# Canada’s Auroras Getting Land Surveillance Capabilities



## GAP (29 May 2009)

Canada’s Auroras Getting Land Surveillance Capabilities
27-May-2009 16:52 EDT
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Canada’s C$ 1.67 billion Aurora Incremental Modernization Project began in 1998, and is an amalgamation of 23 individual projects grouped into 4 chronologically consecutive block upgrades. Key upgrades successfully performed under the AIMP to date have included new electro-optical and infared sensors (L-3 Communications) under Block III, and upgrades to the navigation and flight instruments (CMC Electronics) under Block II. AIMP, plus the Aurora fleet’s new long-term, performance-based maintenance program, are designed to keep Canada’s fleet flying until 2015 or so.

Canada is also pursuing land-surveillance upgrades to its fleet. Given Canada’s commitments on the ground in Afghanistan, and employment of American P-3 Orion and British Nimrod MRA2 aircraft for ground surveillance in that theater, these contracts may yet contribute to NATO’s Afghan mission. 

The latest update involves deployment of the aircraft to Afghanistan on a special overland mission….

Canada’s Aurora Modernization Efforts

As noted earlier, Canada’s CDN $1.67 billion Aurora Incremental Modernization Project began in 1998, and is an amalgamation of 23 individual projects grouped into 4 chronologically consecutive block upgrades. The addition of improved surveillance radars is a late-stage upgrade, and was itself divided into phases:

Phase 1 of the MDA project featured high level design and the selection of a radar hardware supplier. 

Phase 2 saw the completion of detailed design and the initial development and laboratory tests of 4 prototype systems. 

Phase 3, valued at approximately CAD $78 million (currently about $66 million), completed the ground and flight testing of the 4 prototype systems, upgrade the prototypes to production standards, then manufacture, test and deliver 16 production systems. The prototype aircraft modifications were scheduled to begin in April 2007.
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