The Canadian Government will spend approximately $800 million to modernization a fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters.

On Saturday, it was announced that the government will extend the life of the helicopters until at least 2031, ten years past its original life expectancy.

"This project will ensure that our Griffon fleet remains operational well into the next decades," said Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.

Plans were announced at the CFB Borden facility where repairs are completed on the Griffon helicopter.

The Quebec-based Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited will design and develop the upgrades for the helicopter.

The multi-million dollar project will include improvements to the helicopters avionics and communication systems, engines, and bring the navigation systems up to international and NATO standards.

“It makes the equipment that much more supportable as we go forward,” said Project Manager, Colonel Darryl Taylor. “Some of the maintenance of that equipment is becoming harder and harder to source."

"These helicopters have a tremendous amount of life left in them,” said Fillmore. “It’s much better to continue to invest in them so it can live out its life to the fullest extent."

The project is currently in the designed phase with upgrades set to start in 2022, and it's expected to take up five years to upgrade the entire Griffon fleet.

There are currently 85 CH-146 Griffon helicopters in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which was first introduced in 1995.