Amid all of the discussions and commentaries about the defence policy announcement, something has been overlooked. Neither in the speeches nor in the Backgrounders was there any mention of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopters (known in the U.S. as the H-92 Superhawk). While all other equipment programmes, both actual and intended, are included in the documents, it seems that the Cyclones are conspicuously absent.
What can this mean? It is a matter of public record that there is a dispute between the government and Sikorsky over the price for the capability that is described in the contract. It seems more than just odd that a signed contract for the purchase of twenty-eight aircraft worth $3.2B was overlooked. Is this some kind of a negotiating ploy, a snub, or just an administrative foul-up? Nobody seems to know the answer.