the Cormorant helicopter and they flew safely back to Gander, abandoning the fishing vessel. Mike Reyno Photo
Canada appears to be moving toward a mid-life upgrade to its CH-147 Cormorant fleet rather than replacement helicopters from Sikorsky or Airbus. Mike Reyno Photo

The department on Thursday posted a letter of notification outlining a proposed sole-source negotiation with Leonardo, formerly AgustaWestland, to replace, modify or upgrade current and projected obsolete systems on the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) search-and-rescue aircraft, a variant of the AW101, based on the new Norwegian AW101-612 rotary wing search-and-rescue (SAR) model.

“The CH-149 has proven to be an excellent search-and-rescue asset for the [RCAF]. The fleet has been outstanding in covering the required range and providing the cabin capacity necessary to successfully deliver search-and-rescue in a country the size of Canada, often flying in very harsh environments which include demanding icing conditions,” said Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) in the letter.

The RCAF has been analyzing options for the Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) project for several years but recently secured funding and project approvals as part of the government’s defence policy in June 2017.

As part of the analysis, the RCAF surveyed other manufacturers to gauge whether an alternative helicopter might be better than the 16-year-old Cormorants, which have experienced significant issues with component obsolescence in recent years.

Leonardo has proposed modernizing the Cormorant fleet based on the Norwegian All-Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) program. Greg Caygill Photo

As Vertical reported earlier this week, both Sikorsky and Airbus were requesting an open competition, arguing their SAR helicopters could provide the same service more effectively and efficiently. However, a senior Air Force officer had cautioned that while the RCAF was exploring all options to enhance SAR capability, it had a knowledge and comfort level with the current fleet.

In opting to proceed with a non-competitive process with Leonardo, DND said in the notification letter to industry that the project team had “conducted a market survey and an options analysis which determined that the Cormorant is the only solution to meet the rotary wing search-and-rescue capability requirements.”

The analysis found that, “based on projected flying rates, the CH-149 will remain a viable [SAR] asset until at least 2040,” and augmenting it with a different make or model of helicopter could, among other concerns, increase pressures on RCAF aircrew flight training.

The department also noted that a CAE-designed and built commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) flight simulator is already available and certified for use and could immediately meet the project’s training requirements.

The RCAF operates 14 CH-149 Cormorants, a variant of the Leonardo AW101, as part of its search-and-rescue fleet. Mike Reyno Photo
The RCAF operates 14 CH-149 Cormorants, a variant of the Leonardo AW101, as part of its search-and-rescue fleet. Mike Reyno Photo

It added that any potential solution would need “to maximize the use of [COTS] aircraft and subsystems that have already been certified in accordance with airworthiness regulations,” which the Norwegian AW101-612 does.

“Based on current information, Leonardo is the sole worldwide provider of AW101 aircraft and exclusively holds the necessary level of intellectual property to conduct a project of this scope,” it concluded.

A spokesperson for Leonardo said the company would not be commenting at this time.

Among the upgrades are plans to enhance aircraft flight management, communications, navigation and safety systems to meet current and pending airspace regulatory requirements.

The Air Force also wants better SAR sensor capability and communication systems to improve interoperability with other SAR assets, such as the newly acquired fixed-wing Airbus CC-295 aircraft, and with the three Joint Rescue Coordination Centres and civilian agencies like the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association.

The proposal would also address a need for more effective aircrew training with the acquisition of a dedicated flight simulator and associated training aids, something that has highlighted in the defence policy.

Lastly, DND said in the letter that it would proceed with a plan to “augment” the current fleet of 14 Cormorants by as many as seven.

The department acquired nine VH-71 aircraft, variants of the AW 101 that do not have valid airworthiness certificates, from the U.S. government in 2011 for $164 million when the presidential fleet replacement program was cancelled for being too costly. Leonardo had been proposing to convert seven to the same standard as the Norwegian model.

“This augmentation will allow the [RCAF] to re-establish a rotary wing search-and-rescue presence at Canadian Forces Base Trenton and will provide additional support to all of Canada’s [SAR] regions,” the department said. The RCAF currently operates five CH-146 Griffon helicopters in Trenton, Ontario, while the Cormorants operate from three other main operating bases in Comox, British Columbia; Greenwood, Nova Scotia; and Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Though the mid-life upgrade and replacement project will now likely be a sole-source arrangement, the department could compete future in-service support (ISS). The letter of notification said DND, PSPC, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, would complete a sustainment business case analysis to “inform options for future [ISS], including the option to compete future support.”

The CMLU project is still in what the Canadian military calls the options analysis phase, and a schedule for the project has not been set. The letter of notification is intended to inform industry of the proposed process and does not commit the government to a non-competitive contract.

Companies have until June 7 to respond to the letter.

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