Jercs and Globemaster IIIs: Atlantic Canada's turn

More pork for a politically sensitive area:

ENFIELD, N.S. - Two aerospace giants are committing to provide more than $290 million in contracts to Atlantic Canadian firms in return for Ottawa's purchase of a new fleet of military transport planes.

Lockheed Martin and Boeing made the announcement of the figures Tuesday at the IMP hangar near Halifax.

"These significant investments are a sign of confidence in the talent and abilities of our region's businesses, which have demonstrated that they have what it takes to become part of Boeing's and Lockheed Martin's global supply chains," Defence Minister Peter MacKay said in a news release.

Lockheed Martin is committing to spend $242 million in the region, for work linked to the 17 C-130J Super Hercules.

Boeing is to spend $52 million on Atlantic firms for work tied to four C-17 Globemaster III transport planes.

The guarantees of contracts are part of a deal signed by the Canadian government that requires the two companies to match each dollar provided by Ottawa with their own investments in aerospace contracts for Canadian companies.

Atlantic companies expected to win contracts include IMP Aerospace of Halifax; Northstar Network Ltd., a St. John's, N.L.-based subsidiary of Northstar Electronics Inc.; and Wiebel Aerospace, a precision machining firm in Summerside, P.E.I.

Memorial University in St. John's, N.L., is also expected to receive funding for a research centre.

"These investments are today's snapshot of the economic activity that has begun to flow from the strategic and tactical airlift procurement," said Industry Minister Jim Prentice.

"They represent just the beginning of the significant industrial benefits to be realized in the coming years."

Here's the government news release.