Posted on 09/30/2010 11:26:11 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Israel has scored guarantees of billions of dollars of work on the stealth fighters Canada eventually hopes to buy — even though, unlike Canada and other nations, it has not invested any money in the development of the aircraft.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has said he approved in principle the proposed deal to buy 20 Joint Strike Fighters, adding that the country's industries have been guaranteed more than $4 billion in work on the aircraft in exchange for the purchase.
Aerospace analysts say that will spark questions from countries such as Canada, Denmark, Italy, Britain and others that invested upfront in the plane, also known as the F-35, in the hopes their own industries would have the inside track on winning contracts. Canada plans to spend $9 billon purchasing 65 F-35s but it is unclear at this point what, if any, guarantees of work the Harper government has received from Lockheed Martin, the builder of the F-35.
Asked about the Israeli deal, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said that Canadian firms have won more than $330 million worth of contracts on the F-35 and that he is confident the government's decision to buy the fighter will open "the door to a huge influx of business for Canadian aerospace."
(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...
Ping
Thanks ErnstStavroBlofeld.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.