Gov't awards contracts for SAR illumination flares

Last Friday, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, announced three contracts totalling $48 million awarded to Magellan Aerospace Corporation, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for LUU-2 illumination flares.

“These contracts provide the highly trained members of the Royal Canadian Air Force with the equipment they need to respond quickly and safely in potentially life-saving, night-time search and rescue operations and help bring Canadians home," Minister Qualtrough said. "This critical procurement is another example of how our government is building a more agile and better-equipped military, while creating jobs and economic growth in Canada.”

Critical to operations, these flares will be used by the Royal Canadian Air Force to illuminate the sky during night-time search and rescue operations. The flares descend from aircraft by parachute and produce 1.8-million candlepower of light for a five-minute period. 

“Search and rescue services are incredibly important to Canadians, and a core mission of our Canadian Armed Forces," said Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. "The Canadian Armed Forces flies approximately 1,000 search and rescue missions each year, and it is critical that we provide our women and men in uniform with the equipment they need to provide this life-saving service to Canadians. These contracts will ensure the Royal Canadian Air Force is well equipped and able to succeed day or night.”

The three contracts provide a combined 10,000 units of the illumination flares over a five-year period, as well as non-recurring expenses related to manufacturing.

Alongside the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Armed Forces responds to more than 9,000 search and rescue calls annually, approximately 1,000 of which result in the launching of search and rescue air assets.

Magellan Aerospace Corporation has 585 employees in Winnipeg, and these contracts will create or sustain approximately 20 jobs.