Procurement

• Strategic airlift is a critical capability for the Canadian Armed Forces to conduct operations at home and abroad.
• It is routinely used to transport personnel and cargo, including for vaccine distribution and for evacuations.
• For example, this critical Canadian Armed Forces capability was used in the multinational air bridge to evacuate Afghan nationals and Canadian citizens from Afghanistan.
• This capability supported the safe evacuation of approximately 3, 700 persons from the Kabul airport in a matter of weeks.
• More recently, Canadian Armed Forces strategic airlift capabilities are also being used to transport all lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine.

If Pressed on CAF’s Strategic Lift Capacity used in Afghanistan:

• When determining how many passengers to load onto an aircraft, our aircrew had to account for a number of different factors to ensure that planes could safely reach their destination.
• Our aircraft were configured to carry the maximum number of people.
• To maximize the number of those evacuated, we coordinated closely with our Allied partners to fill aircraft rapidly, and optimize the number of planes that could land at Kabul’s airport.
• Every person, aircraft and piece of equipment was dedicated to evacuating as many people as humanly possible.

If Pressed on Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project:

• The Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project will augment our strategic airlift capability and enhance National Defence’s ability to conduct in-flight refueling and strategic airlift operations.
• The project is currently in its Definition Phase and we anticipate a contract to be awarded in the 2022-2023 timeframe.
• National Defence is also exploring options to expand its strategic airlift capability and further contribute to operations at home and abroad.

• A modern fighter aircraft fleet is vital to protecting North American airspace and supporting our defence and security efforts at home and abroad.
• That is why this Government launched an open and transparent competition to acquire 88 new, advanced fighter aircraft.
• The process, led by Public Service and Procurement Canada, has oversight by an independent fairness monitor and a third-party reviewer.
• I am pleased to say that we have entered the finalization phase of the project with the top-ranked bidder: the United States government and Lockheed Martin, for the F-35 fighter jet.
• This means the bidder must successfully demonstrate that a contract will meet our criteria such as value for money, protection against risks and delivery assurances.
• We are confident this process will deliver the best results for the Canadian Armed Forces, while providing economic benefits for Canada.

If pressed on timelines:

• We continue working towards awarding a contract in 2022, with delivery of the first aircraft as early as 2025.

If pressed on the procurement of CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft:

• National Defence is taking concrete steps to ensure that the Royal Canadian Air Force can protect North American airspace and continue to fulfil NORAD and NATO commitments.
• Canada is investing up to $340M in the acquisition and modification of F-18 Hornet fighter aircraft, spare parts and equipment to supplement Canada’s existing CF-18 fleet.
• These aircraft will undergo upgrades to extend the life of the fleet and meet operational requirements until 2032, when the replacement fighter fleet is expected to be fully operational.
• We aim to integrate all of the supplementary aircraft into our current fleet by the end of June 2023.

• The Canadian Armed Forces provides life-saving search and rescue services to Canadians.
• This is why National Defence is procuring 16 Kingfisher Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue aircraft to modernize this critical capability.
• These aircraft will provide improved search and rescue capabilities across Canada, including in the Arctic, in difficult weather conditions, and at night.
• As of April 2022, we have accepted ten aircraft, four of which have been delivered to Canada.
• We anticipate that all remaining aircraft will be accepted by Canada by the end of 2022.
• To ensure life-saving search and rescue services continue uninterrupted, existing fleets will continue to be used until the transition to the new aircraft is complete.
• Through this project, one-hundred percent of the contract will be reinvested into the Canadian economy, sustaining highly skilled jobs across Canada.

If pressed on delivery delays:

• The aircraft’s certification effort has taken additional time as a result of the volume and complexity of the work associated with developing this new capability, as well as impacts related to COVID-19.  
• A revised project schedule is currently being assessed.