By Ryan
Maass |
March 15, 2017 at 12:36 PM
March 15
(UPI) -- Canada's government formalized its plans to purchase Super Hornet
fighter jets from the United States when it issued a letter of intent to the
U.S. on Tuesday.
The letter
follows months of negotiations between Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau's Liberal government, U.S. defense officials and Boeing
representatives. Canada's request calls for the procurement of 18 F/A-18 Super
Hornet aircraft.
Trudeau's
government began exploring a potential Super Hornet buy in
November 2016 as a temporary solution for replacing the country's aging fighter
fleet, opting to distance itself from the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 program.
While Canada
maintains the procurement is a temporary solution until an open and transparent
competition can be initiated to replace the country's CF-18s, defense officials
say the decision marks notable progress toward a permanent replacement.
"Today's
announcement shows important progress toward getting the brave women and men of
the Canadian Armed Forces the equipment they need to protect Canadians and
Canadian values around the world," Canadian National Defense Minister
Harjit Sajjan said in a press release. "We will assess whether an interim
Super Hornet fleet purchase will help ensure Canada remains a credible and
dependable ally for many years to come."
Canada's next
step for the procurement will involve further negotiations with Boeing and
other suppliers to develop an official proposal. The country expects an
official response from the U.S. in the early fall of 2017.
Original
post: upi.com
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