Bombardier 'Disappointed' With Canada, Boeing's Maritime Patrol Aircraft Deal

By Sabela Ojea

Bombardier is "disappointed" with Canada after the government said it entered into a formal pact with Boeing to acquire as many as 16 of the company's maritime patrol aircraft.

The Canadian business jet manufacturer on Thursday said the government decided to award "a generational contract" to the U.S. aerospace company without an open and fair competition, and without fully evaluating local multi-mission aircraft capabilities.

General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada, and other industry leaders and suppliers are also "equally disappointed" with the agreement, Bombardier added.

Bombardier said it would have presented a "game changer" solution for the government, but that no follow-on opportunities were given to Bombardier or its partners.

Earlier on Thursday, Canada said it will pay up to 10.4 billion Canadian dollars ($7.65 billion) for Boeing's planes and associated parts, officials said.

The delivery of the Boeing aircraft should being in 2026, with an average of one plane per month, with all planes set to be delivered as early as fall 2027.

The Boeing's Poseidon P-8A aircraft will eventually replace an aging fleet of Lockheed CP-140 Aurora, a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

In June, the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of the Boeing aircraft to Canada. Canada's Defense Minister Bill Blair said the new Boeing aircraft will help Canada meet its obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Write to Sabela Ojea at [e-mail]; @sabelaojeaguix

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 30, 2023 15:11 ET (20:11 GMT)

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