Canada's Field Aviation Delivers First of Three Dash 8 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft to Swedish Coast Guard

Toronto, May 2, 2008

In a formal handover ceremony at its Toronto facilities, Field Aviation has today delivered the first of three highly advanced Dash 8 Q300 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, designated DHC-8-Q300 MSA, to the Swedish Coast Guard. Delivery of the remaining two aircraft will occur within the next few months.
The contract, valued in excess of $80 million, was awarded to Field Aviation following an international competition administered by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration on behalf of the Swedish Coast Guard.
Field Aviation, the prime contractor and aircraft integrator on the project for the Swedish Coast Guard, entered into an exclusive teaming agreement with Bombardier Aerospace and L-3 Communications - Integrated Systems, which supplied the basic Q300 turboprop aircraft and selected sensor systems, respectively.

"Winning the Swedish Coast Guard contract not only underscores the superiority of Field Aviation's technical expertise but also attests to the soundness of the team approach we took on this project," said Joar Gronlund, vice president and general manager for Field Aviation in Toronto. "We must recognize and thank Bombardier and L3 Communications, as teaming partners, for their focus and determination to ensure this program's success.

"The first Field Aviation-modified Dash 8 Maritime Surveillance aircraft went into service in Australia 12 years ago," continued Gronlund. "Our status today is 26 delivered or under way with full MSA modifications, and additionally we have incorporated elements from our proprietary designs for other customers including Transport Canada, which operates the two Canadian Coast Guard Dash 8 surveillance aircraft.

"We have developed the Dash 8 into the world's leading Maritime Surveillance Aircraft in this category and created an 'MSA' family with continuous adaptation of newer technology where each customer benefits from the experience we have gained on related projects.

"For the Swedish Coast Guard, we added some of the world's most capable environmental surveillance equipment as well as the search and rescue capability. This is a multi-role capability that was not lost on the Icelandic Coast Guard, which tendered for an almost identical aircraft and then signed with Field Aviation in May of last year.

"To put today's ceremony into perspective," concluded Gronlund, "over the last five years, Field Aviation has more than doubled its employment here at L. B. Pearson International Airport; lately, nearly half of all new Q200 and Q300 aircraft produced by Bombardier in Toronto have come to Field Aviation for modifications.