MIRABEL, QUEBEC – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced support that will maintain jobs in Canada’s aerospace industry by announcing a contract for maintenance of Canada’s fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters.

“This contract means hundreds of full-time jobs in Quebec and Alberta on a long-term basis, while ensuring the Canadian Forces have the equipment they need to serve Canada,” said Prime Minister Harper.  "This is great news for Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited workers in Calgary and Mirabel, and will help strengthen the aerospace industry in those regions."  
 
The contract, which covers the repair and overhaul, parts provisioning, support services and engineering services for the CH-146 Griffon helicopters, will maintain 300 jobs in the aerospace industry in Calgary, Alberta, and Mirabel, Quebec.  Additional subcontracts will be awarded over the contract period to provide support to select military bases, such as Valcartier, Quebec; Petawawa and Trenton in Ontario; and Gagetown, New Brunswick, and for various companies located in the Western provinces.
 
In service in Canada since 1995, the Griffon is used at home and abroad for search-and-rescue (SAR) missions, surveillance and reconnaissance, casualty evacuation and counter-drug operations.  The helicopter has also played a key role in many national and international humanitarian relief operations, including the January 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and the recent snow storm in southern Ontario.



 
Backgrounder

The Griffon Helicopter and Bell Textron Canada Limited

The Griffon utility tactical-transport helicopter helps reduce the risk of exposing personnel to ambushes, land mines and improvised explosive devices by providing increased protection to movement of troops by transport helicopter and road convoys.  The Griffon is equipped with a hoist that enables it to extract people and cargo from almost any terrain.  It can also be equipped with an infrared system and a powerful searchlight, helping it to navigate and search in low-visibility conditions.
 
The aircraft can carry up to 13 people (two pilots, a flight engineer and 10 passengers) and has a maximum gross weight of nearly 5,400 kilograms.  Part of its heft comes from the armour that lines both the floor and the crew seats. Despite its weight, the Griffon can reach speeds up to 260 kilometres per hour.
 
The proposed contract with Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (BHTCL), of Mirabel, Quebec, is for a 10-year period, valued at about $640,000,000.  It also includes the option to extend the contract for four additional one-year periods.  The work will be performed in Mirabel, Quebec, and in Calgary, Alberta, for the duration of the contract. There will also be sub-contractors providing support services in the western provinces, as well as at some selected military bases such as Valcartier, Quebec; Petawawa, Ontario; Trenton, Ontario, and Gagetown, New Brunswick.
 
Since the delivery of these helicopters in 1994, BHTCL has provided repair and overhaul services, parts provisioning, support services and engineering services, as it is the original equipment manufacturer and owns the intellectual property rights for the Griffon.  The new Optimized Weapon Support System (OWSS) contract covers all of these areas replacing the three existing contracts with BHTCL.  It will be in effect until the end of the Griffon helicopter life expectancy in 2021.
 
The proposed contract will provide Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) equivalent to 100 per cent of the contracted value.  This means the Government will ensure that under the terms of the contract, the supplier will be required to invest in the Canadian economy, dollar for dollar, what it receives from the contract.
 
On an annual basis, more than 300 full-time positions will be maintained in Mirabel, Quebec, and Calgary, Alberta, for the duration of the contract.