A Bombardier Global 6500 business jet at the National Business Aviation Association exhibition in Las Vegas on Oct. 21, 2019.David Becker/Reuters
Bombardier Inc. BBD-B-T isn’t giving up on its submarine hunter aircraft.
Eric Martel, the chief executive officer of the Montreal-based plane maker, says Bombardier will press ahead with efforts to interest other countries in a militarized version of its Global 6500 business jet after the Canadian government rejected the concept and awarded a multibillion-dollar contract for new maritime patrol planes to U.S. giant Boeing Co BA-N.
“This is not changing the trajectory of Bombardier,” Mr. Martel said of Ottawa’s decision in an interview with The Globe and Mail late Monday afternoon. “We still have a couple of other countries that are talking to us for mainly the same product. Some are actually talking about replacing their [Boeing planes] because they’re not super happy with it.”
The comments underscore Bombardier’s resolve to find buyers for the new plane as the company builds out its military business – as well as a desire to prove its home government wrong in its assessment of its military wherewithal. Mr. Martel said the new aircraft could be engineered at “minimal” risk to the manufacturer.
The federal government announced last Thursday that it will spend $10.4-billion on a new fleet of 14 Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft, a sole-source purchase that will replace Canada’s aging CP-140 Aurora surveillance planes amid rising threats in the Arctic and elsewhere. The first deliveries are expected in 2026, with the final planes arriving about a year later.
Bombardier and several other Canadian manufacturers had been pushing for an open competition to supply the government with new planes. Ottawa decided to do a direct deal with the U.S. government for Boeing aircraft after concluding that it would be challenging for Canadian companies to develop and deliver an aircraft in a time frame that dovetails with the life expectancy of the Aurora planes.
Bombardier teamed up with rival General Dynamics Corp. GD-N, one of the world’s biggest defence contractors, on a surveillance aircraft with submarine hunting capability that the companies say offers next-generation technology and fuel efficiency. Bombardier would supply the jet – a modified version of its Global 6500 model – while General Dynamics would contribute much of the “mission systems,” including sonar equipment and satellite communications.
Canadian political leaders largely dismissed the offering, saying it remains little more than an early-stage concept. The Boeing plane is proven and meets the military’s needs, they said.
“There is no [Bombardier] aircraft currently,” Defence Minister Bill Blair told reporters last week. “We are talking about either choosing the only aircraft that meets all of our operational requirements or pursuing a developmental option.” Mr. Blair added that there is a “high degree of uncertainty” about Bombardier’s delivery schedule, cost and capabilities.
Mr. Martel said no credible aerospace expert met with his team to review those engineering capabilities. He harshly criticized the government for its “lack of vision and leadership,” saying it is missing a generational opportunity to support a made-in-Canada solution that would foster innovation and bolster Canada’s aerospace industry.
Federal officials have cited the fact that several of Canada’s closest military allies fly the Boeing jet as a big plus, including the United States and all other members of the Five Eyes intelligence pact. Bombardier counters that some of those countries are searching for alternatives or modifications to the planes because of operational shortcomings and high costs.
“The reality is that our product will be the product that will be replacing what Canada just bought,” Mr. Martel said.