So, here is the news — the Government of Canada has finally signed a Foreign Military Sales Letter of Offer and Acceptance for up to 16 Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft , under the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project.
As per Canadian Government , the P-8A fleet will replace Canada’s current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, which has been in service for more than 40 years. The aging fleet of CP-140 aircraft is becoming increasingly difficult to support, expensive to sustain, and less operationally relevant in comparison to the threats against which it must defend.
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.
Canada now joins the eight defense partners, including all of the FIVE EYES allies, the intelligence alliance that also includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and becomes the fifth NATO nation to have selected the P-8 as its multi-mission aircraft. First delivery is expected in 2026.
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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, training devices and sustainment set-up. The balance will cover additional investments in simulators, infrastructure and weapons.
Heidi Grant, president, Business Development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security said ,
"The P-8 will bolster Canada's defense capability and readiness, and we look forward to delivering this capability to the Royal Canadian Air Force," "Together with our Canadian partners, we will deliver a strong industrial and technological benefit package that guarantees continued prosperity to Canada's aerospace and defense industry."
Canada’s adversaries are deploying increasingly sophisticated, stealthy, and lethal capabilities in the surface and subsurface domains, which reduce the effectiveness of the CP-140.
National Defence - Canada said ,
Today, we announced that Canada selected the P-8A Poseidon as its new Multi-Mission Aircraft. Canada is acquiring up to 16 Poseidon aircraft, a proven capability operated by our Allies.
The P-8 is the only proven, in-service and in-production solution that meets all CMMA requirements, including range, speed, endurance and payload capacity. This decision will benefit hundreds of Canadian companies, and bring decades of prosperity to Canada through platform sustainment delivered by our Canadian industry partners.
The P-8 acquisition will generate benefits of nearly 3,000 jobs and $358 million annually in economic output to Canada, according to a 2023 independent study by Ottawa-based Doyletech Corporation.
Government of Canada believes that the P-8A will provide Canada an advanced multi-mission platform to conduct maritime and overland surveillance in defence of Canada and to support their allies, with integrated C4ISR, anti-submarine and anti-surface capabilities.
These aircraft are not just airplanes, but complex weapon systems capable of transporting and launching multiple sonobuoys, torpedoes, and anti-ship weapons to protect Canada’s water on all three coasts.
The first P-8A should be delivered in 2026, and with an average of one aircraft delivered per month, all of the aircraft could be delivered as early as fall 2027. Canada anticipates full operational capability of these P8 Poseidons by year 2033.
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.
Charles "Duff" Sullivan, managing director, Boeing Canada said,
"This is a very important day for the Royal Canadian Air Force and for Boeing," "The P-8 offers unmatched capabilities and is the most affordable solution for acquisition and life-cycle sustainment costs. There's no doubt the P-8 will protect Canada's oceans and its borders for future generations."
As per Boeing's Press Release, Team Poseidon forms the cornerstone of Boeing's P-8 Canadian industry partnership, consisting of CAE, GE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence, KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada, Raytheon Canada, and StandardAero. The team builds on the existing 81 Canadian suppliers to the P-8 platform and to more than 550 Boeing suppliers across all provinces contributing to the company's annual ~CAD $4 billion in economic benefit to Canada, supporting more than 14,000 Canadian jobs.
With more than 160 aircraft delivered or in service, and 560,000 collective flight-hours, the P-8 has proven capabilities for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief response.
Canada will be acquiring training aids and simulators for the new fleet. The cost of training aids and simulators is included within the overall project budget and within the current Foreign Military Sale (FMS) case.
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