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Bombardier spokesman Mark Masluch exits a Bombardier Global 6500 jet at an exhibition in 2019. The Canadian Armed Forces are buying six of the 6500 jets as part of Ottawa’s defence spending push.DAVID BECKER/Reuters
Ottawa’s new defence procurement agency has awarded Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. BBD-B-T a contract to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with six new multi-purpose aircraft.
The contract, valued at approximately $753-million, will see Canada’s aging CC-144 Challenger fleet replaced by six of Bombardier’s Global 6500 jets.
According to the federal government, the new fleet of eight-seaters will be used to “perform worldwide utility flights and support missions such as aeromedical evacuations, disaster relief, humanitarian aid and national security operations.”
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The aircraft will be built at Bombardier’s Pearson Airport facility, using contributions from more than 60 Canadian suppliers through the country’s Industrial and Technological Benefits policy.
“On the global stage, this fleet reflects our enduring commitment to supporting Canada’s aerospace industry and maintaining our national identity,” Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a written statement.
It’s the second contract to be awarded by the federal government’s Defence Investment Agency this week, after its announcement on Tuesday of a $3-million contract for Ottawa-based Telesat TSAT-T and MDA Space Ltd. MDA-T of Brampton, Ont., to improve communications for troops stationed in the North.
The first aircraft will be delivered in summer 2027, becoming operational by the end of the year. Funds for training, maintenance personnel and military modifications are also included within the contract’s scope.
In June, 2020, the federal government awarded Bombardier a $105-million contract to replace two of its four Challenger jets, which were set to become inoperable in certain countries owing to outdated technology. This contract is to replace all four of those jets.
The decision to buy a Global series jet from Bombardier could bode well for Canada if it decides to seek consistency in future fleets, such as the six Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft it’s looking to procure for military surveillance.
While this procurement is still in early stages, if Canada were to choose another Global series-based plane, such as Saab’s GlobalEye, it could help streamline training and operations.
Saab has offered to build its GlobalEye military surveillance plane entirely in Canada if the Department of National Defence orders it.
