Vanguard Magazine

6 DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com s sIt REP Liberals announce 'interim purchase' of 18 Boeing Super Hornets Airbus C295W wins $3.1-B FWSAR contract The Liberals moved to address the Canadian Armed Forces' fighter jet "capability gap" by an- nouncing in late November that they will buy 18 F/A18 Super Hornet jets from aerospace company Boeing. It is an "interim purchase, and a full-on replacement of the Royal Canadian Air Forces ag- ing fleet of CF-18 fighter jets will still be launched sometime before the end of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's term. "As we promised, our Government will be con- ducting an open and transparent competition to replace the long-serving CF-18 jets," said Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote. "We will also begin discussions with Boeing for The Royal Canadian Air Force's search for a re- placement aircraft for its fleet of 40-year-old Buf- falo and CC-130s search and rescue planes ended in December with the government's announce- ment that it has selected the Airbus C295W to be its new fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) workhorse. At a press conference at the 8Wing passenger terminal in CFB Trenton, Defence Minister Harjit Sajan announced that the Department of National Defence will purchase 16 C295W planes from Airbus. The RCAF expects to have all of the new aircraft delivered to them by 2023. Also, present during the announcement were Public Service and Procurement Minister Judy Foote, and the chief of the RCAF, Lt. Gen. Michael Hood. The contract will also include 20 years of in- service support, provided through a joint venture between Airbus Defence and Space and PAL Aero- the purchase of an interim fleet to deal with the capability gap." Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan promised an "open and transparent competition" to replace the Air Force's entire fleet of CF-18. "The competition for a permanent fleet will be informed by the outcomes of the defence policy review next year," he said. There are two aircraft companies that are con- sidered close rivals for the CF-18 replacement contract. Boeing is proposing its Super Hornet fighter jet, while Lockheed Martin is positioning its stealth-capable F-35 Lighting II fighter. When he was still campaigning for his position, Trudeau has promised that the Liberals would not purchase the F-35. But once in office, the Liber- als have backtracked from their initial stance and announced that Lockheed Martin was not being locked out from the competition. The announcement is seen as big boost for Boeing. "Boeing is honored to provide the Royal Canadi- an Air Force with the only multi-role fighter aircraft that can fulfill its immediate needs for sovereign and North American defense," an emailed state- ment from the company said. "The Super Hornet's advanced operational capabilities, low acquisition and sustainment costs, and Boeing's continued investment in the Canadian aerospace industry – US$6 billion over the past five years alone – make the Super Hornet the perfect complement to Can- ada's current and future fighter fleet." The latest development was a "disappointment" for Boeing's main competitor. Lockheed Martin said it recognizes that the Lib- erals' decision was an interim one. "Although disappointed with this decision, we remain confident the F-35 is the best solution to meet Canada's operational requirements at the most affordable price, and the F-35 has proven in all competitions to be lower in cost than 4th generation competitors," a statement from Lockheed Martin said. "The F-35 is combat-ready and available today to meet Canada's needs for the next 40 years." The company also said that it will remain in the competition for the contract to replace the CF-18 fleet. space. When the contract is finalized, 185 C295s will have been ordered by 25 countries. Airbus edged out two other competitors to the lucrative contract. Brazilian aerospace conglom- erate Embraer SA was pitching its KC-390, medi- um-sized, twin jet engine-powered airlifter, and Team Spartan represented the Alenia-Aermacchi C-27 J military transport, which is powered by twin Roll Royce engines. Airbus has highlighted its aircraft's Canadian content and the company's partnerships with Canadian defence industry businesses as its ad- vantages. "We are acutely conscious of the importance of search and rescue in Canada's vast and challeng- ing territory, and we are honoured to have been selected to provide the aircraft and service to en- sure that the role is carried out effectively," said Simon Jacques, head of Airbus Defence and Space in Canada. "About 20 per cent of the aircraft is al- ready Canadian, meaning that it already serves as a global ambassador for the skills, innovation and expertise of Canadians. Now it will get to serve them directly."

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