CP-140 Aurora [P-3 Orion]
Canada operated a fleet of 18 CP-140 Aurora aircraft playing a critical role in search and rescue, littoral/overland surveillance, economic zone and shipping lane protection, submarine detection and anti-terrorism. The aircraft are based on the P-3 Orion airframe.
Canada’s fleet of 18 CP-140 Aurora aircraft, purchased in 1980-81, is a vital tool for the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) in monitoring Canada’s arctic and maritime regions. Based at 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia, and 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia, these four-engine, long range patrol aircraft are used for surveillance, and are also deployed throughout the world to support Canada’s international obligations. The Aurora’s 17-hour flight endurance makes it an invaluable command and control platform for the CAF, whatever the mission.
The CP-140 is the CAF’s primary piloted Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) plane, ensuring the military’s ability to detect threats to Canadian security as early as possible. The Aurora fleet contributes directly to all three Canada First Defence Strategy roles – domestic, continental and international. The Auroras conduct ISR in both the maritime and overland roles. In the maritime role, the CP-140 contributes to sovereignty, fisheries enforcement, smuggling and pollution patrols, counter-narcotics missions, and maritime counter-terrorism operations.
It also fulfills an important anti-submarine role, as the only CAF aircraft able to react and quickly respond from long-range in the event of unauthorized presence of submarines in Canada’s coastal approaches. The Aurora can fly approximately 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) without refuelling and so gives the Government of Canada a means to deter and control illegal or hostile activity anywhere in Canada’s maritime approaches from the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
The Aurora fleet also played an increasingly important role as an overland ISR platform, both domestically for surveillance of our Arctic territory and other security operations, and in support of missions abroad. For example, Aurora aircraft was used during the CAF’s contribution to security efforts for the Vancouver Olympics and the 2010 G8 and G20 Summits; and the two Auroras deployed on Operation MOBILE were critical to the success of the mission in Libya, where they identified targets for allies and Canadian CF-18s.
Aurora Extension Proposal (AEP)
The Government of Canada budgeted more than $2 billion to maximize and life-extend 14 of 18 CP-140 Aurora aircraft. These enhancements and modifications began in 2014 and would be completed by 2021, through the Aurora Incremental Modernization Project, the Aurora Structural Life Extension Project and the Aurora Extension Proposal (AEP). These enhancements and modifications will extend the operational effectiveness of the 14 modernized Aurora aircraft to 2030 from 2020.
The Aurora program is a Canadian innovation success story, with Canadian industry delivering a world class capability. It is supporting highly skilled jobs across the country, producing cutting-edge technology, including acoustic systems from General Dynamics Canada; radars from MacDonald Dettweiler and Associates in Vancouver; electro optical systems from L3 Wescam through Lockheed Martin Canada; Magnetic Anomaly Detection systems from CAE; systems integration by General Dynamics Canada; and installation work for both the modernization and life extension projects being performed by IMP Aerospace.
The Aurora program was developed in early 1998, and upgraded to the mission computer, navigation, communication, and radar systems. In 2005, of the onboard high-frequency radio gear, cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder, and acoustic/sonobuoy systems were all either replaced or upgraded. Then navigation and communication systems were upgraded in 2012 so the Aurora fleet to continue operating effectively. Currently mission computer and sensor updates were underway to take advantage of recent technological advances.
IMP Aerospace and Defence (IMP) was contracted to conduct both the modernization and life-extension efforts. The remaining work under both projects was completed concurrently.
Structural Life Extension Project [SLEP]
In November 2008, the Government of Canada awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Corporation for ten structural life extension wing kits for the CP-140 Aurora aircraft. These kits provided upgrades needed to ensure the ongoing safety of the airframe. IMP removed old components and then used the kits to install major structural upgrades to the fleet. These included the replacement of the wings and horizontal stabilizers, and other parts critical to maintaining the directional stability and manoeuvrability of the aircraft. IMP completed this work under its existing Optimized Weapon System Management contract. The life-extension work is providing a world-class capability to conduct and deployed missions to meet Canada’s surveillance objectives.
The P-3 Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Program is part of Lockheed Martin’s sustainment offerings and the only certified, low-risk and cost-effective solution to extend aircraft service life. The P-3 MLU Program is the answer to maintaining effectiveness and reliability in a critical global economy. It consists of a life extension kit replacing the aircraft outer wings, center wing lower section and horizontal stabilizer with new production components. MLU removes all current P-3 airframe flight restrictions, greatly enhancing capability leveraged with cost-effectiveness. The design replaces all fatigue-life-limiting structures on the aircraft with enhanced-design components and new improved corrosion-resistant materials that will greatly reduce the cost of ownership over the aircraft’s remaining service life. This is an affordable solution that Lockheed Martin has proven can be installed in 11 months.
The MLU program replaces the outer wings, center wing lower surface, horizontal stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer leading edges with all new material. All necessary fatigue-life limiting structure is replaced and new alloys are used with a five-fold increase in corrosion resistance to provide significantly reduced maintenance and sustainment costs. The MLU will extend the structural service life of the CP-140 up to 15,000 hours and adds 20 years of operational use.
Lockheed Martin delivered the first of 10 new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) outer wings on 28 July 2010 for installation on a CP-140 Aurora for the Government of Canada. These wings will be installed by IMP Aerospace, a Lockheed Martin P-3 service center located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"The Government of Canada's MLU program reinforces our commitment to support the CP-140s for the long-term," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin P-3 Program vice president. "We are also proud to partner with IMP Aerospace for the installation of the MLU on the Auroras."
"As Canada's CP-140 In Service Support contractor, IMP is very pleased to continue our long-term partnership with Lockheed Martin, while upgrading this critical and strategic fleet for the Canadian Forces," said David Gossen, president of IMP Aerospace.
The first CP-140 to receive the life-extension modifications was delivered to 14 Wing Greenwood in April 2012. In December, 2012 and May, 2013, the CAF took delivery of the second and third CP-140s to be both modernized and refitted at IMP Aerospace and Defence. The CAF expect the remaining CP-140 Aurora aircraft scheduled to undergo modifications to be completed by 2016.
The Royal Canadian Air Force proposed to life-extend and modernize an additional four aircraft, for a total of 14 Auroras. The modernized Aurora aircraft will offer superior capabilities to alternative aircraft, making it one of the best Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft available through until 2030.
The expansion of the life-extended modernized Aurora fleet would be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, current competitively-won contracts will be used to complete the work on the four additional aircraft. The second phase will consist of the definition and implementation of three new capability enhancements, Link 16 Datalink, Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications system and a Self-Defence Suite, that are needed to ensure fleet effectiveness until the 2030 timeframe.
The cost for this work is $548 million, which ensures the best value for taxpayer dollars and it will enable the CAF to maintain the strongest possible long range patrol capability until at least 2030. The Aurora program also represents a further investment in the Canadian aerospace industry as the work will extend contracts held by Canadian companies, maximizing job creation, supporting Canadian technological innovation, and bolstering economic growth across the country.
The all-new production wings are the cornerstone of the P-3 MLU program. Lockheed Martin had 52 MLU kits under contract with six operators from four nations. By 2015, a total of nine MLU kits had been delivered to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Norway, Canada and Taiwan.
Aurora Incremental Modernization Project (AIMP)
The Government of Canada is modernizing its fleet of 14 Aurora aircraft. The Aurora Incremental Modernization Project (AIMP) involves 23 individual projects to acquire, integrate and install new mission systems and sensors onto the CP-140 for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. This project is being executed in a phased approach with four blocks; blocks I, II and III are complete, and block IV is in the implementation phase.
The Government of Canada has also extended the life of the Aurora fleet. The Aurora Structural Life Extension Project (ASLEP) involved replacing wings and horizontal stabilizers on the aircraft, which will extend the operational life of the CP-140 Aurora fleet to the 2030 timeframe. All aircraft have been life-extended and the project is currently in the close-out phase.
The Aurora fleet is Canada’s primary airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. The Aurora provides a full range of maritime, littoral and overland surveillance capabilities for domestic and deployed missions in support of Canadian sovereignty and international objectives, as well as anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. It has been modernized with a world-class integrated mission suite with state-of-the-art avionics, communications systems, computer networks, and sensors.
The total approved cost in 2019 for AIMP and ASLEP combined is $1.983 billion. Contractor advised that they will be unable to meet all DND requirements within current budget and/or schedule. This end state is to be assessed to determine operational acceptability. By 2018 Block IV was behind schedule due to unexpected design complexity and contractor delays in modification of the prototype aircraft. Full operational capability was four years behind initial baseline. On 24 April 2020, CP140114, the fourteenth and last aircraft to receive the structural modifications under ASLEP was delivered. On July 21, 2020, the 2nd block IV prototype aircraft, CP140111, completed its first test flight from the IMP facility located at Halifax International Airport.
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