Graham Warwick/Atlanta
BOMBARDIER WILL brief manufacturers in the early part of September on the turboprop-trainer requirements for the proposed industry-run NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme. Four companies have been invited to the bidders' conference: Aerospatiale, Embraer, Pilatus and Raytheon.
Aircraft being considered are the Aerospatiale Omega, Embraer EMB-312 Tucano and Super Tucano, Pilatus PC-7 and PC-9 and Raytheon Beech MkII, selected for the US Air Force/Navy Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS). Bombardier expects to require some 30-35 turboprops, which will be leased to the Canadian forces and NATO customers on a "power-by-the-hour" basis.
Bidders will be provided with the syllabus and specifications drawn up by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and asked to respond with best and final offers by the end of September (Flight International, 16-22 August, P16).
Bombardier, which has already selected the British Aerospace Hawk 100 as the advanced trainer for the NFTC programme, will select a turboprop at the end of September and submit its proposal in late October or early November. The DND will add its infrastructure and instructional costs and determine whether industry-run training will be cheaper than continuing with the present system. If the NFTC programme passes this hurdle, the proposal will be refined and presented to NATO in February.
Throughput for the Canadian forces will be around 90 students, with only 15 proceeding on to fast-jet training. The DND is looking, to attract an additional 30-40 students from European NATO nations, to give its training programme "critical mass". The syllabus calls for 90-115h basic training in the turboprop, plus 74h advanced and 43h fighter lead in training in the Hawk.
Raytheon intends to bid for the Canadian contract, although award of the 711-aircraft JPATS programme has been delayed by protests from rival bidders Cessna and Rockwell. The company cannot begin preparations to produce the Beech MkII until the award is confirmed.
Source: Flight International
