Ottawa Awards $1.5B in Husky Fleet Maintenance Contracts

0:00It's March 30, you're listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. Ottawa just handed out $1.5 billion in maintenance contracts to two aeronautical companies right in the Maribel area for the Royal. Canadian Air Forces fresh CC-330, Husky Fleet. These nine Airbus tanker transports can refuel fighter jets mid-air or haul up to 300 troops at once, and the deals with L3 Harris-MAS and Airbus Defense and Space Kickoff for seven to ten years. Earlier this year, back in 2023, the Feds committed $3.6 billion to snag these planes and swab out the aging CC-1, 50 Polaris Fleet. Industry Minister Melanie Jolie and procurement minister Joelle Lightbound broke the news Monday in Maribel, tying it straight into the government's defense industrial strategy from February and Montreal. This push keeps more defense work in cash flowing to Canadian firms, setting up the Air Force for reliable ops when those birds land in 20-27.