The Government of Canada wants to buy some new aircraft for its military and is using a novel procurement process to do so. It wants, for instance, to buy strategic airlift — planes that can carry four or five tanks, for example, halfway around the world. The military looked at the current models on the market and concluded that only one plane was capable of meeting its strategic airlift requirements, C-17 Globemaster, manufactured by Boeing Co. of Seattle, Wash.
So the government issued a unique procurement document. It said it intended to buy the Globemaster but, if there were any manufacturers out there that could meet the military’s operational requirement, they were free to challenge the government’s assumption. Well, one has.
Similarly, Canada was ready to go to Boeing for new medium– to heavy-lift helicopters that it wants to buy and pick up a few CH-47 Chinooks. But another manufacturer has stepped in and told the government it wants that business.
The press release announcing this was issued at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend — the sort of timing that raises eyebrows among us cynical, suspicious journalists. After all, they had a five-star press conference in Trenton with three cabinet ministers and the chief of defence staff to announce the decision to buy this stuff. Why try to squeak an important update out late in the day before a long weekend? Who are the other companies that have stepped forward to compete against Boeing?
I’d ask the government myself but, as its 10 pm EDT as I sit here at Pearson waiting for my plane to take me home to Ottawa, the odds are I’m not going to have much like finding anyone around to answer this. Oh well, I drew the lucky straw at the office and get to work all weekend. Maybe someone at DND or Public Works has some answers.
Well great. I hope this doesn't turn out to be similar to the Sea King replacement process where the gov't was forced to change it's requirements repeatedly to accommodate more competitors and therefore delaying the process for years. And eventually when a replacement was announced the losing company sued further delaying the process. Perhaps the gov't released this news late on the Friday of a long weekend in hopes that we can get the best equipment for our troops in the most efficient fashion as they need these aircraft now.
Thanks for the heads up. I'm anxious to read what you learn.
Kat
My colleague Daniel Leblanc has more on this in today's Globe and Mail. As I suspected, Airbus wants to build planes for Canada and AgustaWestland wants to build helicopters. The Skylink Group is after Boeing for the long-haul business.
UPDATE: Boeing wins.