Canadian government narrows fighter jet procurement down to 2 bidders
by CM Staff
The federal government also confirmed U.S. aerospace giant Boeing's Super Hornet is out of the running to replace the military's aging CF-18s.
GATINEAU — On Dec. 1, the Government of Canada announced that following the evaluation of the proposals submitted during the bidding process, 2 bidders remain eligible under the Future Fighter Capability Project procurement process:
Swedish Government—SAAB AB (publ)—Aeronautics with Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG, MBDA UK Ltd., and RAFAEL Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., and
United States Government—Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company) with Pratt and Whitney.
Proposals were assessed on elements of capability, cost and economic benefits.
Over the coming weeks, Canada will finalize next steps for the process, which, based on further analysis of the 2 remaining bids, could involve proceeding to final negotiations with the top-ranked bidder or entering into a competitive dialogue, whereby the 2 remaining bidders would be provided with an opportunity to improve their proposals.
The federal government also confirmed U.S. aerospace giant Boeing’s Super Hornet is out of the running to replace the military’s aging CF-18s.
Many observers had seen the Super Hornet and F-35 as the only real competition because of Canada’s close relationship with the United States, which includes using fighter jets together to defend North American air space on a daily basis.
The $19 billion contract for 88 fighter jets is intended to be awarded in 2022.
