The contract is for six military-modified Global 6500 planes, with the first to be delivered by the Quebec-based aerospace company in summer 2027, the government announced. They’re to succeed the current four Challenger CC-144 planes—two of which were recently replaced—that the Royal Canadian Air Force uses to transport senior government officials such as the prime minister, specialized military teams and injured personnel. The contract includes training for air and maintenance crews. (The Logic)

Talking point: It’s the second large defence contract the agency has announced this week, after a $5-billion deal for space companies MDA and Telesat to build military communication satellites. The plane announcement cited a broad procurement plan that has no objective, requirements or timeline, and the military hadn’t said it was looking to replace the Challengers. In both announcements, the government said it’s chosen leading Canadian companies as suppliers so as to spend defence money on Canadian workers and supply chains.