Manufacturing acceptance of first RCAF CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135) for FAcT program
In October, members of SkyAlyne, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Government of Canada, and Airbus gathered at the Airbus Helicopters facility in Donauwörth, Germany. Together, the teams inspected the first assembled CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135), destined for RCAF use in the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program. Inspections and tests for the aircraft have proceeded well, as expected.
With manufacturing activities on this aircraft in Germany accepted and complete, it is now in transit to Airbus Helicopters in Canada’s facility in Fort Erie, Ontario. Upon arrival in Fort Erie, the aircraft will undergo final completion activities, which includes installation of Canadian-developed Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) elements, painting of the RCAF Reflect Forward livery, and final testing prior to delivery.
In the FAcT program, the CT-153 Juno will serve as the Advanced Flying Training – Rotary Wing platform, meaning all RCAF pilots in the FAcT program will train on this aircraft. In total, SkyAlyne is acquiring 19 of these aircraft for the RCAF from Airbus Helicopters in Canada.
The CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135) is a twin-engine helicopter, powered by two full authority digital engine control (FADEC)-equipped Pratt & Whitney Canada’s 206B3 powerplants. The aircraft has a well-earned reputation with previous customers for performance, endurance, and cost-effective operations. The H135 is currently in use by 12 other militaries, including in Australia and the United Kingdom, where it is similarly known as the Juno in the RAAF and RAF.
SkyAlyne is proud to contribute to economic activity in Canada through the purchase of this aircraft and associated completion work that will take place in Fort Erie. In addition to work in support of FAcT, Airbus Helicopters in Canada manufactures components for Airbus’ global supply chains and supports a fleet of about 830 helicopters flown by more than 230 operators across Canada. The facility in Fort Erie is also an Airbus Helicopters Centre of Excellence in composite manufacturing and is the sole supplier of composite parts for eight Airbus Helicopters models globally.
Deliveries to the RCAF are expected to begin in mid-2026.
Noah Note: The Juno looks absolutely stunning. She's absolutely gorgeous, as are all the liveries coming out of FaCT. The H135 is an amazing aircraft, not only really stunning in her design but also a very capable aircraft for her size.
Of course, Airbus is lobbying hard right now regarding the rotary fleet. If you read this week's newsletter, you would have seen our little update on NTACS. The team has been working hard the last few months looking at options and examining potential mixes for Canada's future rotary fleet.
As of right now, it's still too early to tell what that will look like. We should learn more over the next year or so about where things are leaning; however, Airbus is one surprising constant in the discussions. There's a lot of love for their products and the potential they offer.
The H145 is one in particular with a lot of interest. It is scalable, has a high payload for its size, possesses an impressive digital suite already ready for tasks like CUAS and Manned-Unmanned Teaming, and is versatile in what it can do. It's an early platform to watch out for, as I have heard many praise it and the concept of leaning away from focusing on the medium-lift category.
The future of tactical aviation might be something like the H145 and Chinook taking the lead and moving away from that medium category entirely, save something like Valor potentially taking over the Arctic role from the Twotter.
Some fun things to think about for all of you! Something to turn your minds to while we wait to see where things land.
Would you like me to shorten this into a more concise summary for a social media caption?
I know this contract has been in the works for sometime now, but a bit awkward with the CCG joining DND. It would now make more sense to get the same Canadian made helicopters that CCG uses, so DND pilots could be type certified on them as well.