Submarine hunters: Bombardier has lead in the wing

OTTAWA – Bombardier’s operation charm with the Canadian military has lost ground, as the United States on Tuesday approved the potential sale to Canada of 16 Boeing submarine-hunting planes.

“The government has determined that the P-8A Poseidon [de Boeing] was the only readily available device that met all operational requirements,” Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said Tuesday.

The statement came shortly after the US State Department gave the go-ahead for the delivery to Canada of 16 P-8A Poseidon submarine-hunting aircraft. The value of the potential contract is estimated at $5.9 billion.

These aircraft would replace our aging fleet of CP-140 Aurora aircraft. In service since 1980, these devices must be retired by 2030.

PSPC indicates that the American announcement does not constitute a promise to purchase that would immediately disqualify any other supplier, such as Bombardier, which is calling for a public call for tenders. “Canada continues to assess its options,” insist PSPC and the office of Defense Minister Anita Anand.

SPAC’s announcement nevertheless leaves the competition very little room for manoeuvre. She points out that the Poseidon is a “proven platform”, “used by several of Canada’s defense partners”, which ensures its “interoperability with the closest allies”.

“Interoperability is a major factor,” said Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux in a parliamentary committee two weeks ago.

Bomber don’t give up

Bombardier does not admit defeat, however: “We continue to demand fair and open competition, and we are convinced that our product can win,” said company spokesman Mark Maslush.

The Quebec aircraft manufacturer wants to develop a brand new submarine hunter aircraft by adapting its Global 6500 aircraft, as it did to create another military surveillance aircraft with the Swedish Saab, the GlobalEye.

However, this device is not armed, as a submarine hunter must absolutely be. It would therefore have to be modified considerably, which represents a considerable engineering challenge. It is also significantly smaller than the Poseidon and therefore could not carry as many personnel and equipment as the American aircraft, which could be a handicap during long missions in the Arctic or the Pacific, for example.

“It’s all under consideration. Of course, we obviously want the best device for Canada according to the needs we have at home,” said the Log the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne.

Urgent needs

And the needs are urgent, he said, pointing to the tense geopolitical context since the start of the war in Ukraine. A context in which Canada is in danger because it is too slow to buy up-to-date military equipment, pleaded the auditor general, Karen Hogan, in a parliamentary committee two weeks ago.

However, based on the time it took Boeing to develop the Poseidon, developing a new submarine hunter, as proposed by Bombardier, could take a decade.

In this context, Mr. Giroux and Mr.^me Hogan urged parliamentarians to consider their requirements for national defense equipment suppliers to ensure rapid and efficient supply to troops.

“There is a very small defense industrial base in Canada. But Canada often insists on having domestic suppliers, which is a disadvantage,” said Mr. Giroux.