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http://dgpa-dgap.mil.ca/DGPA/ntl/050316/f00004ab.htm
First hit - Premier mot clé PUBLICATION: The <Ottawa> Citizen
DATE: 2005.03.16
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: A1 / Front
BYLINE: a journalist
SOURCE: The <Ottawa> Citizen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Britain offers to lease <Canada> 10 used airplanes: Proposed deal echoes purchase of trouble-plagued second-hand subs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The British government is offering to lease <Canada> a fleet of used Hercules aircraft in a proposal reminiscent of the second-hand submarine deal the Liberal government signed in the late 1990s, the Citizen has learned.
The proposal has received initial interest from Defence Minister Bill Graham's office, but sources in Britain say the Hercules the British are offering are a poor fit for the <Canadian> military's airlift needs.
The 10 planes in question are a newer model Hercules, known as C-130J "short" aircraft and are suitable for search-and-rescue missions, pilot training, and limited transportation of gear and soldiers. But a number of militaries, including Britain's, have concentrated on using Lockheed Martin's C-130J "stretch" aircraft to fill their air transport needs. Those planes are five metres longer than the Lockheed C-130J and can carry a large amount of equipment and troops.
The British want to get rid of their 10 C-130J "short" aircraft because they are limited in what they can carry. The money they would receive from <Canada> would help fund the purchase of new, larger transport planes known as C-17s.
In making its proposal, British officials bypassed <Canadian> military officers, who are reportedly not keen on the plan, and went directly to Mr. Graham's office. An official with Mr. Graham's office said yesterday he did not have any information available on the proposal.
Defence industry officials in <Canada> and Britain noted the used planes would not be covered by a full warranty or support from the manufacturer, as would be the case if they were bought new.
They said it made more sense to buy or lease new planes, in the process getting spare parts and engineering support from the original manufacturer.
One industry official likened the deal to a replay of the purchase of used submarines from Britain. The <Canadian> government originally announced in 1998 it would enter into a barter arrangement for four second-hand submarines from Britain. Instead of <Canada> paying cash for the boats, the British military would train for free at <Canadian> bases.
However, that arrangement never took place and the <Canadian> government paid cash to buy the subs. But over the last several years, the $750 million submarine program has been dogged with problems. A fire on <HMCS> <Chicoutimi> last fall -- which killed one <sailor> -- as well as a long list of technical glitches on the other subs, has prompted critics to label the boats as lemons. Opposition MPs have demanded answers about whether the British government saddled the <Canadian> taxpayer with defective second-hand military gear.
<Canada> is in desperate need of a replacement for its aging fleet of Hercules aircraft, the military's workhorse transport plane. Plans call for those aircraft to start being replaced at the end of the decade, but senior military officials have made no secret of their desire to move faster on the Hercules replacement.
Prime Minister Paul Martin also announced last year it is a priority for his government to replace the military's fleet of Buffalo search-and-rescue planes. Those smaller aircraft are based in Comox, B.C. and other key locations throughout the country. Mr. Martin's government announced it was fast-tracking that $1.3-billion purchase with the aim to get the new planes delivered in 18 months. However, since the original announcement, that replacement program has proceeded at glacial pace.
<Canada> operates 32 Hercules, but many of those aircraft have the distinction of having the highest flying hours of any military Hercules in the world. Some are more than 35 years old.
The aging Hercules were highlighted in a Queen's University report released last year about the decrepit state of the <Canadian> Forces. That study warned that if the aircraft are not replaced soon, the military will lose much of its ability to transport troops and equipment.
In addition, a report prepared in 2003 for the Defence Department noted that fewer Hercules are available for flights on a daily basis because the aging planes have had more structural problems, such as cracks in their wings. That has meant more inspection and repairs, forcing the military to keep the planes on the ground more often. First hit - Premier mot clé
First hit - Premier mot clé PUBLICATION: The <Ottawa> Citizen
DATE: 2005.03.16
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: A1 / Front
BYLINE: a journalist
SOURCE: The <Ottawa> Citizen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Britain offers to lease <Canada> 10 used airplanes: Proposed deal echoes purchase of trouble-plagued second-hand subs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The British government is offering to lease <Canada> a fleet of used Hercules aircraft in a proposal reminiscent of the second-hand submarine deal the Liberal government signed in the late 1990s, the Citizen has learned.
The proposal has received initial interest from Defence Minister Bill Graham's office, but sources in Britain say the Hercules the British are offering are a poor fit for the <Canadian> military's airlift needs.
The 10 planes in question are a newer model Hercules, known as C-130J "short" aircraft and are suitable for search-and-rescue missions, pilot training, and limited transportation of gear and soldiers. But a number of militaries, including Britain's, have concentrated on using Lockheed Martin's C-130J "stretch" aircraft to fill their air transport needs. Those planes are five metres longer than the Lockheed C-130J and can carry a large amount of equipment and troops.
The British want to get rid of their 10 C-130J "short" aircraft because they are limited in what they can carry. The money they would receive from <Canada> would help fund the purchase of new, larger transport planes known as C-17s.
In making its proposal, British officials bypassed <Canadian> military officers, who are reportedly not keen on the plan, and went directly to Mr. Graham's office. An official with Mr. Graham's office said yesterday he did not have any information available on the proposal.
Defence industry officials in <Canada> and Britain noted the used planes would not be covered by a full warranty or support from the manufacturer, as would be the case if they were bought new.
They said it made more sense to buy or lease new planes, in the process getting spare parts and engineering support from the original manufacturer.
One industry official likened the deal to a replay of the purchase of used submarines from Britain. The <Canadian> government originally announced in 1998 it would enter into a barter arrangement for four second-hand submarines from Britain. Instead of <Canada> paying cash for the boats, the British military would train for free at <Canadian> bases.
However, that arrangement never took place and the <Canadian> government paid cash to buy the subs. But over the last several years, the $750 million submarine program has been dogged with problems. A fire on <HMCS> <Chicoutimi> last fall -- which killed one <sailor> -- as well as a long list of technical glitches on the other subs, has prompted critics to label the boats as lemons. Opposition MPs have demanded answers about whether the British government saddled the <Canadian> taxpayer with defective second-hand military gear.
<Canada> is in desperate need of a replacement for its aging fleet of Hercules aircraft, the military's workhorse transport plane. Plans call for those aircraft to start being replaced at the end of the decade, but senior military officials have made no secret of their desire to move faster on the Hercules replacement.
Prime Minister Paul Martin also announced last year it is a priority for his government to replace the military's fleet of Buffalo search-and-rescue planes. Those smaller aircraft are based in Comox, B.C. and other key locations throughout the country. Mr. Martin's government announced it was fast-tracking that $1.3-billion purchase with the aim to get the new planes delivered in 18 months. However, since the original announcement, that replacement program has proceeded at glacial pace.
<Canada> operates 32 Hercules, but many of those aircraft have the distinction of having the highest flying hours of any military Hercules in the world. Some are more than 35 years old.
The aging Hercules were highlighted in a Queen's University report released last year about the decrepit state of the <Canadian> Forces. That study warned that if the aircraft are not replaced soon, the military will lose much of its ability to transport troops and equipment.
In addition, a report prepared in 2003 for the Defence Department noted that fewer Hercules are available for flights on a daily basis because the aging planes have had more structural problems, such as cracks in their wings. That has meant more inspection and repairs, forcing the military to keep the planes on the ground more often. First hit - Premier mot clé
