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Canada: Airbus pulls out of fighter-jet competition

By  |  September 1, 2019

Canada’s multibillion-dollar effort to buy new fighter jets has taken another surprise turn with European aerospace giant Airbus announcing it has withdrawn from the high-stakes competition.

Airbus Defence and Space, in partnership with the British government, was one of four companies expected to bid on the US$19-billion contract to build 88 new fighter jets. They’re to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aging CF-18s.

But in a statement Friday, August 30, Airbus stated it had notified the Canadian government of its decision to withdraw its Eurofighter Typhoon for two reasons — both of which it had raised before the competition was formally launched in July.

The first relates to a requirement that bidders show how they plan to ensure their planes can integrate with the top-secret Canada-US intelligence network known as “Two Eyes,” which is used to coordinate the defence of North America.

Full Content: Lethbridge News

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