The RCAF has launched the ‘next Tactical Aviation Capability Set’ (nTACS) project. The person in charge of nTACS is Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Morris, the RCAF’s Director of Air Requirements for Tactical Aviation.
In an exclusive interview with CDR, Lt-Col. Morris described nTACS as “a project that the RCAF has started in anticipation of a requirement to modernize our tactical aviation capabilities around the early to mid-2030s, as well as obviously provide a replacement for what will be an aged fleet of CH-146 Griffons at that time. It’s looking to provide a set of modern tactical aviation capabilities from the mid 2030s onward, along with the anticipated upgraded Chinooks as well to provide a modern tactical aviation capability set for the Canadian forces.”
READ: nTACS REPORT – Rotor Reset
Worth noting: “I would like to emphasize it is not currently envisioned strictly as a Griffin replacement,” he told CDR. “We’re looking at replacing the Griffin capabilities as well as acquiring new capabilities such as credible aerial reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as aerial firepower capabilities.”
Right now, the nTACS project is in its identification phase and “there are no specific platforms that we’re considering at this time,” said Lt-Col. Morris. However, since the RCAF’s intent will be to acquire something military-off-the-shelf or MOTS aircraft that is being used by other nations — “we’re not looking at developing a unique Canadian solution” — the RCAF is looking closely at the US Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program.
“We’re following the FVL program closely,” Lt-Col Morris said. “We sit on an international working group along with some other key allies; sharing information and tracking that program very closely because it potentially may not only inform our project, but provide a solution or part of the solution that we’re looking for in nTACS.”
The FVL program isn’t the only source of possible options for Canada’s nTACS project. “We’re also involved with the NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project, which is looking at the future medium lift helicopter solution for a number of NATO partners,” said Lt-Col Morris. “We currently have observer status and expect to be — in the very near future — a full participant for the concept development phase of that project. The benefits of doing so, obviously, is that we get access to a lot of research and analysis that will inform not only the NGRC project, but also our nTACS project here in Canada.”
Also worth noting: Although the nTACS project is keeping a close eye on the choices being made/to be made by the FVL and NGRC programs, DND does not feel bound by them “As I mentioned right at the beginning, right now we’re keeping our options wide open and we’re looking at potential solutions with a very wide, wide field of view,” Lt-Col. Morris said. “There’s the potential that they might be the solutions for sure, especially with the FVL down-selecting the Bell V280 tiltrotor as the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft. That [choice] comes with some pretty compelling attributes that would definitely be beneficial for Canada, based on our geographic situation as well as in the long distances that we operate with domestically — but also [that] we are a Pacific nation and that operating theatre poses similar challenges as the Arctic in terms of requiring the ability to transit long distances to operate effectively.”
nTACS is also interested in armed uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can operate in concert with crewed helicopters/tiltrotors, serving in a function that Lt-Col. Morris refers to as AI-enabled ‘smart munitions’. “You can put different payloads on them, whether they be kinetic or electronic warfare payloads or intelligence surveillance, reconnaissance payloads,” he explained. “They are very versatile, enabling future tactical aviation extensively and increasing capabilities exponentially.”
That’s not all: DND also hopes to maximize the potential of interactive networked assets on the battlefield, including any aerial assets that will be identified by the nTACS project team. “The intent would be – to the maximum extent possible – that systems on the aircraft are fully integrated and are able to feed battlefield networks and receive information on the networks as well,” said Lt-Col. Morris. “You’ve probably heard that every aircraft in this case on the battlefield will be a sensor, and that’s certainly the goal.”
DND also wants assets identified through nTACS to incorporate open system architecture, which would facilitate the rapid integration of new technologies as they are put into military service. This would be a major change from how proprietary systems have to be integrated with each other now, “which takes a significant amount of time and a significant amount of resources, and doesn’t allow us to basically keep up with the rapid change in technology as well,” Lt-Col Morris told CDR.
Finally, the assets identified by the nTACS project have to be affordable and sustainable. “That means in terms of the cost per flying hour or whatever metric you want to use, but it needs to be affordable,” said Lt-Col. Morris. “From a sustainment point of view, we want to ensure that whatever solutions we have, that they’re ready and available to the maximum extent possible with obviously the minimum amount of effort to achieve that.”
Whether the nTACS project actually steers the source of RCAF rotorcraft aviation remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: The RCAF knows that it needs a modern and even novel approach to helicopter-style flight going forward, and it is proactively examining the available options and possibilities using the nTACS project process.
