HMCS Corner Brook. Image: Babcock
Driving the news: CAE USA won a US$300-million competitive recompete from the U.S. Air Force to stay prime contractor on the C-130H Aircrew Training System through December 2035, the company announced Sept. 21. The award adds nine years to a program CAE first won in 2018.
Why it matters: The contract keeps the incumbent in charge of the training pipeline for C-130H pilots, flight engineers, navigators and loadmasters. That training serves the U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.
The details:
CAE says it will provide program management, instruction, maintenance and logistics support, cybersecurity solutions and ongoing upgrades. The upgrades are meant to keep the training system aligned with changes to the aircraft.
Training takes place at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, home to the Training Service Support Center and the C-130H Formal Training Unit. Four other sites host it: Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia, Wyoming Air National Guard Base, Minneapolis Air National Guard Base in Minnesota and St. Joseph Air National Guard Base in Missouri.
By the numbers:
US$300 million: value of the recompete, per CAE
Nine: years added, taking the contract through December 2035
Nine: full-mission simulators in the program
More than 45: aircrew training devices
Five: training sites, including Little Rock
What they're saying: "The C-130H remains a critical platform for the U.S. Air Force and CAE is proud to continue delivering the training excellence required to support mission readiness and operational success," said Srini Dixit, interim vice-president and general manager, CAE Defense and Security, USA. As the incumbent, Dixit said, CAE will focus on evolving the system to meet Air Force requirements.
Background: CAE became prime contractor in 2018, replacing Lockheed Martin after about two decades as a subcontractor, Defense News reported at the time. CAE described that award as an eight-year contract worth more than US$200 million, with a one-year base period and seven option periods.
The program has changed shape since then. A 2018 trade report put the program at 11 full-mission simulators and more than 50 training devices. CAE's 2018 announcement listed McChord Air Force Base in Washington and Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico as training sites.
