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| Image: Wiki Commons |
DANIEL LEBLANC
A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornet receives fuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender while flying a mission in support of Operation Okra over Iraq, March 22, 2017 >>
The Canadian government is looking into buying second-hand fighter jets in Australia – instead of a new fleet of 18 Super Hornets – as it tries to force Boeing Co. to drop its trade dispute against Bombardier Inc., sources said.
Federal officials said the government is refusing to sign a planned multibillion-dollar contract for Super Hornets as long as Boeing pursues its complaint against Bombardier at the International Trade Commission in the United States.
A final decision to pull the plug on the Super Hornet contract has not been made, but tensions with Boeing are quickly escalating and the government is looking at all options to increase the pressure on the firm, the officials said.
A Canadian delegation travelled to Australia last month to see whether second-hand F/A-18 fighter jets, which are being placed on the market by the country's military, could fit Canada's needs for an "interim" fleet.
In addition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Eric Greitens, the Governor of Missouri, where Boeing's Super Hornets are assembled, to highlight the billions of dollars and thousands of jobs that are now in play.
Read the full story at The Globe and Mail