L3 WESCAM delivers first electro-optical system for Canada’s fixed-wing search-and-rescue program

L3 WESCAM in Burlington, Ontario, has delivered its first MX-15 electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) system to Airbus Defence and Space in support of Canada’s Fixed-Wing search-and-rescue (FWSAR) aircraft replacement program. The MX-15 electro-optical sensor for the Canadian search-and-rescue aircraft is a replacement system for those aboard Canada’s legacy search-and-rescue aircraft, the CC-115 Buffalo and CC-130H Hercules. Canada’s FWSAR aircraft is an Airbus C295W, a variant of the C295 military transport aircraft, which is being manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France. Canada has a search area of 18 million square kilometers. The high-sensitivity sensors will provide SAR operators with day and night visual capabilities, despite atmospheric interference, and will operate with detection and identification ranges that will help to shorten search grid patterns and on-scene search times.