OTTAWA—Some helicopters from U.S. President Barack Obama’s cast-off fleet may yet find their way into the service of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The Canadian Press has learned Defence Minister Peter MacKay recently ordered National Defence to take another look at whether some of the nine VH-71 aircraft — purchased for spare parts to keep this country’s search-and-rescue choppers flying — can be made fully operational.

The discarded presidential fleet has been housed at IMP Aerospace in Nova Scotia since the Harper government spent $164 million to acquire it from the Pentagon.

Both the air force and the department’s material branch have insisted the American helicopters were suitable only for spares because they do not have an air worthiness certificate, nor an electronics suite for search and rescue.

But MacKay says he has ordered a review to see what sort of work would be needed to bring as many as four them on to the flight line.

He concedes it might be costly, but it would be cheaper than buying additional CH-148 Cormorants.

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