Arcfield Canada and Netherlands-based Sun Test Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue aircraft ground-support equipment and associated sustainment work for the Canadian Armed Forces.
The release carries a 5 October dateline and was posted on Arcfield’s website on 6 October. It identifies potential cooperation in maintenance, calibration, diagnostics, training and lifecycle support, alongside opportunities to introduce and manufacture equipment in Canada.
Arcfield brings sustainment and supply-chain experience, while Sun Test supplies powered multifunction ground-support equipment. Sun Test identified Canadian F-35s and helicopters as prospective applications.
Aircraft support offers a separate industrial opportunity
The agreement comes as Canada continues preparations under the Future Fighter Capability Project. That program includes the facilities, equipment, training and initial sustainment needed to introduce the replacement for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 fleet.
The wider fighter purchase remains under review, but preparations for the initial aircraft continue. Anvil North’s program briefing identifies first arrivals in Canada in 2028 as a planned milestone.
Ground-support equipment is part of the operating infrastructure around an aircraft. Its industrial significance extends beyond supplying the initial hardware: equipment must remain serviceable, technicians need training, and maintenance organizations require reliable access to repair and support.
The prospective Canadian work would therefore depend on both the equipment selected and how its support is organized.
Arcfield brings existing CF-18 support experience
Arcfield already participates in Canadian fighter sustainment. GovConExec’s 8 October report notes that the company received a $157.4-million follow-on CF-18 avionics support contract in March 2024, covering spare parts and supply-chain services with its industry partners.
That existing role provides relevant experience as the company pursues work associated with newer aircraft.
The Sun Test agreement establishes a framework for assessing business opportunities. It does not announce a Canadian equipment order, production facility or committed manufacturing volume. Those decisions would determine the eventual scale of the partnership’s Canadian activity.
Related coverage: Future Fighter Capability Project — procurement, infrastructure and industrial context.