Sikorsky has delayed formal delivery of Canada's first of six interim CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopters until the third quarter of this year. Confirmed hy defence minister Peter MacKay on 26 May, the new timetable marks the latest in a long series of delays since Sikorsky was awarded the contract in 2004 to deliver 28 military derivatives of its S-92. The original maritime helicopter programme contract called for first delivery in 2009, but Canada last year agreed to accept the first six aircraft with an "interim" ca- pability in November 2010. That schedule was further delayed I until the first half of 2011 before the new slip. It appeared that Sikorsky had met its obligation when the first CH-148 arrived at Shearwater, Nova Scotia, on 13 May. But the aircraft has not been formally delivered because the manufacturer failed to meet all of the contractual delivery requirements.
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