The Canadian Coast Guard is seeking four to eight medium-lift helicopters. In a RFP issued late last week by Public Works and Government Services Canada, the government said it requires a commercial off-the-shelf helicopter, spares, ground support equipment and training, as well as possible support services and assistance with simulator design.
The RFP closes on May 27, 2014, and an award is anticipated later that fall. Delievers are expected to begin within 18 months of contract award.
The government said that the newly announced Defence Procurement Strategy (DPS) would apply “to ensure delivery of the right helicopters to the Canadian Coast Guard in a timely manner, and to leverage the purchase to create jobs and economic growth in Canada.”
This will be the first project under the DPS. Public Works said it will “engage industry to inform both the development of the Value Proposition and how it will be weighted and rated.”
The helicopters will support a number of Coast Guard programs, from aids to navigation to icebreaking services, marine communication traffic services, environmental response and search and rescue. They will also support Fisheries and Oceans programs and those of other government departments.
The helicopters must be able to operate in all areas of Canada, including the east and west coasts, the Arctic, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, as well as inland waterways and Canada’s north.
The medium-lift is part of a larger Coast Guard helicopter fleet renewal effort. In April 2013, the government issued a RFP for 16 light helicopters and will eventually be seeking polar helicopters and a simulation training system for both the light and medium lift helicopters.