Secretary of State Fuhr and Minister Valdez to announce contract to strengthen Canadian Armed Forces
Press Release
December 11, 2025 – Gatineau, Quebec
The Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), and the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), will announce an update on the Airlift Capability Project – Multi-role Flight Service.
There will be a media availability following the announcement.
Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.
Date: December 12, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Notes for media
Media wishing to attend this announcement are asked to confirm their participation by sending their full name and the name of the media organization they represent to Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Media Relations team at media@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca by December 12 at 9:00 am.
Please include “RSVP for December 12 Press Conference” in the subject line of the email.
Event location details will be shared once media are registered.
Media attending the event are asked to arrive no later than 12:30 pm.
Please note that closed-toe shoes are mandatory.
Noah Note: This is the replacement for the Challenger fleet. As far as I know, it'll be around six airframes. The Airlift Capability Project – Multi-Role Flight Service is a very undiscussed project. Public info is very limited, but I can at least say this.
Being in Mississauga, my first thought is of course Bombardier—maybe just jumping through the hoops and outright ordering some Globals to replace the fleet. I guess you could do some Challenger 3500s or something if you wanted, but I have a feeling it will be Globals if anything.
Of course, this was never meant as a true replacement, but a stopgap to do with the fact that the then-in-service aircraft were quite literally unusable globally. This, on the other hand, is meant as a true replacement to the Challengers.
It throws a bone to Bombardier and is a natural fit for such a replacement. Also, hopefully, it means that we no longer have to worry about renting planes to Egypt. Adding on six Global 6500s, as an example, not only represents a net increase in the fleet, but replaces them with far more capable, far more versatile aircraft.
This is especially of interest if you plan to continue to use the fleet beyond the VIP transport role. It also offers the chance of commonality with any future Globals that come into the fleet, like with AEW&C where I am nearly positive a Global-based solution is gonna prevail.
I guess we'll see tomorrow. Don't gotta wait long for an answer!
The Challengers have also been used for medevac. The 6500 sounds like the jet of choice, which would be good if it was also the AEW choice, saving on crew and technician training.