Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project

1. Identification

• N/A

2. Options analysis

• Project approval of options analysis phase: March 2018.

3. Definition

• Project approval of definition phase: December 2020
• Invitation to Qualify: February 2021
• Publication of qualified supplier list: April 2021
• Virtual industry engagement events: June 15, 2021, October 3, 2022, March 15, 2023
• Request for Proposal: May 13, 2022, revised on January 13, 2023

4. Implementation

• Project approval of implementation: June 2023
• Initial Operational Capability: 2028-2029
• Final Operational Capability: 2032-2033

5. Close-out

• Project Close-out: 2032-2033

Project updates

December 13, 2023
The Government of Canada hosted a virtual industry engagement focused on long-term in-service support of the CC-330 Husky fleet.

November 9, 2023
The first CC-330 Husky entered into service with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

August 31, 2023
A first used A330-200 aircraft arrived in Canada to undertake acceptance activities and for use by the RCAF in a strategic airlift transport role.

June 30, 2023
The Government of Canada awarded a competitive contract, valued at $150M USD (taxes excluded), to International AirFinance Corporation for the procurement and preparation for three used Airbus A330-200.

June 19, 2023
Contract awarded for acquisition of nine CC-330 Husky aircraft, associated equipment, integrated logistic support elements, training simulator(s), and sustainment.

June 8, 2023
The Government of Canada granted acquisition implementation approval for the procurement of 9 CC-330 Husky aircraft (mix of 4 new and 5 used A330-200), associated equipment and integrated logistic support, and to develop and design associated infrastructure.

March 15, 2023
The Government of Canada hosted a virtual industry engagement focused on long-term in-service support of the STTC fleet.

January 13, 2023
Revised Request for Proposal for STTC aircraft acquisition released to Qualified Supplier.

October 21, 2022
Second Request for Proposal for additional used A330-200 aircraft directed to source list suppliers.

October 3, 2022
The Government of Canada hosted a virtual industry engagement focused on long-term in-service support of the STTC fleet.

June 13, 2022
The Government of Canada awarded a competitive contract, valued at $102M USD (taxes excluded), to International AirFinance Corporation for the procurement and preparation of two used Airbus A330-200.

June 2, 2022
The Government of Canada granted early implementation approval for the procurement and operationalization of two used Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

June 15, 2021
The Government of Canada hosted a virtual industry engagement event.

April 1, 2021
Following evaluation of the responses received to the Invitation to Qualify (ITQ), the Government of Canada published the name of the qualified supplier that demonstrated its ability to meet the requirements listed in the ITQ. The company is Airbus Defence and Space SA.

February 12, 2021
The Government of Canada published a final Invitation to Qualify on Buy and Sell for suppliers to qualify for the upcoming procurement process.

December 17, 2020
The Government of Canada published a draft Invitation to Qualify on Buy and Sell to solicit industry feedback.

Benefiting Canadian Industry

Industrial and regional benefits:

The Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, including the Value Proposition (VP), applies to the STTC procurement and seeks to leverage economic benefits for Canada equal to the value of the contracts. Through the ITB Policy, the STTC Project will leverage investments and business activities in support of Canada's VP pillars, including:

• Defence Sector;
• Supplier Development;
• Skills Development and Training;
• Research and Development; and
• Exports.

Additionally, ISED has identified specific key industrial capabilities that align with the STTC program, including, Aerospace Systems and Components, Defence Systems Integration, Advanced Materials, ISS, Training and Simulation and Clean Technologies. ISED will motivate business activities into key industrial capabilities through the selected VP requirements.

The Aboriginal Participation Component (APC) is a mechanism designed to facilitate the Government of Canada's commitments of advancing aboriginal socio-economic development through federal contracting opportunities, and it was introduced to suppliers through industry engagement opportunities. The APC is a portion of the value of a contract that is set aside for aboriginal participation, which can be direct or indirect (or both).

Technical information

The CC-330 is a twin-engine, long-range, multi-role tanker transport A330-200 aircraft manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space.

• Service ceiling: 13,000 m
• Range: 13,900 km (10 ton payload)
• Passengers: 250+
• Quantity: 9
• Location: Operating bases are being determined
• Manufacturer: Airbus Defence and Space
• Estimated life expectancy: 30 years

Project costs

• The Strategic Tanker Transport Capability acquisition and conversion cost is valued at $3.6 billion. This includes the acquisition and conversion of nine CC-330 Husky aircraft, associated equipment, training capability, integrated logistic support and sustainment.
• Acquisition does not include costs associated to infrastructure and long-term in-service support of the CC-330 fleet - these will be refined based on industry feedback as the project advances.

Issues/Risks

• There are some risks associated with the schedule, namely the volume of work to be accomplished may delay near-term milestones, and infrastructure work may lag equipment delivery. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will update the project page should information change.