Canada's government has bowed to local political pressure and will award a separate contract to train crews on its 16 Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters and 17 Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports. Montreal, Quebec-based CAE is viewed as the front runner to provide the new operational training system, write Brian Dunn and Graham Warwick.
Ottawa originally wanted Boeing and Lockheed to provide training systems packaged with the aircraft procurements, but facing pressure to secure more local work has decided to separate the training components and combine them into a single contract.
CAE expects the government to issue a solicitation of interest and qualification shortly, leading to the selection of one or more qualified bidders to receive a request for proposals. While the company has experience in building both CH-47 and C-130J flight simulators, it says the contract is "not a done deal".
The new arrangement would also be favourable to Quebec, which feels excluded from the benefits tied to Canada's recent purchase of four Boeing C-17s. The three platform procurements are worth a combined C$17.1 billion ($14.5 billion).
Source: Flight International
