Voyageur lands service contract for military patrol aircraft

North Bay's Voyageur Aviation has been awarded another contract to service aircraft for the Canadian government.

Voyageur's parent company, Chorus Aviation, announced Voyageur has secured the in-service support and maintenance contract for three new-acquired surveillance aircraft for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Voyageur teamed up with General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada to make a successful bid to service three King Air 350ER aircraft. The $72-million contract is for an eight-year term and could potentially by extended for more than 20 years, basically the life of the aircraft.

Forty highly skilled jobs, split between General Dynamics and Voyageur, will be created in North Bay and central Ontario.

These are patrol aircraft earmarked for Canada's Manned Airborne Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (MAISR) program. They're used to identify potential threats to Canadian security and sovereignty, including missions in the Arctic.

The aircraft were purchased from Textron Aviation (formerly Beech Aircraft Corp.) through the Foreign Military Sales program of the U.S. government.

These aircraft will be outfitted with military-grade advanced sensors and secure communications equipment. The planes are scheduled for delivery in 2022.

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"For almost 20 years, Voyageur has gained expertise in supporting our own special mission and humanitarian air services deployed around the globe," said Scott Tapson, Voyageur president, in a news release.

"We are delighted to be combining this experience with General Dynamics in supporting the CAF with our collective capabilities."

Voyageur is a provider of specialized aviation and charter services with advanced engineering and maintenance capabilities.

It's been a newsworthy spring for the North Bay-based aircraft refurbisher.

Last month, Chorus announced Voyageur was awarded a contract to upgrade aircraft from Transport Canada's National Aerial Surveillance Program with new surveillance equipment.