数年来一直遭反对 哈珀政府最终取消购F35战机

信源：世界新闻网

加拿大政府在全面分析加国高速战机的未来，并认真考虑和检讨F-35隐形战机以外的其他选择后，在本周二晚上决定取消F-35战机购买计划。

哈珀政府的65架F-35战机购买计划过去数年一直遭受反对党强烈反对，国会审计总长预计花费高达300亿，并为此狠批政府故意隐瞒开支。加拿大工务部为此成立了秘书处，计划在查看战机性能的传统市场分析之外，也考虑盟国在如何应对F-35计划的延误和超支。

消息来源指，令人特别感到兴趣的是，澳洲最近选择购买超级大黄蜂(Super Hornet)战机，即更新版F-18战机，目的是要填补老化战机与2020年后引入F-35战机之间的真空期。另一迅速变化的领域，是无人驾驶技术的问题。

有论者说，空军希望新战机执行的一些监控任务，也可由高度精密的无人驾驶飞机执行。

F-35 sole source deal scrapped

Bruce Campion-Smith 
Ottawa Bureau chief 

OTTAWA—More than two years after pledging to buy 65 F-35 fighter jets, the Conservative government is ditching that decision and starting from scratch.

Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose and Defence Minister Peter MacKay will announce Wednesday afternoon that Ottawa is going back to the drawing board in its search for a replacement for the CF-18 Hornets, according to a source familiar with the announcement.

As well, they are expected to release a study by the accounting firm KPMG showing that the cost of acquiring the fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs was projected to be more than $40 billion over 42 years.

That sticker shock — and problems in the ongoing development of the F-35 — are forcing the Conservative government to finally abandon the fighter they have been stubbornly defending against mounting criticism.

They plan to ditch plans for a sole-source contract and look at other fighters on the market.

And in a bid to quell criticism, officials will take a page from their successful process in 2011 toissue $33 billion in shipbuilding contracts — a decision that stirred little criticism or controversy.

That process will involve consulting with the potential bidders, a independent third-party review and a high-level steering group within government.

Still, it marks a dramatic climb down for the Tories, who have outspoken in their defence of the F-35 and sharply critical of opposition MPs who expressed doubts, despite growing evidence that the jet’s development was getting bogged down and costs were rising.

It’s also a sharp U-turn from July, 2010, when MacKay, Ambrose and then Industry Minister Tony Clement announced Canada’s plans to buy 65 F-35s.

The announcement was done at elaborately staged news conference in Ottawa, featuring a full-sized mock-up of an F-35 alongside an CF-18 flown in for event.

At the time, MacKay declared the F-35 was the only fighter that fit the needs of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

“The F-35’s technological leaps — in terms of sensors, stealth technology, weapons systems, survivability and the integrated nature of its systems — make it a truly fifth generation aircraft,” MacKay said at the time.

“And it is the only fighter to meet the Canadian Forces’ operational and interoperability needs,” he said.

Just weeks later, MacKay flew to the air base in Bagotville, Que., to announce that 24 of the sophisticated fighters would be based there. Another 24 would be stationed at CFB Cold Lake with the remaining 17 to be used for training at a location to be announced later.