Vanguard Magazine

pleted factory acceptance in Switzerland on May 11, and the first four are expected to arrive in Canada by late 2026. One of the program's three operational bases is 15 Wing Moose Jaw. The Snowbirds announcement adds an air demonstration role to an aircraft the RCAF was already acquiring. 6 JUNE/JULY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com S SIT REP Canada Signs $2.5B Arctic Radar Deal with Australia Snowbirds Get a New Aircraft ada's Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) program from planning into delivery. Unlike conventional radar, OTHR uses high-frequency sig- nals refracted through the ionosphere to detect objects be- yond the curvature of the Earth, providing warning of threats thousands of kilometres away. Canada's system draws on tech- nology developed through Australia's Jindalee Operational Ra- dar Network, which has supported Australian air and maritime surveillance for decades. Australia described the arrangement as the largest defence export in its history and the first international sale of its OTHR technology. The broader A-OTHR program, valued at more than $6 bil- lion, also includes infrastructure, installation and integration. Full capability will require four Canadian sites: two transmit sites and two receive sites. DND has selected property near Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, for the first permanent transmit site, with initial work also planned at a preliminary receive site in Clearview Township. The project includes an Industrial and Technological Ben- efits agreement requiring BAE Systems Australia to involve Canadian industry throughout acquisition and sustainment. Ottawa estimates the project will contribute close to $290 million annually to Canada's GDP and support approximately 2,270 jobs per year between 2026 and 2033. The Defence Investment Agency is leading the Canadian procurement under the government-to-government model. Photo: Alberto Restifo Canada will procure the CT-157 Siskin II as the next aircraft for the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, replacing the CT-114 Tutor after its final season in 2026. Minister of National Defence David McGuinty announced the decision at 15 Wing Moose Jaw on May 19 alongside LGen Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The CT-157 Siskin II is the Canadian designation for the Pila- tus PC-21 turboprop trainer. It will serve both as a training air- craft and an air demonstration platform, continuing the dual role performed by the Tutor. The Snowbirds will remain based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw. DND expects the new capability to become operational in the early 2030s, with the team ultimately rebuilding to its signa- ture nine-aircraft formation. The transition will leave the Snowbirds off the air show circuit for several years. During that period, the RCAF plans to continue supporting air shows, events and engagements across Canada with other aircraft and personnel. The Siskin II is already part of Canada's defence procure- ment pipeline. SkyAlyne, a joint venture of CAE and KF Aero- space, is contracted to deliver 19 aircraft to the RCAF under the Future Aircrew Training program. The first aircraft com- Aer 55 years of service with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the CT-114 Tutor will fly its final season in 2026. Photo: MS Roxanne Wood / 19 Wing Imaging / Canadian Armed Forces Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) Stephen Fuhr and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles signed the government-to-government acquisition arrangement in Can- berra on June 22. Canada has formalized its partnership with Australia to ac- quire an Over-the-Horizon Radar capability for the Arctic, com- mitting $2.5 billion to procurement of the system. BAE Systems Australia is the key industry partner and is scheduled to begin work on July 1, with Canada targeting ini- tial capability by December 2029. The agreements move Can-

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