# Coast Guard starts hunt for new helicopters



## The Bread Guy (28 Aug 2012)

> The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, today announced that the Government of Canada is setting the stage for the purchase of new helicopters for the Canadian Coast Guard.
> 
> A Letter of Interest to invite aerospace representatives to an Industry Day has been posted on MERX, the government’s contracting website, in order to begin engaging potential contractors in the procurement process. In line with other major federal procurement projects, the Canadian Coast Guard will work with Public Works and Government Services Canada to engage industry early and often throughout the procurement process.
> 
> ...


DFO Info-machine, 20 Aug 12

Initial Letter of Interest via MERX (also attached if link doesn't work) - initial bid documents here
Latest update to bid documents, with a bit more detail (dates, places) about industry "engagement" here


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## The Bread Guy (17 Sep 2012)

.... here:





> Canada's plans to modernise its coastguard's ageing helicopter fleet have attracted the initial interest of five rotorcraft manufacturers, including the industry's four biggest airframers.
> 
> The country wants to purchase 16 light and eight medium helicopters alongside "at least one" flight simulator over the next five years.
> 
> ...


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## MarkOttawa (26 Jun 2013)

At _Defense Industry Daily_:



> Ring My Bell: New Helicopters for Canada’s Coast Guard
> 
> In fall 2012, the Canadian government began planning in earnest to replace its current fleet of Coast Guard helicopters: 14 MBB Bo-105s and 3 Bell 206L LongRangers at the light end, supported by 6 Bell 212 twin-Hueys. The replacement buy has been structured as 2 competitions: one for 16 light helicopters, and one for 4-8 ‘medium’ helicopters. A 3rd buy may add 2-3 different helicopters for use aboard Canada’s new Icebreaker after 2017.
> 
> Unfortunately, the competition has followed the same template as almost every major Canadian defense buy over the last decade: a show of competition, masking a pre-selected winner. That has become a political issue in Canada, now that the government has announced its intent to sole-source a light helicopter award worth up to C$ 1 billion over 20 years...


http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ring-my-bell-new-helicopters-for-canadas-coast-guard-014679/

Mark
Ottawa


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## Colin Parkinson (27 Jun 2013)

Sad to see the Eurocopter not in the running, they are very popular in the commercial world. Other than the internal cargo capacity they would fit many of the everyday rolls of the Coast Guard, much being related to repair and rebuild of navigational aids and lighthouse resupply. We lost the only winch equipped helo on the west coast when the S-61 was retired. Most work is done by slinging a cargo bonnet by longline or landing personal/supplies onto a proper helipad at a lighthouse.


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