Canada has exported helicopters to the Colombian and Mexican military

Photo: A former Canadian Forces CH-135 (CUH-1N) carries Colombian soldiers as they head out to perform a patrol mission. Photo by Santiago Rivas.

Global Affairs Canada produces an annual Report on Exports of Military Goods from Canada. We went through the 2010 to 2020 reports and found that Canada had exported $48.9 million in “military goods” to Colombia and $26.4 million to Mexico.

The actual numbers over this period could be significantly higher.

In March 2001, Project Ploughshares published Transfer of Military Equipment to Colombia Exposes Loopholes in Export Controls.

Their briefing highlighted the sale of 40 surplus Bell CH-135 Huey II military helicopters to Colombia via the United States between September 1998 and February 2000 did not require a Canadian permit because they were refurbished in the US before being sent to Colombia.

They add: “This loophole is a major one, since significant levels of Canadian military exports are of components and subsystems used in the importing country for the manufacture of weapons systems which are in turn sold to third countries.”

They also note: “Canadian equipment exported for military use, but classed as civilian, is not subject to export controls.”

As such, “when Bell Helicopter Textron Canada shipped 12 Bell 212 helicopters from Mirabel to the Colombian police and military between 1994 and 1996, the transfers did not require export permits because the 212 helicopter, a model based on an earlier military design, has received commercial certification by Transport Canada.”

A Bell 212 in use by the Colombian Air Force. Photo from helis.com.

Similarly, Open Canada has reported: “In March 2016, Textron’s subsidiary Bell Helicopter delivered the final Bell 407GXP helicopter from its factory in Montreal to the Mexican air force in a deal worth $37.5 million.”

Photo: In March 2015, Bell was awarded a contract to deliver 15 407GXP helicopters to the Mexican Air Force. Bell says: “The 15 Bell 407GXPs are operated by the 111th Air Squadron based at the Military Airbase in Zapopan, Jalisco.”

Open Canada adds: “The Bell 407GXP is billed as a multi-mission capable helicopter. That means while both can provide airlift capabilities for soldiers and medical emergencies, each can also be armed as a light attack helicopter.”

The Government of Canada’s Report on Exports of Military Goods from Canada – 2016 says the total value of military goods exported to Mexico that year totalled $1,885,809.46. Given similar amounts were reported in previous years, it’s hard to account for the $37.5 million export of the Bell 407GXP helicopters to the Mexican Air Force.

Photo: The UH-1H is a variant of the 212 helicopter. Photo by Paul Filmer.

El Espectador has reported, “On November 27, 2018, at 2:45 in the morning, an operation of 200 men, between members of the Police and the National Army, who landed in two helicopters, captured [eight social leaders who raised concerns about Toronto-based Frontera Energy] in San Luis de Palenque.” We are in the process of trying to find out more about those two helicopters.

Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese has also reported: “The Ottawa-based CCC [Canadian Commercial Corporation], which helps Canadian exporters get contracts with foreign governments … acknowledges  it conducts no follow-up to ensure exported Canadian-built equipment isn’t being used to abuse human rights.”

We continue to follow this situation with concern.