A dispute over U.S. security provisions has slowed Canada’s planned purchase of maritime helicopters and, at one point last year, led Department of National Defence (DND) officials to consider shutting down the project, a newly declassified report says.

At the heart of the issue are U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which have limited Canadian access to technical information for its purchase of a version of Sikorsky’s H-92 helicopter for maritime missions. Canada is buying 28 helicopters, dubbed the Cyclone, to replace its aging Sea King choppers in a program worth 5 billion Canadian dollars ($4.3 billion).

Read more at DefenseNews.com

Posted on April 19th, 2007 by keeton
Filed under: Uncategorized