Alenia Aermacchi, GD And DRS Sign Agreement To Produce C-27J Variant

Alenia Aermacchi, General Dynamics, and DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. have teamed up and signed a comprehensive agreement for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) upcoming FixedWing Search and Rescue Replacement Program competition.

This deal offers Alenia Aermacchi’s C-27J Spartan medium tactical aircraft‘s variant by the team, boosting their market value.

The prime contractor, Alenia Aermacchi will provide the aircraft platform including engineering support and avionics, with General Dynamics supporting the modification and mission features of the aircraft and DRS TCL providing long-term training support for the fleet.

General Dynamics will act as the team’s mission system integrator, being responsible for modifying the aircraft to accept high tech sensors and the computers that manage them, increasing the search and rescue crew’s ability to detect rescue targets. Also it will serve as the In-Service Support (ISS) integrator for the C-27J.

The DRS training development team will design, oversee and manage the creation and maintenance of all courseware and training aids for the duration of the contract. The training will support the operational mandate of the FWSAR fleet by making maximum use of electronic learning and simulation to optimize availability of the FWSAR aircraft for operational employment.

“This teaming agreement reaffirms our commitment to the Canadian market and to providing the Royal Canadian Air Force with the most capable, best value solution for the fixed-wing search and rescue replacement program,” said Ben Stone, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alenia Aermacchi North America. “Alenia is exceptionally proud to be working with these two Canadian defence companies who collectively have over 100 years of experience supporting Canadians and Armed Forces around the world. Our team has the right experience, expertise, and platform to best support Canada’s search and rescue program.”

David Ibbetson, General Manager, General Dynamics Canada spoke about the incremental value Team Spartan will create through this relationship: “The FWSAR program sets a high standard for Industrial Regional Benefits (IRB) requirements. As a company with an exemplary track record for delivering on their IRB commitments, General Dynamics Canada will continue to engage with local industry and suppliers on this opportunity, missionizing this aircraft in Canada and supporting it proudly for years to come as it plays a critical role bringing distressed citizens to safety. With Alenia’s C-27J as the platform, and working with local Canadian companies, we will set the standard for search and rescue capability.”

Steve Zuber, Vice President and General Manager of DRS Technologies Canada commented, “Canada has some of the most rugged and sparsely populated terrain on the planet and Canadians deserve the very best fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft available in the world today. The made-in Canada training solution will provide high quality aerospace jobs for Canadians and, more importantly, will ensure Canada’s search and rescue crews will be ready for the demanding job of keeping Canadians safe.”