Canada has submitted a Letter of Request (LOR) for P-8A Poseidon Fleet through the United States Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

The Canadian Government has announced that it has submitted a Letter of Request through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales program, regarding the acquisition of up to 16 Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

Its statement read,

As part of its defence policy Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is seeking to replace the CP-140 Aurora fleet with a Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The CP-140 Aurora fleet was originally procured in 1980, and the aircraft is currently scheduled to retire from service in 2030.

Earlier, Boeing's had made it clear that it would take part in any competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s existing and aging fleet of CP-140 Aurora aircraft. That program, dubbed the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) Project , valued excess of $5 billion.

A Poseidon team was framed which consisted of Boeing, CAE, GE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence, KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada and Raytheon Canada.

Canadian Government statement also read,

Procuring a new fleet is required to ensure Canada’s military has the equipment it needs to continue protecting Canadian sovereignty along its coastline. Ensuring that the RCAF are well-equipped and supported, maintaining operational continuity, and seeking best value for Canadians, including through economic benefits for industry and communities from coast to coast to coast, is at the core of Canada’s defence procurement strategy. 

In the absence of an effective competitor to the Boeing P-8 Poseidon and the proposed A320MPA project (Avion de patrouille maritime) from Airbus is nowhere to in existance very soon, Canada had obvious choice of leaning towards the Boeing product to meet its growing demands.

Canadian Government said,

A Request for Information (RFI) was released in February 2022 to obtain information from industry. Following engagements with industry and Canada’s closest allies, the government has determined that the P-8A Poseidon is the only currently available aircraft that meets all of the CMMA operational requirements, namely anti-submarine warfare and C4ISR.

Proposed A320MPA project (Avion de patrouille maritime) from Airbus 

Canada may see certain advantage in this platform as Poseidon fleet operated by several of Canada’s defence partners including all of its Five Eyes allies—the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand—as well as Norway, and South Korea. Germany has also recently purchased this platform. 

Boeing says,

“The P-8A is a proven multi-mission capability that meets all requirements and will protect Canada’s oceans and its borders for future generations. We look forward to working with the U.S. and Canadian governments to finalize this sale under the Foreign Military Sales process. Together with our Canadian industry partners ― CAE, GE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence , KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada, Raytheon Canada, and StandardAero  ― we are committed to delivering 100% Industrial and Technical Benefits that will significantly grow Canada’s aerospace and defense industry.”

With a view to exploring this option in more detail, Canada has recently submitted a Letter of Request (LOR) through the United States government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program outlining Canada’s requirements and requesting an offer. These requirements include up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft and associated equipment and initial servicing, as well as access to intellectual property and technical data.

However, Canadian Government says, LOR is not a commitment , rather an option to evaluate all the possibilities of acquiring a suitable fleet catering to the needs of Canada.

The issuance of a LOR does not commit Canada to purchasing the P-8A Poseidon and the project remains in Options Analysis. The final decision will be based on the capability offered, availability, pricing and benefits to Canadian industry.

Notably , Current Boeing P-8 customers include the U.S. Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Indian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Republic of Korea Navy and German Navy.

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