US approves sale of 16 P-8A Poseidons to Canada for $5.9 billion

The US government has authorized the sale of Boeing P-8A Poseidon surveillance and patrol aircraft to Canada.. The State Department said this in a notification to the US Congress seeking approval for possible military sales through the FMS program.

Since late last year, the Canadian government has been moving forward with its plan to purchase new maritime surveillance and patrol aircraft to replace the CP-140 Aurora. Incorporated in the 80s and undergoing various modernization and life extension projects, the Royal Canadian Air Force has set its retirement date for 2030.

Along these lines, in recent months, efforts and proposals related to the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft have been published by the Canadian and American governments. One of the first cases is the submission of a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit proposals from companies interested in the project.

After communication from the Defense and Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Canadian government requested a total of sixteen (16) Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the United States. Package for all flights, Together with related equipment, it reaches 5,900 million US dollars.

“The proposed sale would support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve Canada’s military capability, a key force in ensuring political stability and economic progress. and humanitarian activities around the world”, said the US State Department.

Adding it: “The proposed sale will enhance Canadian maritime forces’ ability to work with U.S. and other allied forces and contribute to missions of mutual interest. It will significantly improve network-centric warfare capabilities for US forces operating globally with Canada. Canada will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”.

You may be interested to know that New Zealand is preparing to receive its first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft