The U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) has a news article on the delivery of the first Beechcraft King Air 350ER, designated CE-145C Vigilance in Canada, to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on Feb. 22nd. This marks the initial phase of a program that will see a total of three CE-145C Vigilance aircraft delivered to the RCAF by year’s end, under the Canadian Manned Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The Canadian Manned Airborne ISR FMS program, launched in May 2019, represents a collaborative effort between the Canadian government, the United States Department of Defense, and L3Harris, the manufacturer of the CE-145C Vigilance. This program fulfills a critical requirement stipulated in Canada’s Defense Policy and the Chief of the Defense Staff Directive, which mandates a readily deployable and mission-specific manned ISR capability for the RCAF.
The program navigated various hurdles, including the inherent complexities of multinational collaboration and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, through sustained teamwork and meticulous program management reviews, the project team ensured the successful construction of all three CE-145C Vigilance aircraft at L3Harris facilities.
Scott Thovson, deputy product director at the U.S. Army Program Executive Office, Aviation Fixed Wing Project Office’s Product Director International and Transport Aircraft (PM FW- ITA) office, and Ken Ols, PM FW- ITA case manager, have played key roles in this project for over two years. Both acknowledge the challenges encountered but express their satisfaction with the successful completion and delivery of the first aircraft.
The arrival of the first CE-145C Vigilance signifies a significant leap forward for the RCAF’s ISR capabilities. As emphasized by Joseph Kidwell Jr., senior central case manager at the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, this program not only strengthens Canada’s intelligence gathering capacity but also reinforces the longstanding and vital military alliance between the United States and Canada.
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