Kanada kauft C-17

[N5528P]

Canada Set For Boeing Transporter Order
June 6, 2006

Canada's Conservative government is about to decide to spend a total of CAD$4.5 billion (USD$4.1 billion) on the purchase and maintenance of four Boeing C-17 transport planes, the opposition Liberal Party said on Monday.

Liberal defense spokesman Ujjal Dosanjh, who said the decision could be made as early as Tuesday, said Canada does not need the aircraft and should be concentrating on smaller transport planes instead.

"(We support) acquisition of the new equipment that is most urgently needed by our Forces. But we do not support the purchase of non-priority aircraft that will result in a mixed fleet and place undue pressure on the Forces' operation and maintenance budget for years to come," he said.

Dosanjh also said Ottawa would buy the C-17s directly from the US government, thereby ensuring that the maintenance of the aircraft would be done in the United States and not in Canada.

The defense ministry declined to comment. No one from Boeing or the office of Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor was immediately available for comment. According to media reports, O'Connor is at loggerheads with Chief of Defense Staff Rick Hillier over what kind of planes are needed.

Hillier has spoken publicly about his desire to replace Canada's ageing Hercules fleet of tactical strategic aircraft, which are much smaller than the C-17s. The main options are the Airbus A400M -- which is still on the design board -- and Lockheed Martin's revamped C130J Hercules.

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