Tories stick with controversial deal to replace military helicopters
OTTAWA — The federal government is standing behind its commitment to a controversial replacement for the military’s aging Sea King helicopters despite years of delays and political damage.
What isn’t clear is whether the government’s plan will leave a gap in the air force’s ability to do its job as it will be forced to use less capable helicopters for at least three years.
Rumours had circulated for several weeks that the government was considering all options, including a pushing the reset button, over U.S.based aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky’s ongoing failure to deliver 28 Cyclone helicopters to replace the 50-year-old Sea Kings.
Although Sikorsky was originally supposed to begin delivery on the $5-billion project in November 2008, with the last ship-borne helicopter arriving in 2011, not a single fully capable Cyclone has yet been produced.
But the government put the boot to rumours of a reset late Friday afternoon, issuing a news release stating that it would continue working with Sikorsky.
Following the advice of a third-party reviewer, the government and Sikorsky will restructure the program through a series of negotiations, with the ultimate goal of receiving the first fully capable Cyclone starting in 2018.
In the interim, the government appears ready to begin accepting interim helicopters so the air force’s venerable Sea Kings can begin retiring in 2015.
Four interim Cyclones that are not fully outfitted with all the necessary equipment have already been delivered to a Nova Scotia base and are being used by the military for training and testing.
But the helicopters have remained the property of Sikorsky as the government has consistently refused to accept them, saying they do not meet the air force’s requirements.
The government did not provide details on whether it planned to accept those same aircraft and up to eight others that are reportedly ready for delivery, or what using interim helicopters would mean for the air force’s ability to do its job.
But the fact it has publicly criticized those helicopters for years could be cause for worry.
The government will also collect more than $88 million in penalties incurred by Sikorsky for its failure to deliver any of the Cyclones over the years, and will not pay the company any more money until fully-capable aircraft are delivered.
“Sikorsky has committed to deliver the needed helicopter capability at no additional cost to Canada,” Public Works Minister Diane Finley said in the news release.
“This is the right path forward for the Canadian Armed Forces and taxpayers.”