Canadian airlift contract awarded - finally

Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the Government of Canada valued at $1.4 billion for the purchase of 17 C-130J Super

"The airlift requirements of the Canadian Forces is a top priority," said the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence. "We are confident that the C-130J will provide Canada with a cost-effective, operations-proven tactical airlift capability."

"We are continuing to make sure Canada's aerospace and defence industries obtain maximum benefit so they can build and sustain capacity to support these aircraft over the long-term," Mr. Fortier (Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada) said. "Under the in-service support portion, the contractor will be required to spend in Canada 75 per cent of the total cost in direct industrial regional benefits - well above the 60-per-cent ratio negotiated by the previous government for purchases of this magnitude."

Source: Press releases
Photo: Lockheed Martin