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Backgrounder
Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services
BG-05.006 - March 8, 2005
Background
Realistic and effective training is critical to maintaining the preparedness of a military force. Commanders constantly strive to ensure their sailors, soldiers and aircrew receive the training they need in order to perform their demanding jobs in today’s complex security environment. By using airborne training services to simulate hostile aircraft, tow targets, test radar and communications performance amongst others, the Canadian Forces is able to provide realistic training to its member in a controlled environment.
Historically, airborne training services were provided by the Air Force Combat Support Squadrons using CC-144 Challenger and CT-133 Silver Star aircraft. In 1999, the economic decision was made to contract out core operationally required airborne training services, The Challengers were reassigned other roles in 2000, and in 2002, the Silver Star was removed from this role.
The Contracted Airborne Training Services Project
The Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) project has been working very hard over the past six years to put in place a long-term contract to provide the necessary training. After a detailed evaluation of three bids from two Canadian companies resulted in no compliant bidders, the Department of National Defence decided to implement a three-tiered strategy to achieve the objectives of the CATS project.
The short-term strategy involved using existing programs and agreements such as the Canada-US Test and Evaluation Program (CANUSTEP) to provide the necessary training.
The medium-term strategy, or Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services (ICATS), uses national individual standing offers* to fulfill the training requirements. On February 23rd, 2005, the Government of Canada awarded three national standing offers to Top Aces Consulting Inc., of Pointe Claire, Quebec to provide airborne training services for the Canadian Forces. The standing offers are valued at up to $93.9 million for a period of three years, with two one-year options to renew.
The essential combat support services required under the Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services standing offers are:
- Target Support : Airborne training support that simulates a hostile airborne environment for Canadian Forces operational units during live flying training scenarios; whereby contracted jet aircraft will simulate different threats, such as a cruise missile, drug trafficking aircraft, or hijacked aircraft to provide training scenarios. It also includes airborne support for Forward Air Controller training and Real Time Performance Quality Assurance. This task includes regularly scheduled radar and communications performance measurement.
- Target Towing : Towed target presentations to train radar, electro-optical, and infrared-guided weapons system operators in an actual live fire environment. It requires carriage, deployment, towing and retraction of airborne targets during the execution of specific flight scenarios.
- Electronic Warfare : Electronic warfare training to land forces, aircrews, aerospace weapons controllers, and ship’s companies in the operation of their systems in a representative “live” hostile electromagnetic environment. It provides the opportunity to practice and evaluate appropriate electronic protective measures and standard operating procedures.
All of these services are required to be delivered by a combination of fast jet (military style) and slow jet (business style) aircraft. Military training exercises including these services take place throughout Canada in designated airspace, off the east and west coasts of Canada, and in the United States.
The Future
Over the next few years, the CATS project team will be studying a number of options for a long-term combat airborne training services strategy for the Canadian Forces. It expected that this solution will be in place in the 2008–2010 timeframe.
* A standing offer is an arrangement that allows the Department of National Defence to deal with suppliers under set prices and conditions. A contract will exist with the supplier only when the Department orders services from the standing offer agreement.
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