Liberals open up contract for CF- 18 training partner

Competition for combat training for CF- 18s

Canada’s top guns are in need of some top guns to fight.

And they’ ll get such adversaries by the end of the year.

The Canadian government plans to award by December a contract, estimated to be worth as much as $ 1.5 billion, to a fleet of fighter jets to go toe- to- toe with the military’s CF- 18s.

A private company will be selected to act as the training partner for Canada’ s fighter pilots, as well as provide other aircraft to act as the enemy for the Canadian army and navy.

The project, known as the Contracted Airborne Training Services or CATS, will run over an initial 10- year period, followed by the option to continue for another five years.

Canadian- based Discover y Air Defence has been providing such services for the Canadian military since 2005. It has also expanded its operations internationally and was recently hired to do the same thing for Germany’s armed forces.

But the Canadian government wants to open the competition up potentially to other firms. Pierre- Alain Buj old, a spokesman for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the bids for CATS went in Feb .16. “The evaluation, which includes aircraft inspection, is expected to take up to five months,” he explained. “The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of 2016.”

Two firms have acknowledged they have submitted bids: Discovery Air Defence of Montreal, and CAE Inc., also from Quebec, which has allied itself with Draken, a U.S. firm.

A Discovery Air Defence executive said the company pioneered the concept in Canada of such airborne services and is considered a global industry leader.

SIMULATE HOSTILE THREATS FOR GROUND AND NAVAL FORCES.

“We’ve flown more than 55,000 hours in support of the Canadian and German militaries,” said Garry-Venman, vice-president of business development .“We’ ve got the experience of doing it for the last 11 years.”

Discovery Air Defence traces its lineage to 2001, when it was founded by three former CF- 18 pilots. The firm has what is considered the world’s largest fleet of operational fighter jets in private hands. The company is now looking to acquire U.S .- built F -16 fighters for more- advanced training.

“We’re poised for significant growth,” Venman said. “We’re doing all the things t he Canadian government says it wants Canadian companies to do — creating jobs and conducting business internationally.”

Mike Greenle y, general manager of CAE Canada, said his company is experienced in delivering training systems while Draken, based in Florida, can provide the aircraft. CAE and Draken are also proposing to conduct research and development for future ways to deliver such services, including involving simulation, Greenley said.

The company hopes being selected for the Canadian contract will set the stage for winning other international competitions. “This collaboration with Draken is the spark of a global relationship,” he said.

CATS will provide aircraft to simulate hostile threats for ground and naval forces as well as fighter pilots. The winning firm will also provide aircraft to tow targets and carry electronic warfare systems for various training scenarios, according to the information supplied by Public Services and Procurement Canada to industry.

The winning bidder is required not only to provide planes and pilots but also maintenance crews and engineering support. The government estimates aircraft operated by the winning bidder will have to fly between 2,500 and 3,500 hours a year.

Most services will be provided in Victoria; Cold Lake, Alta.; Bagotville, Que; and Halifax. Other training flights could take place outside Canada, including in the U.S. and Mexico.

V en man said the company’s contract with the German military helps set the stage to offer other NATO nations similar services.

Green ley said CAE has a global presence that will serve it well to support any such deals it wins.

Public Services and Procurement Canada confirmed to Postmedia that three bids have been received for CATS. However, because of its procurement rules, the federal department does not identify the names of bidders. At this point it is unclear which other firm entered the competition.

Ottawa Citizen dpugliese@postmedia.com Twitter.com/davidpugliese