Fixed-wing SAR replacement: Single-sourced?

It appears that the requirements for the aircraft may exclude the EADS CASA C-295 so that the Alenia C-27J (some commonality with the C-130Js we are buying--Lockheed Martin is part of the C-27J program) is the only viable candidate. The main reason would seem to be that, according to the Air Force, the C-295 is not quite fast enough to get to the north from the south for a SAR mission. At first glance that seems a bit thin. The government must make a very convincing and public case for sole-sourcing in this procurement as the planes actually seem competitive (unlike the C-17 and C-130J procurements where there really were no viable competitors). But at least Bombardier is out--though they may get selected for the northern utility aircraft [sixth para at quote].

The Canadian Forces are preparing to spend billions of dollars buying search-and-rescue aircraft through a process that has excluded all but one bid.

The Italian-built Spartan C27J aircraft has been pegged by sources as the only aircraft ready for purchase to replace the Buffalo and Hercules aircraft that currently cover Canada's forests, mountains and coastline...

A DND document obtained by The Globe and Mail confirmed that only one aircraft is being considered as a “viable bidder” for the search-and-rescue contract. The project is worth about $3-billion, including the maintenance of the aircraft over 20 years...

In the upcoming search-and-rescue competition, the builders of a rival aircraft, the Spanish C295, are engaged in intense lobbying in Ottawa to change the requirements in the hope of qualifying for the competition.

Their plane is used in a number of countries for search-and-rescue operations, but it cannot meet the current requirements established by the Canadian Forces. The company is frustrated that it has even been prevented from showing its C295 to Defence officials...

The CASA-built plane and the Spartan are in the same $30-million to $40-million range for each aircraft.

The makers of the Spanish plane allege the Italian-built Spartan is unproven as a search-and-rescue plane.

They argue the Spartan cannot slow down to the appropriate speed of 130 knots to allow technicians to adequately scan a forest or a mountain in a search.

The Spartan is a relatively new plane that has been sold only to Greece and Italy, while CASA planes are used for search-and-rescue in eight countries [actually SAR does not seem to be their role - MC].

Nevertheless, the CASA does not meet current Canadian Forces requirements, in part because it is slower than the Spartan [emphasis added].

The C295, for example, does not fly quickly enough to leave a base in southern Canada and conduct a search-and-rescue operation in the Arctic in accordance with a hypothetical mission designed by DND...

Bombardier also insists it could modify its Dash 8 to provide search-and-rescue capabilities, but the fact that the plane does not have a military ramp at the back would limit its chances, industry officials said...

Thread at Army.ca.

Update: Do read the thread above for real views of some who know something--not mere amateurs like myself who rely on some knowledge and some logic and who do not work, in any way, for Lockheed Martin.

As for the C-17 and C-130J vs. the A-400M, note this:

As fears grow that the delivery schedule for Airbus’s rival transport aircraft will slip further, The Times has learnt that the MoD is planning to buy three Boeing C17 Globemaster IIIs for about $660 million (£337 million). But its plans are threatened by the potential closure of the C17 production line in the United States...

...Airbus was supposed to start to deliver the A400M this year, but the date slipped to 2008. Several analysts believe that 2009 or 2010 may be more likely. Airbus, which has been dogged by a two-year delay to its civil A380 project, denied that there would be further delays.

But it appears the USAF is in fact getting more C-17s.

Boeing won a U.S. Air Force contract valued at as much as $2 billion to produce more C-17 transport aircraft.

The award will fund the purchase of 10 aircraft, the U.S. Defense Department said Monday [Dec. 18].

The purchase adds to the 180 C-17 aircraft bought by the Air Force and extends production through October 2009, the Pentagon's statement said.

Update: A comment at Army.ca worth reading.

Upperdate: A letter to the Globe from Alenia and a detailed comment in response at Army.ca.