Not all military are like that. But fair to be concerned that when billions will be added to military budgets, you will find yourself buying $250 hammers. Ronald Reagan's people found that out when they plowed money into new equipment. It is discouraging and causes people to lose faith. In 2003, there will military advisers saying Canada should go to war despite our own intelligence questioning weapons of mass destruction.
Stephen Harper took out a full page ad in the U.S. saying Canada should be fighting. Funny, how Poilievre today doesn't talk about this finest moment of his party. We really do need to do our own due diligence. Britain has still not full recovered from this breech of trust for their involvement in Iraq. They have literally eaten up prime ministers and invited chaos in the years since.
Over 50 countries operate more than one category of fighter jet aircraft. If you listen to critics in Canada, the consensus is that Canada should buy more F-35s if the budget is there for it. Remember again these same people are often paid lobbyists. The truth is that the F-35 is the most expensive option on the table. If Canada wants another option for NATO and other work, the Gripen from Sweden offers both a cheaper option as well as an industrial program for Canada.
The sole-sourced aircraft that Canada recently purchased (Poseidon) was uncompetitive. The military assured that no other choice, timetable or price was better. They said this is the one we wanted. No other choice will do. We are the experts. Trust us. But how can when the system is so gamed and when so many former military lobbyists get handsomely paid? This happens so routinely in every country that you come to realize what Eisenhower meant when he talked about the military-industrial complex. He didn't trust their motivations and desire for money.
On the other side of the equation is politics and economics. Some politicians are okay with military contracts so long as they help their communities. They don't care about the cost to taxpayer or if the equipment is on time or even the right equipment. Just as long as money is spent in their area. Safe to say that only a few provinces benefit from the bulk of spending on ship construction.
The reason some countries build their own weapons is because they sometimes find that other countries won't sell them what they want or need. Case in point is Israel and Ukraine. Each of those countries created industries to build them weapons when other countries refused to sell to them. However, some military equipment takes too long to develop and too much to build. Submarines fall in that category. Canada has generally bought submarines from nations that build them. However, the U.S. has vetoed some of our choices if they involved technology the Americans didn't want us to have or threatened their traditional dominance. This is the case of when we tried to buy nuclear submarines in 1987.
The F35 jets make Canada even more dependent on the U.S. and they still are not offering the best version of the aircraft there is. We have been part of the process of building the jet for 30 years and the Harper government attempted to sole-source the purchase with no details. It was widely rejected by the public. Even when it was cancelled in favour of a new bidding process, the military procurement refused to hear from other bidders. Sometimes it was hard to tell who the military and Conservative staffers were. Military were paid to lobby for the F35. The whole thing is a fiasco.
The military basically uses the specifications of the F35 as the basis of their choice. It is an excellent aircraft but sole-sourcing it and then taking money to lobby and as a commission means taking the taxpayer for granted and self enrichment. The relaxed attitude about sovereignty threats from the United States causes some worry. This isn't an idle statement considering the arrests of Canadian military in Quebec recently who looked to overthrow the government. The push to buy 40 or 50 more F35s after the initial 88 has to be questioned.
So here are the facts. The Canadian government has invested a lot of time and money into the F35. However, the aircraft is very dependent on the U.S. for servers, updates and training as well as parts. Any or all could be under threat when not based in Canada. The CF18s had a substantial repair and update contracts in Canada. The F35s require heavy American involvement on a regular basis. The "we are friends" argument feels a lot more hollow when we are fighting all the time to get our goods like aluminum and steel in the market and are called a security threat.
The F35 is like a Ferrari. It is very expensive to operate. Not surprisingly, many Ferrari owners have another car to do things like ship at IKEA. Canada could probably use another aircraft to do that. It isn't the first time we have used other aircraft either. Back in the 50 years ago, we updated our fighters and used older fighters for other tasks until they were retired. If more than 50 other countries do it, why can't Canada? And why is there horror that it is impossible for use to do and that we should go and buy more F35s? Oh, and untendered too.
It now seems highly probable that Canada will likely get most of the F35 order and then put in an additional order for Saab Gripens as part of a NATO industrial strategy. According to the Globe and Mail, the Canadian government is looking to go with two fights with Lockheed-Martin and Saab. How many jets? Well, to put it into perspective, Canada has generally ordered just under 140 fighters at a time delivered over years. The F35s Canada has ordered is 88. To put that in perspective, the UK ordered 60. Australia ordered 72. Japan has an order of 147.
Canada has one of the most significant orders for the F35 in the world. It is one reason the U.S. is angry we have not committed to buying them right away. Keep in mind that the U.S. has treated Australia like crap even after they have taken possession of all 72 aircraft. And you have to wonder if they ever get their nuclear submarines when the U.S. can't even produce enough themselves.
Expanding who Canada buys its military equipment from makes sense given the fact that the U.S. is so unreliable. As much as we can, we should buy in Canada and use Canadian steel and Canadian aluminum. Having American companies complain when we don't use their steel and aluminum is rich. We have a lot of ships and with U.S. steel tariffs, it makes sense we use what we have in Canada.
Most NATO countries predict that by 2029, Russia will be in a position to move against a member country. Most intelligence reports indicate it is the Baltic area that faces the biggest danger. Canada has thousands of military people in Latvia and there have already been Russian incursions into the territory. Unlike the present U.S., Canada seems more committed to NATO than any time in the past decades. At one point prior to the Berlin Wall coming down, Canada had up to four squadrons of fighters based in Germany.
A decision is likely coming soon. It isn't likely before July 1 as the trade deal reaches a new phase at that point. So far any concessions have been met with no quid pro quo. Announcing a purchase of 140 F35s might gain nothing and still have the U.S. demanding more. Why not add to your industrial base and ally with NATO friends. Create an export market for Ukraine to have fighters. Have an aircraft that is not the sports car you have to take out for the regular work. The United States under normal circumstances shouldn't care what NATO aircraft that Canada buys. At some point Canada will make a decision. It seems weird that the purchase might be linked to the Gordie Howe Bridge but we exist in strange times.
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