OTTAWA, ON – Canadian Forces flight crews will soon have access to new cutting-edge simulation and training systems for their CP-140 Aurora aircraft: Today xwave, a Division of Bell Aliant (TSX: BA.UN), announced it has been contracted by General Dynamics Canada to develop and deliver three Procedures Crew Trainer (PCT) simulators for training of Aurora crews. The PCT is a variation of xwave’s Mission Crew Trainer (MCT), an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) training simulator for airborne platforms. The contract is valued at $7.4 million.

The seamless sharing of time-critical intelligence is essential to maintaining complete airspace awareness and sustaining crew readiness. As a leading developer of airborne ISR training applications, xwave offers experience in tactical-crew training technologies that will prove invaluable in helping to deliver superior training.

The PCT simulator recreates the six crew stations in the tactical compartment of the Aurora, providing simulation of the operator interfaces, their systems and sensors, and the complete virtual world and scenarios in which crews operate. Simulation includes full EO, acoustics and imaging radar, a realistic environment displaying scenario and target simulations, and instructor-control of the scenario and student activities by integrating xwave developed, commercial and Government Supplied sensor simulations. The PCT also ensures optimal fidelity by hosting the aircraft’s operational Data Management Software (DMS) developed by General Dynamics Canada. As the aircraft’s DMS software is updated during the life of the aircraft, so too will the DMS software in the trainer be updated, thereby ensuring operational concurrency.

Under the contract xwave will deliver three PCT systems; two will go to 14 Wing Greenwood (Greenwood, Nova Scotia) and one will go to 19 Wing Comox (Comox in British Columbia). Delivery will take place in Spring 2008.

“Airborne flight crews must rapidly and accurately process everything going on around them to make timely, intelligent decisions,” said Don McClure, Regional Director, Ottawa, xwave. “xwave’s simulator enables them to do this; it provides effective procedural and tactics training that spans the full spectrum of ISR systems and accurately mimics all possible scenarios.”

The xwave PCT design is unique in that it uses dynamic reconfiguration to permit a range of training options that allow each trainer-seat to represent any of the aircraft’s tactical crew positions. This enables the simulator to support configurations ranging from six operators of one type all in separate scenarios, to multiple crew positions operating simultaneously within a single scenario.

xwave is a leading defence and aerospace contractor. For more than 30 years the company has specialized in land, naval, aerospace, air traffic management and information applications. Its simulation and training (S&T) group is a key simulation supplier to the military market, serving as a prime contractor and system developer on a number of simulation projects, and providing expertise that encompasses a broad range of military applications.

About xwave
xwave, a Division of Bell Aliant, is a full-service business-solutions provider that serves clients through systems integration, infrastructure services, and fulfillment. These areas offer clients a broad delivery capability: xwave plans, designs, builds and operates complete ICT solutions that meet business-process needs and are designed to deliver a tangible return on technology investments. With more than $340 million in revenues and 1,500 people, xwave is one of the largest business-solutions organizations in Canada, with locations in St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Summerside, Ottawa, Toronto, New England, Washington DC, Florida, Colorado and Ireland. More information can be found at www.xwave.com

For further information, contact:
Karen.Ewing@xwave.com
877-332-4605