Canada sends Letter of Request for 18 Super Hornets

Canada has taken the next step in their road to buying new Super Hornets. A Letter of Request was sent to the Pentagon, which outlines the capabilities, schedule of delivery, and economic benefit requirements for 18 F-18E/F aircraft. The Canadian government wants the first aircraft delivered by 2019, which may require a production increase by Boeing, which currently produces 2 aircraft a month. They have orders for the US Navy, and Kuwait on the production line, and the Canadian aircraft would have to be slotted into that somewhere.

Canadian officials have met with Boeing several times in the last few months, outlining what equipment they want on the aircraft. Negotiations for cost and delivery schedule are expected to take about a year. Total program costs are estimated between $5-7B, with airframe costs expected to run between $88-94M, or $1.9-2.1B for all 18 aircraft.

Canada has taken the next step in its pursuit of an interim fleet of Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets with a letter of request to the US government this week.

On 13 March, the Canadian government sent the letter outlining capabilities, schedule and economic benefit requirements for the interim acquisition of 18 Super Hornets. Canada expects a response from the US as early as this fall, a 14 March government press release states.

The US Department of Defense will then develop an official proposal with Boeing and sub-tier suppliers, including a notification to Congress on the potential Super Hornet sale to Canada. The US and Canada could enter into a formal agreement on the interim fleet in early 2018.

www.flightglobal.com...

A cost breakdown of the Super Hornets is provided in U.S. Department of Defence estimates:

The base price for a Super Hornet, according to U.S. Department of Defence 2015 budget estimates, was $85 million ($65 million US) per aircraft.
On top of that, there is what's known as government-furnished equipment, which can be anything from engines to radar and other electronics, depending on what the air force says it needs. That could add $26.2 million ($20 million US) per fighter — although those fees can sometimes be negotiated.
Washington also levies what is known as a foreign military sales charge of about 3.5 per cent, but other costs for research and development could boost U.S. service charges to as high 11 per cent, according to Pentagon records.
"What an airplane costs depends upon configuration, timing of deliveries and quantities. The U.S. government documents are a good reflection," said Boeing's Gillian.

That all means the final cost of each individual Super Hornet could range from $115 million ($88 million US) to $123 million ($94 million US), bringing a total purchase price of between $1.9 billion ($1.5 billion US) and $2.1 billion ($1.6 billion US) for 18 jets.

www.cbc.ca...

Geez Canada, what do you need aircraft for? Sounds like a bunch of war-mongers to me.

a reply to: TruMcCarthy

Says the frog with a "war is coming" description.
What Canada Needs is a fleet of heavy nuclear powered icebreakers, to patrole, the North, with maybe some british subs.

originally posted by: BeneGesseritWitch
a reply to: TruMcCarthy

Says the frog with a "war is coming" description.
What Canada Needs is a fleet of heavy nuclear powered icebreakers, to patrole, the North, with maybe some british subs.

I was being sarcastic. Canadians are always critical of the U.S. trying to have a strong military, I was just giving them a little jazz back. I have nothing against Canada improving their military, it's smart, peace through strength.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Big mistake, politically motivated.
F-35 was the way to go.
Now Lockheed will retaliate and cancel the contracts the Canadian aerospace industry had.

originally posted by: TruMcCarthy
Geez Canada, what do you need aircraft for? Sounds like a bunch of war-mongers to me.

I just worry about all the crashes. I mean those pilots going from biplanes to Super Hornets?? Thats quite the leap. Then again I guess the future losses are worth keeping out the roaming hoards of Liberals crossing their border from the US. Like zombies.. groaning and moaning.. staaaaar buuuuucks...

a reply to: Advantage

Just wait. Pretty soon they're going to upgrade the slingshots and dog sleds.

a reply to: Zaphod58

How much is Canada paying to stay in the F35 program in order for their aerospace industry to continue to supply the program with parts?

Canada is like America's North Korea

Please Gentlefolk,
F18's vs f35 wtf are you even replying for? Acknowledgement, acceptance?
Of Course Canada is heavy handed in USA military policy, it doesn't have any nuclear peons because Mutually assured destruction is how a woman plays. Canada is top notch because we don't believe someone else can force you into a decision.

a reply to: FlyingFox

Je suis numero un mon chris

a reply to: Zaphod58

So taking the upper figure of 94 million and the f35 cost expected to shortly be 98 million or so it is quite the strange acquisition .

a reply to: D8Tee

Their next payment will be about $31M or so.

originally posted by: BeneGesseritWitch
Please Gentlefolk,
F18's vs f35 wtf are you even replying for? Acknowledgement, acceptance?
Of Course Canada is heavy handed in USA military policy, it doesn't have any nuclear peons because Mutually assured destruction is how a woman plays. Canada is top notch because we don't believe someone else can force you into a decision.

Superhornets are not top notch. Now Canada is stuck with 4th generation planes at a 5th generation price. Plus on top of that Lockheed is going to cancel tens of millions of dollars worth of F35 aerospace contracts Canada had as a condition of being in the program. Trudeau is a bloody idiot, he needs to go, and quick. Him and his carbon tax and wrecking our RCAF, it ain't good.

a reply to: hutch622

The current government was elected on the platform that they would not buy the F-35. Period. So even if the cost dropped lower, they wouldn't buy it. Buy getting an "interim" fighter, they can push the final competition off on the next government after them.

a reply to: D8Tee

Yeah because there was absolutely no Canadian aeronautic industry before the F-35;
I get it the days of Mk-Ultra are long gone and Canada our other American countries don't get the same amount of money as they used to...
But there was a time long ago when that far off land of Canada was at the forefront of aero development; I mean do we still use the Canadian arm in space shuttles or wut?

a reply to: BeneGesseritWitch

The Canadian Aerospace industry is in shambles right now. The government of Quebec just dumped a huge amount of money into Bombardier to keep them going with their CSeries program. There are no fighter type aircraft built in Canada by anyone. So if they want to keep them in their Air Force, they have to go outside to get them. And that generally means the US, although there are some European options available to them if they want to pay a little more.

originally posted by: BeneGesseritWitch
a reply to: D8Tee
I mean do we still use the Canadian arm in space shuttles or wut?

Thats just because its incredibly polite and doesnt mind the cold.. void of space. Like Winnipeg.

originally posted by: BeneGesseritWitch
a reply to: D8Tee

Yeah because there was absolutely no Canadian aeronautic industry before the F-35;
I get it the days of Mk-Ultra are long gone and Canada our other American countries don't get the same amount of money as they used to...
But there was a time long ago when that far off land of Canada was at the forefront of aero development; I mean do we still use the Canadian arm in space shuttles or wut?

There was a direct benefit to the Canadian Aerospace industry by staying in the program. So now Canada either pays tens of millions of dollars to stay in the program or they face losing the contracts that they would have been getting.

The Avro Aero was killed off by Diefenbaker, another liberal, many decades ago.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The current government was elected on the platform that they would not buy the F-35. Period.

That kind of thinking is rather dumb .Surely they can get their hands on things learnt out of the recent red flag .