P-8 Poseidon Under Consideration For Maritime Patrol Requirement

The Canadian Dept. of National Defense is considering buying new maritime patrol aircraft from the U.S., reports the Ottawa Citizen.

Under the proposal, Ottawa would purchase eight to 12 P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Boeing to replace its aging CP-140 Auroras, which are scheduled to retire in 2030.

The Canadian Multimission Aircraft Project is expected to cost more than Can$5 billion (US$3.7 billion).

In June, Boeing announced it had partnered with several Canadian firms for the potential program, including CAE, AE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defense, KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada and Raytheon Canada.

The company has warned that the P-8 production line could be shut down by 2025 if additional orders are not received by then.

The Defense Dept. has put out a request for information and is considering several options for the program. The requirements call for aircraft capable of anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.