OTTAWA --- The bids are in, and Canada's long-delayed Fixed-Wing Search-and-Rescue (FWSAR) program is off the ground yet again. Canada currently relies on an aging fleet of six CC-115 Buffalo and 13 C-130H Hercules aircraft for SAR missions, and the search for a replacement fleet has lasted more than a decade through several iterations.
The latest round of bids were submitted last month, stemming from a March 2015 solicitation.
Airbus Defence and Space and Alenia Aermacchi responded to the RFP, offering the C-295 and C-27J, respectively. Both companies have been considered top candidates from the outset. Airbus has partnered with Pratt & Whitney Canada, L-3 Wescam, CAE, Vector Aerospace, and Provincial Aerospace.
Alenia is working with General Dynamics Canada, IMP Aerospace, KF Aerospace, and CMC Esterline.
A new player has joined the competition as well, with Embraer offering the KC-390. The KC-390 is a new aircraft, flying for the first time in February 2015. Embraer announced a two-year delay in 2015, meaning KC-390 certification is not expected until late 2017, with service entry following in 2018. That timing, and the potential for additional delays, could hinder the aircraft's chances in the FWSAR program.
The original program requirement was for 17 aircraft, but it is now up to the manufacturers to determine how many aircraft will be needed to meet search-and-rescue requirements. Public Services and Procurement Canada said its evaluation could take up to six months, and a winner could be announced in 2017. Initial deliveries are expected to begin three years after contract signing, with the last aircraft arriving by 2023.
Lockheed Martin's C-130J was seen as a potential candidate, but the company did not submit a bid. At one point Viking Air had suggested that the government purchase new-production DHC-5 Buffalos, but the company ultimately decided not to compete. Boeing briefly marketed its V-22 as a potential Buffalo replacement, but the cost would have been prohibitive for the Canadian government.
-ends-
