The first Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Bell CH-146 Griffon to have completed an upgrade to the CH-146C Mk II version has performed its maiden flight, the manufacturer has announced.
The modification to the RCAF’s CH-146 Griffons — a variant of the Bell 412EP — is being completed under the Griffon Limited Life Extension (GLLE) project, which is designed to extend the fleet’s service life to at least 2031.
“Griffon Mk II is an important milestone for us,” said Col David Forbes, Commander 1 Wing, Kingston, during an event to mark the landmark flight at Bell’s Commercial Centre of Excellence in Mirabel, Quebec, on June 20. “We have had a great experience with the Griffon helicopter for nearly 30 years now. It’s deployed to Haiti, Honduras, Afghanistan, West Africa, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Philippines, and all over Canada conducting search-and-rescue and domestic operations … and we need to be ready to keep doing it.”
The utility helicopter supports domestic and international operations, including tactical transport, emergency response and search-and-rescue.
“We have another 10 years if not more required out of the fleet,” said Forbes. “It’s agile, it’s fairly simple, and by global military air force standards, it’s inexpensive to operate. And it is gong to serve as an effective bridge to our next-generation capability, nTACS [next Tactical Aviation Capability Set].”
The GLEE project includes upgrades to the Griffon’s avionics systems, cockpit displays, Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9 Twin-Pac engines and sensor systems.
The milestone flight marks the beginning of a flight test program that will lead to the military certification of the aircraft, with the first delivery expected in 2026.
“Just a few months ago, this aircraft was completely gutted,” said Michael Nault, general manager of Bell Textron Canada. “We kept the cabin and stripped everything off. We reused the dynamic components. You have a new engine, new wire harnesses, new avionics suite, a new mission equipment package. And now to have it all together and flying — it’s a great day for Bell.”
Nault said the manufacturer is currently working on two more Griffons, with four more — seven in total — set to complete the upgrade program in Mirabel. The remainder of the fleet of 85 aircraft will be modernized at Bell’s partners, Alpine Aerotek and Heli-One.
BGen Darryl Taylor, director general, aerospace equipment program management, Department of National Defence, thanked Bell and its partners for working hard to overcome “many challenges” during the project — including having to redesign the aircraft’s nose to solve radio integration issues.
“Many of these were not foreseen complications,” he said. “No matter the challenges, their commitment to overcome them has been vital to the GLLE’s success today.”
The milestone comes just months after Bell was awarded a $2.2 billion contract to continue supporting the RCAF’s Griffon fleet until 2039.
Last year, the fleet passed half a million flight hours.
“The Bell 412 remains a venerable aircraft of choice for militaries across the world, with the Royal Canadian Air Force operating the largest and best equipped militarized fleet of 412s,” said Danny Maldonado, chief commercial officer, Bell. “Bell is honored to continue our relationship with the Royal Canadian Air Force as they expand their mission capabilities with next generation technologies.”
Editor’s Note: With files from Chris Thatcher
