During the International Military Helicopter Conference held in the United Kingdom last February, the Royal Canadian Air Force announced plans to acquire new helicopters, primarily tasked with supporting the deployment of its future F-35A stealth fighters in the Arctic. According to local media reports, this investment would exceed $18 billion and would also contribute to replacing the CH-146 Griffon helicopters, which have been in service since 1992.
Providing further details, the institution stated that it is working on establishing protocols and acquiring capabilities to respond to potential accidents involving the advanced fifth-generation fighter in this particularly harsh climatic region. Concerns about the aircraft’s reliability date back to discussions surrounding the potential purchase of the F-35, when debates in Parliament raised concerns over acquiring a single-engine aircraft, arguing it might be less reliable than the current twin-engine CF-18 fighters.
It is worth recalling that despite these concerns, Canada proceeded with the acquisition of a fleet of 88 F-35 aircraft from the United States, requiring an expenditure of over $19 billion, with an estimated $70 billion to be invested throughout their lifecycle. Currently, these high costs and strained relations with Washington have sparked renewed debate over the decision, especially considering that the platform’s long-term sustainability and upgrades depend on U.S. approval.
However, returning to the helicopter acquisition plan, it is important to note that this is a long-term initiative. During the presentation, it was stated that the procurement process would span up to 20 years, requiring significant infrastructure improvements in northern Canada to ensure seamless operations for the new aircraft. For now, Ottawa aims to begin discussions with aerospace industry stakeholders this year to assess their capabilities and proposals, with the goal of achieving initial operational capability for the new fleet by 2033.
In the meantime, Canada intends to maintain its fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters, which currently consists of 82 units. This will primarily be achieved through a contract with the manufacturer, Bell Textron Canada Limited, to provide support until the mid-2030s. The contract was awarded in January 2024, with approximately $2 billion allocated to this effort, in addition to the $800 million committed in 2022 for necessary upgrades to keep the platform operational.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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