Two C-130Js early after all
David Pugliese of the Ottawa Citizen has the scoop at his blog (Dec. 3):
More on the C-130J generally here.THIS JUST IN FROM SOURCES:
No word yet on when the "official" DND/Public Works press release will be issued on this.
CANADA HAS NOW SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR EARLY DELIVERY OF THE C-130J. One aircraft will come in June 2010 and the other in July 2010.
I wrote on the early delivery of C-130J (or lack of) last week. The U.S. Air Force had agreed to the early delivery months ago but Canada had still not acted on the offer. When I asked DND about this I received the usual robotic response email from the Defence Department’s procurement branch, that the Canadian Forces is “currently investigating options to expedite the delivery of the first aircraft.”
So now it’s a signed deal. But when will this officially be announced? Your guess is as good as mine. I’m told that other equipment contracts are or having been signed but neither DND or Public Works are making these public
Canada originally signed a contract with Lockheed Martin in December 2007 for the 17 C-130Js, with the first aircraft to be delivered by December 2010.
Previously, Canadian Forces officers warned that up to 14 of Canada’s C-130s may be grounded early because of wear. The aircraft were scheduled to be withdrawn from service in 2010.
Gen. Walter Natynczyk, the chief of the defence staff, recently said the Canadian Forces is “counting down” on the delivery of the C-130Js. The new aircraft are needed as soon as possible since the current fleet of Hercules is being used to the maximum, he added.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 11:35 a.m.
4 Comments:
That's very good news. Canada will have the first two of it's C-130J Stretch birds flying by June-July 2010, complementing the full inventory of C-17s, also operational and flying missions.
Whereas the A400M test prototype might be flying by then. From The Torch article "A400M still downdate" of 25 November, "...A senior Airbus executive now suggests a first flight in the latter half of 2009...[Later in the article] The A400M, he [Airbus CEO Tom Enders] said, was a very complex airplane, “more complex than the Eurofighter or the Rafale,” and he refused to put any date at all on a possible first flight."
It seems a pretty safe bet that all Canada's C-130J Stretches will be delivered and flying before we see any A400M operational aircraft flying in any European AF.
Next up, those Chinooks.
and in other CAF news
"Canada Orders P-3 ASLEP Kits
04-Dec-2008 16:25 EST
Related Stories: Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Lockheed Martin, Specialty Aircraft, Support & Maintenance
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On Nov 18/08, the Government of Canada awarded a USD$ 156 million contract to Lockheed Martin for 10 structural life extension wing kits. Each kit includes all-new outer wings, center wing lower surface assemblies, horizontal stabilizers, wing and horizontal stabilizer leading edges, and various items for the Canadian Forces’ CP-140 Aurora (P-3 Orion) maritime patrol aircraft. These items will be used by Canada’s Aurora Structural Life Extension Program as needed, and are designed to give the Canadian Forces an additional 15,000 flight-hours of service life per plane. Aging aircraft can develop unpredictable faults, but if this effort is successful, it could extend the planes’ in-service time by 15 years or more."
It'd seem that ordering these P-3 wing kits implies that buying P-8 Poseidons isn't being considered.
DAve in OA,
I'd not go that far - yet. I'd be thinking by the time we could order and get some P8's on a ramp here in the GWN would take us 10 - 12 years - if our sclerotic procurement system engaged their warp drives or closer to 15 years if they worked at normal speed.
These kits will keep the current fleet in the air to fill the multi-year procurement gap
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