Interesting competition brewing in Canada...

Kiwi2005

New Member
And apparently lots of the usual politics...


EADS CASA's C-295 is going head-to-head against the C-27j and it's getting pretty public it seems...


Check out the sites:
www.c-295.ca
www.c-27j.ca


Caught this in Flight International:


http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2005/06/14/Navigation/190/198975/Canada+searches+for+rescue+solution.html


Canada searches for rescue solution

Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) expects to begin the selection process for a new fleet of fixed-wing search-and-rescue (SAR) aircraft in the second half of this year, with a contract expected in late 2006 or early 2007, writes Andrzej Jeziorski.

“We are in the final stages of preparing and reviewing the statement of operational requirements,†the DND says. Deliveries will begin before the retirement of its de Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalo transports in 2010, it adds.

A request for proposals for the C$1.3 billion ($1 billion) programme was twice delayed, in June and October 2004, say sources close to the programme. The delays were caused by a tangle of political interests and pressure from some quarters in the procurement chain to award a contract to an Alenia Aeronautica/L-3 Integrated Systems team proposing the C-27J Spartan without holding a competition, says one source.

The DND says it has examined the C-27J and EADS Casa’s C-295, but has yet to determine the number of aircraft required, suggested by industry sources to be around 15. EADS Casa took a C-295 on a tour of Canada from 26 May to 8 June, but was blocked from showing the aircraft to air force officials because of the imminent start of the SAR procurement, says Martin Sefzig, director of programmes for EADS Casa Canada.

The tour included all three of Canada’s northern provinces, as the DND wants to locate some of its new aircraft at two bases in the north, requiring good cold-weather performance. Canada operates six CC-115s from CFB Comox in British Columbia and also uses some of its 32 Lockheed Martin CC-130 transports in the SAR role.

I'd be interested in getting some "informed" perspectives...
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Kiwi2005 said:
I'd be interested in getting some "informed" perspectives...
I'll take a shot and add some things into the mix.

Both aircraft have been contenders for the RAAF light/medium transport contract. This has been delayed as other more pressing procurements get priority.

but, from my recollection. Spartan was favoured due to engine compatability issues with the Hercules ("grey grumbly"). The fact that Hercs may not be the lifter of choice in our near future (A400 is favoured by quite a few) means that compatability of maint issues is not high.

The CASA product is rated very very highly. In fact we had two submissions, one by CASA and another by Indonesia submitting a licensed built derivative.

I actually prefer the 295.
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
knightrider4 said:
GF I thought the 295 and 27j were both in contention for AIR 8000? Which is supposed to be a current project?
under the revision it's now Part 2 of AIR 8000. Some are still cynical as to whether this will get legs though. There are too many other expensive goodies in the mix. and it might slide again.
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
AIR 8000 is currently projected right in the middle of AIR 6000 ($15 Billion air combat capability purchase) SEA 4000 ($ 6 Billion Air Warfare Destroyer purchase) AIR 7000 ($1.5 - $2 Billion maritime patrol aircraft purchase) Joint Program 2048 ($2 - $3 Billion Amphibious Warfare ships purchase) Land 17 ($1 Billion Artillery replacement program) plus innumerable other worthy projects, with all the projects costing $50 Billion in total...

There is simply not enough money in the current Australian defence budget for AIR 8000 methinks, despite the need for the RAAF to replace it's Caribou's and gain a greater airlift capacity overall...
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Aussie Digger said:
............ plus innumerable other worthy projects, with all the projects costing $50 Billion in total...
also including transport project, 4wd's and modified vehicles for specops replacement, etc etc.....


Aussie Digger said:
There is simply not enough money in the current Australian defence budget for AIR 8000 methinks.
hence my cynicism about it getting revived.

a bloke I know has just been tasked with evaluating the current crop of technology demonstraters, his job is to make reccomendations on which ones to can. That area has $40m assigned to it. things like future combat weapons, electronic warfare, surveillance, stealth management, ballistics, UAV's, USV's, etc....

there will be some tense project managers
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
gf0012-aust said:
there will be some tense project managers
You're not wrong, it will be interesting to see just how "far" the DMO has come under Kinnard... Personally, I can't see for the life of me how shuffling around a few jobs, creating a new committee or 2 (whilst STILL retaining the OLD ones) and introducing yet ANOTHER pass for project approval won't HINDER project development, let alone enhance it.

But what would I know? I am as anti-bureaucratic as it's possible to be, so obviously I don't "get" the big picture...
 
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