New Helicopter Full-Flight Simulator for the Canadian Coast Guard

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 25, 2016) -

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The Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and Jody Thomas, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, today announced the award of a construction contract of $17M to CAE Inc. for a helicopter full-flight simulator as part of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)'s Fleet Renewal Plan.

The full flight simulator will benefit the Coast Guard by improving overall safety and reducing risks to pilots and aircraft. Required helicopter flight hours and maintenance will also be reduced which will save on training costs. Training and certification requirements for helicopter pilots are currently met through ground school and flight operations training. The majority of CCG pilot training will be conducted on the simulator once it is operational.

Work has already begun on expanding the Transport Canada hangar at Ottawa International airport to accommodate the new simulator, which is generating work for local construction companies. It is anticipated that the expansion will be completed sometime in September 2016.

This contract is expected to generate 85 jobs over the course of the two years of construction: 75 engineering jobs, and 10 manufacturing jobs in Canada.

The Canadian Coast Guard's Fleet Renewal Plan outlines the way forward for the procurement of its new vessels and helicopters. Replacing Canada's aging fleet of helicopters and acquiring this new flight simulator will ensure CCG continues to deliver marine safety and environmental response capacity for future generations using the most up-to-date technology.

Quick Facts

• The full flight simulator will support training of pilots to fly the Canadian Coast Guard's new fleet of light-lift and medium-lift helicopters.

• CCG helicopter pilots take part in a wide variety of operations such as monitoring oil spills and ice conditions. Helicopters are also used to maintain and construct navigational aids and telecommunications equipment as well as transferring personnel and cargo between ship and shore. Pilots also provide support for scientific operations and fisheries enforcement.

• The simulator will be installed at the Transport Canada Training Centre at the Ottawa International Airport.

Quotes

"The helicopter simulator is just one of many steps we are taking to renew the Canadian Coast Guard fleet of helicopters. This twenty-first century technology will provide better training for our pilots at less cost while also generating jobs. Our government wants to ensure the men and women of the Coast Guard have the right tools to do their jobs."

The Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"Through this procurement, the Government is providing an enhanced training tool that will support the important work the Canadian Coast Guard performs on behalf of all Canadians."

The Honourable Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"We are pleased that CAE was selected in this highly competitive procurement to design and develop their first-ever full-flight simulator. CAE will develop a highly innovative and advanced training system that will significantly enhance the Coast Guard's ability to train for a range of missions, and enable them to transfer a significant amount of required training to the simulator. The comprehensive synthetic environment we will deliver with the simulator will push the boundaries of creating an immersive and realistic virtual world for Coast Guard helicopter training."

Mike Greenley, Vice President and General Manager, CAE Canada

Related Products

News Release: Canadian Coast Guard Helicopter Fleet Renewal: Release of the Request for Proposals to Procure Medium-Lift Helicopters

News Release: Government of Canada Awards Contract for New Helicopters

Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

For more information about the Canadian Coast Guard, visit www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca

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