Air force chief defends $3B plan for new aircraft

Even though we use Buffaloes right now, they are suddenly inadequate?

"We designed for the mission" ...yeah, I'm going to call BS on that.

I'm all for a competitive process with the C-27J and new build Buffalo's competing for the contract.

They use a combination of Buffalos and Hercs at the moment. Buffalos are used because they can go lower and slower then the Hercs, but the Hercs can cover more area and stay on station longer. It seems like they are trying to combine the positive aspects of the two into one airframe, thereby reducing maintenance and training costs through commonality. Plus we could free up more Hercs to cargo lift, even though the Hercs used for SAR are too shot to be used in that role anymore anyways.

I am all for domestic production wherever possible, but lets be honest, nothing is produced in Canada that fits the bill as well as either of the two foreign designs.

C-295 should be excluded based on uncompetitive practicies displayed by Airbus with respect to the engine selection process on the A400M project.

C-295 should be excluded based on uncompetitive practicies displayed by Airbus with respect to the engine selection process on the A400M project.

But then people would scream that the government is unfairly favouring US firms because the only option left would be the C-27 built in the States.

Let Viking Air's new build Buffalo's compete. So what if it is a redesigned 40 year old aircraft? So is the C-27.

Let Viking Air's new build Buffalo's compete. So what if it is a redesigned 40 year old aircraft? So is the C-27.

Not only that, but the C-27 was a relative failure when it first came out, while the Buffalo was sold to tons of countries. The US bought C-27As and never used them because they were so inadequate.

Let Viking Air's new build Buffalo's compete. So what if it is a redesigned 40 year old aircraft? So is the C-27.

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think that Viking Air has been barred from competing. From what I have read they just aren't able to match the specs that the Air Force is looking for. As such they are complaining that they are tailored to specific aircraft. I don' think the Air Force would refuse to listen to a proposal but AV know that they don't come close to filling the specs.

Let Viking Air's new build Buffalo's compete. So what if it is a redesigned 40 year old aircraft? So is the C-27.

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think that Viking Air has been barred from competing. From what I have read they just aren't able to match the specs that the Air Force is looking for. As such they are complaining that they are tailored to specific aircraft. I don' think the Air Force would refuse to listen to a proposal but AV know that they don't come close to filling the specs.

If the specs are so tightly written that only one a/c can fill them, why even bother with the pretense of a competition.

Just wasting time and money IMO.

The military just puts out what it feels it needs. If certain companies don't have a product to fill it, how is that the military's fault? What's the point of asking for certain features if you aren't going to hold companies to them? That just results in the military being stuck with equipment that can't do the job.

So tool up! Domestic production is an imperative. My namesake didn't exist initially although we had a world-beating aircraft until a certain idiot politician from Prince Albert had his way.

Avro, is that you?

Let's be certain that the features requested are actually realistic and necessary. Priority should be given to a domestic manufacturer and to the design that will provide the greatest net benefit to Canada. If the specs are being tailored, somebody's career needs to be shortened.