Canada will acquire three new types of unmanned air systems and two types of helicopters to meet demands of a recently prolonged peacekeeping deployment to Afghanistan.
The Department of National Defence is to acquire four used Boeing CH-47D Chinooks from the US Army for an estimated $292 million and lease six commercial helicopters valued at up to $36 million.
Canada is to also acquire one Boeing/Insitu Scan Eagle unmanned air vehicle for up to $14 million and is signing a two-year, $95 million lease deal for the MacDonald Dettwiler Associates/Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP.
 |
|---|
© IAI |
The DND says it will continue to pursue a long-term UAV replacement for the Sagem Sperwer fleet. The General Atomics Predator B has previously been named as a likely competitor against the Heron TP for the joint UAV surveillance target acquisition system programme.
The new aviation assets are being acquired to support Canada's plan to extend its deployment in Afghanistan until 2011.
Within the past year, the DND also acquired four Boeing C-17s, 17 Lockheed Martin C-130J transports and 16 Boeing CH-47Fs.
The DND says the used CH-47Ds and new commercial helicopters will help "reduce ground-based resupply convoys and more easily reach locations in challenging environments where they could be at risk of ambushes, land mines and improvised explosive devices".
The US Army has already stationed the CH-47Ds in Afghanistan. Revenues from the sale could be used by the US military to buy new-build CH-47Fs.
Key details of the commercial helicopter lease deal, such as the vendor and aircraft type, are not yet available, but the DND plans to start the aircraft later this year in Afghanistan.
Source: Flight International
