Canadian Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi on Monday outlined the process that has taken place in the procurement of new F-35 fighter jets, saying final talks were now underway with Lockheed Martin.
She did stress, however, a final contract was not in place and there was still work to do before a contract would be awarded.
The competition narrowed to just two final candidates in December 2021 as Boeing exited the contest, leaving Lockheed Martin’s controversial F-35 and Saab’s Gripen jet as the remaining bids.
The expected announcement comes amid escalating questions about the demands placed on the Canadian Forces as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
Defence Minister Anita Anand said the process weighing bids to supply Canada’s next fighter jet looked not only at continental defence but also the needs of participating in “important” NATO operations as well. That comes as Canada recently renewed its commitment to NATO missions deterring Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.
It is not clear how much Canadian taxpayers paid to hold a competitive process on fighter jets that led to the same result as a proposal to buy the F-35 more than a decade ago. But Tassi said it is too early to share costs, and those details won’t come until final contracts for a jet supplier are signed.
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