Canada has selected Airbus-built C-295 to serve as the next fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft and replace the country™s fleet of aging C-130s and Buffalo planes under a potential $2.3 billion contract, Defense News reported Wednesday.
David Pugliese writes Harjit Sajjan, Canada™s defense minister, and Judy Foote, the country™s procurement officer, are set to announce the contract award Thursday at the Royal Canadian Air Force base in Ontario.
Other competitors for the FWSAR project included Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Embraer, industry sources told Defense News.
Airbus™ defense and space business has collaborated with CAE (NYSE: CAE), Pratt & Whitney™s Canadian arm, L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) subsidiary Wescam and PAL Aerospace for the project.
The Canadian air force expects Airbus to complete aircraft deliveries by 2023 under the deal that would also include in-service support, the report added.
