News
Airbus Military, Discovery join forces on FWSAR project
Oct. 10, 2012, Yellowknife, N.W.T. - In the presence of the Honourable Bob McLeod, Premier of the Northwest Territories, the CEO of Discovery Air, Brian Semkowski, and the SVP Commercial of Airbus Military, Antonio Rodriguez-Barberan, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly offer a solution for the Canadian Fixed Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) Program.
October 10, 2012 By Carey Fredericks
Under the terms of the MoU, Discovery Air, as the Airbus Military (AM) primary Canadian partner, will provide the in-service support for the program.
“We are delighted to be able to offer this solution in conjunction with Airbus Military to the Canadian Forces," Semkowski said. "We are very excited about the C295 aircraft; a proven and reliable SAR platform that has been sold all over the world with over 110,000 flying hours to its credit. With proven, state of the art search capabilities, it offers a low-risk, low-cost solution, high in Canadian content. We believe that Discovery Air is ideally placed to provide the 20 year support package that will be required for this program.”
Added Barbarian: “We are extremely pleased with this agreement. Discovery Air is the perfect partner for Airbus Military and the ideal Canadian solution for the FWSAR program. The C295 is a proven platform as a world leader in terms of maritime patrol, search and rescue and related missions for twin engine military aircraft.
“The C295 FWSAR is a robust, reliable aircraft that does not have the risk associated with unproven technologies and Airbus Military, being part of Airbus, is backed by the solid fundamentals and reputation of Airbus. Furthermore, it has the lowest life-cycle costs in its class, and compared to competitors could save Canada up to $1 billion in fuel costs alone over the life of the airframe.”
The C295 aircraft is a proven and reliable SAR platform of which 114 examples have been sold in 17 countries. With proven, state of the art search capabilities, it offers a low-risk, low-cost solution, high in Canadian content. In addition to Discovery Air, established partners include Pratt & Whitney Canada, CAE, L-3 Wescam and Vector Aerospace. Airbus Military is the world market leader in military SAR, maritime patrol and related missions.
The aircraft’s search system has been fully integrated from the very beginning offering unparalleled levels of integration between the crew and the aircraft. Canada’s Request for Proposals for the FWSAR has not been released; however, it is expected that the C295 will be compliant in all areas.
“We believe the RCAF can improve the level of service to Canadians by reducing response times in a region of Canada that is increasing in terms of activity and importance," Semkowski said. "By basing aircraft in the North, and designating them as dedicated SAR assets, we believe Canada will be in an excellent position to respond to incidents in the North.”
