MOOSE JAW — The Government of Canada has confirmed its commitment to the Snowbirds’ aerobatic team and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) air demonstration mission after concerns were raised about the team’s future.
Ottawa had announced that it was considering eliminating some older military equipment — including the Snowbirds’ 20 CT-114 Tutor jets — that had become costly and difficult to maintain. However, the defence minister said he had not made any decisions and was waiting for advice from military leaders.
The CT-114 Tutor has more than 60 years of service as a trainer and air demonstration aircraft in the RCAF and is currently used by 431 (Snowbirds) Air Demonstration Squadron.
The military ordered the Tutor jets in 1961, while they began their demonstration career in 1967. They adopted the name Snowbirds in 1971 and were formally designated as the airshow team in 1975.
In an email to the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com, a spokesperson for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) confirmed that the federal government still valued the Snowbirds.
“We intend to continue with aerial demonstrations using the CT-114 Tutor for as long as is feasible and safe,” the spokesperson said.
CAF determined in 2021 that the CT-114 Tutor needed avionics upgrades, so it launched an upgrade and life extension project known as the CT-114 Tutor Life Extension Beyond 2020 (or CT-114 TLE2020+), the emails aid.
This would ensure the fleet with 431 Air Demonstration Squadron continued to meet North American airspace regulatory requirements and allowed the RCAF to continue its air demonstration mission.
On March 11, 2021, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defence, awarded L3 Technologies MAS Inc. a $12.7-million contract to commence design and engineering studies to extend the life of the CT-114 Tutor fleet.
Ottawa subsequently increased the contract to $29.3 million to purchase the modification kits and complete the necessary engineering work to enhance the 20 aircraft.
The life extension upgrades include a new glass cockpit avionics package with a cockpit voice and flight data recorder, ADS-B transponder, and upgraded navigations and communications systems.
“The project is now in the implementation phase, with initial operating capability of four modified aircraft currently scheduled for (the) end of 2024,” the email said. “Modifications to all remaining aircraft are still expected to be completed by the end of 2026.”
CAF indicated in a recent social media post that the CT-114 Tutor Life Extension Beyond 2020 project “marked a significant milestone” by receiving airworthiness approval, while the upgrades ensured that the CT-114 Tutor fleet could safely and effectively operate.
The total upgrades that will equip the 20 aircraft include:
- Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system
- Combined Cockpit Voice Recorder/Flight Data Recorder
- Large Electronic Flight Display System with Bluetooth and separate digital standby instruments
- Digital Engine-Indicating and Crew-Alerting System
- New VHF NAV/COM system and audio control panel
- New Distance Measuring Equipment
- Digital G-meter and digital clocks
The email said that three aircraft had been modified with the support of the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment and 434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron, while the program will continue to deliver upgraded aircraft until 2026.
The project intends to support an estimated life expectancy to 2030, although the government has not yet made any decisions about the exact date of the aircraft fleet’s retirement, the Department of Defence said on social media.
“As (Defence) Minister (Bill) Blair has stated, we remain committed to the Snowbirds, and we are beginning the process of examining potential options for aircraft for the Snowbirds’ mission once the CT-114 Tutor fleet reaches its end of life in the coming years,” the spokesperson added.
