August 7, 2024 | Local, Aerospace
August 7, 2024 – Richmond, British Columbia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, welcomed Boeing’s $61 million investment in the British Columbian aerospace sector. This investment is part of the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs) included in Canada’s decision to procure up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the United States Government and Boeing through the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project.
Canada’s investment to procure up to 16 P-8A aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), as announced by Minister Blair in November 2023, will support over 3,000 jobs and add approximately $358 million to Canada's economy, every year for the next 10 years.
As part of its requirements to invest in Canada as the supplier of the P-8A fleet, today, Boeing announced $61 million in investments in British Columbia’s aerospace sector.
Minister Blair noted that these investments are yet another demonstration of how investment in the Canadian Armed Forces supports economic growth and skill development in Canada’s defence and aerospace sectors.
Through the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project, Canada is acquiring a new fleet of aircraft that is ready to meet Canada’s security needs, and interoperable with allies and key partners. The P-8A will replace Canada’s current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, which has been in service for more than 40 years.
The P-8A will provide Canada an advanced multi-mission platform to conduct maritime and overland surveillance in defence of Canada and to support our allies. This procurement will allow Canada to seamlessly transition to a replacement capability, thereby ensuring that Canada can continue to meet its domestic needs and international obligations.
“Our incoming fleet of up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft will provide our aviators with the tools that they need to protect our sovereignty – and at the same time, it is creating economic growth and good jobs for Canadians. As our government invests more in defence, we are ensuring that these investments deliver real value for the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian economy, and Canadian workers. I thank Boeing for its work to deliver this new fleet of aircraft to Canada – and I welcome its major investments in British Columbia’s aerospace sector.”
The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence
“The aerospace sector is a cornerstone of our economy and supports well-paid jobs for Canadian workers. Major defence procurement projects allow us to not only strengthen the operational capabilities of our armed forces, but also ensure that companies in the Canadian supply chain can get significant economic benefits. This multi-million dollar investment further consolidates our aerospace industry’s position as a global leader of innovation and technology, and supports Canadian businesses, including Indigenous-owned businesses.”
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement
“Boeing’s significant investments in British Columbia under the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy underscore our government’s commitment to advancing Canadian innovation and economic prosperity. By supporting COTA Aviation’s Indigenous skills training and bolstering Boeing Vancouver’s capabilities in data analytics, Boeing is enhancing aerospace capabilities while fostering sustainable growth and creating high-value career opportunities. Through our ITB Policy, we are dedicated to ensuring Canada remains a global leader in aerospace excellence”
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Headquartered in Richmond’s technology and innovation hub, Boeing Vancouver has greatly contributed to our economy and provided well-paying jobs to workers and families in British Columbia. The investments announced today by Boeing will further grow our regional economy and support generational work across our community. I am encouraged by Boeing’s continued commitment to tech advancements in ensuring that Richmond remains a hub of innovation.”
Parm Bains, Member of Parliament for Steveston—Richmond East
"This collaboration is a testament to Canada's strength in the aviation industry and reflects Boeing's unwavering commitment to the country where we have consistently driven innovation for over a century. It’s wonderful to forge greater partnerships and growth in the province of British Columbia where our journey began back in 1919 symbolizing our enduring dedication to shaping the future of aerospace in Canada."
Al Meinzinger, President of Boeing Canada.
Canada has finalized a government-to-government agreement with the United States (US) Government under the Foreign Military Sales program for the acquisition of up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Fourteen multi-mission aircraft are being procured, with options for up to an additional two.
The P-8A will replace Canada’s current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora. The CP-140 Aurora fleet was originally procured in 1980 and is currently scheduled to retire from service in 2030. At that point, it will have been in service for almost 50 years and is already facing significant obsolescence challenges. Procuring a new fleet is required to continue protecting Canadian sovereignty along our three coastlines.
After significant engagement and thorough analysis, the Government of Canada is confident that the P-8A delivers the best anti-submarine and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for our country. The aircraft will operate seamlessly with allies. This platform is a proven capability that is operated by all our Five Eyes allies—the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand—as well as other defence partners.
The estimated investment for this project is $10.4 billion CAD; it includes up to $5.9 billion USD for the P-8A, associated equipment, simulators, training devices and sustainment set-up. The balance will cover additional investments in infrastructure and weapons.
The first P-8A is expected to be delivered in 2026, and with an average of two aircraft delivered every three months, all of the aircraft could be delivered as early as fall 2028. We anticipate full operational capability by 2033.
The P-8A aircraft will be based at 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S. and 19 Wing Comox, B.C.
Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, including the Value Proposition, applies to the CMMA project. This requires that Boeing provide business activities and make investments to the Canadian economy equal to the value of its activities related to the Foreign Military Sale.
As part of this project, Boeing will provide meaningful business activities and make targeted investments in Canadian industry to support the growth of our aerospace and defence sector. To that end, Boeing has plans to integrate Canadian companies in global supply chains, develop clean technologies and support the development of skills and training in Canada.
This year, Canadians are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. As we mark this anniversary, the Government is making the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force since the Second World War. In the past two years, the Government has signed deals to acquire approximately 200 new aircraft for the RCAF – including new fleets of F-35 fighter jets, P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Strategic Tanker and Transport Aircraft, training aircraft and more.
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LEE BERTHIAUME OTTAWA THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED DECEMBER 3, 2018UPDATED DECEMBER 3, 2018 The Canadian military is looking to contract out some maintenance work on the country's aging CF-18 fighter jets as well as training to help address a shortage of experienced technicians. Defence officials revealed the plan during a Commons committee meeting on Monday, in which they also defended the time needed to pick a new jet for the air force and faced calls to reveal how much it will cost to upgrade the CF-18s' combat systems. The technician shortage was first revealed in an explosive auditor general's report last month in which the watchdog took aim at the Liberals' plan to buy second-hand Australian jets by warning the air force needed more technicians and pilots – not planes. A number of measures are being introduced to address both shortfalls, air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger told the committee, including the contracting out of more involved maintenance that usually takes place away from the front lines as well as some tech training. The initiatives will free up about 200 experienced aircraft technicians so they can work directly on planes in the field and keep them flying, Meinzinger said, adding in an interview after the meeting that the move would not affect combat readiness. Initiatives are also being introduced to better support military families, which Meinzinger identified as a key contributing factor in why many pilots and technicians are leaving, while the air force is looking at a new training model to produce more pilots. Even with these measures, Meinzinger said he expected it to take between five and seven years to have a full complement of pilots and technicians in time to start transitioning from the CF-18s to new state-of-the-art replacements. “We're putting our shoulder to the wheel,” Meinzinger told The Canadian Press. “This is a top priority. But it's going to take some time, obviously.” Defence officials faced pointed questions from members of Parliament on both sides of the table during Monday's committee meeting about the length of time it is expected to take for those new replacements to be selected and delivered. A request for proposals will be released in the spring, with bids due in early 2020. Another full year has been set aside to evaluate those bids and another for negotiations with the winner. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected in 2025 and the last in 2031. The Defence Department's head of procurement, Patrick Finn, underscored the complexity of the $19-billion project, which has been plagued by delays and political mismanagement for more than a decade as Canada has sought to choose a new fighter. Those complexities include the usual challenges evaluating and negotiating the capabilities of each of the four aircraft that are expected to compete, Finn said, as well as the industrial benefits to Canada and intellectual-property rights. At the same time, he added, the process for actually purchasing each of the planes is different given, for example, that Canada is a member of the F-35 stealth fighter project while the U.S. government would need to officially sign off on buying Super Hornets. In fact, Finn said the government has only limited flexibility in its schedule given that most manufacturers can only start delivering aircraft three years after an order is made – though he remained confident that the timeline would be met. The length of time was nonetheless a clear concern to some committee members. Officials were also grilled over the cost of upgrading the CF-18s' sensors, weapons and defensive measures after the auditor general found $3-billion in planned investments over the next decade was only to keep them flying and did not include their combat systems. The Defence Department's top bureaucrat, deputy minister Jody Thomas, told the committee that an analysis is underway, which includes consulting with the U.S. and other allies, and that a plan is expected in the spring. But opposition members challenged Thomas when she suggested that the department would not be able to provide cost estimates to the committee before being presented to the government, saying even if it is a matter of security, they are entitled to the information. “A unilateral declaration by a deputy or anybody that a parliamentary committee cannot have information is unacceptable,” NDP MP David Christopherson said. “There needs to be one more step to pursue that so that question, which is entirely legitimate in my opinion, can be answered in a way that respects the security and defence issues but also upholds the right of Parliament to demand any information they so choose.” https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-plan-for-combat-upgrades-to-aging-cf-18s-expected-in-may-defence