The final contract for the two planes is valued at US$102 million and was awarded to International Airfinance Corporation, according to a DND press release. The planes, which were built in 2015, will replace CC-150 Polaris aircraft, which the RCAF has been flying since 1992. The planes carry out most of the RCAF’s air-to-air refueling. “After nearly 30 years of outstanding service, the RCAF looks to the future of this critical capability,” the press release said. The VIP aircraft used to transport the Prime Minister and the Governor General on foreign trips is a modified CC-150 Polaris. DND says in the release that the newly acquired planes “will play an integral role in providing air-to-air refueling, strategic airlift, aeromedical evacuations and strategic personnel transport for the Government of Canada, including the transportation of the Prime Minister, the Governor General, and others, for in the coming decades”. The acquisition is part of the government’s Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project, a procurement project that will replace the CC-150 Polaris. The government is looking to buy six planes in total. The Airbus A330-200 is a commercial airplane. Airbus will modify the two aircraft to meet the needs of the military, the DND press release said. DND says the replacement aircraft “will provide the RCAF with increased flexibility, allowing designers to select the most appropriate aircraft for a specific airlift mission, and will increase the RCAF’s ability to respond to unexpected operational requirements, such as domestic or international emergencies or humanitarian aid missions’. Defense Minister Anita Anand said the Airbus A330-200 was chosen for its capabilities and value. “The Government of Canada is committed to providing the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment they need at the best value for money. We look forward to accepting these two aircraft as they represent an important first step in replacing the capability currently provided by the CC150 Polaris fleet “, he said in the press release. The government estimates the two planes will arrive in the winter of 2023.
