Helicopters are four years late and the Conservatives don’t know when they’ll be delivered

Another missed deadline for Sea King replacement

Helicopters are four years late and the Conservatives don’t know when they’ll be delivered

TORONTO – Yesterday, another deadline for the delivery of Canada’s new Cyclone helicopters came and went. The first delivery of the helicopter meant to replace the Sea Kings should have occurred in November 2008. New Democrat Critic for Military Procurement, Matthew Kellway (Beaches -East York), is calling on the Conservative government to come clean with Canadians about what has gone wrong and what their plans are going forward.
“Four years after missing the 2008 deadline, Sikorsky has yet to produce an airworthy machine,” said Kellway. “The Conservative government needs to come out from under this blanket of secrecy and tell Canadians what's gone wrong this time.”
In 2004, Sikorsky signed on to a $5 billion contract for 28 Cyclones to replace the aging Sea Kings. The current estimated cost for the project sits at about $6 billion and counting.
“The Sea Kings are at the end of their useful life,” said Kellway “For the sake of accountability, we need to know when Sikorsky will deliver airworthy machines. At the very least, the Conservatives should be assessing the negotiated penalties for this delay to recover some of the cost.”
In 2010, the Auditor General called the purchase of Cyclones highly problematic and called on Defence Department official to correct this process.
“This Conservative government is mismanaging yet another procurement file, which costs taxpayers millions and risks the safety of our military personnel,” said Kellway. “Conservatives are repeating the same mistakes when it comes to the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets. This government has lost all confidence when it comes to military procurement.”