Canada Definitely Choose F35: Aircraft supplier for over 80 years is Lockheed Martin| Saab gripen disappointed

 Canada and the United States use the F-35 fighter

The Canadian government is trying to respond to complaints about a military procurement process that prompted Washington to threaten Ottawa from buying F-35s from Lockheed Martin Corp, the Canadian Air Force’s preferred option for its new fighters, a government source said Thursday. ...

U.S. dissatisfaction with the handling of the Ottawa 88 aircraft race is the latest challenge in a difficult process that has lasted more than a decade and has embarrassed Canada’s conservative and liberal governments.

Canadian procurement rules state that bidders for aircraft contracts worth $ 15 to $ 19 billion ($ 11.1 to $ 14.1 billion) must commit billions of dollars to so-called industrial incentives for Canadian companies. But it is against the rules of the consortium that developed the F-35 fighter, of which Canada is a member.

The U.S. Army’s F-35 office wrote to Ottawa last December that the plane would not be eligible for the race unless Canada waived its claims. The letter was received by the Ottawa Macdonald-Laurier think tank.

However, the fall in demand is likely to anger other companies competing with Saab AB and force them to withdraw from their bids.

A Canadian government source said SAAB raised a "large number" of different questions and concerns about the process.

Proponents of the F-35 point out that Canada’s participation in the continued development of the F-35 has so far cost $ 631 million, but it has allowed Canadian companies to win $ 2 billion in contracts.

However, if the Liberals ’own policies are followed, the government will have to consider U.S. action and its impact on the Canadian economy in the next phase of assessing the supply of combatants. The overhaul could hit Freeland, and Ng must force the United States to give up tax breaks that would penalize Canadian companies.