Tories to spend $16 billion on fighter jets (Canadian purchase of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter)

OTTAWA - Canada will buy 65 F-35 fighter jets for $9 billion, the government announced Friday.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced the deal at a glitzy press conference with officials from Lockheed Martin and the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft program.

MacKay said the government chose the F-35 without a public bidding process because it's the only plane that meets Canada's needs, and because Canada is a partner in the JSF program.

Critics have decried the contract as "secretive," and "reckless" because they argue other fighter jets that are equally capable of meeting Canada's needs could have been purchased for cheaper.

To date, Canadian companies have snapped up $350 million worth of work on the fifth-generation stealth aircraft.

Here is the DND press release:

Government Of Canada Strengthens Sovereignty While Generating Significant Economic Benefits
NR - 10.079 - July 16, 2010
OTTAWA – The Government of Canada today announced it is acquiring the fifth generation Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft to contribute to the modernization of the Canadian Forces, while bringing significant economic benefits and opportunities to regions across Canada.
“The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the best aircraft we can provide our men and women in uniform to face and defeat the challenges of the 21st century,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence. “This multi-role stealth fighter will help the Canadian Forces defend the sovereignty of Canadian airspace, remain a strong and reliable partner in the defence of North America, and provide Canada with an effective and modern capability for international operations.”
“A lengthy and intense competition was completed in 2001 for who would build the F-35,” said the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women. “Canadian companies and the Canadian government helped develop the F-35, and now we are exercising our option under the Joint Strike Fighter memorandum of understanding to acquire it.”
“Canadian participation in the Joint Strike Fighter program will bring high-value jobs and other economic benefits to our country,” said Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière. “This government is delivering on our plan to strengthen Canada’s defence industry, leverage Canada’s competitive advantage and work with industry to help position Canadian companies for success in the global marketplace.”
The Government of Canada has committed approximately $9 billion to the acquisition of 65 F-35 aircraft and associated weapons, infrastructure, initial spares, training simulators, contingency funds and project operating costs. Delivery of the new aircraft is expected to start in 2016.
To date, Canada has invested approximately $168 million in the Joint Strike Fighter program. Since 2002, the Government’s participation in the program has led to more than $350 million in contracts for more than 85 Canadian companies, research laboratories, and universities – a clear demonstration of the significant benefits this program has for Canada.
“The Joint Strike Fighter program allows Canadian companies to build on existing strengths and establish strategic capabilities,” said the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. “Canadian companies will have direct involvement in the design of equipment in the short term, while also setting in motion opportunities for decades to come.”
The Canada First Defence Strategy identifies Canada’s need for a next generation fighter aircraft to protect the safety and security of Canadians, while supporting foreign policy and national security objectives. The acquisition of the F-35 helps the Canadian Forces defend against the threats of the 21st century at home, across vast distances and in harsh environmental conditions, and abroad.
The F-35 Lightning II has been developed by Lockheed Martin and partners through the Joint Strike Fighter program, a multinational effort to build and sustain an affordable, multi-role, next generation stealth fighter aircraft. Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, and Australia are all partners in the program.
As a partner in the Joint Strike Fighter program since 1997, Canada participated in the extensive and rigorous US-led competitive process, which led to the selection of Lockheed Martin and its partners as the Joint Strike Fighter manufacturer in 2001.

- 30 -
Note to editors:
Subject matter experts from the Department of National Defence and Industry Canada will be available from 14:00 to 16:00 on July 16 to answer any outstanding technical questions via conference call. Interested media that were not able to attend the news conference are asked to register with the National Defence Media Liaison Office to schedule a call no later than 13:30. Calls will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis and will be limited to 10 minutes per journalist.
For more information:
1-866-377-0811/613-996-2353
www.forces.gc.ca
For comprehensive information, consult the backgrounder at: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=00&id=3471
Still imagery will be available on the Canadian Forces Image Gallery at: www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca

Critics.........

The problem with the JSF is that it's a hard sell to the public. Many of the capabilities of this machine rely on it's electronics, radar and stealth, and the details of these are not for public release. So all the public gets is a general hand wave that says the plane has stealth and a good radar (AESA) and great electronics and ECM capabilities, without getting any of the details.

The JSF or F22 are sort of like this. Imagine I can't tell you any details about this machine, it's g forces in turns, its acceleration 0-60, top end....... all I do is say the Corvette ZR1 is a very fast car. I keep saying over and over “it's a very fast car,” but I never tell you any details, never give you analysis of how it matches up against other cars........ All you see is a sticker price of $106,000. The JSF and F22 are conceptually a new generation of aircraft that relies more on it's electronic capabilities in radar, ECM, communication systems/data-links combined with stealth to achieve it's end. All you're going to find out is general information because the details of these systems are highly sensitive. The shear kinematic performance of a JSF is unimpressive and the critics, the skeptics typically compare these pubescent factors of Vne, ceiling, rate of climb, sustained/instananeous rate of turn (degrees per second/radius), +/- G loads........ They fail to acknowledge the significance of these new technologies and the changing face of modern aerial warfare. They fail to accept the fact that the threat of double digit SAMs changes things, the the fight is BVR............. Their reasoning is archaic and they would be right if this were WWII and we were comparing planes like the P51 and ME/BF109.

The JSF is a plane that proves the nerds have won!

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