RCAF receives first Kingfisher
The first CC-295 for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF’s) Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) programme arrived at Canadian Forces Base Comox on 25 September.
The RCAF will now complete aircrew training at Comox, followed by operational testing. During the transition period and while the CC-295 is being operationalised, fixed-wing SAR services will continue through existing aircraft as well as the CH-149 Cormorant and CH-146 Griffon helicopters.
CC-295 is the RCAF designation for the Airbus C295.
The RCAF is set to receive 16 aircraft (dubbed Kingfisher) in total for FWSAR, along with all in-service support elements including simulation, training and engineering services; construction of a new training centre in Comox; and maintenance and support services.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Fixed-Wing Search And Rescue Aircraft Replacement Project- Canada
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
The future is here: Sixth-gen air dominance
How RTX is equipping the military airspace – for today’s fleet and tomorrow’s fight.
-
Will fresh FCAS talks resolve political turmoil?
German, French and Spanish leadership set an end-of-year deadline to decide the fate of the Future Combat Air System programme which has struggled with a political stalemate for the latter half of 2025.
-
Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters
The order for the extra helicopters comes from an agreement penned in December 2023, with the German Army receiving the bulk of the platforms.
-
Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid
The pair will submit their demonstrator concept for Project Nyx, a development project for the British Army’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform.
-
US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.
-
Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test
The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.