aerospace / news / / CBC.ca
The federal government spent $29.3 million to upgrade 13 of Canada's iconic Snowbirds demonstration squadron.
DND spent $29.3 million upgrading Snowbirds jets, but the fleet will retire three years early.
KEY POINTS
- Planned upgrades for 20 jets were curtailed; only 13 received modernization before contract ended.
- Recent engineering assessments revealed new airframe, engine, and ejection system issues beyond practical repair.
- The Snowbirds' airshows will be suspended after 2026 until new Swiss-made planes arrive in the early 2030s.
- Earlier 2019 assessments judged the planes viable until 2030, but DND no longer considers that feasible.
COMPANIES
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