Sea King Helicopter Replacement Standard Questioned By NDP

As the Conservative government mulls whether to scrap its bogged-down purchase of Sikorsky Cyclone helicopters to replace the fleet of aging Sea Kings, the NDP is raising fresh questions about whether those new helicopters are capable of doing the job.

The federal government concluded meetings with three helicopter manufacturers this week and is expected to decide by the end of the month whether to scrap its multibillion-dollar Sikorsky contract and choose a rival competitor to build new helicopters, CBC News has learned.

Harper government goes back to negotiating table over Sea King replacements

OTTAWA - The Harper government is once again re-negotiating the contract to replace the air force's outdated Sea King helicopters, The Canadian Press has learned.

Senior officials at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., maker of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, recently told financial analysts the company is bargaining with Public Works to "reach agreement on an alternative contractual solution" for the troubled program, already five years behind schedule.