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Background –
Aerial Electronic Warfare Training – Top Aces & ICATS |
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Top Aces – Performing Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services (ICATS) for DND
DND's ICATS consisted of three 'national standing offers' covering one year's service (totalling $93.9M
for three years) to which was added options for two 1-year renewals. The Type 1 fast jet contracts were
awarded in Feb. 2005. Within six months, Top Aces was flying EW training missions for the CF.
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Alpha Jet A – German Attack Begets Canadian Trainer
DND's ICATS Type 1 requirement was satisfied using ex- Luftwaffe Alpha Jets. Compared to 50
year-old CF Silver Stars, the Alpha Jets are sprightly (the Top Aces aircraft being built
between 1979 and '82 ). These Alpha Jets are demilitarized, shedding all offensive capability, but
retain pylons for carrying 'threat-simulators', external fuel tanks, etc. The Top Aces fleet
quickly expanded to 8 and then to 16 Alpha Jets. [1] As former attack types, Alpha Jets bring
realistic manoeuvrability to the role of simulated fighters and low-level attackers. [2]
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Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet A
– Specifications
| Dimen: |
Span 9.11m, length 13.23m, ht.: 4.19m |
| Power: |
2 x Turbomeca Larzac 04-C6 (26.48 kN) |
Stores:
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Jammer, chaff, ACMI, tow target
and
reel, 2 x drop tanks (310 L fuel/248 kg) |
| Range: |
1,852 km (1,000 nm) on external tanks |
| Speed: |
1,000 km/h (540 kts max. at sea level ) |
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In March of 2006, Top Aces was awarded further contracts to provide the CF with
Type 2 airborne EW training services for three years (once again with two 1-year renewal options). For the Type 2
requirement, Top Aces chose IAI 1124 Westwind bizjets. Four of these small twin jets
are equipped with wing pylons for target towing and carrying threat-simulator stores. Top Aces' Westwinds are
older than the CE-144s they replace but economical to purchases. [3]
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IAI 1124 Westwind
– Specifications
Dimen:
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Span 13.67m, wing area 28.6
mē,
length 15.93m, ht. 4.81m |
| Power: |
2 x 16.46 kN Garrett TFE731 |
Stores:
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TRX-9 target (6000 m cable),
TLX-1 threat simulator target |
| Range: |
3,240 km to 3,980 km [4] |
| Weight: |
empty 6,363 kg, max 10,660 kg |
| Speed: |
clean 666 km/h, tow 463 km/h |
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Along with spoofing CF fighter pilots plus testing Army and Navy air defences, ICATS also required Top Aces to
provide realistic training for Forward Air Controllers [4] in time for their deployment to Afghanistan. FAC training
allowed Top Aces to expand its business to the British Army Training Unit Suffield ( BATUS, which calls its FACs
'Fire Support Teams' ). One limitation of civilian-operated training aircraft is that they cannot drop ordnance of
any kind. That's a limitation when FACs can't observe the effect of 'air strikes' they order.
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In summary, in the shadow of their CATS debacle, DND has done well with ICATS. Unlike DND, Top Aces can
move brisky to procure the aircraft it needs. The Alpha Jet A was an inspired choice combining,
as it does, the simplicity of a trainer with the performance of an attack aircraft. The Westwind,
in turn, performs well enough to do its job, [5] has good stores clearance (for a bizjet), and all at a comparatively
low purchase price. The final proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Top Aces is reviewing DND plans for a new,
20-year CATS arrangement. [6] Given a decade's wait for DND to organize a viable CATS contract, the citizenry may
wish to reserve judgement until details have been released.
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[1] Top Aces currently operates a fleet of 16 Dornier-built Alpha Jet As –
nine imported in 2005 ( C-FHTO, C-GFTO, C-GITA, C-GJTA, C-GLTO, C-GQTA, C-GUTO, C-GYTO, & C-GZTO), seven in
2006 (C-FFTA, C-FOTA, C-FSTA, C-GCTA, C-GGTA, C-GNTA, & C-GUTA).
[2] Top Aces Alpha Jets are required to simulate fighters for CF-18s and Maple Flag exercises. plus low-level
attack aircraft for the Navy.
[3] Top Aces' four IAI 1124 Westwinds were all previously owned by US firm, Maple Leaf
207 LLC. Imported in 2006 were C-FTWO (built 2006) and C-FTWV (built 1997) which had been N199WW and N226WW,
respectively (US registrations including construction numbers). C-FTWR/ex-N207WW (built 1977) and
C-GAWJ/ex-N277WW (built 1980, sometimes misreported as C-FTWJ) were both imported in 2007.
[4] CF Forward Air Controllers training had been on hold in Canada and performed by our allies overseas since the
CF-5A fighter fleet was retired back in 1995. After the Freedom Fighters were gone, the
Air Force judged the use of CF-18s to train Army FACs as too expensive.
[5] Stephen Daly argues in his ModProp, A Renewed Aerial EW Training Capability for the CF?, that the CATS Type 2 requirement
could be better match by Canadian CL-604 MMAs similar to in-service CC-144 Challengers, which could then also perform a host of
other jobs.
[6] Intended to begin when current ICATS extensions end in 2011, the proposed contract would be for 10 years –
with two 5 year options.
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