The RCAF’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program is one of the largest service contracts in Canadian defence: $11.2 billion over 25 years to train every pilot, air combat systems officer and airborne electronic sensor operator. Two years after contract award, the new aircraft are arriving and instructors are flying. The next test is less visible but just as important: building the hangars, simulator bays and schools at three bases in time for training to start in 2029.
What FAcT is
Public Services and Procurement Canada awarded the contract on May 28, 2024 to SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership, a joint venture of CAE and KF Aerospace. The value is $11.2 billion including taxes over 25 years. As one RCAF officer put it early in the procurement, “it is not an aircraft acquisition program, it is a training service.”
FAcT replaces three arrangements: NATO Flying Training in Canada at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, which expires in 2027 with an option year to 2028; Contracted Flying Training and Support at Southport, Manitoba, which expires in 2027; and in-house mission crew training at 402 Squadron, 17 Wing Winnipeg. According to DND, training under the new contract is expected to begin in spring 2029.
The economic commitments are significant. The Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy applies at 100% of contract value. DND expects 3,400 jobs created or maintained and $405 million a year in GDP, and Indigenous participation of at least 5% of contract value, excluding aircraft and simulators.
Progress: the fleet
The new fleet is 71 aircraft of five types. Deliveries are well under way:
- CT-102B Astra II (Grob G120TP). The first two were welcomed in September 2025, and instructor flying with five aircraft began on April 20, 2026. Deliveries continue through 2026 and into 2027.
- CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135). The first helicopter was delivered to Southport in mid-2026.
- CT-157 Siskin II (Pilatus PC-21). The first aircraft were unveiled on September 17, 2026, less than two years after contract, and flown to Moose Jaw.
- CT-145E Expeditor II (King Air 260) is expected from 2027, and the three CT-142Q Citadel mission aircraft are being modified.
CAE holds an initial subcontract of about $1.7 billion for live flying, simulation, ground school and training devices, delivered over roughly five years.
View the data
| Aircraft | Number | Role and base |
|---|---|---|
| Grob G120TP / CT-102B Astra II | 23 | Basic flying, Moose Jaw |
| Pilatus PC-21 / CT-157 Siskin II | 19 | Advanced and jet, Moose Jaw |
| Airbus H135 / CT-153 Juno | 19 | Rotary-wing, Southport |
| King Air 260 / CT-145E Expeditor II | 7 | Multi-engine, Southport |
| Dash 8-400 / CT-142Q Citadel | 3 | Mission crew, Winnipeg |
Progress: the infrastructure
This is where the program’s public record thins out. The RCAF says new construction will vary by site and “may include hangars, school facilities, simulator bays, and accommodations.” In September 2025, SkyAlyne signed EllisDon as its infrastructure design partner for 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Southport and 17 Wing Winnipeg. Construction contracts will follow once designs are complete and accepted. Local reporting in September 2025 put construction at Moose Jaw within 12 to 18 months.
As of October 2026, we found no published construction award, value or completion date for FAcT facilities. Site services, facility management, air traffic services and airfield operations have been subcontracted at all three sites for the life of the program.
What to watch
The 2027–2029 transition window. The legacy contracts end in 2027 and 2028, the fleet is planned to reach full capability in 2028, and training is expected to start in spring 2029. New simulators are to be installed in new training buildings at 15 Wing. Facilities that finish late compress the time for simulator installation, acceptance and instructor training, and the legacy contracts can only stretch so far.
Three sites, one critical path. Basic flying training is moving from Southport to Moose Jaw once FAcT is fully operational, while Southport keeps rotary-wing and multi-engine training. That means phased moves at live, operating airfields. Construction, aircraft deliveries, simulator installs and student intake all need to sit in one integrated schedule, with clear decision points for when each legacy capability can stop.
A 25-year horizon. FAcT starts with about seven years of implementation, followed by 20 years of service after full operational capability. Long programs live or die on how well the near-term schedule ties back to the long-range plan: facility life-cycle renewal, fleet mid-life work and throughput targets all need to be scheduled decades out.
Throughput is the real measure. The program aims for 120 pilots, 40 air combat systems officers and 36 airborne electronic sensor operators a year, each within 15%. Historically, the RCAF produced about 100 to 115 pilots a year, and it was 275 pilots short at the 2018 peak. Every month of facility delay is a month of training capacity that can’t be recovered later.
What would strengthen delivery
- Publish a facility readiness schedule for each site, tied to simulator installation and student start dates, so stakeholders can see the critical path.
- Treat the legacy-to-FAcT transition as a program in its own right, with go/no-go criteria for retiring each legacy capability.
- Lock design early at the training building that houses simulators. Simulator interfaces (power, cooling, structure, data) are the most expensive late change.
- Report throughput alongside schedule. Pilots trained per year is the outcome that matters to the RCAF; track it against the 120-pilot target from the first course.
- Keep a living 25-year integrated plan that links facility renewal, fleet support and training demand, updated annually.
The bottom line
FAcT has moved quickly where it controls the supply chain: aircraft are arriving on or ahead of plan. The infrastructure is now the pacing item, with design under way and construction yet to be awarded publicly. With training due in spring 2029 and legacy contracts ending, the next two years will decide whether FAcT starts on time.
Benjamin R. Consulting brings long-range scheduling and owner-side project controls to defence and public capital programs. Book a 30-minute call to discuss your program.
Sources: PSPC, Future Aircrew Training program; RCAF, Future Aircrew Training (updated September 2026); DND, contract announcement (May 2024); DND, Supplementary Estimates (B) 2024-25; DND, first FAcT aircraft (September 2025); SkyAlyne, EllisDon design contract (September 2025); Skies, start of Astra II flying operations (April 2026); SkyAlyne, first CT-153 Juno (June 2026); Skies, CT-157 Siskin II unveiled (September 2026); Canadian Defence Review, CAE subcontract (October 2024); Armada International, FAcT fleet (December 2025); DiscoverMooseJaw, first aircraft at 15 Wing (September 2025); Skies, FAcT program feature (July 2019); Skies, RCAF pilot shortage (March 2021). This article is based on public sources and is general information only.