Peter MacKay, the Minister for National Defence, has announced today that the Government of Canada has signed the long-awaited contract with Boeing for the acquisition of new CH-47F (Canadian Forces designation: CH-147F) Chinook medium-to-heavy lift helicopters for the Canadian Forces. The contract, which consists of a $1.2 billion capital acquisition and a $2.2 billion 20-year [...]

According to David Pugliese, the CH-148 Cyclone has made its maiden flight at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach Facility in Florida. The thirty minute long test flight was reported to be successful, but there is little expectation that the flight can be treated as a major indicator that the programme is proceeding toward meeting its 2010 [...]

The Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada has effectively cancelled the Joint Support Ship Programme in light of the two consortiums bidding for the project having been unable to satisfy government requirements. Those consortiums have stated that the $2.9 billion alloted for the construction of three ships is not enough to pay for [...]

According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the United States Government, the Canadian Government has requested a possible sale of a further thirty-seven (37) M777 155mm light-weight towed howitzers. The $114 million purchase would include spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, technical assistance, training (and related equipment), and [...]

Reuters is reporting that the federal government has scrapped two vehicle contracts, one each with General Dynamics of Canada and Rheinmetall Defence. The General Dynamics contract for the Stryker MGS was worth $800 million, while the Rheinmetall contract for thirty-three LAV III TUA remote weapons stations will no longer be signed as planned. The discharging [...]

The Minister of National Defence, Peter Mackay, who is currently in Singapore for a security conference, has stated that six to ten medium-lift helicopters and additional unmanned aerial vehicles will be deployed to the Afghanistan theatre by February 2009. The Minister noted, “… [hopefully] some of the equipment [will] arrive late summer, early fall (2008).” [...]

Canada’s aging PROTECTEUR class replenishment vessels may yet be in service longer than expected, according to the Ottawa Citizen, which is reporting that there is a funding shortfall for the vessels’ replacement, the Joint Support Ship. The new vessels form an integral part of the Government’s Canada First Defence Strategy. Dating back to 2004, under [...]

January 2007 The Chinook has cemented its impressive reputation both commercially and militarily as one of the world’s most reliable and robust helicopters for transport and lift. First introduced in 1962, the Chinook provides considerable troop/medivac transport capabilities and is capable of lifting heavy loads such as howitzers and vehicles. By no means was a [...]