Posted on 06/19/2015 7:46:08 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Royal Canadian Air Force has accepted delivery of its first six Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone maritime patrol helicopters, marking a major step forward for the Sea King replacement programme that has a “torturous history”.
Two more helicopters are due to arrive at the Shearwater operating base in Nova Scotia this December, and the full tranche of 28 Cyclones will be in place by 2021, Canadian defence minister Jason Kenney said at a ceremony 19 June.
The first six choppers arrive amid a hurricane of displeasure in Canada over the handling of the various Sea King replacement efforts, the latest of which – the Cyclone programme – started in 2004 but was beset by technical issues, delays, cost growth and contract revisions.
In fact, an earlier Sea King replacement was aborted in 1993, at a cost to Canada of about $500 million. The total value of the Cyclone acquisition is $7.6 billion, including $1.9 billion for development and production of 28 helicopters and $5.7 over 20 years for in-service contractor support.
Canadian Armed Forces
The twin-engine, medium-lift Cyclone is derived from Sikorsky’s civil S-92 and is designed for shipboard maritime surveillance and rescue operations on Canada's east and west coasts.
It will replace 27 long-serving Sikorsky CH-124 Sea Kings that have been in constant operation since 1963 and are the oldest aircraft in the RCAF inventory.
Public works and government services minister Diane Finley says it gives her great pleasure to finally put the Sea King “workhorse” out to pasture.
“I’m not one to mince words. The Cyclone has been a complex procurement – one that has seen its share of challenges,” she explains. “In fact, this procurement has had a torturous history.”
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
Those bastards are up to something, I can smell it....
Add this to the sudden price increase of LaBatts, yea something’s up...
That sure is a lot of money for 28 aircraft.
Canada Ping!
it started with the Canuckle-heads infiltrating American entertainment.....(Leslie Nielsen, Marty Short, John Candy, Dan Akroyd,Lorne Michaels, Paul Schaeffer, Howie Mandell ....)and the tearing down of the DEW Line. Not to mention Eaton's going teats up.
$271 million per helicopter with maintenance contract.
I know beans about military helicopters but the most expensive military helicopter I could find searching online was $69 million, and comparable helicopters to the Ch-148 are in the $12 to $32 million price range.
What is that about?
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