ST. LOUIS, Dec. 18, 2001 -- Boeing has been awarded a three-year, $32 million contract by the Canadian Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force for the development and delivery of an Integrated Maintenance Training System for Canada's CF-18 and Australia's F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.
Boeing will work with Atlantis Systems International of Brampton, Ontario, on the development of the maintenance trainers. This follows a contract award to Boeing earlier this year to upgrade Canadian Forces CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft.
"The armed forces of Canada and Australia are both long-term customers of Boeing," said Allan DeQuetteville, Boeing vice president in Ottawa. "Our work with Atlantis and other Canadian aerospace firms will strengthen the links Boeing has maintained with Canada for more than 80 years."
The Integrated Maintenance Training System is a new-generation training device for military aircraft maintenance personnel. It combines a high-fidelity simulated cockpit with virtual system panels. The system will replace each country's existing simulated aircraft maintenance trainers, which consist of five separate devices. The new training system will integrate these five devices into one device to provide more cost-effective training on an updated, realistic platform.
The Canadian Forces and Royal Australian Air Force will take delivery of their new training systems in the first quarter of 2004. Canada will receive five of the devices, and Australia three.
Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company, with its heritage mirroring the history of flight. It is the largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jetliners and military aircraft. The company is also a global market leader in missile defense, human space flight and launch services. Chicago-based Boeing has an extensive global reach with customers in 145 countries.