Fixed-wing search plane program almost short-circuited by RCAF proposal

OTTAWA – The Canadian air force wanted to pursue the direct purchase of surplus fixed-wing U.S. planes for search and rescue despite almost a decade of complaints that it had rigged specifications in the current, long-delayed procurement project.

Internal documents, obtained by The Canadian Press, show military planners pitched the notion of acquiring C-27J transports that were expected to be sold by the Pentagon two years ago as part of a massive budget-cutting exercise south of the border.

They were interested even though they had been accused of favouring the Italian-built aircraft from the beginning, an apparent bias that has contributed to inability of two successive governments to deliver replacements for the existing fleet of 50-year-old C-115 Buffalos and nearly 30-year-old C-130-H Hercules.

The potential sale represented “a unique, time-sensitive investment opportunity” and air force staff developed three options for National Defence and the Harper government to consider in the full knowledge that a direct buy would meet “significant resistance” from aerospace contractors “given the level of industrial expectations” that had been raised.

It was also acknowledged in the analysis that there were would fewer industrial benefits for the country.

The air force’s proposal would have effectively blown up years of careful bridge-rebuilding between Public Works and the aerospace industry, which complained that the original specifications were wired to favour the Alenia Aeronautica-built C-27J.