Canada -
News Sections
French company bids for $2.2B Canadian defence contract
Email
The Canadian Press
Date: Tuesday Jan. 31, 2012 6:41 PM ET
OTTAWA — A French defence contractor that hopes to sell close combat vehicles to the army says it has lined up Canadian companies to do much of the work.
Nexter Group Systems submitted two bids last month for the program, which is ballparked at $2.2 billion and was originally announced a couple of years ago by the Harper government.
Phillipe Burtin, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, says it would create as many as 1,600 jobs among Canadian companies if its bid is selected.
The armoured vehicle-maker is proposing to construct and assemble its 30-tonne VCBIs at Bombardier in Montreal and has enlisted Raytheon Canada Ltd. to handle in-service support and maintenance.
Burtin told a gathering of potential suppliers today that between 80 and 90 smaller Canadian companies could be called upon to deliver sub-contracted parts.
The VCBI has already been used by the French army in Afghanistan and is essentially a heavier version of Canada's existing light armoured vehicle -- known as a LAV III.
User Tools
Print Article
Feedback
Share with your social Network:
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
Most Viewed News Stories
Most Talked about Stories
I feel that if certain organs were in demand, less effort would be made to revive people. Am I being silly? Not really. I had a bad experience in hospital when my heart stopped, the doctors tried to revive me and failed. They stopped and said I was gone. I came around on my own when the nurse was giving a final BP reading of 'zero'. I heard her declare me dead! It was all I could do to shake my head but they never caught on til I was able to open my eyes. You should have seen them scramble then! I thought the nurse was going to faint. The thing is, I think we may write people off too soon when there is something of value to be gained from them.
