The Canadian government has determined that the P-8A Poseidon is the only currently available aircraft that meets Ottawa's operational requirements, namely anti-submarine warfare and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), the release said.
"Canada has recently submitted a Letter of Request (LOR) through the United States government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program outlining Canada’s requirements and requesting an offer. These requirements include up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft and associated equipment and initial servicing, as well as access to intellectual property and technical data," the release said on Monday.
Canada, the release added, has been looking to replace its CP-140 Aurora fleet, which was originally procured in 1980 and is scheduled to be retired in 2030.
Boeing in a separate statement said it looks forward to working with the US and Canadian governments to finalize the sale under Washington's foreign military sales process.