The initial operational capability (IOC) date for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF’s) growing fleet of new Airbus CC-295 Kingfisher fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft has been delayed from this summer to the 2025-2026 timeframe.
This up to four-year delay was announced by Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) on May 4, which cited the reasons behind the move as being related to the “extended timelines associated with the design and development of the capability.” The delay has also resulted in the type’s full operational capability (FOC) declaration – which was initially scheduled to take place in mid-2024 – being pushed back to 2029-2030 at the latest.
The Canadian DND explained that unforeseen technical issues – including deficiencies in the platform’s Crew Annunciation System (which provides the aircrew with information on the status of the aircraft and its systems) – and the impact of COVID-19 were factors in the decision to delay the IOC/FOC process. For safety and functionality reasons, these deficiencies must be corrected through the development of software/hardware updates, which then have to be tested and certified for use.
While Airbus’ C295 family of tactica…
