Royal Canadian Air Force Receives First Airbus H135 CT-153 Juno for Future Aircrew Training Program

Canada – The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has received its first Airbus H135 helicopter — designated CT-153 Juno — in June 2026, marking the launch of Canada’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) programme, a 25-year, CAD $11.2 billion (approximately $8.0 billion USD) modernisation programme delivering 71 new aircraft to the RCAF under prime contractor SkyAlyne (a joint venture between CAE and KF Aerospace).

• SkyAlyne placed an order for 19 H135 helicopters to rejuvenate the RCAF’s training fleet, with the first now received.
• Total FAcT programme investment: CAD $11.2 billion (approximately $8.0 billion USD) over 25 years, delivering 71 new aircraft.
• SkyAlyne, a joint venture between CAE and KF Aerospace, serves as the FAcT Prime Contractor.
• The Juno name reflects the historic significance of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program during World War II and Canada’s role in the D-Day landings at Juno beach; the livery combines dark blue with historic “training yellow.”
• The Airbus H135 CT-153 Juno is equipped with Helionix avionics, with features and functionalities configurable to allow training on both next-generation technology and old-school fundamentals.
• The FAcT programme will operate from 15 Wing Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan), 15 Wing Southport (Manitoba), and 17 Wing Winnipeg (Manitoba), managed jointly by industry, RCAF, and government from a Joint Management Office in Ottawa (Ontario).

Statements

• “The Future Aircrew Training programme is basically a reset of everything to do with RCAF aircrews training. This is a generational programme for the Canadian government. It’s the largest services contract in the history of the Canadian government,” said Kevin Lemke, General Manager of SkyAlyne.
• “Doesn’t matter how much you buy. If you don’t have the aircrews to operate these systems, you don’t have an air force,” said Kevin Lemke.
• “It’s exactly what today’s aircrew need to train on to then go to our advanced platforms and operational units to fight with our allies in the defence of Canada. We don’t have to tell anybody here that the threat out there is real,” said Colonel Lauri Denis, RCAF.

Source: Airbus