Boeing skips key session on new jet fighters
OTTAWA — Boeing said it has not decided whether to submit its Super Hornet fighter jet as a potential replacement for Canada’s aging CF-18s, and is instead waiting to see how the federal government will run the multi billion-dollar competition.
The comments come after government officials briefed dozens of industry representatives and foreign delegates Monday on Canada’s plan to purchase 88 new fighter jets in the coming years for an estimated $15 billion to $19 billion. Boeing did not send anyone. Fighter-jet makers were not required to attend the information session to participate in the upcoming competition, which will be formally launched next year, but Boeing’s absence was noticed by many of those in attendance.
Boeing spokesman Scott Day said in a statement that the company values Canada as a customer and partner, and strongly believes the Super Hornet offers the best capabilities for the Canadian military at the lowest risk and cost.
However, he added, “we will evaluate our participation in Canada’s future fighter capability project after the government of Canada outlines the [fighter jet] procurement approach, requirements and evaluation criteria.”
Representatives from Boeing’s main rivals, including Lockheed Martin, Dassault, Saab and Airbus were present at the briefing, sources said, along with officials from the U.S. and British governments.
The Super Hornet was once widely considered the front runner to win the upcoming competition after the Liberals promised not to purchase the F-35, and moved to buy 18 Super Hornets as a stopgap until the CF-18 fleet could be replaced.
But that was before Boeing’s trade dispute with Canadian rival Bombardier saw the Liberals scrap their plan to buy interim Super Hornets and begin talks instead to buy 18 used fighter jets from Australia.
The government has also warned that companies deemed to be hurting Canada’s economic interests would be penalized when competing for military contracts, a new provision which many see as a direct shot at Boeing over the Bombardier dispute.