"CH-47 Chinook - Government one step closer to re-equipping Canadian Forces"

That's the headline on an April 7 Public Works and Government Services news release. Bloody slow steps I would say, as the intent to procure the aircraft--with specifications basically limiting a contract to the CH-47--was announced on June 28, 2006; the contract is not expected to be awarded until fall 2008:

...
The Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, today announced that in March 2008, the Government issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Boeing Company to acquire 16 medium-to-heavy lift helicopters (MHLH) for the Department of National Defence (DND). The RFP includes a requirement for 20 years of associated in-service support (ISS), with an extension option for the life expectancy of the aircraft...

The release of this RFP is the result of an open, fair and transparent procurement process. It follows an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) posted on MERX, the government’s electronic tendering service, in July 2006. The ACAN process confirmed that Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook was the only aircraft able to meet DND’s high-level mandatory requirements for the medium-to-heavy lift helicopter...

The new fleet of medium-to-heavy lift helicopters will take on the role of tactical insertion of platoon strength armed troops and equipment into hostile situations. Domestically, they will allow the Canadian Forces to support first responders in disaster situations by facilitating the movement of people and supplies when transportation networks are disrupted or access to airfields by fixed-wing aircraft is not possible.

As part of the RFP, Boeing will be required to provide Industrial Benefits equal to 100% of the total value of the contract [emphasis added--and I'll bet the pork process has been a major part of the delay].

But note this: a January 16 PW&GS news release stated:

...
3. Medium- to Heavy-Lift Helicopters (Chinooks)
...
Schedule

A Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued to Boeing by the spring of 2008. Contract award is expected by the end of 2008 [emphasis added]. Under the RFP, Boeing will be required to meet all of the high-level mandatory requirements including delivery of first aircraft 36 months after a contract is awarded [emphasis added--that would be around early 2012. The last aircraft will be delivered within 60 months of contract award.

Now in the latest news release:

The Government expects to award a contract for the medium-to-heavy lift helicopter in fall 2008 [emphasis added--earlier it was "end of 2008"}.

Boeing will be required to provide an aircraft that meets the high-level mandatory requirements of the ACAN and the required Canadian configuration for flight test at 36 months after contract award. Upon successful test and evaluation of this aircraft, the delivery of an operational medium-to-heavy lift helicopter will begin [emphasis added] with the final aircraft delivered no later than 60 months after a contract is awarded.

So in January first delivery was to be three years after the end of 2008; now it's just delivery for flight test that is to begin three years after fall 2008. Is there some sort of shell game going on here about first delivery? On the other hand the latest news release would seem to indicate all aircraft are to be delivered by fall 2013 instead of early 2014. I still smell something.

Also from the latest release:

This procurement is not being undertaken to meet the government’s short-term requirements in Afghanistan – this is being done through a separate process...

More on that here. Are we going to end up with 22 Ch-47s in all?

Meanwhile David Pugliese of the Ottawa Citizen stirs up the Chinook pot at his blog. The CH-47 contract delays have certainly received due attention at The Torch.

Mr Pugliese's post quotes an e-mail suggesting that Sikorsky Blackhawks might do for the CF's immediate helicopter needs in Afstan, rather than Chinooks. I wonder why Mr Pugliese does not point out that the Blackhawk's maximum external load is 9,000lb while the Chinook's is 21,500lb. Also the Blackhawk carries 11 fully equipped troops, the Chinook 33. Those differences may explain why the CF feel they need CH-47s.

Update: More on the CH-47F (especially its capabilities with regard to Afstan) from Flight International, with this para on Canada:

A contract is expected to be signed with Canada by year end for 16 new-build helicopters. These are expected to be a unique configuration combining features of the F and the G, although Canada is negotiating for accelerated delivery of an initial six aircraft by taking US Army-standard CH-47Fs straight off the assembly line. These are urgently needed for operations in Afghanistan.

The "G" bit is interesting. The MH-47G is a special operations Chinook. So maybe our looking for "Kustom Kopters" (to repeat this link), one likely cause in the time being taken to acquire our Chinooks, is the result of Army requirements for our special forces--not Air Force gold plating.

It's also interesting that the quick six for Afstan look to be "Fs", not CHAPS "D's" (go back to this link again for details); I would guess then that these aircraft would somehow be included in the overall buy of 16.

Thank goodness for the foreign specialist media--and the Canadian Forces College daily Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs--to keep us abreast of such procurement details.