Canada mulls buying used Boeing fighter jets from Australia (updated)

Heroux Devtek

06/09/2017 22:22

(Adds aerospace firms urging Trudeau to approve Boeing deal) 
    By David Ljunggren 
    OTTAWA, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Canada, embroiled in a dispute 
with Boeing Co  BA.N  over the planned purchase of 18 new Super 
Hornet fighters, could buy older jets from Australia instead, 
the defense ministry said on Wednesday. 
    The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 
suspended talks with Boeing over a possible acquisition after 
the U.S. firm launched a trade challenge against Canadian 
planemaker Bombardier Inc  BBDb.TO .  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1IY1KC 
    Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says Canada needs the 18 jets 
as a stopgap measure until it can run a competition to replace 
its CF-18 fighters. The CF-18 is Canada's version of the F-18, a 
design that is 40 years old. 
    "In light of Australia recently notifying all allies about 
their intent to dispose of their F-18 fleet, Canada visited them 
to inquire about the state of their equipment and spare parts," 
Sajjan's office said in a statement. 
    "It is too early to provide detailed information about other 
options," it added. 
    Boeing declined to comment. The Australian High Commission 
(embassy) did not reply to a request for comment. 
    Sajjan spokeswoman Jordan Owens said Canada had not visited 
other nations to assess their planes. 
    Trudeau on Tuesday slammed Boeing's "unfair and aggressive" 
challenge against Bombardier, which the U.S. firm alleges is 
dumping passenger planes in the American market.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1LM285 
    Boeing's Canadian network of aerospace suppliers on Tuesday 
urged Trudeau to buy the Super Hornets, noting the firm 
supported more than 17,000 jobs in Canada. 
    "Our partnership is deep and enduring, but it needs your 
engagement," said a letter from 10 firms, a copy of which was 
seen by Reuters. 
    Signatories included CAE Inc  CAE.TO , Heroux Devtek Inc 
 HRX.TO  and Honeywell International Inc.  HON.N  as well as the 
Canadian arms of General Electric Co  GE.N  and Raytheon Co 
 RTN.N . 
    CAE, which has close ties to Bombardier, later noted the 
letter had not mentioned the Boeing dispute. 
    Asked for a reaction to the letter, a source familiar with 
government thinking said the Canadian aerospace sector supported 
many jobs in the United States. 
    Australia bought 24 Super Hornets as an interim fleet until 
it could take delivery of F-35 planes from Lockheed Martin Corp 
 LMT.N . 
    Canada's former Conservative government said in 2010 it 
would buy 65 F-35s but later scrapped the decision, triggering 
years of delays and reviews. 
    Ahead of the 2015 election that brought him to power, 
Trudeau campaigned against buying the F-35 on the grounds it was 
too expensive. Officials now say the plane would be eligible to 
participate in the competition.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1E7170 
 
 (Additional reporting by Allison Martell in Montreal; Editing 
by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney) 
 ((david.ljunggren@thomsonreuters.com; +1 613 235 6745; fax +1 
613 235 5890; Reuters Messaging: 
david.ljunggren.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: BOEING BOMBARDIER/CANADA