• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Ottawa Inks $3.4-Billion Deal to Buy Big Military Transports

Posted on: Thursday, 1 February 2007, 21:00 CST

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government will trot out some of its bigwigs Friday to announce a $3.4-billion deal to buy four giant C-17 transport planes for the military.

Three top Conservative cabinet ministers and the chief of the defence staff will be on hand at CFB Trenton to trumpet news of the whopping contract with Boeing Corp.

Gen. Rick Hillier will be joined by Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and Public Works Minister Michael Fortier.

Bernier and Fortier, both from Quebec, are keen to highlight the economic benefits for their province's aerospace industry. The contract will reportedly require major purchases of goods and services from Canadian suppliers.

The Liberals have complained that the decision to buy the planes was made without a full tendering process, but the Conservative government says the aircraft is unique and that no other plane offers similar qualities.

The Conservatives promised in the last election campaign that they would buy heavy-lift aircraft so that the Canadian Forces can transport its own heavy equipment around the world.

Currently, the military leases big planes to transport things like tanks and trucks.

The government said last year that it planned to fast-track the purchase of the C-17s, but things slowed down over details of the regional industrial benefits spun off from the contract.

The C-17 is 53 metres long with a 52-metre wingspan and is capable of hauling 76 tonnes of cargo.

Source: Canadian Press

More News in this Category