Does Visibility Matter? SAR Fleet New Paint Scheme Questioned

CHRIS MACLEAN
© 2017 FrontLine Defence (Vol 14, No 5)

It probably seemed minor by some standards, but a recent RCAF announcement may impact the credibility of the fledgling Defence Policy, damage what little integrity there is in the system of defence procurement, and jeopardize SAR mission effectiveness. The SAR community is asking questions, who will answer?

Canada’s new Defence Policy, entitled “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, was released with great fanfare in June 2017. This, of course, was of great consequence since the Canadian Armed Forces had not received an updated defence policy since the Canada First Defence Strategy was unveiled by the Harper government in 2008.

The new policy describes itself as a “rigorous, evidence-based analysis of Canada’s defence needs and the resources required to effectively deliver upon them over a 20-year horizon.”

That 20-year timeframe is backed up by numerous references in the document. And so, it was surprising when, less than five months after its release, the RCAF selectively announced (to a few media sources) additional roles or the new Fixed Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) aircraft.

12 Feb – Members from 103 Squadron Gander, NL prepare to perform a hoisting sequence from inside the CH-149 Cormorant helicopter during a joint search and rescue exercise held in Iceland. (Photo: Master Corporal Johanie Maheu)

According to an RCAF email to FrontLine on 9 Nov 2017, the new FWSAR planes will be painted grey and readied for added duties, including combat missions.

“The RCAF has made the decision to use a grey color scheme for the C-295W fleet to enable surging flexibility for the very wide range of missions the RCAF is required to conduct, from humanitarian and disaster relief missions, to security missions with partners, and all the way to full spectrum operations,” confirmed Capt Trevor Reid, Air Force Public Affairs.

This announcement heralds a significant change in the mission and role of the new Fixed Wing Search and Rescue aircraft.

Despite the traditional employment of the SAR aircraft in Canada, the RCAF has suddenly added security missions and “full spectrum” operations to the role of a SAR asset. It remains to be seen what “surging flexibility” means, but “security missions with partners” and “full spectrum operations” are clearly defined in military doctrine manuals as combat-related.

Those are not SAR missions, and that last item in particular deserves to be dissected. “Full Spectrum Operations” means the aircraft and crew must be able to operate effectively in a full combat environment.

This is a startling change for an aircraft that was procured to be manned and operated in a domestic SAR role. Beyond the reduction of SAR service to Canadians, this change will require significantly different capabilities if the new aircraft is to be capable, and survivable, for these new types of missions.

According to sources, SAR aircraft have never been tasked with “security missions with partners” before. This speaks to an expeditionary role where the aircraft will be pulled from their domestic SAR role to contribute to a military mission, possibly in Peace enforcement (the new evolution of peacekeeping).

Does this announcement mean that SAR missions may take a back seat to military missions? Is the Air Force also short on military ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) aircraft? If so, why not add more to the contract and paint them grey instead of diverting SAR-specific aircraft. After all, the Defence Policy does highlight the strategic importance of a robust and “critical” ISR capability – and clearly states its commitment to funding the necessary requirements.

However, the Policy also states that: “The Government has no higher obligation than the safety and security of the Canadian people,” which should mean that SAR platforms cannot be plundered to provide the assets needed for the also-important ISR role.

Canada’s SAR Mission
On the sidelines, after patiently waiting for the FWSAR aircraft replacement to be awarded, the SAR community now fears that those highly capable new planes will be quietly retasked for military purposes.

To recap the background, the FWSAR project, which had pinballed around the procurement system for well over a decade, was finally awarded last year, and 16 aircraft are set to begin deliveries in 2019. The aircraft selected by the Government of Canada for the FWSAR role is the Airbus C-295W (it has been redesignated as the CC295 for Canada). Its flexibility as a platform has led to it being acquired by different nations for various roles, including Search and Rescue, Tactical Transport, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Gunship, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Electronic Warfare.

All of the roles listed above require very specific equipment and skill sets if the crews are to be safe and effective in the tasked mission – in some cases, the equipment required for each is mutually exclusive.

According to Air Force Public Affairs, these new C-295s will be “even more reliable and available more often than our current fleet” of 6 Buffalo and 12 legacy CC130 Hercules aircraft.

SAR Tech MCpl Matt Zukowski pushes a pump case off the ramp of a CC130 Hercules aircraft from 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia. (Photo: Private Melissa Spence AMSO)

So what is at issue with grey paint, and why is it important?

Just as the SAR aircraft must be visible to be effective, the Tactical aircraft must be difficult to see – survival depends on it (however, it needs a lot more than grey paint). Tactical aircraft require defensive suites including warning systems, chaff and flares, and ceramic armament to protect crew and vital aircraft components. These expensive items can have a long lead time depending on the complexity of the system and the aircraft that is to use them. They can also add significant weight to the aircraft, limiting range and endurance, both of which are important to a SAR aircraft. As well, electronic systems can cause interference on critical sensors and other equipment that impacts mission success.

Based on the information shared to date, the C295 is conceivably going to be modified to do a secondary combat role, and put its ability to do its primary role – Search and Rescue for Canadians – at risk.

The concept of combining these roles was not mentioned in the Defence Policy. The first hint that anything was different from the last 14-or-so years of FWSAR replacement discussions, was the decision to forgo the very visible SAR colouring. This colour scheme has very solid reasoning behind it, and the SAR community is convinced it is an operational advantage for SAR mission success.

So why change? A number of questions are raised by this dramatic policy shift. Is there an increased threat level for Canada that would justify preparing for full scale conflict on the North American continent, or to justify cutting SAR service to support “security missions”? Does it mean that the Cormorant and Griffon helicopters in SAR and the Jet Ranger training helicopters are also going to be painted grey, to allow “surging flexibility” for those fleets? If not, then what is the real rationale behind this significant change for FWSAR aircraft – and has the government sanctioned it?

Of the list of new missions, as provided by the Air Force, only security missions and full spectrum operations justify a low-visibility paint job. However, in response to a FrontLine follow-up request to clarify those specific mission types, Capt Reid stated the RCAF “will not speculate on future missions.” So the question remains, who’s behind the paint-police?

Have we ordered too many SAR aircraft to fulfill Canadian rescue needs? Is the rugged and varied terrain across our 10 provinces and 3 territories not vast enough or varied enough to require 16 planes to cover the SAR requirements, as originally established? Or is the RCAF attempting to shift other mission needs onto the FWSAR contract? This is where defence procurement takes another hit in terms of transparency.

Will this new mission statement impact the SAR contract award? As one source commented, “other companies would have pitched a very different product if they had known that DND was looking for a multirole platform for ISR and combat missions.”

The Statement of Operating Intent for the Fixed Wing SAR Aircraft project specified how the Canadian Armed Forces intended to use its new FWSAR replacement aircraft. It outlined who will operate the aircraft, where and in what environment the aircraft will be flown. It also specified the intended flying rate and provided the bidders with generic flight profiles for representative missions.

The roles envisioned for the new FWSAR Aircraft included: SAR in Canada; Disaster Relief in Canada; Surveillance and Control of Canadian Territory and Approaches; Aid to Civil Power; National Sovereignty Interests / Enforcement; and Defence of North America.

Visibility is a Big Deal
While the announcement of the change in aircraft livery to grey paint has raised considerable discussion in the RCAF, and specifically in the SAR community, it has been largely ignored elsewhere.

One insider is convinced “the Air Force did not talk to anyone noteworthy in SAR” before making the decision to paint the new planes grey. “Our SAR crews fly throughout Canada’s diverse terrains and climatic conditions, they almost always fly in dangerous regimes of flight.” These crews put themselves at great risk, and if a rescue plane does go down, they want it to be highly visible.

He also points out that “high vis colours lets those on the ground know someone is looking for them.” Describing the concept as “SAR 101”, he says it “gives survivors hope and psychological survival advantage.”

I spoke to a former SAR Commander on November 6th – he couldn’t believe that a change to grey paint would be in the works. “SAR aircraft should have the best visibility,” he stated emphatically.

27 Feb – SAR Techs from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron discuss their plan of action on the ground as a Cormorant helicopter comes in to land on top of a mountain near Hope, British Columbia during an annual SAR Exercise. (Photo: Bdr Albert Law, 39 Canadian Brigade Group)

The Current SAR Fleet

How has the RCAF been handling its Fixed Wing SAR requirements while waiting for the replacement aircraft? The RCAF uses Buffalos and Hercules for Primary SAR, but they also use all domestic fleets for Secondary SAR. Of these aircraft, any that are not deployed from Canada in a tactical or combat role are painted in high visibility paint. The reason is that within Canada, there are benefits to having an aircraft with high visibility. The first is safety – it is easier for other aircraft to see and avoid an aircraft that has high visibility paint. For that reason, the Twin Otter aircraft in Northern operations, the training aircraft at Portage and Moose Jaw, and the Combat Support Griffon helicopters are painted in high visibility colors. The second reason is survival – if an aircraft has an incident and makes a forced landing, it is much easier to find if it has bright colors. The Combat Support Griffons were painted yellow after an extended search for a missing Griffon in Labrador, where the aircraft was very hard to find as its camouflage paint blended into the terrain.

The third and most important reason is mission effectiveness in SAR. It does not appear to be well understood that SAR aircraft are painted yellow and red for operational reasons, and that high visibility is an integral part of the primary role.

SAR aircraft often operate in marginal weather while searching for survivors of air, marine, and ground emergencies. The aircraft operate low-level, at a relatively low airspeed, searching visually as well as electronically for those in peril. Twin engine aircraft like the Buffalo and CC295 are fairly quiet by nature, especially in the low power settings required for visual search and, in the past, survivors have stated that due to high winds and environmental conditions, they were unable to hear the search aircraft until it was too late to start a signal fire or launch a flare. A grey plane can visually fade into swirling snows and driving rain.

SAR aircraft are painted in high visibility colors to allow them to be seen by survivors and other aircraft and, as a survival aid, to be found themselves if they have a mishap.

A review of historical SAR aircraft such as the Canso, Albatross, Twin Otter, and Caribou, as well as Labrador and Piasecki helicopters, show that all were painted in bright colors. Back in the day, red, white and blue were considered optimum, but with experience and increased technology, it was determined that yellow and red were more visible colours – and so the helicopters, Twin Otters, and Buffalos later adopted that color scheme.

At first, the Buffalo fleet (originally bought by the Canadian Army) was painted in camouflage colors, but when they became a SAR asset in 1970, were painted white and red (patterned after their predecessor, the Albatross) and some were painted in UN white paint for the Sinai mission. However, after a number of observations were raised by Canadian survivors about the low contrast of white aircraft in winter, the decision was made to paint the aircraft in the same highly observable yellow and red colors as the SAR helicopters.

The Hercules, by contrast, is very noisy, so the high vis-paint was deemed less important. For those who would scoff at the notion of a yellow Herc, it is important to note that the fleet of Griffon helicopters also has two paint schemes – camouflage for the Tactical Helicopter Squadrons and yellow and red for the Combat Support and SAR Squadrons.

The current fleet of SAR Buffalo aircraft (painted yellow and red) are limited to the roles of SAR, Humanitarian, and Domestic operations.

On the other hand, the fleet of legacy Hercules (painted grey) are multi-role aircraft that have different squadrons performing different roles – including SAR, tactical transport, and air-to-air refuelling.

10 Feb – SAR Tech, Sgt Kevin O'Donnell from 103 Squadron Gander, NL is hoisted down from a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter for a mountain rescue scenario during a joint search and rescue exercise held in Iceland. (Photo: Master Corporal Johanie Maheu, 14 Wing Imaging Greenwood)

A key point here, is that the RCAF does not allow Hercules aircrew in any of those three roles to maintain a concurrent capability in the other roles – as it was found that the demands of maintaining multiple currencies were contributing factors to accidents that resulted in the loss of aircraft and the lives of crews.

Translating the Hercules experience to the new CC295, would logically suggest that this added combat mission would also require additional, dedicated crews. Considering that the number of CC295 aircraft acquired by the RCAF was specifically tailored to the SAR requirements, it follows that greater numbers would be required to take on these additional missions.

Historically, Canadian SAR aircraft have responded to international humanitarian events, such as the 2010 Haitian earthquake. For that mission, the RCAF deployed the yellow and red Griffon helicopters, despite the fact that camouflage Griffons were available.

The only “expeditionary” deployments of Buffalo aircraft have been in traditional UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Sinai, but those operations were Peace Support, not Security Operations. Even so, the loss of Buffalo 461 on 9 August 1974, to three Syrian Surface to Air Missiles ended the practice of sending aircraft only protected with a special paint job into combat zones – at least until today.

The simplistic statement that the aircraft will be painted grey instead of yellow and red disregards the reality that any such increased role would require, at minimum, more aircraft, more crews, and upgrades to make them survivable in a combat role.

Without clarification or detail on the additional equipment to be procured, it leaves tremendous room for speculation.

Referring back to the statement in the Strong, Secure, Engaged Defence Policy, it was made clear that all costs for capability had been mapped out for the next 20 years, but there is no mention of costly modifications for survivability in combat operations, additional aircraft, or additional personnel. The contradiction is obvious.

Learning from History?
History provides another context under which to examine the paint question. Let’s look back to the turn of the century, when a previous Liberal government was acquiring the Cormorant helicopter for Rotary Wing SAR.

At that time, like today, the Air Force announced that the new SAR aircraft would be grey in colour. The explanation back then was more direct (and probably more to the point than today’s convoluted reasoning of a “surging flexibility” of grey paint.

9 May – A CH-146 Griffon helicopter from 417 Search and Rescue Squadron based in Cold Lake, Alberta conducts operations over northern Alberta while providing assistance to the province during wildfires near Fort McMurray. (Photo: MCpl Brandon O'Connell)

The military had just gone through a decade of low funding and low morale, brought on in part by the Somalia affair and its aftermath. The only bright spot in the late 1990s was the military response to a number of national disasters, including the Saguenay flood, the Winnipeg flood, and the Quebec ice storm. In each case, the media shone the spotlight on the yellow and red SAR aircraft (at times referring to them incorrectly as Coast Guard). Based on a perception that they were not getting “their share” of good press, the Air Force insisted that the new SAR helicopter had to “look military” (hence the grey).

However, the government eventually decided that, rather than pander to a misguided desire for glory, it was more important to consider the situations of Canadians in distress – desperate for rescue in bad weather – and make sure there was an aircraft they could see and signal to. Will the current government follow their lead? Stay tuned.

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Chris MacLean is the Editor-in-Chief at FrontLine magazines.

New Fire Trucks for CAF

DND PRESS RELEASE

Canada’s new defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, reaffirms the government’s commitment to providing the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces with the support and equipment they need to do their jobs. Member of Parliament Neil Ellis announced on behalf of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan that 8 Wing Trenton is the first location to take possession of the new fire trucks.

Known as the Aerial Fire Fighting Vehicle (AFFV) these modern trucks provide fire fighting capabilities, rescue and casualty evacuation to a height of 35 meters. They feature a casualty recovery platform that previous vehicles didn’t have. The vehicles were procured to fight fires on modern infrastructure found on Bases and Wings including fires in ammunition and fuel containment areas.

The new fire trucks will replace some of the current vehicles that have been in use since the mid-90s and that have exceeded their life expectancy. They will add to those firefighting fleets that do not have the capabilities the AFFV will bring.

In June 2016, a contract was awarded to Aréo-Feu based in Longueuil, Québec to supply the vehicles. A total of nine new vehicles will be delivered to Bases and Wings across Canada. The last vehicle is expected to be delivered in April 2018, with an option to purchase three more vehicles.

“Modernizing the equipment the Canadian Armed Forces rely on to do their jobs is a key priority for the Government of Canada. I am pleased to see that the new Aerial Fire Fighting Vehicle is being delivered to Bases and Wings across the country,” said Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan.

“It is great news that the first delivery of the new Aerial Fire Fighting Vehicle occurred here at 8 Wing Trenton. More importantly, this is good news for the firefighters and emergency services workers who will use this modern vehicle in service to the 8 Wing Trenton community,” said Neil Ellis, Member of Parliament for Bay of Quinte.

The $18.7 million contract for these vehicles was awarded to Aréo-Feu based in Longueuil, Québec, after a fair, open and transparent competition.

A total of nine new vehicles will be delivered to Bases and Wings across Canada with an option for three more. First delivery began in November 2017 with final delivery expected for April 2018.

The following Bases and Wings will each receive one new Aerial Fire Fighting Vehicles: 4 Wing Cold Lake, 3 Wing Bagotville, 8 Wing Trenton, 19 Wing Comox, 14 Wing Greenwood, CFB Suffield, CFB Shilo, CFB Gagetown and CFB Esquimalt.

Alion submits proposal for Canadian Surface Combatant

Alion Press Release

Alion Science and Technology, along with its subsidiary Alion Canada, is pleased to confirm that it submitted a proposal for the Canadian Surface Combatant program on November 30. “Our solution delivers an effective, affordable, production-ready 21st century naval capability to meet Canada’s defence needs,” said Bruce Samuelsen, Chief Operating Officer for Alion. “Underlying the Alion offering is an unrelenting focus on affordability, risk reduction and Canadian content, grounded in nearly 50 years of experience designing and producing combatants. We feel confident this ship provides a secure and supportive foundation for the objectives of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.”

Canada selected a Military-Off-the-Shelf (MOTS) procurement model to reduce cost, improve delivery schedules and meet performance requirements. In addition, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) developed an objective, comprehensive evaluation model to assess the ship and combat system. “In our proposal, we wanted to ensure the offering covered the RCN’s requirements while also delivering the flexibility to adapt to emerging missions in the coming decades,” said Samuelsen,

The Alion solution is based on the De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate— a proven NATO vessel, built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, with more than 10 years of operational excellence. Damen’s knowledge and design-for-production experience is made available to Canada through their key role as part of Alion’s team.

Alion’s combat system solution is based on the world-class capabilities of ATLAS-Elektronik and Hensoldt Sensors. ATLAS brings an outstanding, globally renowned open architecture Combat Management System that readily accepts new and evolving technologies. Hensoldt’s capability and experience in developing and fielding state-of-the art radars was central to meeting the unique Canadian requirements with a fielded, non-developmental radar. Other key suppliers include L3 Technologies Canada, Raytheon Canada Limited, DRS Technologies Canada Limited (DRS TCL) and Rheinmetall Canada Inc.

“Each decision we made for equipment selection and systems integration focused on delivering cost-effective solutions that meet the requirements while delivering robust Canadian content,” said Samuelsen. “Many original system suppliers are building systems in Canada, but our combat system partners are actually creating manufacturing jobs for Canadians.” In fact, Alion Canada provides the only domestic surface combatant ship design capability that will create additional high technology jobs through the CSC program, by including dozens of Canadian companies.

By selecting a ship with proven operational and combat experience, Alion’s solution also eliminates the risk associated with the typical lead-ship transition from design to production. “Our bid focused on reducing development and design activities, which delivers a lower overall cost,” said Samuelsen. “This is also significant from the standpoint of accelerating production.”

Using a locally developed, globally delivered business model, Alion is proud to leverage its permanent presence in Canada and a long history in advanced technologies and ship design to maximize Canadian content and further grow new, permanent, high-value skills and jobs in Canada.

About Alion Science and Technology and Alion Canada
At Alion, we combine large company resources with small business responsiveness to design and deliver engineering solutions across six core capability areas. With an 80-year technical heritage and more than 40 years as a trusted partner for the United States Navy, we bridge invention and action to support military readiness from the lab to the battle space. Our engineers, technologists, and program managers bring together an agile engineering methodology and the best tools on the market to deliver mission success faster and at lower costs. Committed to maintaining the highest standards, Alion is ISO 9001:2008 certified and maintains CMMI Level 3-appraised development facilities. Based just outside of Washington, D.C., we help our clients turn big ideas into real solutions. To see the De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate in action, visit www.alion.ca.

Canada Announces 88 Fighter Replacement Competition; Includes "Boeing Clause"

By Amanda Connolly, National Online Journalist Global News

The Canadian government is launching a competition to buy a new fleet of 88 fighter jets and officials confirmed Tuesday they will also be buying an interim fleet of 18 jets from Australia rather than Boeing.

The Canadian Press - RCAF CF-18

READ MORE: Boeing not backing down on Bombardier trade challenge as Canada pivots on jets

A clause in the announcement effectively suggests that if Boeing wants to bid on the competition itself, it better back down in its trade challenge of Bombardier.

The announcement, which follows up on a campaign pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to hold a competition to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 Hornets, does not exclude Lockheed Martin from submitting a bid for the government to consider its F-35 fighter jet as had also been promised in the Liberals’ 2015 campaign platform.

Government officials speaking on background prior to the announcement on Tuesday said no potential bidders are being excluded but that any firm engaging in activities that hurt Canadian economic interests will be at a steep disadvantage.

“When bids are assessed, any bidder that is responsible for harm to Canada’s economic interests will be at a distinct disadvantage,” the press release states.

That aspect of the announcement seems specifically aimed at Boeing, the American aerospace firm that is challenging government subsidies of Bombardier at the U.S. Commerce Department.

Boeing complained about the subsidies after it says Bombardier sold C-Series jets to Delta Airlines at a steep discount, and the U.S. Commerce Department sided with Boeing this fall when it recommended implementing a 300 per cent tariff on the sale.

That tariff will not go into place until the U.S. International Trade Tribunal rules on the decision next year.

Early in 2016, the government had announced that it would buy sole-sourced interim fighter jets from Boeing to fill what it claimed was a “capability gap” in allowing the military to meet both its NATO and NORAD commitments at the same time.

Air force officials disputed those claims, saying the military realistically did not need to be able to meet both commitments at the same time.

Officials said Tuesday buying the interim jets from Australia will fill that “capability gap” until a full fleet can be acquired, and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said in a statement that there will no issues with buying second-hand jets from the Australians.

“This is a natural fit; the Australian jets are functionally equivalent to our own CF-18s and, once converted to Canadian specifications, will provide an easy transition for our pilots, technicians, and ground crew,” he said.

“I am fully confident that this supplemental capability will help the [Royal Canadian Air Force] meet our domestic and international obligations until a replacement fighter is chosen and acquired.”

READ MORE: Canada scraps Boeing fighter jet deal, will buy used Australian F-18s instead

Officials said Tuesday the cost is being estimated at roughly half a billion dollars for the interim replacement, while roughly $15 billion to $19 billion will be set aside for the full competition.

A letter outlining the terms is expected to be in the government’s hands by the end of December.
What comes next?

First up in the process is inviting interested bidders to sign up for what is essentially a list of interested suppliers by February 9, 2018.

Firms that do not register by then will not be considered as the competition heads forward.

Next, bids will be evaluated on a basis of cost, whether they meet Canada’s technical requirements, and what the economic benefits are of the proposal.

As part of the latter, an assessment of whether the bidder is causing economic harm to Canada will be considered.

Consultations will run through 2018 and 2019, with formal solicitation documents expected to be made available in spring 2019.

A contract award is expected in 2022 and the government says it expects to have the first aircraft resulting from the award of the contract in its possession by 2025.

Canada launches contest for 88 new fighter aircraft

How to measure ‘economic harm?’

Government officials refused to say exactly how they plan to calculate the concept of “economic harm” when pressed by reporters on Tuesday.

A statement from Boeing last week suggested the company had made peace with the loss of the interim fighter deal but was trying to smooth out relations in the hope of keeping the option open for potential future work.

“Although we will not have the opportunity to grow our supply base, industrial partnerships and jobs in Canada the way we would if Canada purchased new Super Hornets, we will continue to look to find productive ways to work together in the future,” the company wrote.

“Boeing is fortunate to have an outstanding 100 years of partnership with Canada, which had culminated in our [$4-billion] annual economic impact in Canada, and we look forward to partnering for the next 100 years.”

Canadian officials would not say explicitly whether the clause was aimed at getting Boeing to drop its complaint against Bombardier.

Canada Announces Purchase of 18 Australian F/A-18s

The Associated Press 

A Royal Australian Air Force F-18 fighter on a training mission. (Royal Australian Air Force)

Canada has ditched a plan to buy 18 Super Hornet jet fighters from U.S.-based Boeing Co. and will instead buy 18 used F-18 fighters from Australia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously warned that Canada would stop doing business with Boeing if the company doesn't drop a trade complaint against Canadian plane maker Bombardier, and the government warned again on Tuesday that Boeing would have little chance of winning a new contract for 88 additional fighter jets under the status quo.

Trudeau's government also said Tuesday that it would assess companies' overall impact on Canada's economy before buying the 88 additional fighter jets to replace its aging F-18s.

"Bidders responsible for harming Canada's economic interest will be at a distinct disadvantage compared to bidders who aren't engaged in detrimental behavior," Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough said.

Boeing spokesman Scott Day acknowledged that the statement was directed toward the company and said that Boeing respects the Canadian government's decision to buy the Australian planes. Day also said the company would review the requirements for the new fleet and emphasized what he said was Boeing's long-term presence in Canada.

"I think you have to let our record speak for itself," Day said in an email.

Boeing claims Bombardier's new C Series passenger aircraft receives subsidies that give it an advantage internationally.

Canada had been in talks to purchase the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing in an effort to bridge the gap between its aging F-18s and the new fighter fleet that it plans to purchase.

But officials said the Australian jets will cost significantly less than Super Hornets and can be put into action two years earlier. "We have received an offer for sale of F-18 aircraft from the government of Australia, which we intend to pursue, and we have received an offer of Super Hornets from the U.S. government, which we intend to let expire," Qualtrough said.

Jonathan Vance, chief of the defense staff of the Canadian Armed Forces, said Canada can't meet its domestic and international obligations without some form of supplemental capability until the future fighter fleet is in place and the Australian jets will work fine.

Canada will begin receiving deliveries of the used Australian jets next year. The value of the deal is about $388 million.

Vance expects the fleet of 88 next-generation fighters to arrive in 2025, and the government said the competition would be open to all companies as bidding gets underway.

Analysts see the F-35 made by Boeing rival Lockheed Martin as a likely contender, even though Trudeau has said it is too expensive. Trudeau has since softened that stance.

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said the new fleet of planes is required to meet Canada commitments to NATO and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.