While different aircraft manufacturers are natural rivals competing for the business of customers,
Canada's Bombardier and US planemaker Boeing have a particularly turbulent history. Indeed, it's
one that, in recent years, forced the sale of the Bombardier CSeries to Airbus due to legal action
taken by Boeing. Years have passed - and this time around, Bombardier believes one of its products
should be considered against Boeing's offerings for a contract for military surveillance aircraft.
Canada's Department of National Defence wants to replace its aging fleet of 14 Lockheed CP-140
Aurora patrol aircraft - four-engined turboprops serving since the 1980s.
While the military aircraft have been modernized in recent years, the Canadian
government is eyeing militarized Boeing 737 aircraft to supersede the Auroras beyond 2030.
According to CBC News, the government is considering the purchase of up to 16 P-8A
Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft. While it's not exactly a "commercial, off-the-shelf" product,
this aircraft type shares 86% commonality with its commercial sibling, the 737NG. This,
Boeing says, provides quote "enormous supply chain economies of scale in production and support."
On its website, Boeing adds, "The P-8 combines the most advanced weapon system in
the world with the cost advantages of the most operated commercial airliner on the planet."
On March 27th that the Canadian government announced that the Boeing P-8A Poseidon was
the sole aircraft available seen as a suitable candidate for its
Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) program. An official statement reads:
"The government has determined that the P-8A Poseidon is the only currently available
aircraft that meets all of the CMMA operational requirements, namely anti-submarine warfare
and C4ISR. This platform is a proven capability that is operated by several of Canada’s defence
partners including all of its Five Eyes allies—the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New
Zealand—as well as Norway and South Korea. Germany has also recently purchased this platform."
Canada’s Bombardier had put forward one of its own aircraft for consideration,
a militarized version of the Global 6500.
Commercially, the airframe is available as a private jet, but Bombardier's Defense division
notes that the type can be a good fit for maritime surveillance, in addition to other military roles.
According to Defense News, Bombardier has argued that a Canadian-made solution must
be considered as well. Indeed, a Bombardier spokesperson stated,
“Canada has the opportunity to leverage its [domestic] aerospace industry to
provide a multi-mission aircraft that will be the standard for decades to
come...Performance should matter. Canadian jobs should matter. And sustainability matters most.”
Bombardier’s CEO wants the government to have an open and fair competition process
instead of a sole-source purchase. "We're not asking for charity,
we're asking to be part of the process," he stated.
Without getting into a full and detailed aircraft comparison,
it's quite clear that the two aircraft are very different. The P-8A is a fair
bit larger and can offer more capacity for crew and equipment.
The Global 6500's maximum range is 6,600 NM (12,223 km). This appears to be far superior
to the 1,200+ NM (2,225+ km) range Boeing states for the P-8A. However,
Boeing’s range figure is the distance that can be covered from base,
along with a four-hour 'time on station' duration, followed by a return to base.
Of course, the P-8A's air-to-air refueling capability can theoretically extend this
even further, while its interoperability with allies is another big selling point. And, as
noted by the Canadian government, many other close allies are also utilizing the same Boeing product.
While it's a slight departure from the commercial aviation news we typically cover,
what do you think of this? Can the Global 6500 compete with Boeing's 737 military variant?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!