Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough announced today that Winnipeg-based Magellan Aerospace Corporation has been chosen to receive three contracts worth $48 million to make illumination flares.

The contracts are to make a combined 10,000 flares over the next five years.

The almost $50 million sum also covers recurring expenses related to manufacturing.

The flares will be used by the Royal Canadian Air Force during nighttime search and rescue operations. The flares are ejected from aircraft and descend to the ground by parachute. They produce 1.8-million candlepower of light for five minutes.

The Canadian Armed Forces deploys air assets such as flares in around 1,000 search and rescue calls each year, according to a news release from Public Services and Procurement Canada.

“These contracts provide the highly-trained members of the Royal Canadian Air Force with the equipment they need to respond quickly and safely in potentially life-saving, nighttime search and rescue operations and help bring Canadians home,” Qualtrough said in a statement.

Magellan Aerospace has almost 600 employees in Winnipeg.

Procurement Canada says the contracts will create or sustain about 20 jobs.

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