OTTAWA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Canada has finalized a government-to-government agreement with the United States to buy up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Boeing, the Department of National Defence announced Thursday.

Fourteen multi-mission aircraft will be procured, with options for up to an additional two, the department said in a news release.

The estimated investment for the project is 10.4 billion Canadian dollars (7.7 billion U.S. dollars), including up to 5.9 billion U.S. dollars for the P-8A, associated equipment, training devices and sustainment set-up. The balance will cover additional investments in simulators, infrastructure and weapons, according to the release.

The first P-8A should be delivered in 2026, and with an average of one aircraft delivered per month, all of the aircraft could be delivered as early as fall 2027 with full operational capability by 2033.

These aircraft are not just airplanes, but complex weapon systems capable of transporting and launching multiple sonobuoys, torpedoes, and anti-ship weapons to protect Canada's water on all three coasts, the release said.

The P-8A, which will replace Canada's current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, will be based at 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia and 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia. The U.S. Navy has advised of their intent to support the fleet P-8A aircraft until the 2060s, the release added. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)