The Canadian government has pledged to continue providing financing to support the sale of aircraft as part of its new National Aerospace and Defence Strategic Framework, a 20-year strategy of programmes and policies to boost the country’s aerospace and defence industry’s global competitiveness.

“The ability to provide sales financing is imperative for the success of the aerospace industry. The government’s ability to offer such support at times when private sector investors lack the interest or capacity to provide appropriate funding is essential,” the framework says, adding that “Canada’s federal government will continue to provide sales financing for Canadian aerospace and defence products on terms that respect our international trade obligations.”

As part of the 20-year strategy, the government will establish an Aircraft Sales Financing Framework “to provide competitive and defensible financing in a fiscally prudent manner”. The report says government will also participate actively in discussions on the Aircraft Sector Understanding plan of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD countries and Brazil met in Paris in September to discuss the plan.

The government says another key part of the framework will be an aerospace and defence (A&D) technology development programme, through which it will continue to contribute to the costs of industry-led R&D projects, and to support “technologies that will define the growth of Canada’s A&D sector”. The framework cites five other priority areas: strategic initiatives and major platforms; human resources and skills development; trade development and market access; security and the environment; and public procurement.

“The framework represents a fundamental change in the government of Canada’s approach to stewardship of the strategically important aerospace and defence sector in this country,” says David Caddey, executive vice-president of MDA, and co-chair of the Canadian Aerospace Partnership.

HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD/LONDON

Source: Flight International