Canada plans to conduct yet another modernization of its CF-18 fighter jets, an effort that will further delay purchases of the F-35 joint strike fighter. The upgrade will allow the Boeing-made CF-18s to fly until 2025 and comes as Canada once again commits the aircraft to combat overseas. The House of Commons voted Tuesday to contribute to the US-led air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq. Six CF-18 fighters, two CP-140 Aurora surveillance planes and around 600 personnel will be involved in the Iraq mission. An aerial tanker will also be sent to support the fighters. Johanna Quinney, spokeswoman for Defence Minister Rob Nicholson, said the CF-18 modernization project is expected to run from 2016 to 2019. The program will include replacing some flight controls, as well as structural and avionics upgrades. Core CF-18 avionics systems will also need to be augmented to provide secure communications between the CF-18 and allied units, Quinney said. The aircraft’s software will also be modernized and simulators will be upgraded. “The life extension of the CF-18 fleet is currently in the planning stages and program costs have not yet been determined,” Quinney said. The modernization program signals a further delay for Canada’s proposed purchase of the F-35. Canada was to have received its first F-35s in 2016, later delayed to 2017 and then to 2018. The purchase is still on hold as the government examines options. In 2010, Canada’s Conservative government originally committed to purchasing 65 F-35s, but put the process on hold two years later amid accusations it had misled the country on the aircraft’s cost and performance. The government must decide whether to proceed with the F-35 purchase or conduct a competition involving other fighter aircraft as well. It will not say when it will make that decision. But opposition members of Parliament don’t see that coming until well after the federal election in October 2015. Jack Harris, defense critic with the official opposition New Democratic Party, said the mismanagement around Canada’s proposed F-35 acquisition has the potential to hurt the Conservative government’s image with voters in the upcoming election so it will hold off on any decision to purchase the planes until after that political race. Industry sources say the CF-18 life extension gives the government more breathing room to delay a decision on the F-35. The CF-18s were to be retired by 2020 when all of Canada’s F-35s were to have been delivered. Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35, did not have any comment on the Canadian decision to extend the life of the CF-18s. In the past, company officials have said the delay in the Canadian plan to purchase the F-35 does not affect the overall program. Canada is still a partner in the program and has not informed the US government or Lockheed Martin of any plans to change that. Alan Williams, a former procurement chief at the Department of National Defence, has noted the various delays are designed to buy the government time so it can pick an opportune moment to announce it is proceeding with the F-35 purchase. Canada flies 78 modernized CF-18 fighters. Canada was planning to replace those with the conventional take-off and landing version of the F-35. The Royal Canadian Air Force has been facing concerns from parliamentarians about the ability of the CF-18s to continue flying. Commander Lt.-Gen. Yvan Blondin took the unusual step of releasing a public statement Oct. 3 noting he had full confidence in the CF-18 fleet. “I wish to dispel any questions pertaining to the relevance of the CF-18,” he wrote. “The aircraft we fly today have been continuously upgraded throughout their lifespan, ensuring that our crews can fly into harm’s way with the confidence that they have the equipment they need to complete missions safely.” Canada had spent CAN $2.6 billion (US $2.4 billion) on modernizing its CF-18s over an eight-year period, with the last aircraft being delivered in 2010. That modernization involved the installation of a new radar, jam-resistant radios, combined interrogator transponders, stores management systems, mission computers and embedded global positioning systems/inertial navigation systems. The program also included the installation and integration of a tactical data link system, helmet cueing system, color displays and upgraded countermeasures systems. In 2011, the Canadian government named L-3 MAS in Mirabel, Quebec, the sole company responsible for the majority of the fleet’s aircraft and component maintenance. CAE of Montreal is a major subcontractor on that initiative. Mike Greenley, vice president for CAE Canada Military, said he expects that the L-3 MAS-CAE team would work on the CF-18 life extension since it is already under contract for maintenance of the fighter jet. He noted that Canada paid for the intellectual property rights for the aircraft when it acquired its fleet, which allows it to modify the jets as it sees fit. “Canada has a fair amount of freedom to upgrade that aircraft,” he added.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 11:49:11 +0000
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