Canada Selects
The F-35 And Enters Into Negotiations With Lockheed Martin For 88 Stealth Jets
March
28, 2022 F-35, Military Aviation
Members of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team prepare to launch Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 pilot, during the Bagotville International Air Show in Quebec, Canada, June 22, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham)
Canada is closer to
replace its CF-188 Hornet with the F-35 stealth aircraft.
As part of the
Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) Canada aims to replace the Royal
Canadian Air Force’s fleet of legacy CF-188 Hornets (local
designation of the F/A-18) with a new aircraft. And the aircraft the Government
has chosen is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning 5th generation aircraft.
“The Government of
Canada has reached another milestone in the competitive process to purchase 88
advanced fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), which will
ensure the requirements of the RCAF are met while also providing value for
Canadians, generating high-value jobs in Canada as well as further growth for
the Canadian aerospace and defence sector for decades to come,” says an official statement released
on Mar. 28, 2022.
“Following a
rigorous evaluation of proposals, the Government of Canada today announced it
will now enter into the finalization phase of the procurement process with the
top-ranked bidder, the United States (US) government and Lockheed Martin, for
the F-35 fighter jet. This procurement represents the most significant
investment in the RCAF in more than 30 years. It is essential for protecting
the safety and security of Canadians, it will enhance our Arctic sovereignty,
it will ensure we are equipped to better defend North America and it will help
make sure we continue to meet our NATO and NORAD obligations well into the
future.”
The Government of
Canada launched an “open and transparent competitive process” to acquire new
fighter jets in 2017. A formal request for proposals was released to eligible
suppliers in July 2019. It closed in July 2020. Dassault and Airbus decided to
withdraw their Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon proposals in 2018 and 2019,
respectively, saying that the requirements favored the US bids. Boeing,
Lockheed Martin and Saab, proposing the Super Hornet Block III,
the F-35A Lightning II and the Gripen E respectively, were asked to show how
their bids could meet not only the military requirements of the RCAF for
missions both at home and abroad, but also provide benefits for the national
industry.
In November 2021, it
was announced that the replacement proposal based on the F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet, one of the favorite bids considered that the RCAF already operates the
“legacy” version of the Hornet, was rejected as it did not meet the federal
government’s requirements. Between the two remaining contenders, Lockheed
Martin and Saab, Canada eventually chose the F-35.
“The multi-step
assessment process took into account a wide range of factors, including capabilities,
cost, as well as economic benefits and impacts. Recognizing that these fighter
jets must effectively serve the RCAF and Canadians over the coming decades,
Canada evaluated these aircraft against typical scenarios familiar to NATO and
NORAD allies, which were further tailored to meet the needs of the RCAF,
including Canada’s unique northern geography. We are confident that this
competitive process will deliver the best results for the Canadian Armed Forces
and for Canadians.”
As we explained in
a previous article on
the Canadian procurement of new fighter jets:
We
should not forget that Canada is a partner in the Joint Strike Fighter program,
with over CAD 713 million spent since 1997 to participate in the program that
led Canadian companies to secure F-35-related contracts for over CAD 2.6
billion. The government decided to buy 65 F-35s in 2010 without competition,
however in 2015 the plan was scrapped in favor of an open competition. Together
with this competition, it was also decided to acquire 18 Super Hornets as
temporary solution until the arrival of the new fighter aircraft. Following
the trade dispute between Boeing and Bombardier,
which even led to a so-called “Boeing clause” on firms that have launched trade
disputes with Canada and are seeking a federal contract, the Super Hornet interim
plan was cancelled.
The
18 interim jets, however, were still badly needed and, in the end, Canada
decided to acquire 18 flyable Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force, of
which 12 single seater F/A-18A and 6 twin seater F/A-18B jets, and up to seven
non flyable aircraft for use as spare parts and training aids. The fighters
were being retired as the RAAF received its new F-35s and were delivered to the RCAF
between 2019 and 2021. The “new” aircraft, which are being upgraded to a
standard similar to the CF-188, will address the capability gap so that the
Canadian Armed Forces are able to simultaneously meet both the NORAD and NATO
fighter aircraft commitments.
In
addition to that, a further upgrade known as Hornet Extension Project (HEP) has
been started for the entire fleet of 94 F/A-18s (including the 18 Australian
aircraft) to meet the most recent international aviation regulations and ensure
interoperability with allies. The upgrade includes Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B),
Honeywell GPS/INS systems, new AN/ARC-210 radios, airborne Joint Tactical
Radios, upgraded Sniper targeting pod and enhanced mission computers and data
transfer units.
Following
this works, the 36 aircraft with the most remaining operational life will be
further upgraded to obtain enhanced combat capabilities for operations against
current threats. As part of the upgrade, these jets will receive the APG-79(V)4
Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder
and AIM-120D AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, AGM-154 Joint StandOff Weapon (JSOW),
ADM-141C Improved Tactical Air-Launched Decoys and the Automatic Ground
Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS). The total cost of the two rounds of
upgrades is of about CAD 1.3 billion.
The HEP upgrade will keep the Canadian
Hornets relevant until 2032, when the replacement aircraft is expected to take
over.
Two CF-188 Hornet jets, 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, fly in formation with four F-16 fighting falcon aircraft, 120th Fighter Squadron, from Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, on September 20, 2020, over the skies of Labrador during a NORAD Arctic Air Defense Operation being hosted by 5 Wing Newfoundland, Labrador. (Image credit: Master Corporal Krista Blizzard)
Among the Quick
Facts highlighted by Canada’s Government in their official statement, there’s
also the fact that Allies and security partners, ranging from the US, the UK,
Italy and the Netherlands in NATO, to Australia, Japan and South Korea in the
Indo-Pacific, use or are in the process of procuring the F-35. Indeed, the
controversial Lightning jet has consistently won all the competitions it has
entered, including the ones in
According to the
Government of Canada, the procurement of the first aircraft should take place
in 2025. Canada is preparing two main operating bases for its future fighter
aircraft: 4 Wing Cold Lake and 3 Wing Bagotville,
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