VICTORIA, British Columbia — The Canadian military will start receiving in 2026 Boeing-made P-8A Poseidons it’s buying through a deal price $5.9 billion.
Canadian cabinet ministers, including Defence Minister Bill Blair, made the official announcement Thursday, but defense observers had long expected it after Canada earlier this yr requested from the U.S. pricing on the P-8.
Canada will initially acquire 14 of the planes with the choice to purchase two additional P-8s at a later date.
Blair said the aircraft needs to be all delivered by the autumn of 2027 and the fleet fully operational by 2033.
The P-8A will replace Canada’s current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, which has been in service for greater than 40 years.
Blair said Thursday during a news conference in Ottawa that it has change into increasingly difficult for Canada’s military to keep up the CP-140 fleet due to its age. “It has reached its limit,” Blair said.
He noted the Boeing plane is a proven capability operated by Canada’s “Five Eyes” allies: america, United Kingdom, Australia and Recent Zealand. Blair said Canada didn’t wish to take a risk and have a look at aircraft now under development.
There will likely be additional spending on recent infrastructure, weapons and simulators for the P-8, he added.
Boeing will likely be expected to supply investment in Canadian industry such as the worth of the contract it’s receiving, federal government officials said at a background briefing.
The Royal Canadian Air Force uses the CP-140 on operations world wide, including for hunting submarines and detecting security threats corresponding to illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and polluters along the Canadian coastlines.
Blair noted Canada’s newly acquired CC-330 Husky refueling aircraft fleet will have the option to refuel the P-8A.
He told reporters the P-8s will come as Canada is facing increasing threats, particularly within the Arctic. “We’re seeing a more aggressive posture from our potential adversaries corresponding to Russia and China,” he added.
The Canadian military had originally planned a contest starting in 2024 to exchange the CP-140 Auroras. Bids were to have been submitted in 2027. Each Boeing, with its P-8, and Canadian firm Bombardier, with its special mission Global 6500 aircraft, were excited about competing.
But in a surprise move in March 2023, Canada requested pricing from the U.S. government for a fleet of 16 P-8s. Public Services and Procurement Canada, the federal contracting department, announced the P-8 was the one aircraft that would meet Canada’s needs.
In June, the State Department approved the sale to Canada of 16 P-8A aircraft and related equipment at an estimated cost of $5.9 billion.
That sparked a campaign of political lobbying by Bombardier and its partners, which include General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada.
Boeing, in a news release Thursday, noted it has 81 Canadian-based suppliers contributing already to the P-8. As well as, it has partnerships with key Canadian firms corresponding to CAE and Raytheon Canada, the firm said.
“The P-8 will bolster Canada’s defense capability and readiness, and we stay up for delivering this capability to the Royal Canadian Air Force,” Heidi Grant, president of business development for Boeing’s defense business, said within the news release. “Along with our Canadian partners, we are going to deliver a robust industrial and technological profit package that guarantees continued prosperity to Canada’s aerospace and defense industry.”
David Pugliese is the Canada correspondent for Defense News.