The Canadian Army has been flying the CH-118 (B205), then the CH-135 (B212), then around 1995 the CH-146 aka Bell 412. In the last 3-4 years there was talk about upgrading them, and i have a couple of articles here.
FlightGlobal (make sure you havent exhausted your free views): takes about an earlier 590 mil deal, then the deal from a year ago 2023 which is a 800 mil which was going be a more thorough upgrade it seems:
from Jan 2024..
Bell secures $1.6bn contract for Canadian CH-146 sustainment | News | Flight Global
Bell counts down to upgraded CH-146 Griffon first flight in 2023 | Shephard (shephardmedia.com) from May 2022
also may 2022
Bell Textron to Modernize Canadian CH-146 Griffon Helicopters (thedefensepost.com)
So it looks like the idea since 2022 or so was to upgrade the CH-146s until into the 2030s.. or 2040s.. and the cost was 591 mil or 800 mil or 1.6 Billion, depending which article, and what year as the program progressed. So Bell and other companion firms were going to upfit the Griffon (not like the Griffone, which is the Bell 412 in Italian service) with radios and engines to maybe put it on par with the UH-60 in terms of speed and surviviabilty. Since these contracts were drawn up, FLRAA happened, and then the Ukranian war, creating new dialogue about copters on the battlefield.
With the article for this forum, I have 3 questions for you:
1) now is this 146- upgrade plan on the chopping block, so funds can be diverted to a FLRAA like program for Canada?
2) Or will the upgrade still take place as planned? Or will it be reduced in scope.
3) What are your thoughts on an upgraded CH-146? Seems cool to me, higher top speed, rockets...