News Story: Ottawa seeks second-hand jets from Australia amid Boeing, Bombardier dispute

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

News Story: India looks for intelligence-gathering aircraft

A Gulfstream G550 ISTAR (Click Image to Enlarge)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

Electronic intel capabilities would help Air Force ’get her act together’

NEW DELHI — Aimed at countering a perceived threat from China, India is seeking to acquire seven aircraft with signals intelligence and communication-jamming capabilities with a budget of about $570 million.

“The requirement is for aircraft to carry out a unique list of missions centered around a two-front threat from China and Pakistan,” said Daljit Sigh, a defense analyst and retired Indian Air Force air marshal.

India’s global hunt is for twin-engine jets, and preference will be given to overseas companies able to provide custom, Indian-built electronic warfare equipment, a senior Indian Air Force official said.

”We need more airborne electronic intelligence (ELINT) assets, particularly to meet the Chinese threat as they are likely to extensively use electronic warfare and spoofing during any hostilities, and the IAF needs to get her act together,” said Vijainder K. Thakur, a defense analyst and retired Air force squadron leader.

The seven sigint aircraft will be operated by the Indian Air Force.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India Issues Global Tender for Maritime Recon Planes

By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI

NEW DELHI — India is on a global hunt to procure nine medium range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft equipped with anti-ship missiles.

The tender, worth more than $2 billion, was sent to overseas defense majors Alenia of Italy; US-based Boeing and Lockheed Martin; Saab of Sweden; Germany’s EADS, France-based Dassault; Embraer of Brazil and Bombardier of Canada.

The latest global tender is a rebid of tender floated in 2008 to buy six MRMR aircraft. That was withdrawn later because none of the vendors could meet the qualitative requirements of the tender.

In the latest tender, the nine MRMR aircraft will replace the Indian Navy’s Islanders (BN-21A) surveillance aircraft, which were used for coastal surveillance for many decades. The Islander aircraft, bought in 1976, will be given to the Coast Guard or could even be gifted to foreign countries,said an Indian Defence Ministry source. India has already donated two Islander aircraft to Myanmar.

Read the full story at DefenseNews