Lisa Gordon | December 21, 2022 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 8 seconds.
Last year, Peraton Canada rebranded as Arcfield Canada, but the new name is anchored in more than 35 years of proven support to Canada’s fighter fleet.
Since CF-18 fighter jets first took off in the 1980s, the Arcfield Canada team has provided the highest levels of equipment and engineering support to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). As the company has changed identities — from Harris to Peraton and now Arcfield — a core team of more than 100 specialists has ensured the highest readiness levels for the Canadian fighter fleet.
Today, Arcfield Canada offers three main core capabilities: supply chain management (SCM), maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and engineering solutions (ES).
To achieve over 98 per cent availability of aircraft and support equipment on a 365/24/7 basis, Arcfield Canada manages an inventory of over 55,000 unique line items. Worth almost $1 billion, it is the largest contractor-operated supply chain management program in the Canadian Forces.
From two large fulfillment centres located on site at Cold Lake, Alta., and Bagotville, Que., Arcfield Canada staff run a seamless exchange system that receives faulty equipment and immediately issues serviceable items to RCAF technicians.
Supported by a 76,000-square-foot (7,060-square-meter) headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Arcfield Canada offers warehousing capabilities, training facilities, and engineering labs where test protocols are developed for efficient fleet maintenance and repair.
The test labs specialize in intermediate and depot level testing and MRO, micro-miniature repair, and secure electronic warfare repair.
The company also supports the CF-18’s entire avionics suite, providing in-depth engineering support translating into more than 70,000 repairs, modifications, obsolescence and capability enhancement requirements.
Arcfield Canada also provides SCM and logistics support for the CF-18’s GE F-404 engines, generator converter unit, airframe mounted accessory drive unit, and auxiliary power unit. In July 2022, Arcfield was subcontracted by L3Harris to provide SCM services to the CF-18 fleet’s primary air vehicle from expanded bases in Cold Lake and Bagotville.
Most recently, Arcfield partnered with Canadian company Palitronica to develop a cyber materiel assurance capability for the global F/A-18 aircraft fleet. Ultimately, fleet readiness depends on supply chain security and resilience. Cyber materiel assurance programs detect supply chain attacks, identify counterfeit parts, and protect against “Trojans.” Examples of Trojans include counterfeit chips, recycled e-waste branded as new, or malicious hardware implants.
As it continues to grow and evolve its support capabilities, Arcfield remains committed to supporting Canada’s CF-18 fleet through to its anticipated end of life in 2032. As plans finalize for the country’s future F-35 fighter fleet, Arcfield is ready to provide in-country support that will enable Canada to meet its mission demands, whether at home or abroad.
