Back to news

November 2, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

Canada to accept bids for new fighter jet in May — here are the potential competitors

By:

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Canada expects to accept formal bids for a new fighter jet in May, with the first aircraft delivered by 2025, according to Canadian government procurement officials.

A draft bid package for 88 fighters was issued to companies for their feedback by the end of this year, said Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister for materiel at the Department of National Defence. From there, the final bidding instructions for the CA$16 billion (U.S. $12 billion) procurement will be issued and bids required by May 2019, he added.

The aircraft will replace Canada's current fleet of CF-18 fighter jets. The aircraft expected to be considered include Lockheed Martin's F-35, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Rafale, Saab's Gripen and the Boeing Super Hornet.

The Canadian government will require a robust package of guaranteed industrial benefits or offsets from the winning bidder, government officials said. But that could be a problem for the F-35, as Canada is still a partner in that program, which does not guarantee participating-nations contracts. Work on the F-35 program is based on best value and price.

Canadian industrial participation in the F-35 program has reached $1 billion, as more than 110 Canadian firms have landed contracts related to the aircraft program.

Jeff Waring, director general for industrial benefits policy at the federal Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, said the country sees the fighter jet program as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Canadian economy.”

But he noted the industrial benefits policy is flexible. “It is a market-driven approach,” he said. “It encourages suppliers to make investments that make sense to them.”

The issue of industrial benefits has already been discussed with companies interested in bidding on the project, and those talks will continue as feedback is received on the draft bid package, government officials said.

Email: dpugliese@defensenews.com

https://www.defensenews.com/global/the-americas/2018/10/30/canada-to-accept-bids-for-new-fighter-jet-in-may-here-are-the-potential-competitors

On the same subject

  • ANALYSIS | Ukraine is looking for more than bland security 'assurances' in talks with Canada, expert says | CBC News

    January 21, 2024 | Local, Aerospace

    ANALYSIS | Ukraine is looking for more than bland security 'assurances' in talks with Canada, expert says | CBC News

    Canada gave Kyiv a draft of its proposed security assurances plan for Ukraine this past week — a major event in Ukrainian news media circles that passed without comment in Ottawa.

  • The Canadian Space Agency Announces the FAST 2019 Opportunity

    August 6, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

    The Canadian Space Agency Announces the FAST 2019 Opportunity

    CSA FAST Program. Credit: Canadian Space Agency. Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon LinkedIn Today the Canadian Space Agency announced the Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) 2019 opportunity. According to the Canadian Space Agency the FAST program supports “research projects of Canadian universities and post-secondary institutions that will contribute to the development of new scientific knowledge and space technologies, while making it possible for students to acquire hands-on experience in space-like missions.” The last FAST program awards were in 2017 where $6.2 million was awarded for 31 projects. In this FAST program announcement the expected budget is $3.5 million going to approximately 19 awards. The maximum duration for the grants is three years. For FAST 2019 the grants will be awarded in two categories; Category A: Maximum grant of $300,000 for a maximum duration of three years for an end-to-end space-like mission project that includes the development or improvement of a technology, use of the technology during a flight or field or research site deployment, and data collection and analysis; the maximum amount available per year is $150,000. Those familiar with the program and interested in applying for Category A should be aware that FAST 2019 appears to be a merging of FAST 2017 Category A and B with the resulting median award of $300,000 being the new ceiling for grants. Category B: Maximum grant of $100,000 for two or three years, for a small space-related research project; the maximum amount available per year is $50,000. Category B is what Category C was in FAST 2017. The application deadline is October 18, 2019, 1:00 pm ET. http://spaceq.ca/the-canadian-space-agency-announces-the-fast-2019-opportunity/

  • Armée canadienne | Des ratés pour l’avion de Boeing lorgné par Ottawa

    April 20, 2023 | Local, Aerospace

    Armée canadienne | Des ratés pour l’avion de Boeing lorgné par Ottawa

    Le Poseidon P-8A de Boeing qu’envisage d’acheter le Canada a connu des ratés ces dernières années en demeurant trop longtemps à l’atelier, révèle un rapport du gouvernement américain. Ses conclusions incitent l’opposition aux Communes à exiger un appel d’offres en bonne et due forme, comme le demande déjà Bombardier afin de présenter une soumission.

All news