The federal government launched Tuesday the much anticipated process to replace its ageing fleet of CF-18 Hornets fighter jets, announcing plans to purchase 88 advanced aircraft to beef up its air force, amid an ongoing dispute with Boeing.
In a shot across Boeing’s bow, Ottawa warned the aerospace giant that unless it drops its trade action against Canadian plane maker Bombardier over its C-Series regional passenger jet, the Seattle-based company will be at a “distinct disadvantage” when it comes to competing for the lucrative contract to supply the next generation of Canadian fighter jets.
“Our government feels it is important to maximize economic impacts. As such, the evaluation of bids will also include an assessment of bidders on Canada’s economic interests. This new assessment is an incentive for bidders to contribute positively to Canada’s economy,” Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough told reporters in Ottawa.
“Bidders responsible for harming Canada’s economic interests will be at a distinct disadvantage compared to bidders who aren’t engaged in detrimental behaviour.”
Super Hornets nixed in favour of used Australian jets
And to further reinforce its displeasure with Boeing, whose trade action against Bombardier resulted in nearly 300-per-cent duty on the company’s newest passenger jets, Ottawa announced Tuesday that it has formally dropped the multi-billion purchase of 18 newer Super Hornet aircraft and instead plans to purchase 18 second-hand F-18 jets from Australia.
The used aircraft are needed as a stopgap measure to allow the Royal Canadian Air Force meet its NATO and NORAD commitments, Canadian officials said.
Speaking on background during a technical briefing prior to the official announcement, officials defended the decision to go with the used Australian jets, saying they are nearly identical to Canada’s current fleet of CF-18 Hornets and will cost one-tenth of the more advanced Super Hornets.
While details of the purchase of Australian fighter jets and spare parts for them have yet to be formalized, Canadian officials said they have set aside nearly $500 million for the deal.
Fixing a Conservative mess?
The news of the purchase of used Australian Hornets set off sharp exchanges between the opposition Conservatives and the governing Liberals.
“Even the Australians can’t understand why we’re buying their old planes rather than doing what they’re doing, which is buying new planes,” Conservative leader Andrew Sheer said during question period in the House of Commons. “So if the prime minister is so keen on buying fixerupers, will he come over because I’ve got an old minivan I’d love to show him.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau retorted by accusing the Conservatives of bungling the procurement process for new jets during their ten years in office.
“Canadians know that the previous Conservative government failed over the course of ten years to give the men and women of our armed forces the equipment necessary to do their job,” Trudeau said. “The previous Conservative government made such a mess of buying the needed fighter jet that we can no longer match our NORAD and NATO obligations, which is why we need an interim fleet of replacement while we proceed to open and transparent competition that they should have held almost a decade ago.”
The F-35 saga continues
Tuesday’s announcement is the latest chapter in the protracted saga of Canada’s search for a replacement for CF-18 fighter jets that have recently seen action in the skies over Libya, Iraq and Syria.
The previous Conservative government had committed Canada to buying the F-35 stealth fighter but backed off that promise amid mounting concerns over the aircraft’s rising costs and reported technical issues.
Some experts also expressed concerns that despite its stealth capabilities, the single engine F-35 was less resilient than some of its competitors, especially when operating in the harsh Arctic environment in Canada’s north.
Canada, however, still remains a partner in the F-35 program and Canadian firms are actively involved in supplying equipment and parts to the stealth fighter.
But buying F-35 jets produced by Boeing’s rival Lockheed Martin would potentially be embarrassing for the Liberals. During the election campaign in 2015, Trudeau vowed his government would never buy the F-35.
Buying time or kicking the can?
However, retired Gen. Tom Lawson, who served as Canada’s chief of defence staff under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said with Tuesday’s announcement the Liberals bought themselves a lot of time.
“I think for the government that is a very useful thing, especially because some Canadians will remember that they said they would never purchase the F-35,” said Lawson, a former fighter pilot. “And with this process it’s very likely that F-35 will win whatever competition process is in place.”
Other potential bidders include Dassault with its Rafale fighter jet, Eurofighter with its Typhoon aircraft and Saab with Gripen, Lawson said.
“All of those aircraft are getting used to losing international competitions to F-35 and for very good reason, all of them are 10 to 15 or 20 years old and it’s very tough to compete your aircraft against the F-35,” Lawson said. “The F-35 is just blossoming through its development stage and into part of the envelope years that could last 20, 30, 40 years where it’s going to be the fighter around the world.”
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