On Tuesday, we had questions being asked of Mr. Crosby and Mr. Page. In my questions, first, I asked Mr. Page what was in the RFI and about the timelines that were published on the PSPC website. He said, “As you mentioned, things can change. Sometimes speed is a factor. For this case here, it was not so much about speed, but the context that changed for DND. It conveyed to us a new window”.
I went on and asked, “What was the impetus or the catalyst to change the window, Mr. Crosby?”
Mr. Crosby responded, “The timelines that we're working toward or that we're anchored around are based on the life of the CP-140 Aurora as it is right now. The reality is that there isn't a specific date on a calendar in the future when the CP-140 will suddenly no longer be able to fly or operate. What we see is a degradation in capability over time and an increase in the threat environment over time.”
What they were alluding to, and now one of the arguments we hear as the reason for a potential sole-source contract with Boeing and for buying the P-8, was the concern about the current life expectancy of the CP-140 Aurora fleet.