Royal Canadian Air Force orders 16 Airbus C295W aircraft

The Government of Canada has selected the Airbus C295W for its Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Program. As part of the FWSAR program, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will purchase 16 C295Ws modified for Search and Rescue (SAR). The contract will also include in service support, provided through a joint venture between Airbus Defence and Space and PAL Aerospace.The C295W features substantial Canadian content. Every C295 is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, pilots will be trained at a new facility developed by CAE, and the electro-optical systems for FWSAR will be provided by L3 Wescam. In-Service Support for the life of the program will be provided by AirPro, a joint venture between Airbus Defence and Space and PAL Aerospace. In-service support will be conducted by Canadians in Canada.