The Airbus industry, from France (Think PM DION here!) has always been trouble for us. They have equipment they continue to try and flog that really isn't meant for military operations. They would have to heavily modify the airframes beyond the point they were designed for. The EH-101 is a good example of what happens when you do that. The EH-101 has turned into shit because of constant problems creeping up due to the modifications carreied out to make it into a military platform...that's another story within it's self.

Anyway, Airbus smells Dion's election into the big chair and knows that Dion would walk away from the C-17 contract and pay the 1 billion dollar penatly to get his home country a contract worth billions over the long run. Remember folks, the money is not in the actual purchase of the aircraft, it's what is called "Follow on" expenses that really pay out for a company. Airbus knows that and is willing to drop their prices now to gain in the future. Also remember that none of these aircraft actually exist. To date they are nothing more than fancy CAD ideas. The A-380 program is billions in debt and two years behind. We don't have 5 years to wait for these new cargo carriers. We need the C-17; they are proven technology. Not some french engineer's idea of a cargo carrier.....

As for the Hercules replacement....they want the C-130J's, not another unproven CAD design...Enough said.


December 12, 2006

Airbus makes pitch for Defence Department to hear military aircraft proposal

OTTAWA (CP) - Airbus Military says Canada's Defence Department is passing up the opportunity to save taxpayers as much as $3 billion on the purchase of new aircraft.

The European-based aircraft-maker says it's tried to talk to decision-makers and bureaucrats about the Conservative government's plan to buy heavy-lift aircraft and cargo planes.

But Richard Thompson, a senior vice-president at Airbus, says they've received the cold shoulder about their proposal to sell Ottawa a fleet of A-400M transport planes.

The Defence Department announced last summer it intends to sole-source a contract with Chicago-based Boeing Aircraft to buy four C-17 Globemasters for heavy-lift planes.

It is also leaning toward U.S. aircraft giant Lockheed-Martin to replace its fleet of C-130 Hercules cargo planes.

Having different fleets of aircraft drives up the long-term contract price and Thompson says Airbus has been pitching a single of A-400s as a cost-effective replacement.

   

At first I thought this topic was about Mario.