Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • 'The only choice': Defence Department going with Boeing to replace aging Aurora fleet

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    The federal government is buying at least 14 Boeing surveillance planes from the United States to replace the aging CP-140 Aurora fleet, cabinet ministers announced Thursday.

    The deal costs more than $10.3 billion in total, including US$5.9 billion for the jets themselves, and the planes are expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.

    "These aircraft are not just planes. They are complex weapons systems. And the Poseidon has a proven capability with a track record of success," Defence Minister Bill Blair said at a news conference in Ottawa.

    The Aurora fleet, already more than four decades old, will reach its retirement age in 2030, and Blair said replacing it before that date was imperative.

    "The fact that it met all of the requirements that the Air Force defined for us really made this not only the right choice, but frankly the only choice."

    In a media briefing on Thursday, officials said the fleet will give Canada new capabilities, particularly in the Arctic, to hunt submarines. The planes will also be used for search-and-rescue operations and maritime patrols, and they will have anti-ship missiles.

    The officials from the Defence Department, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Procurement Department were providing the information on the condition they not be named.

    Allies including Norway are already flying the Boeing planes in the Far North.

    All other members of the Five Eyes Intelligence alliance -- the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand -- as well as Germany and South Korea fly the Boeing P-8, or plan to do so.

    NATO allies agreed last summer to make interoperability an urgent focus in defence procurement.

    "This interoperability is key in today's global security environment," Blair said. "Our adversaries have been deploying increasingly sophisticated, stealthy and lethal capabilities."

    Maj.-Gen. Sylvain Menard, the Air Force's chief of fighter and Norad capability, said it's becoming more difficult for aviators to compensate for the aging sensors on the Aurora planes.

    And while the planes have performed well in tests, even scoring better than the Poseidon, he said there are clear limitations in the real world, especially as threats from China and Russia grow.

    "When we actually are patrolling and tracking threats at sea, we have extremely large areas to cover, for which the CP-140 is rapidly becoming inadequate," he said.

    In a social-media post, the Air Force said it is delighted by the decision to go with the P-8A.

    Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny and four pilots at the press conference smiled and nodded enthusiastically when Blair said he hoped the announcement would be welcome news.

    The decision to go with a sole-source contract has closed the door on Quebec-based jet maker Bombardier, which had been pushing for an open bid.

    A typical procurement process with open tendering would take around three to four years to complete before the planes could be purchased, officials said Thursday.

    Bombardier CEO Eric Martel has argued that its plane, which is currently a prototype and slated to roll off the line in the early 2030s, would offer a cheaper, greener andmore high-tech alternative that's made in Canada.

    In a release, the company said it was disappointed that Ottawa awarded a "generational contract without an open and fair competition."

    Blair offered a blunt view on the Bombardier pitch.

    "There is no aircraft, currently," he told reporters.

    "There is a high degree of uncertainty around the cost, around the schedule of delivery and around ultimate operational effectiveness."

    Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Boeing has committed to establishing an "innovation centre" in Montreal -- a global aerospace hub and Bombardier's home base.

    "But let me be very clear, we are going to be supporting Bombardier with everything we have. We believe in them," Champagne said.

    Blair said the decision to go for a sole-source deal marked a recognition the federal government needs to move faster on military procurement.

    Questions linger over whether Boeing can manufacture the Poseidons on time. In recent years, the U.S.-based company has struggled with production and quality issues on its big-name commercial jetliners, particularly the 737 Max, the 787 Dreamliner and the 777.

    But the delivery timeline of 2026-27 is "a good estimate for now," said Sean Liedman, Boeing's director of international business development. The details will be hashed out in the company's contract with the U.S. government, he said in an interview.

    Officials said Boeing has also signed an agreement to provide business activities and investments in Canada equal to the value of its portion of the contract, which is $5.4 billion.

    Martin Brassard, CEO of Quebec-based landing gear maker Heroux-Devtek, said that is where the real value lies for domestic aerospace companies, which may be tapped as suppliers for Boeing's other aircraft.

    "Imagine thousands of airplanes -- not 14, but thousands and thousands," Brassard said in an interview.

    "There's tremendous opportunities out there for Canadian companies when we work with aerospace leaders in the United States, because they are the ones that are working with the Pentagon, they are the ones that are working with the generals that are developing the next fighter jet."

    As a result of the deal's domestic investment provisions, defence contractor L3Harris Technologies Canada said it will hire 20 more employees for work on Boeing's Chinook transport helicopter, with the potential for another 30 hires over the next few years, said CEO Rich Foster.

    Canada's agreement with the U.S. government allows it to buy up to 16 of the Poseidon planes, though officials said the plan is to first buy 14 to meet the Air Force's needs.

    The new fleet will be based in Nova Scotia at 14 Wing Greenwood and in B.C. at 19 Wing Comox. The planes have a range of more than 7,000 kilometres and can be refuelled in the air using the new CC-330 Husky fleet.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton are apparently distant relatives

    Genealogy and family tree tracking site Ancestry announced on Monday that by using “billions of historical records and public family trees,†they’ve discovered that the two music powerhouses are actually seventh cousins, once removed.

    Canada

    • The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    • A former Lethbridge pastor who bilked millions out of hundreds of southern Albertans has appealed his conviction and sentence.

    • Canada's grain farmers say a strike at Metro Vancouver terminals would cripple crop exports if it were allowed to take place.

    • A man accused of driving his truck into a march for B.C. residential school survivors two years ago has been found guilty of dangerous driving.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.

    • There are 'no restrictions' on the right to receive health services in Quebec for English speakers, according to a new clarification document issued by the Quebec Health Ministry on Monday.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Cole Perfetti will suit up for the Winnipeg Jets for another two years.

    • The Boston Red Sox kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 in the first of a three-game road series.

    Autos

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    Local Spotlight

    Giant gourds took over a Manitoba community this weekend.

    Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    • Mounties say a suspected drug trafficker who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large was arrested over the weekend after he was found unconscious in a vehicle on Vancouver Island.

    • Temporary emergency room shutdowns have hit rural and urban hospitals, hundreds of cancer patients have been sent across the U.S. border for radiation therapy, and there's a shortage of nurses and doctors. Here's how B.C.'s major political parties plan to improve health care in the province.

    • The leaders of B.C.'s three main political parties will be going toe-to-toe next month for their first and only debate ahead of the provincial election.

    • Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.

    • One suspect is in custody and a second is still outstanding after Toronto police say cruisers were damaged while officers attempted to intervene in the theft of two luxury vehicles in an underground parking garage in the city’s downtown core.

    • A man is in critical condition following a shooting in the northeast Calgary community of Cityscape.

    • Faculty and staff at Mount Royal University will be demonstrating Tuesday morning to protest provincial legislation that they say could restrict research funding.

    • A former Lethbridge pastor who bilked millions out of hundreds of southern Albertans has appealed his conviction and sentence.

    • The Ottawa Police Service is seeking public assistance to identify a suspect who allegedly assaulted a passenger aboard an O-Train last month.

    • The Canada Revenue Agency has provided new data on the number of employees who were found to have received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • Police were busy pulling over stunt drivers in Ottawa's east end last week.

    • A fire in a container at one of the Port of Montreal's terminals prompted the city to issue a containment notice for the area adjacent to the port on Monday evening, in the Mercier--Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    • Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a man was stabbed shortly before midnight in the St. Henri neighbourhood.

    • Police have charged a former worker with Edmonton Public Schools with forgery and fraud over $5,000 for allegedly faking asbestos reports over two years. And Jason McCallum is still at large.

    • Alberta is one of the few provinces without the ability to seize a vehicle traveling 50 km/h over the speed limit.

    • The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is urging the provincial government to implement a new compensation model for doctors and adopt a plan to stabilize acute care.

    • Public health officials in Prince Edward Island are investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness reported among 50 people who attended a shellfish festival over the weekend.

    • A man in his 60s was struck by an SUV and killed while walking on Wheeler Boulevard in Moncton, N.B., late Monday afternoon.

    • The Halifax Regional Municipality is de-designating an encampment space on University Avenue due to snow-clearing safety concerns.

    • A dry, fly-in First Nation in northern Manitoba is putting drug and alcohol smugglers on notice.

    • The mayor of Lynn Lake, Man. is concerned about a bridge connecting to his community and what would happen if it became impassable.

    • Cole Perfetti will suit up for the Winnipeg Jets for another two years.

    • Health care is shaping up to be a major issue for this fall’s provincial election in Saskatchewan and on Monday both the Sask. Party and NDP announced plans on how they will work to improve the sector if elected this fall.

    • The Saskatchewan Government is in the province's highest court fighting to prevent a Court of King’s Bench judge from determining if its Parents' Bill of Rights actually violates the Charter.

    • Farmer are thinking about more than their crops this harvest. They're talking about the upcoming Saskatchewan election and how provincial and federal policies may impact their economic future.

    • Three people were killed Monday morning in a crash north of Wellesley.

    • Officials say Lixian, 29, is known to frequent Waterloo Region, Toronto and Niagara Falls.

    • Police say a toddler in Cambridge, Ont., who was reported missing early Monday morning, has since died.

    • The Saskatchewan Government is in the province's highest court fighting to prevent a Court of King’s Bench judge from determining if its Parents' Bill of Rights actually violates the Charter.

    • Fire crews are battling a blaze at the Candle Lake Golf Course clubhouse on Monday morning.

    • Health care is shaping up to be a major issue for this fall’s provincial election in Saskatchewan and on Monday both the Sask. Party and NDP announced plans on how they will work to improve the sector if elected this fall.

    • We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    • A Verner man, 35, is charged after a fatal crash on Highway 17 last month that killed one and sent another to hospital.

    • The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    • Showers are expected to push into the region through the afternoon as a moisture laden system moves into the Great Lakes Basin.

    • 519 Meets organized a car rally in south London on Saturday in a Value Village parking lot, and it turned out to be their largest ever.

    • Casino Rama announced three new performances will hit the stage this winter.

    • Provincial police laid charges in a luring and child pornography investigation involving an Orillia man who worked at a local recreation centre.

    • Weather warnings and weather statements have been issued for central Ontario.

    • A man swimming across the Detroit River from Windsor to Detroit was rescued by a mail boat, according to the J.W. Westcott Company.

    • Windsor police say a 37-year-old man accused of attempted murder has been arrested and charged with violating his bail conditions.

    • A road in Essex County has reopened following a multi-vehicle crash. According to OPP, County Road 20 had been closed between Iler road and McCormick Road in Harrow.

    • Mounties say a suspected drug trafficker who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large was arrested over the weekend after he was found unconscious in a vehicle on Vancouver Island.

    • The leaders of B.C.'s three main political parties will be going toe-to-toe next month for their first and only debate ahead of the provincial election.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A former Lethbridge pastor who bilked millions out of hundreds of southern Albertans has appealed his conviction and sentence.

    • Farmers in southern Alberta are working to wrap up harvest, with 80 per cent of major crops in the bin, according to the province's latest crop report.

    • Monday marked the official start of Reconciliation Week in Lethbridge.

    • Opening arguments are expected to begin in the sexual assault trial of former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard at a northern Ontario courthouse Tuesday.

    • We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    • Officials in the City of Timmins say the state of Municipal Road, which connects Timmins and Iroquois Falls, is well beyond the patch-up phase.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½