Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi and Defense Minister Anita Anand made the announcement on Monday. The decision to start negotiations is the last step in a process that has been going on for more than twelve years. It also represents a major turning point for the Liberal government – which pledged in 2015 never to buy the F-35. “It’s the most significant investment in the RCAF for more than 30 years,” Tassi said. “Our government has promised the Canadians a competitive procurement process to ensure we get the right aircraft at the right price while maximizing economic benefits for Canadians. We are committed to an open, fair and competitive process and we live up to that promise.” Tassi outlined the steps the government has taken – such as hiring an independent overseer of justice – and insisted that politics played no role in the decision. The minister said that she and Anand were not informed who the winner was until shortly before the announcement. That has not stopped Conservative Opposition from wondering if starting negotiations on the deal is another way for the government to delay a final decision. “After losing so many years for purely political reasons, we want to have a real answer,” Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus said during a question-and-answer session. “Will the F-35 be Canada’s final choice or is it just another timeless announcement?”

A lock for Lockheed-Martin?

Monday’s decision guarantees Lockheed Martin a $ 19 billion contract for 88 of the state-of-the-art fighters. According to the federal government procurement system, Ottawa selects an aircraft and then tries to negotiate a contract with the manufacturer. If this negotiation fails, the government turns to second place – in this case the Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab, which offered the latest version of its Gripen fighter jet in the tender. Working to replace Canada’s fighter fleet has been a political football for more than a decade. The government of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper signaled its intention to conclude a contract for the purchase of 65 F-35s in the summer of 2010. The offer collapsed after criticism from both the Auditor General and the Parliamentary Budget Officer – both questioned the cost and if the Conservative government had done enough to ensure that combat stealth was indeed the right choice.

The overthrow of the Liberals in F-35

As a result of this criticism, the Liberals vowed in 2015 never to buy the F-35. Prime Minister Justin Trinto went even further. shortly after his election, he questioned whether the stealth fighter – which had a number of developmental problems – actually worked. Tassi sought to bridge this previous dilemma by arguing that the Liberal government had done its job and organized an open competition for the benefit of all involved, including the defense industry. SEE: Procurement Minister Discusses Purchase of Fighter Aircraft at CBC Power & Politics

The minister defends the “strict procedure” that restored the government to the F-35

Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi discusses her government’s decisions to purchase F-35 fighter jets. 8:26
“There is a difference between speculating and saying in an exclusive contract: ‘We believe this bidder will give us the best deal we can get’ and actually go through the process,” he said. “I think the competition will put the bidders in a better position. That was the purpose of this process. I think it’s one thing to say at the end of the day that you will end up on the same plane, but really when you see “We base this decision on facts and evidence, based on all the assessments that have been made.”

The government had details about the aircraft options in 2015

But the government had access to a treasury of data on the warplane replacement project – data collected by the Conservative government before it was defeated in 2015. A detailed, independent evaluation of the warplanes on the market was compiled by a team of reputable experts: Keith Coulter, a former fighter pilot and senior government official. Philippe LaGassé, University of Ottawa; public policy expert James Mitchell; and Rod Monette, former Auditor General of Canada. Ordered in late 2012, the analysis looked at the Lockheed Martin F-35, the Boeing SuperHornet, the EADS Eurofighter, also known as the Typhoon, Dassault’s French Rafale. and the Gripen manufactured by Saab from Sweden. The analysis was largely rejected by the Liberal government when it came to power in 2015. The US Navy launches an F-18 Super Hornet from the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. (US Navy / Associated Press)
A few years later, in what looked like a political move to avoid buying the F-35, the Liberal government planned to buy a handful of Super Hornets as an “intermediate” measure until it could run a full tender for a permanent replacement. The deal collapsed following a commercial complaint by Boeing Commercial Aircraft Division against Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier. It is unclear how much the Liberals will pay for the overthrow – especially given the urgency of the war in Ukraine and the possibility of a conflict with Russia. “There is so much water under so many bridges in this archive that I think it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who will pay what price,” said Dave Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, an independent foreign policy and defense think tank. which has sponsored events by defense contractors from time to time. “I think really, honestly, there are all kinds of people who have been contributing to this for over a decade and the most recent recurrence at last. [to the] airplane purchase point. “I do not think the Trinto government did any good to itself in many parts of the road.” The government will have to negotiate many aspects of the market with Lockheed Martin, Perry said – especially the price, as bids were submitted before inflation soared. Asked on Monday if the $ 19 billion price tag was still good, Anand said it was in the process of “further improvement”. There is also the issue of maintenance of the F-35, which must be returned to the American manufacturer for major repairs. Negotiating some kind of support in Canada should be a priority, Perry said. Also, given the possibility of an open conflict between NATO and Russia over Ukraine, Perry said it would be wise for the federal government to negotiate some sort of timely delivery of a handful of jets. “The current fleet of fighter jets now operating in Canada is unacceptably old and unacceptably outdated, and acquiring a truly modern aircraft is imperative,” he said. “So we have to get our hands on this aircraft as fast as we can.” In Washington on Monday, the U.S. Air Force unveiled its 2023 budget and announced it was buying 15 fewer F-35s than originally planned – something that could open the door to a faster purchase from Canada.