David Pugliese
VICTORIA, British Columbia - As Canada considers a purchase of Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing, Lockheed Martin is threatening to cut Canadian companies out of work on the F-35.
But defense analysts and industry sources say such punitive measures could take years to follow through with and might ultimately backfire against the U.S. defense giant.
Lockheed Martin went on a public-relations push last week and on the weekend, telling Canadian media outlets a decision not to buy the F-35 would put in jeopardy hundreds of millions of dollars of contracts that could be awarded to Canadian firms for work on the aircraft.
The ruling Liberal Party government is looking at the acquisition of 20 to 30 Super Hornets as an interim measure to deal with what it says is a gap in Canada’s fighter aircraft capability. Canada currently operates the F-18 but those aircraft are aging.
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power last fall, pledging not to purchase the F-35, an aircraft he says is unnecessary for Canada’s needs, and too expensive. As debate continued in Parliament about the potential Super Hornet purchase, Trudeau claimed June 7 the F-35 “does not work and is far from working.”
Lockheed Martin has responded with the warning about the consequences of Canada not buying the F-35.
"I don't want it perceived as a threat, but we will have no choice: If Canada walks away from F-35, expect to relocate work in Canada to other purchasing nations,” Steve Over, the company’s director of F-35 international business, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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