Airbus pulls out of fighter-jet competition following complaints

Neil Bates @flicker.com

Airbus pulls out of fighter-jet competition following complaints | The Star: 

Airbus is the second company to pull its fighter jet from the competition after Dassault withdrew its Rafale last November.


OTTAWA—Canada’s multibillion-dollar effort to buy new fighter jets has taken another surprise turn with European aerospace giant Airbus announcing it has withdrawn from the high-stakes competition.

Airbus Defence and Space, in partnership with the British government, was one of four companies expected to bid on the $19-billion contract to build 88 new fighter jets. They’re to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aging CF-18s.

But in a statement Friday, Airbus said it had notified the Canadian government of its decision to withdraw its Eurofighter Typhoon for two reasons — both of which it had raised before the competition was formally launched in July.

The first relates to a requirement that bidders show how they plan to ensure their planes can integrate with the top-secret Canada-U.S. intelligence network known as “Two Eyes,” which is used to co-ordinate the defence of North America.

Meeting the requirement continues to place “too significant of a cost” on non-U.S. aircraft, said Airbus, which would have been required to show how it planned to integrate the Typhoon into the Two-Eyes system without knowing the system’s full technical details.

The second factor was the government’s decision to change a long-standing policy that requires bidders on military contracts to legally commit to invest as much money in Canadian products and operations as they get out of contracts they win.

With the new process, bidders can instead establish “industrial targets,” lay out a plan for achieving those targets and sign non-binding agreements promising to make all efforts to achieve them. Such bids do suffer penalties when the bids are scored but are no longer rejected outright.

That change followed U.S. complaints the previous policy violated an agreement Canada signed in 2006 to become one of nine partner countries in developing the F-35. The agreement says companies in partner countries will compete for work.

Lockheed Martin highlights F-35 capabilities

Feds officially launch contract to supply 88 new fighter jets

Saab ready to offer Canadian-built Gripen fighters to Ottawa

After U.S. complaint, Canada to soften rules for jet competition to allow Lockheed Martin bid: source
Canada’s auditor general takes aim at Liberals’ fighter-jet plan with new probe

Here Are the Companies Gunning for Canada's $12 Billion Fighter Jet Deal

Dassault withdraws from Canada’s fighter jet competition

Ottawa releases draft tender on purchase of new fighter jets

Canada is asking six potential bidders for information about their capabilities for the future fighter to replace CF-18

Canada requests seven additional Australian Hornets

Canada May Make It Much Harder For U.S. To Win Its Hornet Replacement Fighter Contract
F-35 and Super Hornet Back on the Table for Canada
Boeing is reportedly still planning to Compete In Canada's Fighter Contest
Canada to keep flying its F/A-18A Hornet fighters into the early 2030s
Boeing skips information session on Canada’s fighter-jet purchase
Boeing cancels fighter jet announcement amid spat with Ottawa over Bombardier
Canada Starts Fighter Competition Process, Aims for 2025 Delivery
Boeing ready to throw in towel on Canadian interim fighter purchase
Canada scraps plan to buy Boeing fighters amid trade dispute: sources
It's Official, Canada Pens Formal Letter Of Interest For Surplus Aussie F/A-18 Hornets
Canada takes first official step to buying used fighter jets from Australia
US approves Super Hornet sale ahead of Canadian decision
Canada quietly paid another $30 million toward development of the F-35