In case you missed it, the federal government has chosen to dedicate another $70 million to developing a jet fighter plane it doesn’t want to want.
Compared with the billions being thrown around on anything to do with the coronavirus, $70 million rates as chickenfeed. But it brings the tab for the F-35 stealth fighter jet to $541 million to date. This for a plane Stephen Harper’s Conservatives made plain was their choice for the military’s flying forces, to replace what are regularly referred to as “Canada’s aging CF-18s,” but which Liberals, when in opposition, denounced as a disaster waiting to happen, vowing to immediately cancel the contrac t should they ever come to power.
When they did come to power, Justin Trudeau clung to the notion that the F-35 was some kind of Tory plot to stick Canada’s troops with an inferior product, at vast and wasteful expense.
“Canadians know full well that for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the boat when it came to delivering to Canadians and their armed forces the equipment they needed,” Trudeau told the House of Commons in June 2016. “They clung to an aircraft (the F-35) that does not work and is far from working.”
Rather than carry on with the hated Tory choice, Ottawa would hold a whole new bidding competition, prolonging the wait until Canadian pilots could climb into brand new aircraft to do their difficult and dangerous job. The CF-18s were originally meant to be retired this year, but instead the Liberals are allocating upwards of $4 billion to keep them operating, while buying used jets from Australia as a stopgap. As students of past procurements know, Canada’s experience with the used-equipment market hasn’t been great. Four pre-owned submarines bought from Britain for $750 million spent “ zero days at sea ” last year, according to the defence department, and have cost about $325 million a year in maintenance over the past two years.
It’s also worth noting that a private U.S. firm that supplies jets to act as the bad guys during U.S. military training is buying 46 of the Australian jets, close to double the 25 purchased by Ottawa. So should Canada ever get into a shooting war with the U.S., Washington won’t even have to scramble its Air Force. It can simply farm out the air war to Don Kirlin , owner of Air USA in Quincy, Ill.
While still refusing to settle on Lockheed Martin’s F-35, and shopping around for something that might supposedly be superior, Ottawa feels the need to defend the fact it continues to spend millions on it. For example, it notes, paying for development means Canada qualifies for “preferential pricing” and a prime spot in the construction schedule should the jet eventually win out over rivals from Boeing and Saab. (Airbus, another potential bidder, dropped last August after deciding the cost of meeting Norad security requirements was too high.)
In addition to discounts and quick delivery — much like you’d get from Costco in return for proof of loyalty — Ottawa points out that pumping money into the F-35 means jobs for Canadians. Defence department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier told The Canadian Press that Canada’s cut of the development pie adds up to $1.8 billion so far. These “contract opportunities … are only available to program participants,” Le Bouthillier said. What’s next: buy nine jets and get the 10th free?
What’s next: buy nine jets and get the 10th free?
Another government spokesperson, this one for Public Services and Procurement, confirmed that the oft-delayed deadline for proposals may be extended yet again , at the request of one of the bidders. The identity of the firm was not released, but it’s no secret the aircraft manufacturing business is not in the best of shape. Boeing, for instance, was already struggling to survive the grounding of its 737 Max aircraft when the COVID-19 crisis hit, forcing it to shut down production temporarily and announce a reduction of 16,000 jobs.
Ottawa’s investments in the F-35 date back to 1997. At 21 years, that’s nowhere near the record for delays held by the venerable Sea King helicopter . Though identified for potential replacement as early as the 1960s, not until 1983 were contracts issued , and only in 2018 were the last Sea Kings retired .
That gives federal leaders plenty of time to continue futzing around with the F-35, scouring the globe for an alternative rather than let the Conservatives score a political point. It’s a costly and wasteful practice, but rest assured, they have the background for it.
• Twitter: KellyMcParland
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020
