With a new government in Ottawa looking to re-arm and re-assert its sovereignty, Canadian defence giant CAE says one of the most effective contributions the country can make is to re-occupy its historic role as a training hub for allied aviators.
During the Second World War, Canada trained more than 130,000 allied pilots under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. That achievement US President Franklin D Roosevelt to dub Canada the “aerodrome of democracy”.
After decades of military stagnation, Canada and many of its allies in Europe are once again expanding their arsenals and recapitalising their armed forces.
As part of that effort, one of the top figures in the Canadian defence industry is calling on Ottawa to carve out a niche for itself as NATO’s hub for military aviation training – a modern day aerodrome for democracy.
“Readiness is not the equipment, it’s the ability to effectively operate the equipment,” says Marc-Olivier Sabourin, president of CAE’s international defence and security division.
While much attention is given to the size of fleets and depth of weapons magazines, Sabourin says demonstrating proficiency with that kit is also a key source of deterrent against hostile encroachment.
While governments in Canada and Europe have made big commitments to equipment purchases since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, less attention has been given to expanding the capacity to produce skilled operators.
“If you look at defence procurement over the past three years in Europe, they’ve been buying things, [but] they haven’t thought about training,” Sabourin notes.
With Washington now openly questioning the depth of its commitment to trans-Atlantic security in a way not seen in the post-war era, allied governments in Canada and Europe are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their military reliance on the USA.
While Europe can contribute expertise in manufacturing munitions and combat aircraft, Sabourin argues Canada has unique advantages when it comes to training allied forces.
These include vast swaths of lightly populated territory and airspace well removed from the prying eyes of Russia and China, whose presence often prohibits advanced training with sensitive platforms like the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter.
“It’s very, very difficult to train in live operations because of lack of airspace and lack of security environment,” Sabourin says. “Whereas Canada has a lot of land and loads of airspace.”
Investment from Ottawa into such a facility could provide NATO with a modern training area for advanced air combat training and help boost Canada’s defence spending to meet alliance targets.
Current strategic plans call for such a facility to be fully operational by 2032.
France Hebert, CAE’s president of defence and security for Canada, says the company could likely accelerate that schedule with the proper investment of resources.
“We could start working on that tomorrow,” she says, noting the advantages of preparing such a range before Canada starts taking delivery of new F-35As and Boeing P-8A maritime patrol jets.
“We can work on this programme while the aircraft are being made,” Hebert notes.
When it comes to supporting European allies with training expertise, CAE has played a significant role on the continent for decades.
The company opened its first overseas office in the early 1960s to support the West German fielding of the Lockheed F-104 fighter.
Today, CAE is operating as part of NATO’s International Flight Training School in Sardinia, in partnership with Leonardo and the Italian air force. That campus is providing advanced fighter training to aviators from 13 countries, including Canada, using a mix of simulators and real world flying in Leonardo’s M-346 trainer jet.
Sabourin describes the Sardinian facility as the “most advanced fighter pilot training school in the world”, one that CAE hopes to replicate elsewhere, including at home in Canada.
As part of the SkyAlyne joint venture with KF Aerospace, CAE will providing a comprehensive basic flight training programme for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) that includes a new fleet of aircraft.
CAE has separately been identified by Ottawa as a strategic partner to replace the BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainers retired in 2024.
“For sure, this will come back to Canada,” Hebert says, noting the new fighter training school will likely be located at CFB Cold Lake.
That Alberta air base deep within the interior of North America was previously home to the RCAF’s Hawk fleet and is also the site of the planned air combat training range.
Development of that facility will help Canada expand defence spending to meet the current 2% of GDP equivalent laid out by NATO.
Ottawa recently announced plans to achieve that mark later this year, the first time Canada will have done so since the spending target was established in 2014.
