SLEP for RCAF CH-146 Griffon

On 30 May 2022, the Government of Canada awarded a contract valued at CAD 800 million to Bell Textron Canada Limited (BTCL) of Mirabel, Que., to extend the service life (SLEP) of the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) fleet of 85 Bell CH-146 Griffon helicopters until at least the mid-2030s.

BTCL owns the intellectual property rights for the Griffon and is therefore the only company certified to assess and define necessary design changes and associated repairs to the aircraft. Under the contract, BTCL will modify the first nine helicopters and then the company will manage a competitive process to sub-contract suppliers to install modifications on the remaining 76 helicopters.

The first upgraded CH-146 Griffon is expected to be delivered in 2024 and the remaining will be upgraded by 2028.

BTCL was awarded a non-competitive contract to provide the armed forces with 100 Bell CH‑146 Griffon helicopters, the military variant of the Bell 412EP, in 1992. The Griffons, serials 146400 until 146499, were delivered between 1994 and 1998. According to the information, 85 Griffons remain in service as of 2022.

According to the Scramble Magazine Air Order of Battle, the CH-146 Griffon is operated by the following units:

1 Wing/400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron City of Toronto at CFB Borden, Ont.
1 Wing/403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron City of Calgary at CFB Gagetown, N.B.
1 Wing/408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Goose at Edmonton Garrisson, Alberta
1 Wing/427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron Lion at CFB Petawawa, Ont.
1 Wing/430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron City of Sudbury at CFB Valcartier, Que.
1 Wing/438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron City of Montreal at Montreal - St.Hubert, Que.
3 Wing/439 Combat Support Squadron Sabre Toothed Tigers at CFB Bagotville, Que.
4 Wing/417 Combat Support Squadron City of Windsor at CFB Cold Lake/Group Captain R.W. McNair, Alt.
5 Wing/444 Combat Support Squadron Cobra at CFB Goose Bay, Nfl.
8 Wing/424 Transport and Rescue Squadron City of Hamilton at CFB Trenton, Ont.
Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment Experto Crede at CFB Cold Lake/Group Captain R.W. McNair, Alt.
3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (CFFTS) at Portage la Prairie / Southport Aerospace Centre, Man.

Photo by Rob Sowald (Scramble Archive)