Cuts to Challenger jets leave air force juggling VIP, military medevac roles

OTTAWA – The fate of two more Challenger jets is up in the air as the Canadian military tries to figure out how to fill the fleet’s often unheralded role as emergency life-savers.

Two of Canada’s six politically troublesome jets, best known for ferrying VIPs, were retired last week by the federal government, which used the decision to burnish its fiscal management credentials.

A government news release said the estimated $1.5 million in savings per year would be redirected to other “higher operational needs” such as search and rescue.

But internal air force documents, obtained by The Canadian Press, show that a smaller fleet means they may need to use larger, more costly aircraft for important military missions, including medical evacuation.

The two jets were due to be retired anyway because they are old, spare parts are hard to find and their outdated avionics prevent them from being flown overseas.

Internal air force memos show two of the remaining four jets are in the same situation and must be decommissioned before the end of the year.