SELECTION OF A turboprop trainer for Canada's proposed industry-operated NATO flying-training programme will begin soon. The choice is expected to narrow to the Embraer EMB-312H Super Tucano, the Pilatus PC-9 and the PC-9-based Raytheon Beech MkII, winner of the US Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competition, which had its North American debut at Air-show Canada.
Lt. Col. Ian Milani, director of the Department of National Defence's (DND) Canadian Aerospace Training Project, says that a syllabus for the proposed NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme is sufficiently defined for a statement of requirements for the turboprop trainer to be released "soon" to NATC prime-contractor Bombardier. It will then select an aircraft from a shortlist drawn up by the DND.
The NFTC proposal calls for Bombardier to buy and operate trainers for the Canadian Forces and countries which are using the US Air Force-run Euro-NATO Joint Jet Training Programme. British Aerospace's Hawk 100 has already been selected for advanced and tactical training.
Milani says that the syllabus calls for 90h basic training in the turboprop, after which students destined for multi-engine and rotary-wing aircraft will be separated. Those destined for fast jets will receive another 25h training in the turboprop, followed by 74h advanced training in the Hawk and a further 43h lead-in fighter training, also in the Hawk.
The DND plans to submit a priced proposal to NATO by February 1996, by which time Milani expects Bombardier to have selected the turboprop. Pricing will be based on a "power-by-the-hour" arrangement under which participants will pay a fixed fee per training hour.
The numbers of aircraft required are to be based on the throughput achieved, but could exceed the reported figures of 35 turboprops and 35 Hawks, Milani suggests.
Raytheon says that it will offer the Beech MkII to Canada, even though award of the 712-aircraft JPATS contract has been delayed by protests from losing bidders Cessna and Rockwell.
Source: Flight International
