Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand is reportedly pushing for a $9 billion sole-sourced order for Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft to replace Canada’s aging CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft. An industry source believes the decision could be formally announced in March..The main reason given for a sole-source purchase is Boeing Canada’s claim that the P-8 production line is running out of orders and will shut down in 2025. This was repeated in a December interview with Skies magazine by the Commanding Officer of the RCAF, Lt. General Kenny: “We’re looking at what the viable options are. As you laid out, we recognize that the P-8 line will close in the coming years, and we’re looking at what other industry options exist. The CMMA project was projected to be in the 2030s for IOC (Initial Operating Capability) and FOC (Full Operating Capability).”.There’s one big problem: it’s just not true..According to statements from a Boeing spokesperson, both the Renton factory that manufactures the 737-NG and the Puget Sound facility that converts 737-NGs into military P-8s will continue operating for years thanks to the 2022 US Air Force order for new E-7 Wedgetail aircraft..When asked if the E-7 and P-8 are made in the same factory and could be produced at the same time, the spokesperson replied: “Yes, Boeing Next Generation 737-700 derivative aircraft are produced in Renton. The globally popular P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft also shares the same Renton-based production line.”.“Based on the Next Generation 737-700, the E-7 leverages the commonality of the platform —roughly 86% — to reduce support and training costs over the life of the aircraft as well as utilize the world-wide availability of parts. Even before delivery, the E-7 benefits from the fact that it is a modified 737. Built using the same in-line production processes as the commercial 737, like the P-8, the E-7 will benefit from those production line efficiencies.”.The Western Standard took this information to the Trudeau government and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) looking for comment. Within two hours of asking the government for comment, the Boeing spokesperson contacted the Western Standard and requested we “disregard” their previous statements..A CAF spokesperson replied, “As part of Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project has been initiated to replace Canada’s CP-140 aircraft fleet. No final decision has been taken, and we continue to explore options to determine the best way to meet the Royal Canadian Air Force’s requirements.”.The Boeing spokesperson clarified a few days later: “The P-8 and E-7 share the same commercial production line in Renton, Washington but utilize different infrastructure for conversion into military derivative aircraft. P-8 and E-7 aircraft can be, and are being produced simultaneously (for example, P-8s are presently being converted in the Puget Sound facility while the UK E-7s are currently undergoing conversion in Birmingham, UK).”.After the Western Standard pointed out that Breaking Defence reported that USAF E-7s would be made in the Puget Sound facility, the Boeing spokesperson confirmed: “The USAF E-7 prototypes will be converted in the same facility as the P-8s. When the USAF makes a full production decision Boeing will determine where those aircraft will be converted.”.At a February Canadian Club event in Toronto, Bombardier’s CEO Éric Martel asked for a fair competition to replace the CP-140: “We’re not asking for charity. We’re asking to be part of the process. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose.” He mentioned Bombardier’s success selling militarized Global business jets to multiple allies — including the British and the Americans — but the Saab GlobalEye was the only aircraft he mentioned by name..The Saab GlobalEye and Swordfish aircraft — both based on the Toronto-made Bombardier Global — are the closest competitors to Boeing’s 737-NG based E-7 and P-8. Seven GlobalEye aircraft have been ordered by the UAE and Sweden, with multiple jets flying today. The Swordfish shares many components with the GlobalEye but has yet to find a launch customer..On February 21, Saab responded to the NATO Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project with the GlobalEye. The project aims to replace NATO’s aging E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. Saab’s press release describes the GlobalEye as “a multi-domain Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) solution with an array of active and passive sensors that provide long-range detection and identification of objects in air, at sea and over land.” Saab and Bombardier will face stiff competition from Boeing’s E-7..In 2017, Boeing filed an infamous — and later overturned — trade dispute against Bombardier’s C-Series passenger jet. Boeing claimed it was to protect domestic 737 sales from unfair Canadian competition. The Trump administration imposed a 220 per cent tariff..At the time, Prime Minister Trudeau cancelled a planned sole-source purchase of Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets and said, “We won’t do business with a company that’s busy trying to sue us and trying to put our aerospace workers out of business.” Bombardier was forced to sell; Airbus continues to manufacture the C-Series in Quebec as the A220..This is the second time Boeing has played Trudeau for a fool. It’s unclear if he will find his backbone and stand up for Canadian aviation jobs a second time..Alex McColl has a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Calgary, where he wrote his capstone thesis, CF-39 Arrow II: A Swedish Solution to the CF-18 Replacement Problem, on military procurement.
