Royal Canadian Air Force (YF, Winnipeg International) has announced its choice of the Bombardier Challenger 650 as a replacement for two ageing Challenger 601s as a utility aircraft for mission-critical roles, for a total sum of around CAD105 million Canadian dollars (USD78.1 million) including training and parts.

"The retiring aircraft that entered service in the 1980s, fall short of operational requirements and are nearly obsolete due to new rules in the United States & Europe that will restrict their ability to fly internationally before the end of this year," the RCAF said.

RCAF's 412 Transport Squadron, based out of Ottawa International, operates four Challenger 601s. However, the other two units were purchased in the early 2000s and are not slated for replacement as they meet all relevant international standards.

The RCAF deploys the aircraft on a wide variety of missions, including VIP transport, specialised teams deployment, medevac, and repatriation operations. Recently, the Bombardier Business Aircraft twinjets have been used extensively within Canada to provide COVID-related support to remote communities in the country's northern territories.

The deliveries of the Challenger 650s are scheduled for summer 2020 with an initial operational capability targeted for autumn 2020.