Canada issues CASSAR contract to Centum

Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) issued Centum Research & Technology a USD1.3 million contract, including taxes, for its Cellular Airborne Sensor for Search and Rescue (CASSAR) programme on 26 March.

Centum will provide five of its Lifeseeker software-defined radio systems as part of the award, along with training material for operators, and maintenance and user manuals for each unit. The DND had a requirement to procure between five and eight operational CASSAR systems. The device will allow the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to locate and communicate with operational mobile phones on people in distress during missions.

Centum Research & Technology’s Lifeseeker software-defined radio. The Canadian DND awarded the company a USD1.3 million contract to procure five Lifeseeker systems for its Cellular Airborne Sensor for Search and Rescue (CASSAR) programme. (Centum Research & Technology)

The Lifeseeker will be used on the Lockheed Martin CC-130H Hercules fixed-wing transport aircraft, the Leonardo AW101 (CH-149 Cormorant in national service) medium multirole helicopter, and on Canada’s new Airbus Defence and Space C295W (CC-295 in Canadian service) Kingfisher fixed-wing platform. A DND spokesperson said on 1 April that the CC-130H fleet will be the first to have the CASSAR system integrated, followed by the CH-149, and the CC-295.

The DND anticipates that RCAF search and rescue (SAR) crew will start using the CASSAR systems by mid-2021 once testing, training, and system licensing is completed. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2021.

Centum did not return a request for comment prior to publication.