by Ray Dick

photo: sikorsky

The Sikosky H-92 has been named as the new Canadian Forces maritime helicopter to replace the aging Sea Kings. The contract for 28 helicopters will cost $3.2 billion.

After about two decades of false starts and no small amount of political wrangling, the government has finally announced it will replace the military’s fleet of aging Sea King helicopters at a cost of $3.2 billion.

Defence Minister Bill Graham said the government will purchase 28 Sikorsky H-92s to replace the1960s era Sea Kings, aging choppers that now require about 30 hours maintenance for each hour of flying time.

The first of the new Sikorskys, still in the design stage, will not be delivered for at least four years. The other new choppers will follow at the rate of about one each month.

The government says the main competition for the helicopter contract came from the EH-101 Cormorant, built by a British-Italian consortium led by EH Industries. The Cormorant is already in use by the Canadian Forces for search and rescue work.

The EH-101 was the helicopter chosen more than a decade ago by the Conservative government of Brian Mulroney to replace the Sea Kings. The Liberals scrapped that contract when they came to power in 1993, and paid $500 million in penalties for backing out of the deal.

Graham says the Sikorsky meets all the military’s requirements at a lower cost.

The new helicopter “will enhance our national security by strengthening the Canadian Forces’ ability to respond to emerging threats in Canada’s maritime areas of jurisdiction,” Graham said in announcing the decision to purchase at the Shearwater Naval Air Station in Nova Scotia. “It will also help to ensure Canada maintains a meaningful capacity to contribute militarily to collective efforts to safeguard international peace and security.

“The country will be getting a robust maritime helicopter that will meet our military needs for many years to come.” The helicopters will extend the reach and defence parameter of a ship by about 175 miles.

Sikorsky will be awarded two separate contracts. One will cover the acquisition of the 28 fully equipped choppers, and modifications to ships that will carry them. The other will be a 20-year service support contract that includes a simulation and training facility.

The government says the Sikorsky contract will also be a boon to Canadian high technology industries, “particularly the aerospace and defence companies who will partner in the delivery and long-term service of these helicopters.” When the service contract is included, Sikorsky has committed to undertaking $4.5 billion in industrial activity across the country.

Industry Minister David Emerson said “this project will deliver sustained industrial activity in regions across Canada …and will showcase our talented work force and innovative companies long after the delivery of the last helicopter.”

And Chief of Defence Staff General Ray Hénault said the selection of the Sikorsky heralds a new era in maritime helicopters. “The addition of a cutting edge maritime helicopter will greatly enhance the ability of the navy and air force to conduct domestic maritime security operations and support international missions.”

In any case, it appears that one of the country’s longest-running defence procurement programs will finally bear fruit. The Canadian Forces started the process to replace the Sea Kings in the early 1980s. Canada had purchased 41 of the choppers (from Sikorsky) in 1963 and 28 are still in service. Over the last 40 years, 12 have crashed and 10 people have died.